Knights, Rams' Connolly Prosper At Yale


La Salle Academy's Grace Connolly and Central High took the spotlight for Rhode Islanders on Saturday at the Yale Track Classic.

Connolly, the Rams' distance ace, captured the 3,000-meter run with a state-leading and personal best of 10 minutes, 1.32 seconds, a time that ranks No. 8 nationally. Connolly, who was among the lead pack throughout the 16-lap race, took the lead for good with a few laps remaining. She improved on her best (indoor and outdoor) by four seconds!

Afterwards, Connolly talked with MileSplit's Billy Cvecho.

Central earned five titles during the final day of the two-day event, held inside the Coxe Cage. The Knights' Donatien Djero edged Connecticut's Mark Doyley of Weaver in the 55m dash. Both were timed in 6.41 with Djero just .002 ahead of Doyley. La Salle's Sam Coleman was third in 6.49.

Central's Austin Wolo captured the 400m dash, just dipping under 50 seconds with a 49.99 clocking.

Wolo, Djero, Dametrius O'Connor and Jones Malley combined their efforts to take the 4x200m relay at 1:30.34. Wolo, O'Connor, Djero and Anthony Vega took the meet's final event, the 4x400m relay, with a time of 3:27.88.

Central also got a win from Augustus Karweh in the high jump where he leaped a state-leading and PB of 6-4.

Portsmouth collected two runner-up finishes in the girls' events. Sophomore Nikki Merrill clocked the nation's eighth fastest time in the 800m with a PB of 2:14.69.Fellow classmate Elizabeth Sullivan was second in the mile where she was timed in 5:07.06.

In other events, South Kingstown's Anthony Shepard was second in the long jump (20-11), North Providence's Nathan Coogan (1:57.02) and Barrington's Mars Bishop (1:57.57) were fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 800m. North Kingstown''s Tereza Bolibruch placed fourth in the 55m hurdles (8.44)and the Central girls were third overall in the 4x200m (1:48.40).

On Saturday, Rhode Islanders swept the weight throw events. Ponaganset's Gianna Rao won the girls' crown with a personal best of 59-6.25, the second best in the country. Jared Briere of Woonsocket took the boys' title with a distance of 68-5.25.

In the championship DMR, La Salle's quartet of Emily Kane, Alyson Walsh, Sydney Boulanger and Connolly combined for a fourth-place time of 12:11.61 (US #6). Portsmouth was seventh at 12:18.29 (US #11).


Yale Track Classic

Yale University  New Haven, CT 
Jan 20, 2017 Jan 21, 2017
2,144 Total Performances (181 RI)

Elite Performances

Girls (31)
400mF 6 4th59.14Isabella GentilEast Greenwich High School
800mF 1 2nd2:14.69Nikki MerrillPortsmouth High School
800mF 1 9th2:20.63Leinni ValdezHope High School
800mF 1 13th2:21.62Lisbeth ValdezHope High School
800mF 3 14th2:21.98Meghann MaguireNorth Kingstown High School
MileF 1 2nd5:07.06Elizabeth SullivanPortsmouth High School
MileF 1 6th5:14.52Kate ZitzmannBarrington High School
MileF 1 8th5:18.18Randi BurrWesterly High School
3000mF 1 1st10:01.32Grace ConnollyLa Salle Academy
3000mF 1 4th10:07.14Eleanor LawlerSouth Kingstown High School
3000mF 3 21st10:32.12Lily NunneryNorth Kingstown High School
3000mF 3 24th10:37.60Olive AllenPortsmouth High School
3000mF 2 35th10:47.57Claire HanlonSt Mary Academy-Bay View High School
55HF 1 4th8.44Tereza BolibruchNorth Kingstown High School
55Hp 5 2nd8.50Tereza BolibruchNorth Kingstown High School
4x200mF 2 3rd1:48.40Central High School
4x800mF 1 2nd9:51.82Portsmouth High School
4x800mF 1 3rd10:00.46Westerly High School
WTF 1 1st59-6.25Gianna RaoPonaganset High School
WTF 1 4th46-11Joangely MataMount Pleasant High School
WTF 1 5th46-9.5Samantha AndrewsLincoln High School
WTF 1 6th46-6Annika KellyBarrington High School
WTF 1 8th44-6.75Melissa MejiaClassical High School
WTF 1 9th42-11Sydney PolandoBarrington High School
WTF 1 10th42-8.75Megan CookPonaganset High School
WTF 1 11th41-8.5Keyarsa HarrisCentral High School
WTF 1 12th41-5Faith PolandoBarrington High School
WTF 1 13th41-2.25Takiyah LewisCentral High School
WTF 1 14th40-9.75Maggie TarmeyLincoln High School
WTF 1 15th40-2.75Tenin TraoreMount Pleasant High School
WTF 1 16th40-2Katrin KurowskiWoonsocket High School
Boys (34)
55mF 1 1st6.41Donatien DjeroCentral High School
55mF 1 3rd6.49Sam ColemanLa Salle Academy
55mp 13 1st6.54Sam ColemanLa Salle Academy
55mp 12 2nd6.56Donatien DjeroCentral High School
400mF 1 1st49.99Austin WoloCentral High School
800mF 2 4th1:57.02Nathan CooganNorth Providence High School
800mF 1 5th1:57.57Mars BishopBarrington High School
800mF 1 10th1:59.08Jack PerreaultNorth Kingstown High School
800mF 3 11th1:59.19Cebastian GentilEast Greenwich High School
MileF 1 7th4:27.34Sam ToolinNorth Kingstown High School
3000mF 1 8th8:44.64Matthew WalkerWesterly High School
3000mF 2 12th8:46.11Benjamin DrezekCumberland
3000mF 2 18th8:49.98Joseph Dos ReisLa Salle Academy
3000mF 2 24th8:53.91Jeffrey VenterBishop Hendricken High School
3000mF 2 26th8:55.20Max DimuccioLa Salle Academy
3000mF 3 30th9:01.46Sean MeehanBishop Hendricken High School
3000mF 3 31st9:02.74Domenic CampagnaLa Salle Academy
3000mF 4 33rd9:04.86Dylan ManningBishop Hendricken High School
3000mF 3 35th9:07.30Jackson CroninEast Greenwich High School
4x200mF 1 1st1:33.62Bishop Hendricken High School
4x200mF 1 1st1:30.34Central High School
4x200mF 2 8th1:33.92La Salle Academy
4x400mF 1 1st3:27.88Central High School
4x400mF 1 2nd3:28.20Bishop Hendricken High School
4x800mF 1 6th8:17.40Bishop Hendricken High School
WTF 1 1st68-5.25Jared BriereWoonsocket High School
WTF 1 2nd65-7.5Jacob GreenlessWoonsocket High School
WTF 1 3rd65-0.5Dilyn CoteWoonsocket High School
WTF 1 4th61-11.5Kevin FofanahClassical High School
WTF 1 7th56-10.25Zeke CohenClassical High School
WTF 1 8th56-4.75Garrett DoyleLincoln High School
WTF 1 9th56-1Jacob FarlandClassical High School
WTF 1 10th55-9Evan GriversLincoln High School
WTF 1 11th54-8.75Matthew ThibaudeauLincoln High School