Wilbur, Kelley Qualify For Grand Prix

Next month some of the best high school runners in the country will be in Boston for the junior mile at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.

Chariho Regional senior Bryce Kelley and La Salle Academy sophomore Sheridan Wilbur will be among that elite group. Both runners earned automatic bids by capturing respective titles in the invitational mile at the 44th annual Dartmouth Relays this past Saturday. 

Kelley blazed to a winning time of 4 minutes, 20.13 seconds. It was his fastest time in an open race. He owns a best of 4:15.6, which he ran as part of Chariho’s national record-setting 4x1 mile relay at last year’s New Balance Indoor Nationals.

“We were hoping around a 4:16,” admitted Chariho coach Bill Habarek, who watched his runner finish eighth at the Hispanic Games in New York City on Jan. 5. “The race was stacked. There was a little bit of jockeying. He was on the outside lane. When they broke in he was in the middle of the front of the pack. It took him a lap or two to get squared away. The splits went out the window at that point and he was just looking for the win. The last 400 was like 60 seconds. We were very excited about that.” 

Kelley’s performance came a day after running a 4:21 mile to anchor Chariho’s first-place Distance Medley Relay team of Jake Kilcoyne, Joe DiPalma and Zack Gardell to a time of 10:34.1 (US #10). What particularly impressed Habarek about his star runner was his near “sub-60” final 400. After a long cross-country season where he placed second at the state meet and qualified for the finals of the Nike Cross-Country Nationals, the signs were encouraging. 

“Bryce was a little disappointed after the Hispanic Games. He wasn’t feeling that great and ran 4:23,” Habarek said. “This was the first time he really looked like he had some pop and a good kick.” 

Kelley will be the second R.I. boy to compete in the junior mile at the New Balance meet, to be held on Feb. 2. Former Westerly great Andrew Springer toed the line in 2009 and finished second in the event. 

“Bryce is excited to run the meet,” Habarek said. “He wants to be on that level. This is a great opportunity for him.”

Wilbur won her race with a personal best of 5:02.72 (US #17). The talented tenth-grader, a state runner-up in cross-country this past fall, edged Shannon Murdock of Exeter, N.H., who was clocked in 5:02.88. Wilbur also ran a leg on the Rams’ winning DMR of Liz Rego, Amanda Joyal and Caitlin Marino, who were timed in 12:19.63. La Salle also claimed the 4x800 crown with a time of 9:36.88.

Rhode Island had three others wins in the meet. In the girls’ 20-pound weight, Narragansett junior Leia Mistowski took gold with a toss of 48 feet, 5 ½ inches. The boys’ weight event also belonged to the Ocean State with Barrington senior Charlie Ionato manufacturing a winning heave of 77-10.

Barrington junior Abby Livingston coasted to the fifth-fastest time nationwide in the 600 with a triumphant 1:35.93 effort.

In team scoring, the La Salle girls finished second and Bishop Hendricken was third overall for boys.

Also on Saturday, R.I. athletes made their way to the University of Rhode Island for the annual Rhody Classic. Classical junior Maddy Berkson and Hope junior Quashira McIntosh were double-winners.

Continuing to show her versatility, Berkson broke the tape in the 1,600-meter run with a 5:06.07 clocking and was first in the 600 with an impressive time of 1:36.56 (US #11). McIntosh won the 55 dash at 7.21 (US #14) and the 300 with a time of 40.72.