By BOB LEDDY (TAFWA)
R.I. Track and Field Foundation
17 June – – “What a way to wind up his La Salle running career!’’
With those words, Ram head track coach Vin McGinn aptly summed up his senior distance runner’s performance Friday evening in the Adidas “Dream Mile’’, staged on the eight-lane Dilboy Stadium oval in Somerville, Mass.
Indeed, the Georgetown University-bound Salisbury put a great finishing touch on his prep career by winning the race in a time of 4 minutes, 4.20 seconds. (=3:44.5 @ 1500m). His performance places him No. 6 U.S. for the prep mile. In claiming victory, Salisbury nipped fifth-ranked Tom Ratcliffe, of Concord-Carlisle High in Massachusetts, who clocked in at 4:04.41 for second spot in an 11-man field.
“I got boxed in at the beginning, which can happen,’’ Salisbury said. “The first 200 meters were slow, and with 500 [to go] I fell back.’’ Salisbury surged from fourth place to clock a 57.64 quarter to the finish line. His mile time is a personal-best for him by a margin of 2.5 seconds.
“He’s a beast,’’ Mc Ginn said, “just a beast. Jack executed perfectly. He hung off Ratcliffe and ran a super-smart race.’’
Earlier this month, Salisbury won his second consecutive state titles in the 800 and 1500 meters. At the New England Championships, Salisbury claimed the regional 800-meter title. Over the course of his career, he notched 10 state titles, including three straight titles in the 1500 meters.
Oval Note: On Saturday afternoon, Ram “long ranger’’ Matt Bouthillette will compete in the two-mile run at the Brooks PR Invitational in the Seattle, Wash. suburb of Renton. Bouthillette will enter the event with a personal-best 3200-meter time of 8:51.23. Top-seeded Adam Tooker, of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. owns a top time of 8:49.27 for the metric two-mile.
titles in the 1500 meters.
Oval Note: On Saturday afternoon, Ram “long ranger’’ Matt Bouthillette will compete in the two-mile run at the Brooks PR Invitational in the Seattle, Wash. suburb of Renton. Bouthillette will enter the event with a personal-best 3200-meter time of 8:51.23. Top-seeded Adam Tooker, of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. owns a top time of 8:49.27 for the metric two-mile.