Hometown hardware
Lincoln’s Moison sweeps field events; Woonsocket’s Coles places 2nd in weight throw
Local runners and throwers alike racked up
the medals at Saturday’s indoor track State Meet.
PROVIDENCE — Lincoln High senior Kyle Moison and Woonsocket junior Logan Coles had just put on an astounding battle of strength, will, superiority and desire before a victor had been decided.
That happened to be Moison, who collected the top prize in the 20-pound weight throw at these R.I. Indoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday afternoon, courtesy of a spectacular splat of 78-8 ½, and Coles finished a disappointing second with a launch of 75-11 ½.
You’d figure the two would be at opposite sides of the circle speaking to their coaches – and glaring at each other – after such a dogfight, but no. There they were sharing a bottle of orange PowerAde, slapping each other on the back and congratulating the other like what had just happened didn’t. “Did you see what he did?” Moison asked a media type, pointing to Coles, naturally wearing an impish grin. “He fouled on his first two throws, then came back and gave me a run. We really opened it up, and it’s all because of this kid. He pushed me to the best throw I’ve ever had.
“I mean, he started out fouling on his first two prelim throws, and any other athlete would let that get to their head, let it bother him, but not Logan. He came back and threw 74 feet, and he pushed me so much. He never took the lead, but he could have. This was like a heavyweight boxing match.
“He kept throwing punches, I kept throwing punches, but then I finally beat him on
my last throw (with the toss of 78-8 ½),” he added. “Honestly, none of his seems real. At one point, after they announced the 78, I thought I was going to cry. I was, like, ‘Really? There’s no way!’”
You can surmise by now that these two not only are the fiercest of competitors but also dear friends, and, with the winning toss, the Lion pal outdid the Novan bud on a number of different fronts: First, Moison also captured the shot put crown (59-0 ¼) while Coles fouled out, and, more importantly, he overtook him as the nation’s No. 2 schoolboy weight tosser.
“I did this because of Logan; he makes me better,” Moison stated.
Offered Coles: “I’m happy with the 75-11 ½. I really don’t mind I didn’t win because Kyle did; he beat me. If it was anybody else, I’d be out-of-my-mind upset, but it’s because we’re that close. He’s like my older brother.
“When I fouled my first two throws (of the short chain and ball), I never despaired; I was just thinking (that) competitors compete,” he added.”No matter what position they’re in, they go into the circle and do the job. On that third throw (of prelims), I was determined not to foul, and threw 74-plus. Then I took it up to 75-11, which is just short of my PR (of 76-7 ½).”
Woonsocket mentor Marc Piette just laughed at the competition between the two.
“I told you earlier in the week it would be a dogfight, and they proved me right,” he said, gloating for an instant. “When he fouled out of the shot, then the two in the weight, that’s five straight fouls, so I was worried, but I’m always worried. He came over to me before the third throw and said, ‘Do you want me to do three or four (turns before releasing)?’ and I just told him, ‘Whatever you’re the most comfortable with.’
“He took four (spins) and (uncorked) it 74-2. I was actually videotaping it, and you can hear me say, ‘Thank you!’ He was back in business … These kids have an incredible competitive streak between them, but they get along great. It’s common in throwers, but this is really special.”
While that “Fight in the Circle” was occurring, Coles’ teammate and sophomore Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan ever so quietly managed to rack up some points himself, as he took second in the shot put (PR of 57-6 ½).
He, though, fell to eighth in the weight (64-4).
Neither Lincoln nor Woonsocket managed to penetrate the top four in the team standings, though the Lions did snag fifth overall with 24 points and the Novans eighth with 19, just a point behind No. 7 Cumberland.
Naturally, Hendricken collected the team crown with 88 points, but it was closer than expected, as La Salle took runner-up only three points behind.
Mount Pleasant finished a distant third with 41, while St. Raphael earned fourth with 27.
Actually, junior standout Darius Kipyego helped the Saints with 16 individual points, including 10 with a triumph in the 600 (1:21.77), though he settled for third in the 1,500 (4:06.01). He had been in the lead midway through the latter race, but – later – Hawks’ senior Dave DelBonis sprinted ahead and kept the pace up for at least the final two-plus laps to win in a scorching 4:02.60.
And, down the homestretch, La Salle senior Tyler Chambers passed him for second (4:05.06).
“(Delbonis) had an amazing race; I tried to go with him, but I didn’t have it,” Kipyego said after helping his 4 x 400 relay (also consisting of senior Nasavell Medeiros, freshman Pedro Mayol and freshman/kid brother Devan Kipyego) take fifth in 3:35.22. “It just wasn’t there, and I couldn’t tell you why.
“I definitely used that as motivation in the 600; I wanted that,” he added. “The big thing was defending my title; I won last year here. I’ll also take the 1:21, even though I’ve been 1:19 earlier this year. That will get me into the seeded heat at New Englands.
“The second half of this meet was much better. I showed what I could do in the 600 and the (relay) 400. I was just trying to do whatever I could to get the team in a better spot (with points).”
Noted head coach Chris Magill: “What Darius did (Saturday) is something you rarely see from any athlete – that is, after getting beaten in a race that he thought he was going to win, he dug deep, came back and beat a great field in the 600. He wanted that desperately.”
***
The Saints didn’t fashion a superb overall state meet, but did witness some positive occurrences.
In that same 600, Mayol took fifth in 1:25.06, but he earlier had joined senior Braxton Fontaine, Devan Kipyego and senior Joey Noel on the sixth-place 4 x 200 relay (1:36.16).
Fontaine, who had hoped to claim top-six finishes in the long jump, high jump and 55 dash only landed a third in the LJ, though he did manufacture a PR of 21-6 ½. He settled for ninth in the high jump and 10th in the 55.
