(Hope's Quashira McIntosh poses for a photo taken by Derek Veilleux of MileSplit ME at Saturday's New England meet. McIntosh captured the 200m over the Lake Region (ME) star with a state all-time best of 23.64. She also placed second to Hall in the 100m at 11.64, another top R.I. time.)
Three events. Three big wins for Quashira McIntosh.
The Hope High senior had quite at day at the New England Championships on Saturday. McIntosh scorched the field in the 200-meter dash where she established a meet record with an all-time of 23.64 seconds. That time moves 'Q' to No. 14 in the national rankings. McIntosh also placed second to Maine's Kate Hall in the 100m dash where she ran another PR with a fast clocking of 11.63 (US #13). If that wasn't enough, she also anchored her school's first-place 4x400m relay squad to a state record of 3:53.41. Unfortunately for McIntosh, even though her 100m and 200m times were under existing state marks they can not be recognized as that due to a lack of a wind gauge at the meet
Three other victories were earned by Rhode Islanders in the regional meet, held at Thornton Academy in Saco, Maine.
Classical senior Alva Hicks was the recipient of two gold medals, capturing the shot put with a personal-best heave of 42 feet, 5.5 inches. She also took the discus title with a distance of 137-7. At last week's state meet, Hicks won both events as well. The other local win came from Hope's Whitney Jackson in the triple jump. Jackson leaped a winning distance of 37-8.25.
La Salle Academy's D.J. Principe and Matt Bouthilette finished 2-3 in the 1,600m with Principe edging his teammate with a time of 4:17.67. Bouthillette finished at 4:18.51. East Greenwich senior Tommy Sommer was fifth in 4:20.54.
In the girls' 1,600m, La Salle had three of its runners make the podium. Junior Eliza Rego took third overall at 4:57.35. She was followed across the line by junior Karina Tavares, who was fourth in 5:00.15. Senior Sheridan Wilbur was sixth at 5:02.60.
Central sophomore Austin Walo, who copped the 400m at last week's states, placed second in his specialty with a PB of 49.05. Placing fifth was East Providence junior Alejandro Duarte with a time of 49.41, also a PB.
Newell Roberts of Classical cleared a six-inch PB of 14-9 to place fourth in the pole vault.
Hope's Chevell Burgess, a junior, was sixth in the 300m hurdles in 45.48. Junior Marissa McPhillips of Narragansett was sixth in the 800m at 2:17.05.