By BOB LEDDY (TAFWA)
R.I. Track & Field Foundation
28 Dec. – – The Central High boys’ relay squads on Tuesday repeated a message it had transmitted loud and clear during last indoor track season: “We’re No. One!’’ The Knights, powered by senior meet Track MVP Austin Wolo, captured both the 4×200 and 4×400 relays at the eighth annual R.I. Classic track meet at the PCTA facility. Wolo also aced the 300 meters.
There were other local triumphs as well at a day-long extravaganza that drew some 1,900 athletes from around the Northeast. The mile runs were both won by Rhode Island talent. In the girls’ run, Westerly junior Randi Burr. In the boys’ mile it was Barrington senior Mars Bishop taking the gold medal.
Wins were also recorded by North Kingstown junior Tereza Bolibruch in the 55-meter hurdles, and La Salle in the girls’4×800. The boys’ freshman/sophomore 4×400 was taken by a Hendricken foursome. In addition, the Hawks won gold in the 4×800. The boys’ distance medley relay went to a Barrington quartet. Matt Walker, the talented Westerly distance man, handily defended his meet title in the 3000 meters.
BOYS: How about those Knights?
Over the 2015-16 indoor campaign, the Central spring corps established themselves as rulers of the relays, and with its stars returning as seniors this season, that dominance held true. The Knight foursome of Wolo, Donatien Djero, Jones Mallay and Demetrius O’Connor clocked a meet record 1:31.30 in the 4×200, ahead of a team from Amityville, N.Y. (1:33.65). In the meet-closing 4×400 Djero and Wolo were joined by Tony Vega and Charles Colie in posting a winning time of 3:30.27, beating the Hillhouse (Conn.) team (3:32.51). In addition, Wolo, a senior, outkicked Hillhouse’s Tyriese Swain to take the 300 in 36.44.
The boys’ mile was a battle between the Eagles’ Bishop and North Kingstown sophomore Sam Toolin. At the 800-meter split, the two Rhode Islanders led the 12-man field at 2:08. Bishop held the lead at the bell and came in at 4:23.79. Toolin clocked 4:27.05 for second.
“I felt good,’’ said Bishop, who finished third to Toolin’s second place at last year’s R.I. Classic mile. “I had enough at the end. I knew [Toolin] was going to push me; that’s when I picked it up at the last lap.’’ Cumberland senior Ben Drezek placed third (4:28.65). Westerly’s Walker hit the tape in 9:11.89 to claim his second R.I. Classic 3000 title. In the DMR, Barrington’s Eliot Laidlaw, George Wicker, Jamie Gunness and Hayden Ivatts went 11:06.43 for the gold; four 1/100ths of a second in front of Hillhouse. Hendricken’s 4×800 beat out a foursome from Burlington, Mass. to post a time of 8:24.37. The Hawks also mounted the winner’s platform after clocking a meet-record 3:44.21 in the Freshman/Sophomore 4×400. Duwuan Edwards, Randy Reyes, Evan Rinaldi and Ethan Wurster did the honors.
Classical won the high jump and weight throw relays. The shot put relay was won by a team from Hendricken.
GIRLS: For Burr, first Classic gold; NK’s Bolibruch impressive
“This was good competition,’’ Westerly’s Burr said after winning the mile on Tuesday. At last year’s Classic, Burr finished third in a mile race won by La Salle senior Eliza Rego. This time around, it was the Bulldog distance specialist who took the lead from the Rams’ Emily Kane just before the three-quarter mark. “I tried not to strategize,’’ said Burr, who maintained her lead to the wire. Burr went through in 5:04.88, to Kane’s 5:07.83.
North Kingstown’s Bolibruch was a bronze medalist in the hurdles last year. On Tuesday, the Skipper junior wouldn’t be denied as she clocked 8.58 for the gold. Vickie Milledge, of Simsbury, Conn., placed second in 8.59. La Salle easily won the 4×800, with Grace Connolly, Alyson Walsh, Gabby Celico and Kane turning in a time of 9:52.88. Barrington captured the weight throw relay.
OVAL NOTES: Field Event MVP awards went to pole vaulters on both sides. For the boys, it was senior Sam Rusak clearing the bar at a meet and field house record 15 feet, 7 inches (4.74 meters). The University of Connecticut-bound senior from Scarborough, Maine missed three attempts at 16-1 (4.90) . . . The girls’ pole was won by Amy Zadroga, of Tolland, Conn., with a height of 11-7 (3.53) . . . The girls’ Track MVP went to Cassidy Palmer, of Bloomfield, Conn. She won the 55 dash (7.23), ran a leg on her school’s winning 4×200 relay, and placed third in the 300.
R.I. GIRLS RESULTS
WT Relay (9-kilo/20-lbs.) – Barrington 136-11 (41.76 meters); 3, Lincoln 129-5 (39.55); 4, Toll Gate 123-9 (37.72); 5, Classical 110-5 (33.66); 6, Woonsocket 109-8 (33.44).
SP Relay – 5, Lincoln 87-0.75 (26.53); 10, Bay View 81-2.75 (24.75).
HJ Relay – 5, Classical 13-8 (4.16).
LJ – 6, Quinn Harlan, Woons. 16-5.25 (5.01).
TJ – 7, Kayla Ezeama, Smithfield 32-11.50 (10.04).
PV – 7, Lauren Richardson, Barr. 9-0 (1.74); 9, Alexandra Guertin, Smith. 8-6 (2.59).
