BARRINGTON’S KELLY: ‘A SOLID TECHNIQUE’
Eagles’ All-American weight man reflects on his prep career;
R.I. state records fell like dominoes; Smithfield girls made history
By BOB LEDDY (TAFWA)
R.I. Track & Field Foundation
26 June – – For the past four years, Barrington High’s track programs have benefitted greatly from the formidable skills in the hammer and weight circle of Adam Kelly, The just-graduated senior, who’s off to Princeton University this fall, compiled an impressive prep record in hammer and indoor 25-pound weight implement.
Kelly last weekend won the United States hammer title at the New Balance National Championship in Greensboro, N.C. He threw the 5.44 kilogram hammer 241 feet, 7 inches (73.64 meters). With that performance, Kelly completed a sweep, having won the national 25-lb. weight championship in March at the New Balance Indoor Championships.
“Throughout my high school career I have come to realize how fortunate I am to have had the experience I did through track and field,’’ Kelly said. “The combination of a great coach (Barrington’s Bob Gourley) as well as an amazingly successful athlete (prep All-American Charlie Ionata) allowed me to both develop remarkably quickly as a thrower,’’ he added, referring to his introduction to the sport. “Throughout freshman year, I . . . really developed a passion for the [hammer] event.’’
Kelly also benefitted from keen competition given him by teammate Bobby Colantonio. The pair battled each other throughout the past outdoor season. Kelly finished as runner-up to Colantonio at the State Meet. The outcome was reversed at the NBN meet. “He in many ways forced me to really fine-tune my competitive mind-set, as well as challenging me to improve myself,” Kelly said of Colantonio. “I found a solid technique.’’
While Adam was hard at work this past season, his younger sister, Annika, was stepping into the throwers’ circle. At New Balance, Annika placed sixth in the “Emerging Elite’’ hammer competition for girls, with a throw of 138-6 (42,23). She will be a freshman at Barrington High in the fall. The Kellys echo the success of another sibling tandem within the last decade: La Salle’s Megan and Matt Maloney.
“It has really been fun to watch her grow and develop in the sport,’’ Adam said. “Without a doubt, she has a large amount of potential, and by starting earlier then me, it’s likely she will achieve high levels of success much quicker than me. She already has a good understanding of the event before entering high school, where I did not know what a hammer was.’’
Smithfield girls reach back into history to repeat as state champs
Not since 1972 had a Sentinel girls’ track team won a state team championship, but last month at Brown Stadium Smithfield put together 83 team points on mainly field event strength to outscore second-place Hope (78), and reach back to a time when one of the events at that girls’ meet was a softball throw. On June 6, Coach John Marchand’s girls took home gold medals in the long jump, javelin and hammer (Stephanie Mattson, Alyssa Colbert, Meagan Malloy, respectively.) Pilgrim’s talented Melanie Brunelle won double gold at the States, taking the high and triple jumps. Also earning two golds was Classical’s Alva Hicks in the shot and discus.
La Salle outpointed Barrington, 80-69, to claim the boys’ team prize. The Rams’ Jack Salisbury went 1:55.25 to win the 800 meters, and clocked 3:58.24 for the gold medal in the 1500. Salisbury also ran a leg on the Rams’ winning 4×800 relay. Nate Narcisse, of Classical, emerged as the 110 and 300 hurdles titlist.
At the New England meet, held in Orono, Maine, the Hope girls won the 4×400 relay in record time, as Quishira “Q” Mc Intosh, Isis Hack, Whitney Jackson and Chevell Burgess clocked a state-record 3:.53.41. Mount Pleasant sprinter Trevane Clarke was third in New England in the boys’ 200 meters.
The La Salle girls set a new state mark in the distance medley relay at the Loucks Games in New York in early May, posting a combined time of 11:57.15. They also acquitted themselves admirably at the NBN Championships in North Carolina. Sheridan Wilbur went 17:11.32 to set a new R.I. mark in the 5000 meters, and La Salle’s four-mile girls’ relay won the national title with a combined time of 20:14.01. Karina Tavares, Eliza Rego, Emily Kane and Sheridan Wilbur comprised the relay team. For the Ram boys, it was DJ Principe clocking a state-record 14:42.91 to finish in an All-American fifth position.
Toll Gate’s Courtney Jacobsen finished fourth in the girls’ championship hammer at North Carolina.
New records galore
It was a busy spring season for record-keepers. In the course of the ’15 outdoor campaign, no less than 14 records went south; 10 girls, to 4 for the boys.
Hope High’s “Q” Mc Intosh (headed for the University of Nebraska) accounted for three R.I. standards. She clocked 11.82 in the 100; 24.14 in the 200, and went 55.44 over 400 meters. “Q” also finished her career with an astounding State Meet performance, winning four individual events, and anchoring the Blue Wave’s winning 4×100 relay. She was the 2015 New England 200-meter champ, and was runner-up in the 100. At the New Balance National Championships, “Q” broke her own R.I. record in the 200, finishing All-American in the process.
Other newly-minted state marks:
Girls
Discus – Alva Hicks, Classical 147-9 (45.03); 2000 steeplechase – Margaret Mc Caffrey, E. Greenwich 7:29.36; 5000 – Sheridan Wilbur, La Salle 17:11.32; 4×200 – Hope 1:41.40; Swedish Medley Relay – (Est) Hope 2:14.83; 4×1-mile relay – La Salle 20:14.01..
Boys
Hammer (5-kg) Bobby Colantonio, Barrington 237-2 (78.28); Hammer (6-kg) – Adam Kelly, Barr. 219-7 (66.92); 3200 – Jack Salisbury, La Salle 8:56.55; 5000 – DJ Principe, La Salle 14:42.91