Photos by George Ross Photography ( http://www.
With this week's New England Championships and Nike and Foot Locker in the coming weeks, cross country is still alive for a select number of high school teams. But the indoor track & field season is getting closer.
For Rhode Islanders and schools throughout the northeast region, a well-organized and high-caliber event that most have marked on their calendars is less than two months away.
On Saturday, Dec. 27, meet directors Thom Spann and Bob and Anne Rothenberg will be hosting their sixth annual R.I. Classic Track & Field Invitational at the Providence Career and Technical Academy fieldhouse. The meet offers sanctions for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Vermont with other states upon request.
The early-season meet features three field event relays, eight running relays and an invitational 55-meter dash, 55m HH, 300m, 800m, Mile, 3,000m, Freshmen Mile, long jump, triple jump and pole vault. This year, girls will compete from 9 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. and the boys will follow from 2:10 to 6:40 p.m.
The R.I. Classic is one of the top regional competitions of the indoor season, attracting several national-caliber athletes. In 2013, Kate Hall of Lake Region, Maine, an All-American long-jumper, captured two events. She earned MVP honors by winning her specialty with a leap of 19 feet, 1 inch and the 55m dash with one of the country’s fastest clockings at the time, a sizzling 7.01 seconds. Also earning MVP status in the meet were New York’s Ashley Wiggins of New Rochelle in the 55m HH (8.15), Omari Buckmire of Bay Shore in the triple jump (46-7.5) and long jump (21-2.75) and Mount Vernon’s Raj Benjamin in the 300m (35.91).
For additional information such as schedule, entry procedures, hotels, etc., view the website: www.riclassic.com
Last year's MileSplit RI Meet Page