Dec. 31, 2009 – The new track facility at the Providence Career & Technical Academy hosted its first major meet yesterday with the first annual R.I. Classic Track & Field Invitational. The two consecutive meets (boys’ followed by girls’) featured prep athletes from eight states. The Classic event (a non-scoring meet) replaces the Brown Invitational, which was discontinued after last year. While the Brown was a two-day event, this year’s Classic was held in one day. Meet officials hope to return to the two-day format next year.
Rhode Island had four individual winners, all in the boys’ meet. Cranston West senior James Strawderman won the pole vault at a height of 4.42 meters (14 feet, 6 inches), well ahead of the second-place effort (12-6). “I felt good, but coming back from Christmas [break] is hard,’’ said Strawderman, who went in at 3.96 meters (13 feet).
Strawderman said he has been competing this winter at “all-comers’’ open meets at Boston’s Reggie Lewis track, but yesterday’s vault is his best thus far. Strawderman is the R.I. record-holder in the outdoor pole (4.64/15-3).
In the 55-meter dash, La Salle senior Kadeem Kushimo clocked 6.52 seconds to victory, while Woonsocket senior Wes DeChristofaro took the gold in the long jump. DeChristofaro’s leap was 6.69 meters (21 feet, 11.50 inches). And in the freshman mile, Cumberland’s Trevor Crawley clocked 4:55.59 to take the win.
The Hendricken sprint medley relay (at 1600 meters) won that event with a time of 3:54.17.
The boys’ Track MVP went to Central’s Craig Amado, who finished second in the 300 meters (37.19) and second in the triple jump (13.69 meters/44-11).
Other standout local performances included Robert Allen’s in the boys’ mile. Allen, a junior from Cranston West, finished second in 4 minutes, 20.68 seconds. Allen, starting on the inside land, took the initial lead in the race, then battled Bishop Guertin’s Francis Hernandez for the lead. Hernandez was the eventual winner with a time of 4:18.82. “That was my first mile run,’’ said Allen, a cross country All-Stater last fall. “I felt confident coming in.’’
Hendricken went 4-5 in the mile; Brian Doyle placed fourth in 4:24.32, and Jake Sienko fifth in 4:24.70.
In the girls’ portion of the meet, Barrington senior Sarah Barry finished fifth in a loaded mile field. Barry’s time was 5:09.52 in a race that was won by Saratoga (N.Y.) Springs High’s Brianne Bellon (5:03.74). The Eagles’ Abigail Jones finished seventh (5:11.92); La Salle sophomore Molly Keating eighth (5:16.12); Bay View’s Stephanie Beaudette ninth (5:18.86) and Cranston West senior Arianna Colella tenth (5:23.15).
The Eagles’ Molly Malinowski ran a strong 10:47.02 in placing third in the 3,000 meters. North Kingstown’s Kate Delgreco placed fifth in that race (11:13.24) and the Rams’ Victoria Beardwood sixth (11:20.36). Hope sophomore Royal Cheatham finished second in the 55-meter dash (7.28), and the Blue Wave came in second in the 4x200 (1:49.52).
Around the Oval Notes: At the Dec. 28 Boston Holiday Invitational, held at the Reggie Lewis track in Roxbury, Hope’s Cheatham captured the 55 meters in a meet-record 7.42 . . . Central’s Amado won the triple jump with a distance of 13.42 meters (44 feet, one-half inch).
