Clipper senior hurdles to title
Woonsocket boys, girls deliver in long, high jumps
PROVIDENCE – Thanks to a helpful tip from a local head coach, Cumberland High senior Chris Choquette can call himself a twotime state champion in the 55-meter hurdles.
The quest to repeat was fulfilled as Choquette was clocked an at impressive 7.68 seconds at Saturday’s R.I. Indoor Track Championships. Unlike last year when Choquette captured the same event in nail-biting fashion, he breezed and finished 0.11 of a second faster than Saturday’s runner-up finisher.
“Back to back feels pretty nice,” said a smiling Choquette upon the conclusion of his busy day at the Providence Career & Technical Academy field house. “I kept everyone in my peripheral, but after clearing the third hurdle, I saw no one was next to me. That’s when I realized that I had won it.”
Choquette was in the midst of the longjump event when he was told to stop what he was doing and hustle to the starting line. His rendezvous with destiny in the 55 hurdles awaited. In the 24-person preliminaries, Choquette posted the fastest time at 7.77 seconds.
“It’s actually one of the most difficult transitions. Someone at last year’s state meet got third in the hurdles but he was disqualified for the whole meet because he didn’t check in on time,” said Choquette, who raised his left hand in triumph after crossing the finish-line. “I was really stressing about that but I made sure to check in.”
As he placed his heels against the starting block, Choquette recalled a conversation he had with longtime Lincoln High boys’ track coach John Menna that took place earlier in the week.
“I talk to him a lot and he gave me some good advice,” said Choquette. “He told me my arm was going back too far. I worked on my trailer arm all week and became smoother as I went over the hurdles. I think that’s why I PR’d today.”
After achieving gold status, Choquette returned to the long-jump pit and grinded out a sixth-place (20-9¼). Woonsocket senior Joshua Correira took third in the same event (214½).
In the team standings, Lincoln (28 points, fifth place) edged out Woonsocket (24 points, sixth place) as the area’s top finisher. All the points for the Lions stemmed from three topsix finishes in the shot put and two two-six placements in the weight throw.
Most track athletes would be thrilled with two second-place finishes, yet Lincoln High senior Garrett Doyle expressed some disappointment in having to settle for the silver in both the shot put (53-1¼) and weight throw (69-6¼). He entered Saturday as the top seed in both events.
“I know I could have done a lot better, at
least in the weight throw. I threw 53 feet in the shot put earlier this season, but that was pretty good competition out there,” said Doyle, who has already taken an official visit to Ohio State and plans to visit Maryland this coming week. “Our coach (Brian Grant) does a great job preparing us, but sometimes it just doesn’t click.”
Lincoln junior Evan Grivers placed third and fourth in the weight throw (65-10 ¾) and shot put 483), respectively. Woonsocket’s top point-getter was senior Johnathan Upshur, who came in second in the high jump (6-4). His teammate, WHS junior Nicholas Iarussi, was third in the same event (6-2). Also, Woonsocket junior Emmanuel Gomes achieved a personal best in the 55 hurdles (fifth, 8.09 seconds).
On the girls’ side, Woonsocket junior Alissiana Folco picked up a second-place finish in the long jump (17-1) and came in fourth in the 55 hurdles (9.06 seconds).
“The competition just gets tougher and tougher every year,” said WHS head coach George Briggs.
A year ago as a freshman, Burrillville native Marybeth Fitzsimmons produced a real splash en route to winning state titles in both the 55-meter dash and the 300. Fast forward to Saturday as the Moses Brown sophomore re-aggravated a left hamstring injury while competing in the 4x200 relay. Understandably, her day was cut short. Fitzsimmons originally hurt her hamstring during a dual meet in early January.
“Right now, it’s about rest and lots of rehab,” said Moses Brown head coach Ron Woodley.