By BOB LEDDY (TAFWA)
R.I. Track & Field Foundation
24 Sept. – – For Sam Toolin and Randi Burr, Saturday’s Ocean State Invitational opened new competitive doors for each of these 2015 coaches all-state runners. The Skippers’ Toolin was last year’s Ocean State Freshman champ. Burr, meanwhile, captured the ’15 Varsity I race. Both “long rangers’’ were back at Goddard Park on Saturday, entered in the top races of the day.
Neither disappointed in demonstrating their championship mettle.
Toolin, fourth in the state last year, clocked 15 minutes, 44 seconds on Saturday, placing second to defending Ocean State titlist Noah Carey, of Guilderland (N.Y.) High. Carey hit the tape in 15:30.
In the Championship event for girls, Burr clocked in at 18:28, good for second spot. The race was won by Natick’s Grace Connolly in 18 flat.
“I was in a pack of four girls when we started,’’ said Burr, third in the state last year. “I tried to stick to the Natick girl for the first two miles,’’ added Burr, who went through the mile marker in 5:35. “I started out fast. [Ocean State] will help to get me back at Thetford [Invitational, Oct. 1]’’
Toolin, who over the past three Ocean State events won three middle school races, was quickly out of the chute on Saturday. “I like a fast start,’’ he said. “At two miles I started pulling ahead.’’
“He ran a great race,’’ said Carey, a senior. “I knew I had a lot left.’’
Course Notes: The “Woods Trail Run’’ at Thetford Vt., is set for next Saturday . . . The Wickham Invitational in Connecticut will be run the following Saturday.
GIRLS
Championship Division
R.I. team
6, N. Kingstown 121.
R.I. finishers (w/overall place)
1 (2) Randi Burr, West. 18:28; 2 (7) Lily Nunnery, NK 19:06; 3 (9) Shayne Cousineau, Cr. East 19:10; 4 (15) Camila Michaels, Wh. 19:29; 5 (47) Jamie Hazel, NK 20:49; 6 (50) Katy Brayman, NK 20:54; 7 (57) Julia Martone, NK 21:19; 8 (69) Maddy Holden, NK 22:06. Dist. 3.1.
Varsity I
R.I. teams
10, Wheeler 364; 20, Lincoln 499; 24, E. Greenwich 561; 25, Prout 597; 30, W. Warwick 878.
Varsity II Division
R.I. teams
17, Coventry 453; 18, Toll Gate 503; 24, Chariho 781.
Top 10 R.I. finisher (w/overall place)
1 (9) Sophia Maynard TG 19:37.
JV I Division
R.I. team
9, Wheeler 261.
JV II Division
R.I. teams
6, N. Kingstown 192; 17, Coventry 509.
Freshman I race
R.I. teams
5, Wheeler 110; 10, Prout 238.
Freshman II race
R.I. teams
10, Coventry 215; 12, N. Kingstown 275.
BOYS
Championship Division
R.I. teams
6, N. Kingstown 139; 11, Cumberland 291.
R.I. finishers (w/overall place)
1 (2) Sam Toolin, NK 15:44; 2 (8) Ben Drezek, Cumb. 16:06; 3 (9) Matt Walker, West. 16:09; 4 (28) Ethan Wyllie, NK 16:44; 5 (42) Noah Tellier, NK 16:58; 6 (44) Jack Perreault, NK 17:01: 7 (51) Derek Sullivan, NK 17:14; 8 (65) Alex Norris, NK 17:31; 9 (78) Mike Swerdlow, Cumb. 18:11; 10 (83) Jacob Drezek, Cumb. 18:24; 11 (84) Brian Bouchard, Cumb. 18:31; 12 (85) Dan Collard, Cumb. 18:34; 13 (87) Nick Crowe, Cumb. 19:26. Dist. – 3.1.
Varsity I Division
R.I. teams
9, Wheeler 254; 16, E. Greenwich 476; 17, Mt. Hope 502; 30, Moses Brown 794; 31, W. Warwick 896.
Varsity II Division
R.I. teams
21, Toll Gate 461; 24, Coventry 591; 30, Chariho 867.
Top 10 R.I. finisher (w/overall place)
1 (9) Nick Reygadas, TG 16:26.
JV I Division
R.I. teams
5, Wheeler 133; 19, Moses Brown 503; 21, W. Warwick 534.
JV II Division
R.I. teams
12, N. Kingstown 334; 17, Cumberland 602; 19, Coventry 615; 33, Toll Gate 1039.
Freshman I race
R.I. teams
3, Smithfield 115; 8, Westerly 215; 9, E. Greenwich 233; 11, St. Raphael 260; 12, Wheeler 322.
Top 5 R.I. finisher (w/overall place)
1 (2) Nasavell Medeiros, SRA 13:44 (4 kilometers).
Freshman II race
R.I. team
4, N. Kingstown 133.