East Providence's Ogunronbi repeats as winter long jump champ

Bay View’s Barrows wins girls’ 300 crown

By Mike Rego
Posted 2/17/19

PROVIDENCE — There has been no better long jumper during the winter season over the last two years than East Providence High School’s Anuoluwapo Ogunronbi, and the senior star …

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East Providence's Ogunronbi repeats as winter long jump champ

Bay View’s Barrows wins girls’ 300 crown

Posted

PROVIDENCE — There has been no better long jumper during the winter season over the last two years than East Providence High School’s Anuoluwapo Ogunronbi, and the senior star emphatically made his case Saturday, Feb. 16, by claiming his second consecutive in the event in the 2019 State Championship Indoor Track and Field Meet held at the Providence Career and Technical Academy Field House.
Ogunronbi, the top seed in the boys' long jump heading into states, covered 22 feet, 7 inches with his first jump of the second round of attempts to claim the title and lead a Townie charge in the event.
Classmate Ednilson Silva was the runner-up, jumping 21’6.5” and Exondus Barnes finished fourth due to the number of his attempts at 21’6.” Only Rogers’ Ty Medeiros broke up what would have been an All-Townie podium, also jumping 21’6,” but doing so in less tries than Barnes. Of note as well, E.P.’s Jason Santiago just missed out on placing in the event, finishing seventh at 20’8.”
“Anuoluwapo was on fire all day,” said EPHS boys’ head coach Bob Lyons. “He jumped over 22 feet all day. He was ready for sure. A lot of people wanted him to win. He’s a well-liked kid, so it felt good that he could do it.”
East Providence’s other points at states came in the high jump. Barnes, whom Lyons said performed admirably despite a nagging leg ailment, was fifth at 6' and Santiago shared sixth at 5'8." North Kingstown's Riley LaLonde won the event on attempts over teammate Brandon Bolster, each clearing 6'2."
The Townies finished sixth in the team competition with 24.5 points. Hendricken won the state title with 84.5. LaSalle was second with 66 and North Kingstown third with 44.
Freshman standout Makiah Denson accounted for all eight of the points scored by the EPHS girls’ contingent at the state meet, running second in the 55 meter dash. The top seed coming into the meet, Denson finished second to Central’s Alyejah Roderick. The Knights senior was first after the qualifying round (7.38 seconds) and the final, running a 7/39 to Denson’s 7.42. Hawa Grear of Juanita Sanchez, second in the qualifier round at 7.43, finished third in the final at 7.45. Denson clocked a 7.46 in her qualifying heat.
In the team competition, LaSalle added to its record run of titles, winning its 11th in a row with 60.5 points. Portsmouth was second with 53 and Barrington third with 51.
Bay View finished fifth in the team rankings with 24 points, 10 of which were provided by the victory of senior Aliya Barrows in the 300 meters with a time of 40.91.
Barrows had a hand in 18 of the Bengals’ points. She, Kaleigh Quinn, Hanna O'Connor and Caitlyn Murphy ran third in the 4x400 relay with a time of 4:13.75. The Westerly team won the event in 4:08.2.
Barrows, Quinn, O’Connor and Olivia Granatiero also placed fifth in the 4x2 relay with a 1:48.86. Again, the Westerly entry was best with a 1:47.71.
O’Connor, also a senior, accounted for the six remaining Bay View points with her third-place effort (1:40.38) in the 600. Westerly’s Helena Hall-Thomsen won the race in 1:35.46 with Portsmouth’s Nikki Merrill second at 1:38.14.
Those athletes who placed in the top six in their respective events qualified to compete in the New England Indoor Championship Meet Saturday, March 2, at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston.

— Photos by Julie Furtado

2024 by East Bay Media Group

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.