WT relay - 2, Classical 119-2 (36.32 meters); 3, Smithfield 118-11 (36.24); 4, Hope 101-8 (30.98); 6, Central Falls 96-11 (29.54). SP relay - 2, Smithfield 96-5 (29.38); 6, La Salle 88-0 (26.82); 8, Central Falls 86-2 (26.26). HJ relay - 5, Smithfield 13-9 (4.19). LJ - 8, Linnea Totushek, Barrington 15-10 (4.83); 11, Jenna Collins, S. Kingstown 14-10 (4.52). TJ - 6, Kim Ezeama, Smithfield 34-4 (10.46). Mile - 5, Sarah Barry, Barrington 5:09.52; 7, Abigail Jones, Barrington 5:11.92; 8, Molly Keating, La Salle 5:16.12; 9, Stephanie Beaudette, Bay View 5:18.86; 10, Arianna Colella, Cr. West 5:23.15; 12, Emily Papazian, La Salle 5:25.90. Fresh. Mile - 3, Evelyn Jansen, La Salle 5:35.98; 4, Tiana Kibbe, La Salle 5:38.20; 8, Alexandria Hackett, Cr. West 5:40.94; 9, Michaela Hackett, Cr. West 5:41.38; 11, Allison Lomas, N. Kingstown 5:49.84. 3000 - 3, Molly Malinowski, Barrington 10:47.02; 5, Kate DelGreco, N. Kingstown 11:13.24; 6, Vicky Beardwood, La Salle 11:20.36; 7, Danielle Renzi, La Salle 11:27.13; 8, Mollie Anderson, E. Greenwich 11:28.91; 9, Kate Meinertz, Smithfield 11:31.92. 800 - 4, Madeline Brown, S. Kingstown 2:30.82; 8, Kaeli O’Connell, E. Greenwich 2:41.26. 300 - 3, Angie Quiah, Hope 41.83; 7, Jordan Grey, Toll Gate 43.13; 15, Daria Braboy, Bay View 44.29. 55m - 2, Royal Cheathem, Hope 7.36; 6, Ezeama, Smithfield 7.57. 55mH - 7, Kelsey McKenna, Toll Gate 9.59. 55m shuttle relay - 8, Smithfield 40.09; 9, Bay View 42.01. 4x200 - 2, Hope (NNR) 1:49.52; 5, Toll Gate (NNR) 1:51.44; 10, La Salle 1:54.64; 17, S, Kingstown 1:56.19; 19, Smithfield 1:57.57; 22, S. Kingstown 1:58.32; 23, Classical 1:58.95; 25, Lincoln 2:00.20; 28, Hope 2:01.18; 32, Central Falls 2:02.87; 38, St. Raphael 2:09.30. 4x400 - 6, Toll Gate (NNR) 4:18.38; 13, La Salle 4:34.31; 15, Lincoln 4:37.64. 4x800 - 2, La Salle (NNR) 10:00.87; 8, N. Kingstown 10:44.74; La Salle “B“ 10:51.67; 15, E. Greenwich 11:04.81; 19, Westerly 11:17.69. Freshman/sophomore SMR - 3, La Salle 4:36.61. SMR (@ 1600m) - 7, N. Kingstown 4:36.71. DMR - 8, La Salle 13:14.30; 13, N. Kingstown 13:37.63; 14, Barrington 13:50.51; 16, Westerly 13:56.67. * All times FAT
WT - 4, Becky Cousens, Portsmouth 36-5.50 (11.11 meters). 400 - Angie Quiah, Hope 58.88 (MR. OR: 59.06). 200 - 24, Karowuf Carto, Hope 29.65. 55m - 1, Royal Cheatham, Hope 7.42 (MR. OR: 7.51). 4x200 - 2, Hope (Cheatham, Lakisha DeCruz, Karowuf Carto, Quiah) 1:50.64. SMR - 4, Portsmouth (Kim Gittings, Hannah Petrie, Angela Pollard, Noelle Robinson) 5:00.69.
