Boys Indoor Track Championship Meet Season has arrived. Here are the names you need to know

The track season moves the fastest of all the winter high school sports and no, that’s not a sport-related pun.

Over the weekend, the state’s teams gathered for the division championships, a final attempt to fine-tune lineups and events before championship meet season gets cooking.

This coming weekend will be the first big in-state competition for the state’s boys track teams. While there are some teams that hold back during the Class Championships, many of the teams attack the meet because it’s a chance to win what would be considered a state title in other sports.

Traditionally, indoor track and field is the first to hold its state championship meet but it'll have to settle for a tie there with gymnastics, which is also competing on Feb. 17.

What can we expect? Last Friday, the RI Track Coaches Association released its latest top 50 performance list. We spent the time going through it, looking for the names of athletes and relay teams who should be competing for gold over the next three weeks.

Sprints

For the first time since 2020, there will be a new champ in the 55 meters.

With La Salle three-time state champ Jared Gibbons having graduated and now running at Assumption, there is a battle for the title of Rhode Island’s fastest boy. The current front-runner is Cranston West senior Alonso Parker-Sharpe, who’s been the only sprinter to crack 6.7 this season — and he’s done it twice with times of 6.65 and 6.66.

Central runners have the next two fastest times, with Elijah Gardea clocking a 6.71 in December and Joseph Forbes Jr. running a 6.73. Hendricken’s Jeremy Seidi also ran a 6.73 this winter, impressive considering he’s 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds.

Parker-Sharpe is also the state’s top runner in the 300, having clocked a 36.40 two weeks ago. Three other runners have gone under 37 seconds, led by Classical’s Thomas Breen at 36.69. Hendricken’s Jacob Coates — who’s committed to play soccer at UNC-Wilmington — has a 36.75 to his name and Chariho’s Elias Sposato ran a 36.85.

Middle Distance

Four runners lead the way in the 600, but two of them have both gone under 1:25.00 this season.

Westerly junior Noah Roberts ran a 1:24.80 in the last dual meet of the season, beating the previous fastest time of 1:24.90 set by Coates at the start of January. The next fastest time — 1:25.16 — was recorded by two different runners, as Hendricken’s Tommy Flanders hit the mark on Jan. 2 before Narragansett’s Cole Francis matched it in the final dual meet.

In the 1,000 meters, La Salle sophomore Marshall Vernon posted the state’s top time with a 2:35.16. Right behind him is Moses Brown’s Eli Ziegler at 2:35.28.

The gap to the rest of the top five starts there, with Ponaganset’s Jeremy Roe at 2:36.80, Barrington’s Brandon Piedade at 2:37.92 and Mount St. Charles’ Ethan Fadden at 2:38.45.

Distance

Cross country All-Staters are — as expected — have dominated the distance events thus far this winter.

Francis has the top time in the 1,500 with a 4:05.48, followed by Vernon (4:07.07), Ziegler (4:07.31), Hendricken’s Jack Moretta (4:08.10) and Barrington’s Piedade (4:09.29).

In the 3,000, Francis has the top time at 8:48.48 with Vernon at 8:49.18 as the only other runner to break 8:50. Moretta is third at 8:54.89, with teammate Will Olsen behind him at 8:58.00.

Hurdles

Barrington leads the way in the hurdles, and with two-time All-Stater Ethan Knight competing in his last season for the Eagles, it shouldn’t be a surprise.

However, it’s Knights teammate, Bobby Wind, who has the top time this season with a 7.63 in the 55-meter event. Knight clocked a time of 7.67, which should create some drama as he tries to win his second straight indoor title. Third is North Smithfield soccer All-Stater Aidan Bienvenue at 7.83 and no other hurdler has cracked eight seconds this year, although Portsmouth’s Landon Rodrigues did come in at 8.00.

Jumps

The consensus favorites to contend for the state title are in the mix in the high jump, but neither Central’s Demetrius Outland nor Hendricken’s Jakob Reyes has recorded the top jump of the season.

That honor goes to Middletown senior Cam Miller, who cleared 6 feet, 5 inches at a dual meet two weeks ago.

Four others have hit 6-2, including Outland and Reyes. The other two to reach the mark are Moses Brown’s Gabe Lane and Barrington’s Chucky Potter.

The long jump is setting up similarly, with four having leapt 21 feet and nobody else coming close.

Hendricken’s Cooper Maher is the leader of the pack at 21-11, with sophomore teammate Jude Monti next up at 21-9.75. Pilgrim’s Hunter Schobel and La Salle All-State volleyball star Ephraim Abhulime both have a top distance of 21-01.25.

Throws

With some of the state’s big names having graduated the last few years, the throwing events are as wide open as ever.

The current leaders in the shot are Rogers’ Kaden Thomas at 52 feet, 11 inches, and Pilgrim’s Brandon Wolfenden at 52-10.75. No other thrower has cracked 50 feet, but Lincoln’s Tyler Durang (49-09.25) isn’t far off with La Salle’s Jonathan Cheshire behind him at 49-00.75.

It shouldn’t be a surprise to see a Woonsocket thrower atop the list in the weight. Villa Novan senior Adam Beaudry has the state’s best distance at 64-08, followed closely by Exeter-West Greenwich’s Owen Spira at 64-01.50. Three others have hit the 63 foot plateau, led by Hendricken’s Derek Goll at 63-11.75. Woonsocket sophomore Shamrock Thoun is next at 63-05.25 and Durang joins them at 63-03.75.

Relays

The 4x200 sees the usual contenders at the top of the performance list, led by Hendricken’s 1:33.03, recorded in the first meet of 2024.

La Salle isn’t far behind at 1:33.54 with Barrington in third at 1:34.43. Defending state champ Central is down at 1:36.44 — putting it eighth right now — but keep an eye out for the Knights, especially if they can get their missing piece back on the track.

In the 4x400, it’s the Hawks ahead of the Eagles with a time of 3:33.45 to 3:33.92, followed by La Salle at 3:34.29. No other team has cracked 3:35.

The 4x800 sees Moses Brown at No.1 after a 8:25.00 it recorded in the Injury Fund meet at the start of the season. Barrington is next at 8:27.62, with Classical the last team under 8:30 at 8:29.13. All the times were recorded during the Injury Fund, so make what you will of the numbers.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island's top boys indoor track and field athletes ready for championships