Central Among Locals Competing At Easterns


A little more than a week after finishing an outstanding second overall at the State Meet, Central High will be looking to make some noise on Tuesday when a few of its top athletes compete at the Eastern State Championships at the New Balance Armory in New York.

Hoping to improve on their times for the upcoming New Balance Nationals (March 10-12) the Knights' Donatien Djero and Dametrius O'Connor  are entered the 200-meter dash and Austin Wolo is scheduled to compete in the 400m. The talented trio finished 1-2-3 in the 300m at the States. Djero also claimed the 55m crown. The three sprinters, along with Charles Kolie, are also in the 4x400m relay where they have a season best of 3:27.88 from their win at the Yale Track Classic. Due to the fact that the meet only allows athletes to compete in two events, the Knights will not have their 'A' team in the 4x200m relay, the state-winning squad that currently ranks No. 7 in the country with their R.I. record of 1:29.05 from the Armory Track Invitational on Feb. 3. 

Individually, North Providence Nathan Coogan is scheduled to compete in the 800m.  He was second in the 600m last week at the State Meet where he ran 1:23.12. He owns a best of 1:58 for the two-lapper. Hope's Lisbeth and Leinni Valdez are in the girls' 800. The two sisters were fourth and fifth in the 600m at the States.


At Easterns, per meet rules, athletes can do just 2 events, so we are planning to run 1 individual event each to try to better the NBNI standard, Djero and Oconner in the 200 and Wolo in the 400. And we are planning to run the 4x400 to try to hit a fast mark. We will run a 4x2 but it will be a "B" team, letting a few guys have some fun.


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