Presenting the 2024 Providence Journal All-State Girls Indoor Track & Field selections

The All-State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards is proud to announce the player of the year nominees for Girls Indoor Track. The winners will be announced during the live show on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium.

During the live show, athletes of the year in 30 sports will be honored. In addition, top teams, coaches and overall athletes will be honored as will a Courage Award winner. Nominated athletes who RSVP will receive a complimentary ticket to the event thanks to sponsors. Details on how additional tickets can be obtained will be available soon.

For more information about the show and to opt into email updates, visit the website and you can also follow it on Facebook.

The All-State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards show is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country. This year, one school from the area will win a $1,000 donation to its athletic department through our School Spirit Contest.

2024 Providence Journal All State Girls Indoor Track First Team

Lisa Raye

West Warwick, Sophomore

Sprints

Raye won four golds at this winter's RIIL State Indoor Championships, setting a state record in the dash by becoming the first Rhode Island girl to crack the 7-second mark. She finished strong to beat sister Xenia in the 300, nearly set a state record in the hurdles and finished third in the high jump, helping the Wizards win the team title.

Xenia Raye

West Warwick, Junior

Sprints

There was little doubt who the second-best sprinter in the state was and the gap between Raye and the rest of Rhode Island wasn’t particularly close. A second-team selection last winter, Raye finished second to sister Lisa in the 55 and 300, performances that proved to be instrumental in the Wizards claiming the program’s first RIIL Girls Indoor Track State Championship.

Emily Brown

Chariho, Junior

Hurdles

A second-team All-State selection for girls soccer in the fall, Brown was one of Rhode Island’s best hurdlers all season long. At the Girls Indoor Track State Championships, Brown ran an 8.84, finishing behind sprint All-Stater Lisa Raye and jump champ Sierra Thompson, and the sizeable gap between her and the rest of the field earned Brown her first All-State honor for indoor.

Emmy Belvin

Mount St. Charles, Senior

Middle Distance

Stuck behind Sophia Gorriaran last winter, Belvin earned a first-team spot but finally tracked down her first winter gold this year. The senior — who will run for Stonehill after graduation — put together a terrific performance in the 600, finishing in 1:36.57, good for a second win to earn her first spot atop the podium at the RIIL Indoor Track State Championships.

Alison Pankowicz

Toll Gate, Junior

Middle Distance

Pankowicz was one of the surprise stories at the RIIL Indoor Track State Championships and more than deserved her debut as a first-team All-Stater. In a field loaded with All-State cross country stars, Pankowicz delivered a memorable performance, finishing in 3:00.97, winning her first gold medal and earning her spot.

Rory Sullivan

St. Raphael, Senior

Distance

Injuries prevented Sullivan from competing in the Indoor Track State Championships her previous three seasons, but nothing was stopping her this year. The St. Raphael cross country champ won her first career gold with a 4:39.31 finish in the 1,500 and nearly came away with another before taking second in the 1,000.

Erin vonHousen

Chariho, Senior

Distance

Coming off a terrific cross country season — for which vonHousen made first-team All-State after taking second at the state meet — things got even better when she went indoors. Running the 3,000, vonHousen put together a terrific race and finished in 10:07.70, winning by nearly eight seconds to earn her spot as a first-team All-Stater.

Sierra Thompson

South Kingstown, Senior

Jumps

Illness prevented Thompson from competing at the RIIL Indoor Track State Championships as a junior, but she made up for it her senior season. Thompson cleared 5 feet, 6½ inches in the high jump to win by over four inches and added second-place finishes in the long jump and hurdles to cap her terrific indoor career at South Kingstown.

Quiana Pezza

Cranston West, Senior

Jumps

Pezza was a second-team selection as a junior, but came through when it mattered most in her final RIIL Indoor Track State Championship to earn her first spot on the first team. Competing against a talented field in the long jump, Pezza’s leap of 18 feet, 10½ inches was good enough to beat Sierra Thompson by 1½ inches and earn the Falcons’ star her first gold medal.

Gifty Bediako

Classical, Junior

Throws

The Purple have pumped out some pretty good throwers over the years and you can add Bediako’s name to the list. The junior was a favorite in the shot put coming into the meet and left with a gold medal after her heave of 38 feet, 2¾ inches won by nearly two feet. She also added a third-place finish in the weight, setting her up for a terrific spring season.

Adelaide Caron

Woonsocket, Junior

Throws

The Villa Novans’ throwing factory has a new state champ and it comes in the name of Caron, who came up big to win her first state gold. Caron, a junior, unleashed a throw of 51 feet, 3¼ inches to win the event by over three feet. That performance more than earned Caron her spot on the first team and with spring and a senior season left, more should follow.

Classical 4x200 Relay

Shakeyri Arroyo, Junior; Jasmin Berganza, Senior; Morricia Bryant, Sophomore; Zaida Depina, Senior

The quartet won the event in 2023 and made repeating look easy. The win at the RIIL Indoor Track Championships was the third straight for Berganza and Depina, and this foursome’s final run of 1:46.09 beat second-place La Salle by 1.45 seconds.

Classical 4x400 Relay

Jasmin Berganza, Senior; Morricia Bryant, Sophomore; Zaida Depina, Senior; Naibel Noriega, Junior

After finishing second behind the Sophia Gorriaran-led Moses Brown teams the last two seasons, Berganza, Bryant and Depina got together with Noriega to put together a brilliant race at the state championships, finishing in 4:04.55 to win gold.

La Salle 4x800 Relay

Jayden Donnelly, Junior; Mia Bettez, Senior; Carolina Terlato, Freshman; Olivia Wahlberg, Sophomore

With a runner from each grade taking the baton, the Rams put together one of the more impressive runs at the RIIL Indoor Track State Championships with a 10:01.63 finish, beating second-place Prout by nearly 14 seconds.

2024 Providence Journal All State Girls Indoor Track Second Team

Sprints – Ailani Sutherland, Cranston West, Senior

Sprints – Alexis Caggiano, La Salle, Senior

Hurdles – Jordan Roskiewicz, Barrington, Senior

Middle distance – Sydney Haik, Westerly, Senior

Middle distance – Skyler Maxwell, Moses Brown, Sophomore

Distance – Keaney Bayha, Pilgrim, Junior

Distance – Kiley DeFusco, Cumberland, Junior

Jumps – Helena Hyde, Barrington, Sophomore

Jumps – Nini Olawuyi, Exeter-West Greenwich, Sophomore

Throws – Lacie Grenier, Cumberland, Senior

Throws – Mia Hoskins, Coventry, Junior

4x200 Relay – La Salle (Mila Falcone, Freshman; Sydney Raynes, Senior; Jaida Catallozzi, Senior; Alexis Caggiano, Senior)

4x400 Relay – La Salle (Sydney Raynes, Senior; Kayla Bacon, Senior; Arielle DeMarco, Junior; Alexis Caggiano, Senior)

4x800 Relay – Prout (Katie Abbott, Sophomore; Sophia Abbott, Senior; Jill Michael, Senior; Jessica Mastrandrea, Senior)

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: 2024 Providence Journal All-State Girls Indoor Track first and second team