R.I. Track & Field Foundation
26 June (MEDIA NOTE) – – If 14 Rhode Island state records don’t add up to a memorable track season nothing will. That was the total number of record-breaking performances to illuminate the 2016 spring campaign further enhanced by one of the most thrilling State Championships in recent memory. A total of 13 boys’ standards were replaced, and one state-record performance on the girls’ side. The June 4 State Meet concluded in dramatic fashion as the Smithfield High girls’ team grabbed their second straight R.I. team title on the final event of the day: the 4×400 relay. Hendricken, meanwhile, added its 23rd overall State Meet prize, beating defending state champs La Salle.
At the May 28 Mount Pleasant Invitational, Classical senior May Stern went 55.09 to set a new 400-meter standard. (The Brown University-bound Stern collected three gold medals at the States besides the quarter; the 100 and 200. She was this year’s Gatorade Female Track AOY from Rhode Island.)
Those “Ram-chargers’’
The boys’ state-record leger saw significant overhaul this spring, with 13 new marks posted. La Salle’s Matt Bouthilette(Georgetown) set new marks in the 3000 meters (8:21.10, en route to two miles); the two mile run (8:53.94); the 3200 meters (8:511.23). Bouthillette’s Ram teammate David “DJ’’ Principe set a new state record for 5000 meters at the New Balance Nationals. Principe clocked 14:37.09 to gain the United States title. That performance put the Ram junior at No. 2 nationwide in the event. The Ram distance medley relay team of Principe, Bouthillette, Jack Salisbury and Dave Medeiros went 10:00.04 at the Penn Relays in a heart-pounding finish in which anchor leg Salisbury was 1/100th of a second behind Drew Huntner, of Loudoun Valley, Virginia. Nonetheless, La Salle’s runners had a new state record with their performance.
Salisbury wasn’t exactly idle this season. The rangy long distance man capped his prep track career in spectacular fashion this spring. He won the state 800- and 1500-meter titles a third straight year. Only two other runners – both from the 1980s – accomplished that feat.
This year’s 1500 was one of the most – if not the most – exciting metric mile in State Meet history. The event pitted Salisbury and fellow senior Bouthillette against two amazing underclassmen: Principe and North Kingstown freshman Sam Toolin. The final numbers told the tale: Salisbury clocked 3:53.91, with finishers Principe, Toolin and Bouthillette separated by 54 1/100th of a second. The race made one thing clear: cross country and track fans will witness cutting-edge performances from two of the most exciting runners in recent memory, Principe and Toolin.
Then on June 17, in a “Dream Mile’’ held near Boston, Salisbury clocked 4:04.20 to win the event and place himself among the top 10 prep milers nationally.
Cumberland’s Ben Drezek eliminated two long-standing records in the steeplechase. For the 2000-meter distance, Drezek went 6:23.51 at the NBN meet, and 9:38.99 for 3000 meters at the Loucks Games in May. In the seldom-run shuttle hurdle relay, the Hendricken foursome of Ethan Famiano, Connor Sheridan, Joe Santos and Bob Merlino clocked a record 1:02.01.
And let’s not forget the Central High School Knights. Over the course of three days at New Balance, Central relays set four state records. Dametrius O’Connor, Donatein Djero, Austin Wolo, Franklin Mercado and – in the 4×400 – Tony Vega, did the honors. The new SR times: 41.86 in the 4×100; 1:27.53 for the 4×200; 3:18.09, the 4×400; 1:54.93 in the so-called “Swedish Medley” relay (consisting of legs of 100, 200, 300 and 400-meters.)
State/New England meet girls’ highlights
Every State Championship has the potential for excitement, but this year’s event on June 4 was exceptional. The Smithfield Sentinels got it done for the second year in a row; a team win built upon scoring depth. Smithfield downed a strong North Kingstown squad, 62-60, on fourth-place finish in the 4×400. Otherwise, the Sentinels’ Alyssa Colbert helped immeasurably with dual wins in the discus and javelin. Kayla Ezeama, Grace Beaudry, Alex Guertin, Ireland Judge and Roby Jobe chipped in with needed points.
Toll Gate’s Courtney Jacobsen copped the 4-kilo hammer event with a throw of 180-1 (54.88). (Jacobsen subsequently topped that P-R by throwing 185-4/56.50 at the USATF Junior National Championships in California on June 25.) La Salle “long ranger’’Eliza Rego was good for two gold medals. The Harvard-bound Rego clocked 2:13.87 for the 800, and went 4:36.83 in the 1500. At New Balance, La Salle’s girls ran an All-American performance in the four-mile relay. The foursome of Rego, Karina Tavares, Emily Kane and Grace Connolly went 20:23.95 for second place. Cumberland’s Meaghan Scullin was also a double-winner. She cleared 5-1 (1.54) to take the high jump, and posted a winning time of 45.30 in the 300 hurdles. The Skippers’ Kaitlyn Braymanwon the pole vault at 10-2(3.12). Teammate Beth Nunnery copped the 3000-meter title in 10:00.55.
At the New England Championships, held in New Britain, Conn., Classical’s Stern was Rhode Island’s lone champ with a win in the 400 (56.66). Smithfield’s Colbert was All-New England in the javelin.
State/New England meet boys’ highlights
La Salle’s student/athletes weren’t the only ones doing big things at the State Meet; there was hammer man Bobby Colantonio, of course. Colantonio won his third hammer title with a mark of 246-5 (75.10), and held his place as the country’s No. 1 practitioner with the 5.44-kilo ball. South Kingstown’s Tony Shepard was twin-gold in the triple jump (42-2.50/12.86) and long jump (22-10/6.95). Central’s Djero clocked 10.81 to take the 100 meters, and 21.71 for the 200-meter gol medal. Classical’s Nathan Narcissewent 14.32 to win the 110 highs. Team titlists Hendricken picked up 10 points in the 4×100 relay. Ethan Pezzullo, Jared Grossi, Desmond Bernal and Kwity Paye logged a time of 43.03. The Hawks gathered additional field event points from Paye (shot), Evan Storti, (discus), Connor Sheridan (javelin) and Mike Bittner (high jump). Nick Williams, Dom Parlato, Tom McMahon andMike Kiernan scored on the track.
Narcisse and the Rams’ Salisbury were Rhode Island’s New England champ; Salisbury in the 800 (an impressive 1:52.87) and Narcisse in the high hurdles (14.57).