By BOB LEDDY R.I. Track & Field Foundation Correspondent 12 June - - Fresh off winning their first-ever Rhode Island state team title, the Chariho High boys’ squad continued to make news at the 66th New England Track & Field Championships, held in a steady rain at the Weaver Athletic Complex in Burlington, Vt. With Mike Marsella anchoring, the Chargers clocked 7 minutes, 45.81 seconds, placing second. That eliminates the existing R.I. state record of 7:55.05, set by a Westerly foursome in 2009. The Chariho relay finished three seconds behind the winning team - Wachuset, Mass. - which was timed in 7:45.81. Rhode Island’s only regional champion was La Salle juniotr Jalen Young, who won the 400 meters in 47.83. Young won the State Meet 400 in a time of 48.05. Dakota Dailey-Harris, La Salle’s premiere high jumper, finished second in Vermont at a height of 1.70 (5-7). Last weekend, Dailey-Harris bettered the 28 year-old R.I. state record in that event, clearing 1.75 meters (5-9.25). Hope’s Royal Cheatham, a triple-winner at the June 4 State Meet, placed second in the girls’ long jump. Cheatham went 5.52 (18-1.50). She also ran the 200, placing second in 25.37. Bobby Allen, Cranston West’s senior long ranger and state 1500-meter champ, came in second in the New England 1600 in a time of 4:14.17 (converting to a 3:47.0 1500-meter clocking). La Salle’s Zach Fraielli was a third-place finisher in the 800, at 1:55.31. In the girls’ 800 in Vermont, it was Classical High’s do-all kid, Madeleine Berkson, finishing second in 2:12.06. Westerly junior Jeremy Octeau placed second in the discus (52.62m/172-8), and fourth in the shot (16.19/53-1.50). Meanwhile, at the New England hammer championships, held 10 June at Conley Stadium in Providence, Classical junior Joe Velez won the 12-pound competition with a toss of 56.64 meters (185 feet, 10 inches). Velez won the Rhode Island title a week earlier with a distance of 62.23 (204-2). The New England girls’ 4-kilogram hammer event was won by Barrington senior Robyn Mc Fetters, also a 2011 state champ. Mc Fetters unloaded the ball 50.80 meters (166-8). Mc Fetters won the State Championship hammer by throwing 51.96 (170-6). Both Velez and Mc Fetters were ranked among the top five throwers nationally.
GIRLS R.I. finishers (w/overall place) HJ - 3, Dakota Dailey-Harris, La Salle 5-7 (1.70 meters); 4, Kaylnn Pitts, Woonsocket 5-5 (1.65). LJ - 2, Royal Cheatham, Hope 18-1.50 (5.52). TJ - 3, Pitts, Woonsocket 38--5 (11.71). 100 - 5, Jaimee Dorsey, E. Greenwich 12.50. 200 - 3, Cheatham, Hope 25.37. 400 - 5, Erica Johnson, Bay View 57.40. 800 - 2, Madeleine Berkson, Classical 2:12.06. 4x100 - 6, Hope 50.08. 4x800 - 4, La Salle 9:25.17. All times FAT. New England Hammer Championship At Conley Stadium, Providence Top R.I. finishers 1, Robyn Mc Fetters, Barrington 166-8 (50.80 meters); 2, Aleide Fernandes, Central Falls 156-1 (47.57); 4, Kadji Johnson, CF 150-10 (45.97); 5, Maggie Dufault, Pilgrim 148-4 (45.21); 6, Becky Cousins, Portsmouth 148-3 (45.18).
BOYS R.I. finishers (w/overall place) SP - 4, Jeremy Octeau, Westerly 53-1.50 (16.19 meters). DT - 2, Octeau, Westerly 172-8 (52.62). JT - 3, Jon Stevens, Pilgrim 171-8 (52.32). HJ - 6, Steve Vazquez, Central Falls 6-3 (1.90). LJ - 2, Innocent Jacob, Chariho 22-9.25 (6.94); 5, Ben Shaw, S. Kingstown 22-0.50 (6.72). PV - 7, Luke Jaffa, Ponaganset 13-3 (4.04). 400 - 1, Jalen Young, La Salle 47.83. 800 - 3, Zach Fraielli, La Salle 1:55.31; 6, Zach Campo, S. Kingstown 1:55.70. 1600 - 2, Bob Allen, Cr. West 4:14.17 (= 3:57.0 @ 1500m). 3200 - 5, Ryan Meehan, Hendricken 9:12.52 (= 8:34.4 @ 3000m). 4x100 - 4, Central 43.76. 4x800 - 2, Chariho (NNR) 7:48.77 (SR. OR: 7:55.05, Westerly 2009). All times FAT. New England Hammer Championship At Conley Stadium, Providence Top R.I. finishers 1, Joe Velez, Classical 185-10 (56.64 meters); 3, Charlie Ionata, Barrington 169-11 (51.79); 4, Carlos Mangum, Central 169-1 (51.54); 5, John Celona, Hendricken 163-4 (49.78); 6, Ed Cummins, Lincoln 162-10 (49.63).
Oval Notes: Local, or locally-based, athletes distinguished themselves at last weekend’s NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships in Iowa. In the women’s javelin, former Cranston West star Leigh Petranoff finished sixth with a throw of 49.42 meters (162 fee, 1 inch). Petranoff, who holds the R.I. prep javelin record (44.22/145-1) is a junior at Illinois State University . . . In the women’s 4-kilo hammer, former Coventry High standout Crystal Bourque placed 16th. Bourque, a URI senior throw 56.94 (186-9). Also in the women’s HT, Brown University senior Brynn Smith finished 10th (61.79/202-8) . . . Providence College junior Julian Matthews, a junior, clocked 3 minutes, 47.95 seconds to finish 12th in the men’s 1500 . . . Two former prep hammer throwers competed in Iowa. Former Classical star Mike Lauro - a junior at Louisiana State - placed sixth in the men’s hammer; his distance was 67.45 meters (221-3). Finishing 16th in the same competition was former Woonsocket thrower Craig Pearce, a Princeton senior. Pearce threw 61.82 (202-10) . . . Brown javelin standout Craig Kinsley, a senior, came in 12th in the men’s javelin with a throw of 70.03 (229-9).
