Boys Distance
1000m
On the one hand, Devan Kipyego was only 9th on the seed lists coming in, but he had swept the 1000-1500-3000 trio of distance events in the RI state championships and was putting everything into the 1000m at New England's. The strategy worked well for him, and after assuming the lead from ME 800-Mile champ Zachary Barry with two laps to go, Kipyego held off all challenges to finish at 2:28.65, just ahead of fast-finishing Kaden Kluth and Barry, who both went under 2:30. The top 16 runners in the event all set big PRs.
1 Devan Kipyego 11 St. Raphael Academy 2:28.65 2 Kaden Kluth 12 Portsmouth High School 2:28.72 3 Zachary Barry 12 Scarborough HS 2:29.28 4 Thomas John (TJ) Carleo 12 Newburyport HS 2:31.45 5 Tyler Bartlett 11 Fairfield Ludlowe 2:31.95 6 David Manfredi 11 Weymouth High School 2:32.03 7 Ryan Gruczka 11 Stonington High School 2:33.42 8 Griffin Mandirola 11 Suffield High School 2:35.63 9 Adam Melnick 12 Narragansett HS 2:35.87 10 Ryan Orr 12 Stonington High School 2:36.06 11 Nathan Evans 11 Lincoln High School 2:36.25 12 Will Ballard 12 South Kingstown HS 2:36.51
1 Mile
In likely the most improbable win of the meet, Jacob Connolly rose from a 13th listing on the seed sheets to win the mile. Connolly sat back in 8th among ten runners for much of the race, but with two laps to go he started to make his big move, and on the final back straightaway he was powering away to the win. Nikita Omelchenko held off Evan Thornton-Sherman at the finish for the silver, late-race leader Sean Kennedy-Wonneberger took 4th. Again, it was a race of big times as the top 12 guys all set big PRs.
1 Jacob Connolly 12 East Greenwich HS 4:13.88 2 Nikita Omelchenko 12 Wilbur Cross HS 4:15.92 3 Evan Thornton-Sherman 12 St. Johnsbury Academy 4:15.96 4 Sean Kennedy-Wonneberger 12 Nathan Hale-Ray HS 4:16.96 5 Carver Morgan 12 Avon High School 4:18.11 6 Zach Utz 12 Martha's Vineyard Regional 4:18.28 7 Michael Alleva 12 Lunenburg High School 4:18.63 8 William Calhoun 12 Rham High School 4:20.40 9 Charlie Collins 11 Hampden Academy 4:23.34 10 Ethan Mashtare 12 Bellows Free Academy-St Albans 4:23.96 11 Jack Casey 12 La Salle Academy 4:24.43 12 Kai Hillier 12 Champlain Valley Union HS 4:24.63
2 Mile
Gavin
Sherry had been breaking records of one sort or another all year, and the big question here was whether the senior star could break the mark set two years ago by sophomore Gavin Sherry of 8:53.23. He got the new meet record with time to spare as his twin brother Callum took the bronze at just over 9:00 for his own PR and another CT guy Aidan Puffer was three seconds back in 4th. MA champ Samuel Burgess came in as the 2nd seed at 9:12.99, and the junior knocked more than 14 seconds off his PR to claim the silver.
1 Gavin Sherry 12 Conard High 8:51.59 2 Samuel Burgess 11 Framingham HS 8:58.61 3 Callum Sherry 12 Conard High 9:01.34 4 Aidan Puffer 12 Manchester HS 9:04.35 5 Henry Dennen 12 Cumberland 9:12.25 6 Grady Satterfield 12 Mt. Ararat HS 9:12.53 7 Paul Bergeron 10 Westford Academy 9:18.03 8 Evan Thornton-Sherman 12 St. Johnsbury Academy 9:24.06 9 Albert Ferreras 12 Greater Lowell Tech 9:26.51 10 Abbott Valentine 12 Hampden Academy 9:35.65 11 Sean Kennedy-Wonneberger 12 Nathan Hale-Ray HS 9:38.59 12 Wilson Jablonski 12 Bishop Hendricken HS 9:40.17