“Around the Oval’’
La Salle girls, boys each return impressive lineups;
Hawks, Skippers, Cumberland join others in hunt
By BOB LEDDY (TAFWA)
R.I. Track & Field Foundation
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The 2014-15 indoor track season gets underway Dec. 10 and 11 with Injury Fund Relays. Though this will be a winter campaign without the presence of Classical High’s amazing Maddy Berkson (now a Stanford University freshman), there is still plenty of top talent out there. Looking back to last February, the girls’ State Indoor Championship’s distance events could be labeled “The Maddy Berkson Show’’. Running against challenging competition, Berkson won three races: 1000, 1500 and 3000 meters (for the second year in a row), and anchored the Purple’s winning 4×400 relay. She also set two R.I. state records last winter: the 3000 (9:47.35) and the imperial mile (4:50.11).
Ultimately, however, the meet belonged to the two La Salle programs. On the girls’ side, the Rams downed Classical, 93-88, thanks to a fourth-place finish in the high jump by junior Mary Ernster. On the other side of the aisle, the boys’ battle also pitted the Rams against the Purple, with La Salle posting an 81-69 win. Taken together, this was a milestone in the history of co-ed indoor State Championships as the Rams became the first school to cop both team titles.
For La Salle this winter, the boys will have the services of such distance standouts as junior Jack Salisbury – the state’s defending champ in the 1000 and 1500 meters – and Matt Bouthillette in the 3000. Seniors Chris Notarianni, Dan Paiva and Jim Placco, and sophomore D.J. Principe will lead the Rams’ charge in distances. (D.J. was this year’s individual cross country champ.) Look for good work from dash man Brody Santilli, as well.
“We are looking to keep the momentum going with the distance runners that began in cross country,’’ said Ram head coach Vin Mc Ginn. “The coaching staff hopes that their enthusiasm and work ethic will permeate all facets of the program. All of the returning members of the team are excited and ready to work hard. The state has so many good teams that any success is going to be very hard to come by.’’
Classical distance man Joe Murphy will add points, as will his junior teammate Nate Narcisse in the sprints. East Providence senior Mike Monagle will be one to watch for the Townies. For Hendricken – another squad with a strong lineup – sprinter/long jumper Lee Moses will be back to defend his 2014 title in the long jump. Mike Potter, Dom Parlato, Grant Gauthier, Jared Boulanger, Mike Kiernan, high jump specialist Ben Murphy and Avery Ingegneri will also be among scorers for the Hawks. For North Kingstown, Joe Craven is now a senior. Last year, he placed second in the State Meet 1000 meters. Also on the Skipper roster are seniors Ian Connors and Ben Sawyer. The Clippers’ Dave Agudelo and Jim Haupt join junior Will Mardo as some of the club’s key players. Barrington’s Adam Kelly won the state 25-pound weight throw event by nine feet (2.74 meters) over the next competitor. Kelly is now a senior. Kelly’s teammates – junior Bobby Colantonio and senior Mike Alvernaz – are always threats to score big in the weight throws.
Girls: Distance talent galore; final indoor campaign for Hope’s “Q”
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Behind Berkson, La Salle All-Staters Eliza Rego and Karina Tavares last year went 2-3 in the 1500 and 3000 meters. Cianna Lynch, Audrey O’Neill and Michele Renzi are also on board for the Rams. High jumper Mary Ernster returns for her senior session, and will also see duty in the hurdles. Senior sprinter Stephanie Di Traglia is another of La Salle’s scorers.
Ram head coach Dave Wright is excited about his team’s prospects this winter. “Obviously we’re really deep in distance events,’’ he said. “They’re all healthy, but they’re going to have to take their time between seasons.’’
Other “long rangers’’ due back: North Kingstown’s Beth Nunnery and Katarina Ho; Cumberland’s Nichole Barger and Amy Laverty; Coventry’s Allison Bellows; Wheeler School’s Lily Foulkes and East Greenwich’s Margaret Mc Caffrey. Pilgrim High sophomore Danika Wayss was fifth in the state last season in the 1500 meters. Freshman distance talent will toe the line in the personages of South Kingstown’s Ellie Lawler, Barrington’s Grace Connolly and Westerly’s Randi Burr. Lincoln High’s Amanda L’Esperance should be back in a distance role, as well as Portsmouth sophomore Sofia White. For Barrington, junior Julia Zitzmann will add points in the distances.
If Berkson dominated the State Meet distance events last season, Hope High’s exciting Quashira “Q” Mc Intosh virtually owned the sprints. The Blue Wave junior won the 55- and 300-meter dashes. What’s more, “Q” now holds four state indoor dash marks, including last season’s 7.65 clocking for 60 meters (a non-State Meet event). Also on deck for Hope this year are juniors Destiny Hughes-Barnes, Chevell Burgess Isis Hack, senior Whitney Jackson. Meantime, Cranston West will return their premiere sprinter from last season in senior Oceana Williams, third in the state in the 55-meter dash. Quinn Harlan, a Woonsocket High sophomore, is another sprinter to watch.
Narragansett will return senior Carly Timpson to the oval. Timpson is the state’s defending high jump champion. Pilgrim senior Melanie Brunelle is a consistent point-getter in field events, as has Westerly junior Cheyenne Robinson. Junior sprinter May Stern, coming back from injuries, should be ready to score for Classical. Field event returnees should include Classical senior Alva Hicks, Smithfield junior Meagan Malloy and Rogers High senior Mirasia Cassese.
MEDIA NOTE: Student/athletes mentioned in this report are likely returnees.
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2014-15 major meet dates
Dec. 10-11 – Injury Fund Relay Carnivals (Girls 12/10; Boys 12/11), PCTA.
Dec. 20 – Bishop Loughlin Games, Armory Center, NYC.
RITCA Invitational, PCTA..
Dec. 27 – Ocean State Classic, PCTA.
Dec. 29 – Marine Corps Classic, Armory Center
Jan. 9-10 – Hispanic Games, Armory.
Dartmouth Relays, NH.
Jan. 10 – URI “Rhody’’ Invitational, Mackal Track, URI
Jan. 14 – Millrose Games trials, Armory
Jan. 16-17 – Yale Invitational, Coxe Cage, New Haven.
East Coast Invitational, PCTA.
Jan. 17 – Molloy-Stanner Games, Armory.
Jan. 23-24 – New Balance Games, Armory
Jan. 24 – Girls’ Division Championships, PCTA.
Jan. 31 – Boys’ Division Championships, PCTA.
Feb. 3 – Freshman State Meet (boys’/girls’), PCTA.
Feb. 7 – New Balance Grand Prix, Reggie Lewis Center, Roxbury, Mass.
Feb. 7 – Class Championships (Boys & girls alternating), PCTA.
Feb. 10 – “Last Chance’’ meet (girls), PCTA.
Feb. 12 – ‘Last Chance’’ meet (boys), PCTA.
Feb. 14 – Millrose Games, Armory.
Feb. 16 – Girls JV States, PCTA.
Feb. 17 – Boys JV States, PCTA.
Feb. 21 – State Indoor Championships, 11 a.m. PCTA.
Feb. 27 – New England Championship, Reggie Lewis.
Mar. 3 – Eastern States Championships, Armory.
Mar, 13, 14, 15 – New Balance Nationals, Armory.
*PCTA – Providence Career Technical Academy field house, Providence.
*Armory – The Armory Track & Field Center, North Bronx, NYC.