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BANGOR, Maine - This is Lisa Raye's world, and we are all just living in it. After quadrupling at the Rhode Island Interscholastic League State Championship last weekend, not many thought the West Warwick Wizard could surpass such an amazing accomplishment. However, she has once again raised the bar while competing at this year's New England's in Bangor, Maine.
Raye opened her day in the 100-meter dash. The defending state champion ran her prelim with ease and clocked a 12.05 to cruise into the final. There, she let it rip and covered the 100-meter distance in 11.75. This was a personal best by three-tenths of a second and earned her not only the New England title but also the state record. The previous record, held by Quashira McIntosh of Hope High School, stood for eight years before today. This is the first state record to fall to Lisa, but it certainly was not the last today. Fellow Rhode Islanders Ailani Sutherland of Cranston West and older sister Xenia Raye made it a one, two, three sweep for the trio with Xenia running a PR of 12.24. Sutherland and Xenia Raye now own the fifth and ninth fastest wind-legal marks in Rhode Island history.
Sutherland opened her day with her teammates in the 4x100 meter relay. The team of Stalia Biosse, Amelya D'Errico, Quiana Pezza, and Sutherland placed third overall in 48.65. The 400 meters saw state champion Xenia Raye run another PR by nearly a second in the 400 meters. Her time of 56.98 saw her take third in New England and move to RI#12 all-time. Cumberland Clipper Zaida Depina also set a huge PR with a 58.50 for 8th.
The 300-meter hurdles once again became the Lisa Raye show as she set out to break the state record that she has been inching closer to all season. The state record of 43.91 was shattered by almost a full second as Raye took home her second New England title of the meet in 43.06. This now ranks her #6 for all freshmen in the United States and US#66. However, Raye was not finished just yet. In the 200-meter dash, she ran a blistering, but wind-legal 24.20 with a 1.9 wind measurement. Raye once again ran a #6 time in the nation for freshman and a US#85 mark. Xenia Raye placed sixth with a 24.99 and a wind measure of 2.2 while Sutherland of Cranston West ran 25.06 for seventh and only a 1.2 wind measure.
In the 3200 meters, Erin vonHousen of Chariho ran a tactically sound race to finish in third. With just two laps to go, she sat in fifth but closed in 2:38 over the last 800 meters to take third in a new PR of 10:49.93. In the final running event of the day, South Kingstown took sixth overall in the 4x400-meter relay. The team of Laurel Filiberto, Zoe Matos, Greta Dahl, and Sierra Thompson ran 4:05.31 to win Heat 3 by three seconds.
In the field events, Morgan Correia of La Salle Academy finished her career with a new PR and school record of 10-9 to finish fourth overall. She finishes her career with two state titles in three years outdoors. The shot put saw Alyssa Yankee throw a new lifetime best of 41-6.75 to take second overall. This was a PR by over five inches, and now ranked fifth in Rhode Island history with former teammate Nicolette Ducharme's school record only nine inches away. Yankee would also earn All-New England honors in the discus placing fifth in 126-11, only two inches off her PR from states the week before.
Congrats to all those who finished their seasons, and good luck as Rhode Island athletes travel around the nation for national championship meets.
