Longtime head coach Thom Spann has had his share of outstanding sprinters over the years at Hope High.
Sophomore Quashira McIntosh is on pace to be one of his best.
It was status quo for McIntosh on Saturday afternoon at the Medium School Championship. The No. 1 ranked speedster in the 55-meter dash and the 300 captured both her specialties with ease inside the Providence Career and Technical Academy field house. McIntosh beat her closest pursuer in the dash by two-tenths of a second, breaking the tape in 7.45 seconds. With limited rest, she dominated the 300 by more than two seconds with a winning time of 40.7.
McIntosh has continued the tradition of great sprinters at Hope, following multiple state-record holder and champion Royal Cheatham, who graduated last June.
“She’s ahead of Royal right now as far as times and performances as a sophomore,” Spann said. “We knew that coming in. She was an outstanding freshman, broke all our freshmen school records. Basically she picked up where she left off.”
McIntosh already has a few state titles under her belt. In last year’s outdoor championship - a meet Cheatham was unable to compete in due to an injury - the Hope sprinter captured the 100 and the 200 and also ran on the Blue Waves’ winning 4x100 relay squad.
Spann believes that was just the opening act for McIntosh, who reminds him slightly of Cheatham.
“She has the potential to break everything from the 55 meters to the 400,” he said. “There are some similarities but there are some differences (between McIntosh and Cheatham)…Overall, time-wise, she is slightly ahead of Royal. She is probably going to be one of the best that’s ever come out of the state.”
Barrington, last week’s Bayha Division winner, claimed team honors in the Medium School meet. The Eagles defeated second-place South Kingstown, 91-59.166. Toll Gate was third with 57 points.
Junior Mary Kate Coogan collected 18 points for her teammates by winning the 1,500-meter run with a quality time of 4:43.7. She also finished second to South Kingstown’s Kendall Feaster in the 1,000 with a time of 3:04.2. The Eagles also had a victory from Shenelle Teixeira in the 55 hurdles (8.89) and from their 4x800 relay squad (10:08.7).
One of the highlights in the meet came in the 600 where Bay View senior Erica Johnson set a meet record of 1:35.7 to outdistance Barrington junior Abby Livingston, the Dartmouth Relay champion. Livingston crossed the line in second at 1:37.0.
About two hours later in the Large School Championship, the 600 produced another eye-popper with Classical junior Maddy Berkson running the No. 2 time in the country with a meet mark of 1:33.3. Berkson won by a third of a lap over La Salle freshman Eliza Rego (1:41.8).
Rego did take home gold for La Salle in the 3,000 with a 10:29.4 effort, a substantial 30 seconds in front of teammate Elise Papazian (10:57.8). As a team, the Rams went home with the hardware with a 141-88 decision over Classical.
La Salle was without a few of its runners, including star sophomore Sheridan Wilbur, who was competing in the Junior Mile at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston. The Rams’ depth prevailed in the meet as their 4x200 relay produced their only other win for the afternoon.
“It was a good test today,” La Salle coach Dave Wright said. “I couldn’t be happier. We really, really ran well. Overall, things couldn’t have gone better.”
Classical senior Oluwanara Falaye was a double-victor, establishing a meet record in the 300 at 40.8 and taking the 55 dash with a time of 7.42. Defending 55 hurdle state titlist Marie Bolibruch won that event with a solid time of 8.49, just .05 from her state-leading best.
Mount St. Charles Academy held off the Prout School, 71-55, to earn the title in the Small School Championship.
“This is a big surprise,” said MSC coach Paul Jacques. “The girls have worked extremely hard. The distance individuals, they carried us today. They had some big places with some thirds and fourths, including our 4x800 which won to start the meet. That wasn't expected. We were hoping for second or third.”
Senior Rita Donohoe aided in the Mounties winning the plaque by taking two events. She was first across the line in the 55 (7.65) and the 300 (43.7).
“Those were huge,” Jacques said. “Rita Donohoe has been tremendous the last two years in those two events. To win is another notch for her. Hopefully she will get a little more notice in the states. With her work ethic, hopefully she can place in the top six.”
Donohoe is near the top of the listings in both her events. She was particularly pleased with her 300 on Saturday.
“That one I was pretty happy with,” she said. “I got out fast so that was good I was mostly hoping to beat everyone by the turn, which I did. After that it was a matter of just cruising. I am pretty happy with it.”
Donohoe is excited about facing McIntosh is the dash.
“I don't think anyone is untouchable on any given day,” she said. “I'd like to race her. She is great competition. I have only raced her one or two times because she is not in my division. I would love to run against her and some good competition.”
Prout senior Karly Gregory captured the 600 and the long jump. In the long jump, she beat Mount senior Cassie Roberge with a leap of 17-6. Last week at the Dwyer Division Championship, Roberge edged Gregory by 1 ¼ inches with a 17-6 ½ effort.
Gregory was confident she could return the favor based on her performance at the divisionals.
“Last week was my first consistent week jumping. All my jumps were over 17 feet. I was just proud of that, that I was finally improving personally this season,” she said. “Overall, I would say that my average jump was better than her(jump). I was pretty confident about that. Coming in this week I knew my mark was on. I didn't have to run the 4x200, too, so I was pretty rested. I knew that if everything was in place I would jump well.”
Prout coach Mark Skinkle likes the progression of Gregory in the long jump, an event she copped at last year’s outdoor state meet.
“Karly has been working hard on the long jump all year,” he said. “Last meet and this meet every jump is above 17 feet. She is consistent. She is getting better every meet.”
Gregory is hoping she can crack the 18-foot barrier at the Feb. 16 states. She believes she has the tools to attain the milestone.
“Most definitely,” she said. “My first jump today I was about four or five inches behind on the board so it was actually about a 17-10 jump. I should be able to do that by the state meet.”