WT relay - 1, Hendricken 163-9 (49.91 meters); 2, Classical 163-2 (49.73); 3, Westerly 141-0 (42.98); 5, La Salle 124-8 (38.00); 7, Chariho 120-5 (36.70); 9, Cumberland 116-2 (35.40); 10, Central Falls 111-4 (33.93); 11, S. Kingstown 98-0 (29.87); 13, Barrington 96-5 (29.38) 14, N. Kingstown 79-8 (24.28). SP relay - 3, Westerly 130-9 (39.85; 3, Hendricken 129-3 (39.40); 8, S. Kingstown 122-3 (37.26); 11, Woonsocket 120-5 (36.70); 12, Classical 119-9 (36.50); 22, Central Falls 95-3 (29.05); 23,Cumberland 94-8 (28.86); 26, La Salle 78-1.25 (23.80). HJ relay - 1, Central Falls 17-0 (5.18); 8, S. Kingstown 10-10 (3.30); 11, Chariho 6-0 (1.83); 13, Cumberland 5-5 (1.65). LJ - 1, Wesley DeChristofaro, Woonsocket 21-11.50 (6.69); 4, Innocent Jacob, Chariho 21-0.25 (6.40). TJ - 2, Craig Amado, Central 44-11 (13.69); 8, DeChristofaro 41-11 (12.77); 11, Ben Shaw, S. Kingstown 37-9.50 (11.52); 12, Alan Moise, Classical 37-8 (11.48). PV - 1, James Strawderman, Cr. West 14-6 (4.42). Mile - 2, Robert Allen, Cr. West 4:20.68; 4, Brian Doyle, Hendricken 4:24.32; 5, Jake Sienko, Hendricken 4:24.70; 7, Zach Fraielli, La Salle 4:32.34; 10, Brian McLaughlin, Barrington 4:38.11. Fresh. Mile - 1, Trevor Crawley, Cumberland 4:55.59; 8, Jake Kilcoyne, Chariho 5:05.73; 11, Alex Doherty, Hendricken 5:07.38; 12, Adam Rego, La Salle 5:11.50; 14, Scott Kulm, E. Greenwich 5:15.79. 3000 - 6, Ryan Walsh, La Salle 9:19.07; 7, Matt Mercurio, La Salle 9:23.47; 12, Cyrus Cousins, Barrington 9:41.55; 14, Brian Sullivan, Cumberland 10:03.04. 300 - 2, Amado, Central 37.19; 4, Ryan Gower, Barrington 37.64; 6, Jarrell James, Hope 37.92. 55m - 1, Kadeem Kushimo, La Salle 6.52; 2, Mike Read, Barrington 6.60; 5, Brandon Aikens, Cumberland 6.78. 55mH - 3, Mike Sphar, N. Kingstown 8.01. 55m shuttle hurdles - 2, Cumberland 33.35; 4, Classical 34.48; 5, S. Kingstown 34.52; 12, Hendrickden 37.84. 2x200 - 3, Barrington (NNR) 1:35.44; 7, Central 1:37.32; 11, La Salle 1:38.35; 12, N. Kingstown 1:38.44; 16, Hendricken 1:39.27; 18, Cumberland 1:39.49; 21, Hope 1:39.76; 27, Classical 1:42.32; 31, Westerly 1:43.99; 34, Lincoln 1:46.25; 38, Chariho 1:50.15. 4x400 - 4, Central 3:36.28; 6, Hendricken 3:36.72; 12, Barrington 3:40.74; 20, Hendricken “A“ 3:43.07; 21, Westerly 3:43.65; 23, La Salle 3:44.46; 28, Classical 3:53.18; 29, Chariho 3:54.13; 30, Cumberland 3:54.89; 32, Lincoln 3:57.23; 33, s. Kingstown 3:58.20‘ 8, N. Kingstown 8:40.28; 11, Chariho 8:51.95; 15, Westerly 8:56.91; 22, S. Kingstown 9:13.45; 28, E. Greenwich 9:33.89l 29, Cumberland 9:35.02; 35, Hope 10:06.57; 37, Lincoln 10:08.23. 4x800 - 2, Hendricken 8:13.65. Fresh./Soph. SMR (@ 1600m) - 1, Hendricken (NNR) 3:54.17. SMR (@ 1600m) - 5, Westerly (NNR) 3:49.19. DMR - 3, E. Greenwich 11:03.32; 4, Hendricken 11:003.64. * Track event MVP - Craig Amado, Central * All times FAT.
TJ - 1, Craig Amado, Central 44-0.50 (13.42 meters). 400 - 2, Jarell James, Hope 51.66 (MR. OR: 51.93). 4x400 - 2, Central (Amado, Aleno Gomes, Raniel Isaac, Jose Ortiz) 3:35.35. SMR (@ 1600m) - 1, Central (Amado, Napoleon Askie, Isaac, Ortiz) 3:42.34.