“I didn’t have a very good meet; it wasn’t at all how I planned it would go,” Fontaine stated. “I topped out 5-10 in the high jump, and the 55 was off, but I guess it was still an experience. I will say I’m not happy, and there’s definitely room for improvement in all three events.
“In the Class C meet, I was first in the high and long and second in the 55, so I expected more from myself.”
The other high placement for Lincoln came via the superb 4 x 800 relay foursome of senior co-captain Nick Gaitanis, sophomore Aidan Fletcher, junior Austin Balon and senior co-captain Chris Lezon, who torched the track for fourth with a season-best clocking of 8:28.81.
“That was our best this season by about four seconds, so I’m really happy with it,” Gaitanis explained. “We were seeded sixth, so we improved the place.”
Noted Lezon: “Actually, we were motivated because Cumberland beat us in this event at the division meet by about a half-second, and we dropped the baton, so this feels really, really good.”
When asked if he felt a bit of revenge, he just shrugged and flashed a mischievous grin.
The Clippers didn’t win an event, but they came close in two. First, in the 55 hurdles, senior Noah Kell earned second in 7.76, just .08 behind Hendricken senior champion Sean Fagan; and classmate Trey Muraoka mustered runner-up honors in the high jump (6-2).
“I’m actually really upset about not winning; a state championship has been my goal for a very long time, at least dating back to my sophomore year,” Kell admitted. “I’m still super-excited about getting second, and about being so close, but I wanted it so badly.
“The thing is, I’ve never beaten Sean before, so that’s another reason I’m bummed,” he continued. “But he’s a great athlete, no question. Now I just have to get ready for New Englands, and my goal there, if I just make finals, I’d be thrilled.”
Offered Muraoka, who lost to Hawks’ junior John Santos by two inches: “I compete against a loit of great kids, so I would say I’m just blessed to be in the top five in the state of Rhode Island. I came really close in the long jump (20-6), but took seventh by about five inches.
“I just came with the mindset that I had to give it everything I had, and I did. I know I took 15th last year in the high jump and now I’m second, and I didn’t even qualify in the long jump, so I guess I’ve improved a lot.
“It really does feel good; now I want to come out and work even harder to place in New Englands and then have a great outdoor season.”
Fellow senior Phil Coppolino added a fourth in the 20-pound weight throw behind Moison and Coles, courtesy of a terrific toss of 70-8 ½, his PR by almost a foot. He also broke Cole Hooper’s year-old school mark by 7 ½ inches.
“I didn’t place in the shot, which bothered me, but I’m obviously happy with the PR,” said Coppolino, who will be attending Cornell University later this summer. “It’s really tough, though, that I didn’t finish top three, which is All-State, with a throw of over 70 feet.
“I knew as soon as it hit the floor it was a PR and a new record; I saw the marking in the sector, so I just knew, and it felt great.”
Others registering top-six performances included Shea senior Jaylen Smith in the 55 dash (third, 6.58); Woonsocket junior Cedric Delva in the high jump (tie for fourth, 6-0); and Burrillville senior Mitch Dailey in the 3,000 (sixth, 9:03.11).
R.I. INDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS At Providence Career & Technical Academy fieldhouse
BOYS
Team standings
1. Hendricken 88; 2. La Salle 85; 3. Mount Pleasant 41; 4. St. Raphael 27; 5. Lincoln 24; 6. Classical 23; 7. Cumberland 20; 8. Woonsocket 19; 9. North Kingstown 16; 10. ( tie) Westerly, Moses Brown 12; 12. ( tie) South Kingstown, Barrington 9; 14. ( tie) Cranston West, Exeter/ West Greenwich, West Warwick 8; 17. Portsmouth 7; 18. ( tie) Shea, Rogers 6; 20. ( tie) Coventry, Pilgrim 2; 22. Ponaganset, Central 1.
Area placements
55m dash – 3. Jaylen Smith ( S) 6.58.
600m – 1. Darius Kipyego ( SRA) 1:21.77; 5. Pedro Mayol ( SRA) 1:25.06.
1,500m – 3. Da. Kipyego ( SRA) 4:06.01. 3,000m – 6. Mitch Dailey ( BURR) 9:03.11. 55m hurdles – 2. Noah Kell ( CUMB) 7.76. 4x200m relay – 6. SRA ( Braxton Fontaine, Mayol, Devan Kipyego, Joey Noel) 1:36.16. 4x400m relay – 5. SRA ( Nasavell Medeiros, Mayol, De. Kipyego, Da. Kipyego) 3:35.22. 4x800m relay – 4. Lincoln ( Nick Gaitanis, Aidan Fletcher, Austin Balon, Chris Lezon) 8:28.81; 7. Cumberland ( Scott Carroll, Shane Johnson, Jake Gilson, John Walker) 8:39.15.
High jump – 2. Trey Muraoka (CUMB) 6-2; 4. ( tie) Cedric Delva ( W), Kyle Nadeau ( SK) 6-0; 9. Fontaine ( SRA) 5-10.
Long jump – 3. Fontaine ( SRA) 21-6 ½; 7. Muraoka
( CUMB) 20-6.
20-pound weight throw – 1. Kyle Moison ( L) 78-8 ½; 2. Logan Coles ( W) 75-11 ½; 4. Phil Coppolino (CUMB) 70-8 ½ ( new school record; old record, 70-1, Cole Hooper, 2019); 8. Tarik Robinson- O’Hagan ( W) 64-4.
Shot put – 1. Moison ( L) 59-0 ¼; 2. Robinson- O’Hagan ( W) 57-6 ½.