Meet the 2023 Providence Journal All-State Girls Indoor Track Team

The Providence Journal, with the 2023 All-State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards program, presented by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, is proud to announce the nominees for Girls Indoor Track Player of the Year. The winner will be announced during the live show on Tuesday, June 27, at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium.

During the live show, these nominees will be honored, along with the athletes of the year in 29 other sports as well as Athletes of the Year, Coaches of the Year and Team of the Year.

Nominated athletes may register for their free ticket to the show here, thanks to sponsors: Nominee Registration for the 2023 All State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards (smartsheet.com)

General public tickets are on sale here: 2023 All-State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards Tickets (enmotive.com)

Vote for your favorite school for the Spirit Award here: 2023 Show Your School Spirit (gannettcontests.com)

More information about the show, including other nominees, can be found here: All-State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards (usatoday.com)

The All-State Rhode Island High School Awards show is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country. Last year’s show can still be viewed here: 2022 All-State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards — YouTube

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More: Meet the 2023 Providence Journal All-State Indoor Track Team

Lisa Raye, West Warwick

Freshman, Sprints

As the biggest name in Rhode Island track history leaves, Raye seems prepared to take her place. The freshman had an incredible debut at the state meet, winning the 55-meter dash with a time 0.01 seconds off the state record, cruising to gold in the 300 while finishing second in the hurdles and sixth in the long jump.

Ailani Sutherland, Cranston West

Junior, Sprints

Sutherland didn’t get gold but she does earn her second straight appearance on the first team after a terrific junior campaign. Sutherland was one of the state’s elite sprinting stars and showed it at the state meet, where she finished second in the 55 and 300 and helped the Falcons finish second in the 4x200 relay.

Bethany Marsella, North Smithfield

Senior, Hurdles

After the Northmen boys made history in the hurdles the last two years, this year was Marsella’s turn. She became the first girl in North Smithfield to win gold at the RIIL Indoor Track Championships with a dominating performance. Marsella finished in 8.67 seconds, winning gold by 0.34 seconds.

Emmy Belvin, Mount St. Charles

Junior, Middle Distance

Racing against the best the state’s ever seen isn’t easy, but the Mounties’ junior put on quite a performance at the state meet. Belvin finished second to Sophia Gorriaran in the 1,000 meters and added a third-place finish in the 1,500, finishing behind Gorriaran again and setting her up as a runner to watch next winter.

Francine Miller, Bay View

Senior, Middle Distance

A first-team selection last season, Miller added a state gold medal to her resumé, but it didn’t come easy. The Bengals’ senior won the 600 meters with a 1:38.68, narrowly beating South Kingstown’s Laurel Filiberto by 0.17 seconds. After her spring season, Miller will take her talents to compete at Bowdoin.

Reese Fahys, East Greenwich

Senior, Distance

Injuries robbed Fahys of her junior season but she returned for the last laps of her winter season on a mission. Fahys, a first-team distance selection as a sophomore, finished the 3,000 in 10:16.60 to win her first indoor state gold medal. Fahys, a two-time cross country champ, will look for more gold this spring before competing for Providence College.

Sophia Gorriaran, Moses Brown

Senior, Distance

The greatest runner in the history of the state closed her indoor career in Rhode Island exactly how you would think. A week after announcing she’ll run for Harvard in college, Gorriaran dominated at the state meet and won the 1,000 by 4.62 seconds, the 1,500 by 3.44 seconds and anchored the Quakers’ gold-medal-winning 4x400 relay team.

Jillian Leahy, Lincoln

Senior, Throws

The weight was a competition at the state meet in name only because Leahy owned the event as she had all season long. In search of her first career gold medal, the future Brown University thrower’s toss of 53 feet, 3.5 inches won the weight by 5 feet, 9.75 inches and sets Leahy up for what could be a huge outdoor season.

Alyssa Yankee, Cumberland

Senior, Throws

An injury derailed Yankee’s season but she healed just in time to win her first gold. The state meet was the first competition in more than a month for Yankee, who won gold in the event in the spring, but she still managed a personal best with a put of 38 feet, 8.75 inches to beat Bay View’s Suraily Sam by 1 foot, 7.5 inches.

Morgan Casey, Portsmouth

Senior, Jumps

After winning her first career gold at last spring’s state meet, Casey continued her stellar senior year in sports with a big performance at the state meet. The Gatorade Player of the Year in volleyball cleared 5 feet, 4 inches to win gold in the high jump in the middle of a winter when she helped the basketball team reach the postseason.

Dasani Stewart, Pilgrim

Senior, Jumps

An All-Stater on the soccer field, and second-team indoor selection as a sophomore, Stewart showed off her stellar athleticism at the indoor state meet. The Patriots’ senior won her first career gold in the long jump with a leap of 18 feet, 5.75 inches and added a second-place finish in the high jump as well.

Classical 4x200 relay

Jasmine Berganza, Junior; Zaida DePina, Junior; Morricia Bryant, Sophomore; Shakeyri Arroyo, Sophomore

With newcomers Arroyo and Bryant joining Berganza and DePina, the Purple successfully defended their title with a thrilling win over Cranston West thanks to an impressive last leg by Arroyo that allowed them to finish in 1:46.62, 0.35 seconds ahead of the Falcons.

Moses Brown 4x400 relay

Keilly Quezada, Junior; Skyler Maxwell, Freshman; Kylie Eaton, Senior; Sophia Gorriaran, Senior

The most dramatic race of the previous state meet wasn’t nearly as exciting this time around. With newcomer Maxwell running between Quezada and Eaton, the trio got the baton to Gorriaran in first and the All-American had no issues finishing things off in 3:59.84.

South Kingstown 4x800 relay

Sofia Caito, Junior; Emma Soffientino, Sophomore; Zoe Pollack, Junior; Laurel Filiberto, Senior

After a commanding win at the Class B championships, the quartet of Rebels put together a perfect race and needed to against a tough Barrington foursome. Filiberto’s anchor leg was key as SK finished in 9:57.44, just 0.09 seconds ahead of Barrington.

2023 Providence Journal All-State Girls Indoor Track Second Team

Sprints — Lauren Boyd, Smithfield, Senior

Sprints — Xenia Raye, West Warwick, Sophomore

Hurdles — Sierra Thompson, South Kingstown, Junior

Middle distance — Laurel Filiberto, South Kingston, Junior

Middle distance — Caroline Jankowich, Classical, Senior

Distance — Jessica Deal, Mt. Hope, Freshman

Distance — Rylee Shunney, East Greenwich, Senior

Throws — Suraily Sam, Bay View, Senior

Throws — Isabella Piette, Woonsocket, Sophomore

Jumps — Nini Olawuyi, Exeter-West Greenwich, Freshman

Jumps — Quiana Pezza, Cranston West, Junior

4x200 relay — Cranston West (Ailani Sutherland, Junior; Quiana Pezza, Junior; Waimea Dodge, Senior; Praise Mayson, Senior)

4x400 relay — Classical (Shakeyri Arroyo, Sophomore; Jasmine Berganza, Junior; Zaida DePina, Junior; Carolyn Myrus, Senior)

4x800 relay — Barrington (Kyle Keough, Senior; Indie Lamb, Sophomore; Olivia Johnson, Senior; Caroline Reznik, Sophomore).

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: The 2023 Providence Journal All-State Girls Indoor Track Team