The East Coast Invitational this past weekend was a major success for the RI Coaches Association with more than 2,000 athletes competing inside the Providence Career and Technical Academy field house.
Although there were plenty more, we picked what we felt was the 10 best performances from our Rhode Island athletes. Will give a brief description of each and ask for your vote, the one you feel stood out from the rest.
- Central senior Donatien Djero is our state's most dominating speedster and he proved it on Saturday by taking the 55-meter dash and the 400m. In the latter event, he came a few strides from breaking 50 seconds on the flat oval of PCTA despite not feeling 100 percent at the start.
- East Greenwich's Laura Murphy was one of just two runners to break a minute for the girls' 400m. She finished second overall with a time of 58.74.
- In the featured mile race, an event that earned the victor a berth into the Junior Mile of the New Balance Grand Prix, La Salle's Grace Connolly took runner-up honors with a respectable time of 5:06.73
- Ponaganset's Gianna Rao, the nation's No. 2 weight-thrower, captured her specialty with a winning heave of 58-9.75.
- North Providence's Nathan Coogan was the only runner to dip under two minutes in the 800m, clocking a winning 1:59.57.
- Bishop Hendricken's Ethan Famiano, the state's top hurdler, was timed in a PB of 7.79 to place second in the 55m HH.
- Woonsocket's Jared Briere continued his dominance in the weight throw with a first-place toss of 67-11.5.
- West Warwick's Ivan Goretoy had his second straight 50-foot plus effort in the shot put, earning gold with a distance of 50-5.5.
- Classical's Julio Almanzar battled North Kingstown's Thorin Cardente in a epic duel in the pole vault, winning on fewer misses with a 13-foot clearance.
- South Kingstown's Anthony Shepard, the state's two-time champion in the long jump, won his specialty with a strong 22-8 leap.