PROVIDENCE - While her team did take home its second straight state title, the end of the cross-country season didn’t work out as planned for Abby Livingston. She was one of the top runners leading into the championship meet, but an upset stomach and a fast, early pace contributed to the Barrington High (R.I.) junior finishing 12th overall and missing a spot on the first-team, all-state squad.
Her first season on the indoor surface has kind of eased the pain.
“(The state meet) was pretty disappointing,” she said. “I have tried to pick myself up and I am really enjoying track. It’s been fun so far.”
Livingston’s fun continued on Saturday at the second annual East Coast Invitational. Although not her best, the Eagle star earned MVP honors for the distance events by taking the hardware in the 800-meter run. Livingston cruised the four laps around the 200-meter oval at the Providence Career and Technical Academy field house in a meet-record time of 2 minutes, 20.75 seconds. Junior teammate Mary Kate Coogan was second at 2:22.68.
“We were aiming for a time faster than that, me and my teammate Mary Kate,” admitted Livingston, who was third in the 800 at last year’s outdoor states. “We haven’t really run many 800s this season. The first lap was a little too slow. It felt controlled, but it wasn’t where we wanted to be so we tried to pick it up the next three laps. My time wasn’t where we were expecting. It was my only race today so I expected to do a little better. But it’s okay for this meet. We definitely wanted sub 2:20.”
Livingston’s specialty this winter has come in a race a lap shorter than what she ran in Saturday’s meet. Last week the diminutive runner beat a talented field in the 600 at the Dartmouth Relays, where she broke the tape in a meet record of 1:35.93. Besides improving on that time and looking to earn her first state title next month, Livingston has other plans, too.
“I definitely want to PR in the 600, probably by a couple of seconds,” she said. “But it would be nice if our DMR team or our 4x800 team could win some of the bigger meets and maybe make it to nationals as a team. That’s what I am looking at so far.”
Livingston was one of several Rhode Islanders that make it to podium at the East Coast Invitational
Barrington High senior Charlie Ionata, another winner at Dartmouth and the recent Yale Invitational, improved on his nation-leading throw in the 25-pound weight by heaving the medal ball a distance of 77 feet, 6 ½ inches. Ionata, who was easily selected as the MVP in the weight events, out-distanced sophomore teammate Adam Kelly by more than eight feet. Kelly took second at 69-6. The girls’ weight throw also produced an effort high on the national rankings with Classical senior Martha Cooper moving to No. 5 on the list with a first-place toss of 52-6 ¾.
Woonsocket senior Kaylnn Pitts was the meet’s only double-winner. She matched her season best in the high jump with a leap of 5-6 (US #10). She capped off her afternoon by taking the triple jump with a distance of 38-2 ¾ (US #14).
Pitts, a top leaper in R.I. since winning her only title as a freshman four years ago, was nearly flawless at the high jump pits.
“Today was my best day,” she said. “I jumped 5-6 on my first attempt and all the others. I haven’t done that before since this week.”
In the triple jump, Pitts was hoping to break her state mark of 39-1/4, but was still satisfied with the effort.
“My steps were kind of off, so it was like back and forth so I just had to kind of adjust,” she said. “I got 38 (feet), which is all right. I kind of wanted to beat my state record here. It’s still great coming home with two titles.”
The Ocean State produced a 1-2-3 finish in the pole vault with Exeter/West Greenwich junior Morgan Hart clearing a height of 10-6 for the gold. Classical junior Bianca Donaldo placed second at 10-0 and Lincoln senior Taylor Flaxington snared third at 9-6. Hart was a state runner-up in the event at last year’s outdoor states. She owns a best of 10-7.
“It felt pretty good,” Hart said. “My first jump wasn’t too good. I fouled on it and touched the mat. Other than 
that, the rest of it was pretty good.”
The top-3 finishers in the 55 dash also hailed from R.I. Classical senior Derek Johnson was the victor at 6.61. Lincoln senior Aaron Roseman was second (6.75) and East Providence junior Ryan Williams took third (6.76).
Defending indoor state titlist Maria Bolibruch coasted to victory in the 55 high hurdles with a time of 8.56. Victor Ricci, a senior at the Prout School, just dipped under 10 minutes in the seldom-run two mile with a winning 9:59.75 clocking. Ricci was in command of the race from the onset.
“I was trying to run a little quicker time, maybe get a national’s qualifying time,” he said. “I started to feel it towards the middle of the race. It was a little rough. I tried to kick it back in the end, tried to make up for lost time. But I couldn’t make up enough.”
Massachusetts’ school also fared well in the meet. Among notable efforts was a win from Ursuline Academy sophomore Amy Piccolo in the 400. Piccolo, the No. 1 runner in the state in the 300, broke the tape with a PB of 57.69 (US #17).
“It has been going well and my times are improving,” said the Ursuline standout, who starred as a freshman in 2012. “This year I am starting off right where I was last year.”
Lincoln-Sudbury sophomore Sydney Clarey captured the girls’ mile with a best of 5:12.90. South Kingstown senior Kendell Feaster was second at 5:15.3.
“It’s my best. I wanted to PR and I am happy that I did,” Clarey said. “I was hoping to break 5:10, but I think we slowed down a bit so we ended up not.”
Clarey hovered near the front of the lead pack for most of the race and took care of business the final 400.
“I started to control it with two laps to go,” she said. “My plan - I wanted to run fast and near the front. I didn’t really know if I should lead or not, but it was going fast enough where I really didn’t have to lead. It slowed down and I really didn’t know. I just sprinted at the end.”
In the boys’ mile, Taunton senior Andrew Doherty was the first to cross the line with his time of 4:36.46. Doherty, who has cracked 4:30 this season, broke for the title with 100-meters left.
“My coach prepared me to have a strong kick at the end. I usually like to make my move with about 300-meters left,” he said. “The second I heard that bell, I knew I had 200 left and I was in third. I had to really lift my knees high, pump my arms strong. The crowd helped. I had a lot of supporters out there. It’s great to win. It makes you feel great.”
Greater New Bedford (Mass.) senior Simeon Bailey was an easy victor in the high jump. He beat his closest rival by four inches with a height of 6-6 (US #17).
