“Around the Oval’’ Ocean State has 4 individual, 3 relay champs
By BOB LEDDY R.I. Track & Field Foundation
3 March - - A pair of Rhode Island indoor girls’ records were bettered Friday night at the 25th annual New England Championships at the Reggie Lewis track. In the 300 meters, East Greenwich senior Jaimee Dorsey clocked 39.92 seconds, breaking the 2003 mark of 40.23 set by La Salle’s Allison Fogarty. Dorsey is the first ever to go under 40 seconds for the girls’ indoor 300. She placed second in the State Meet 300 (40.35) finished third in the regional event.
The La Salle girls’ 4x800 relay emerged as New England champs in state-record fashion. Molly Keating, Caitlin Marino and Madison and McKenzie Meehan combined for a 9:07.28 time, eliminating Westerly’s 2006 SR performance of 9:16.52. The Rams 4x800 captured first place at the 18 Feb. State Meet (9:34.77) with the same personnel, except for Maddie Byrnes running second leg. A La Salle 4x800 finished third at the New Englands last year.
Rhode Island produced four individual New England champions Friday night. In the girls’ 1000, Classical sophomore Maddy Berkson came out of the unseeded section to post a meet-record time of 2 minutes, 50.11 seconds. Berkson placed fifth at the State Meet 1000 (3:05.14). Finishing second (2:51.3) Friday night was Sarah Gillespie, of Northwest Catholic High in Connecticut. At last year’s New Englands, Berkson finished second to Gillespie.
“I ran [directly] against her last year,’’ said Berkson. “I didn’t have such a great [1000-meter] race at the state meet, so I knew I’d be in the unseeded section. I was concentrating on the clock, and I went out pretty fast. After about 100 meters I was ahead of everyone.’’
Keating, the La Salle senior distance ace, clocked a meet-mark 4:54.57 (= 4:32.7 @ 1500m) to take the mile run. Keating, the R.I. record-holder in the 3000 meters, beat out Beth Brown, of Maine, by roughly two seconds.
Chariho’s Mike Marsella went 9:16.76 (= 8:35.3 @ 3000m) to win the boys’ two mile run. He also anchored the Chargers’ winning 4x800 relay; a meet-record 7:51.22. Senior Dan Kilcoyne and juniors Jake Kilcoyne and Bryce Kelley comprised the rest of the team.
Dakota Daley-Harris, the Ram senior and state record-holder in the girls’ high jump with a height of 5 feet, 9 inches (1.75 meters). Dailey-Harris holds the R.I. mark at 5-10 (1.78).
Erica Johnson, of Bay View, the 2011 state 600-meter champ, finished second at Reggie Lewis (1:33.97). The Hope High girls’ 4x200 won the gold medal. Royal Cheatham, Shyniece Sanders, Jarnae Toyster and Quashira Mc Intosh clocked 1:41.88. The Blue Wave foursome already holds state and New England records for the 4x200 (1:40.76).
In the boys’ shot put, Westerly senior Kevin Conway put the ball 58-1.75 (17.72 meters).
R.I. girls’ results HJ - 1, Dakota Dailey-Harris, La Salle 5-9 (1.75 meters) Two mile - 5, Paige Ethier, S. Kingstown 11:17.21 (= 10:26.9 @ 3000m). Mile - 1, Molly Keating, La Salle 4:54.57 (= 4:32.7 @ 1500m); 3,Madison Meehan, La Salle 4:59.78 (= 4:37.8 @ 1500m); 6, Jess Bellows, Coventry 5:07.91 (= 4:45.2 @ 1500m). 1000 - 1, Maddy Berkson, Classical 2:50.11. 600 - 2, Erica Johnson, Bay View 1:33.97. 300 - 3, Jaimee Dorsey, E. Greenwich 39.92 (SR. OR: 40.23, Forarty, LS 2003); 4, Royal Cheatham, Hope 40.51. 55m - 3, Cheatham, Hope 7.20; 5, Dorsey, E. Greenwich 7.27. 4x200 - 1, Hope (Cheatham, Royster, Sanders, Mc Intosh) 1:41.88. 4x400 - 6, La Salle 4:02.63. 4x800 - 1, La Salle (Keating, M. & M. Meehan, Marino) 9:07.28 (SR. OR: 9:16.52, Westerly 2006). All times FAT.
R.I. boys’ results SP - 2, Kevin Conway, Westerly 58-1.75 (17.72 meters). HJ - 3, Steve Vasquez, Central Falls 6-7 (2.01). LJ - 2, Ben Shaw, S. Kingstown 22-3.25 (6.78). Two mile - 1, Mike Marsella, Chariho 9:16.76 (= 8:35.3 @ 3000m); 6, Trevor Crawley, Cumberland 9:26.82 (= 8:45.0 @ 3000m). 1000 - 6, Dan Kilcoyne, chariho 2:31.75. 600 - 6, Zach Emrich, N. Kingstown 1:23.63. 300 - 2, Jarell James, Hope 35.19; 4, Jose Ortiz, Central 35.53. 55m - 6, Eddie Uthman, W. Warwick 6.69. 4x200 - 5, Central 1:32.24. 4x800 - 1, Chariho (D. Kilcoyne, J. Kilcoyne, Marsella, Bryce Kelley) 7:51.22. All times FAT.