Mile – 1, Randi Burr, Westerly 5:04.88 (= 4:42.9 @ 1500m); 2, Emily Kane, La Salle 5:07.83 (= 4:45.2 @ 1500m); 4, Grace Connolly, LS 5:12.61 (=4:49.5 @ 1500m); 8, Kate Zitzmann, Barr. 5:35.80 (= 5:11.1 @ 1500m); 9, Julia Dempsey, Cumberland 5:37.6 (= 5:12.5 @ 1500m).
Frosh mile – 4, Byrn Shunney, E. Greenwich 5:47.09 (= 5:22.2 @ 1500m).
3000 – 3, Lilly Nunnery, N. Kingstown 10:55.71; 5, Claire Hanlon, Bay View 10:58.05; 6, Kata Cummings, West. 11:05.86.
800 – 3, Leinni Valdez, Hope 2:22.53; 8, Tea Bishop, Barr. 2:28.35.
300 – 2, Laura Murphy, EG 42.33; 6, Rachel Mews, Central 43.54.
55m – 3, Harlan 7.49.
55mH – 1, Tereza Boliburch, NK 8.58; 5, Casey Gannon, TG 8.94.
4×200 – 7, Central 1:52.31.
4×400 – 4, Westerly 4:20.51.
Fr./Soph. 4×400 – 8, La Salle 4:41.90.
4×800 – 1, La Salle (Connolly, Gabby Celico, Alyson Walsh, Kane) 9:52.88; 6, Cumberland 10:26.66.
DMR (@ 1200, 400, 800, 1600m) – 3, La Salle 13:12.50.
All times FAT.
MVPs: Track – Cassie Palmer, Bloomfield, CT. Field – Amy Zadroga, Tolland CT.
R.I. BOYS’ RESULTS
WT Relay (11.36 kilo/25-lbs.) – 1, Classical 170-2 (51.86 meters); 2, Lincoln 161-6 (49.24); 3, Hendricken 159-1 (48.48); 4, Woonsocket 145-0 (44.20); 5, W. Warwick 143-0 (43.59); 6, Cumberland 133-6 (40.70); 7, Woonsocket 130-5 (39.75).
SP Relay – 1, Woons. 130-8 (39.83); 2, Lincoln 125-11 (38.39); 4, Cumberand 117-6 (35.82); 5, W. Warwick 115-9 (35.28); 6, Classical 115-8 (35.26); 7, Hendricken 113-10 (34.70).
HJ Relay – 1.Class. 16-10 (5.13); 2, Hendricken 16-7 (5.05); 3, N. Kingstown 16-6 (5.02); 4, E. Providence 16-4 (4.97); 7, Chariho 15-9 (4.80).
LJ – 4, Andy Whitney, NK 20-8 (6.29); 6, Dave Ogunronbi, EP 19-10.50 (6.05); 7, Tony Vilchez, Cent. 19-8.25 (6.00).
TJ – 7, Evan Einloth, NK 39-10.50 (11.84).
PV – 2, Julio Almanzar, Class. 13-6 (4.11) 5, Thorin Cardente, NK 12-6 (3.81); 6, Nate Shimkus, Char. 12-0 (3.65).
Mile – 1, Mars Bishop, Barr. 4:23.79 (= 4:05.8 @ 1500m); 2, Sam Toolin, NK 4:27.05 (= 4:07.7 @ 1500m); 5, Nate Coogan, N. Providence 4:36.79 (4:16.5 @ 1500m).
Frosh mile – 3, Dave DelBonis, BH 4:48.42 (= 4:27.1 @ 1500m); 5, Sebestian Reisch, West. 5:19.72 (= 4:55.8 @ 1500m).
3000 – 1, Matt Walker, West. 9:11.89; 6, Evan O’Neil, Char. 9:44.24.
800 – 3, Jack Perreault, NK 2:02.93; 5, Ethan Wyllie, NK 2:03.08; 6, Ed Golas, Char. 2:04.78.
300 – 1, Austin Wolo, Central 36.44; 9, Dexter Ifill, Central Falls 38.81.
55m – 2, Donatien Djero, Cent. 6.62; 4, Jehlani Galloway, Class. 6.73.
55mH – 3, Chris Choquette, Cumb. 8.02; 7, Ethan Famiano BH 8.17.
4×200 – 1, Central (Djero, Wolo, Demetrius O’Connor, Jones Mallay) 1:31.30 (MR); 10, Hendricken 1:38.19.
4×400 – 1, Central (Djero, Wolo, Tony Vega, Charles Kolie) 3:30.27; 6, Hendricken 3:41.42; 8, Westerly 3:44.44.
Frosh/Soph. 4×400 – 1, Hendricken (Duwuan Edwards, Even Rinaldi, Randy Reyes, Ethan Wurster) 3:44.1; 3, Central 3:49.44.
4×800 – 1, Hendricken (Bob Merlino, Jeff Venter, Jordan Dagrin, Harry Antone) 8:24.37; 3, Chariho 8:46.04; 5, Barrington 8:50.20; 7, Hendricken 8:53.36.
SHR – 2, Hendricken 31.58; 6, Barrington 36.63.
SMR (@ 200, 200, 400, 800m) -3, Hendricken 4:00.12; 9, Central 4:12.67.
DMR (@ 1200, 400 800, 1600m) – 1 Barrington (Eliot Laidlaw, George Wicker, Jamie Gunness, Hayden Ivatts) 11:06.43; 3, Hendricken 11:11.45; 8, Westerly 11:35.61.
All times FAT.
MVPs: Track – Austin Wolo, Central. Field -Sam Rusak, Scarborugh, Maine.