Presenting the 2024 Providence Journal All-State Girls Track and Field Teams

The Providence Journal is proud to announce the 2024 All-State Girls Track team, sponsored by Tufts Health Plan. The Providence Journal has been naming All-State teams for more than 80 years to recognize and celebrate the top student-athletes across Rhode Island. The Journal Sports staff, with some help from the coaches associations, determines the first- and second-team members. The All-State teams also are posted on the High School Sports Awards page at providence journal.com/sports.

All first-team members were nominees for Player of the Year in that sport, and winners were announced during the High School Sports Awards show held in June at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence, featuring former Oklahoma softball star Nicole Mendes, who is now an ESPN analyst .

In Girls Track, The Providence Journal Player of the Year is Lisa Raye of West Warwick.

2024 Providence Journal All-State Outdoor Track and Field

First Team

Sonja Beasley

Chariho, Freshman

Beasley didn’t waste any time making a name for herself at the outdoor state meet. She captured gold in the high jump by becoming the only athlete in the field to clear 5 feet, 4 inches.

Gifty Bediako

Classical, Junior

Bediako continues to cement herself as the state’s top performer in the shot put. She brought home the state meet title by nearly 2 feet and collected a bronze medal at the New England championships.

Grace Bleyer

Cumberland, Senior

Bleyer shined on the state meet stage at Conley Stadium, sweeping gold in the long jump and triple jump. That helped power the Merrimack commit into the New England Championships, and she closed fifth in the long jump against a regional field.

Emily Brown

Chariho, Junior

Brown showed off her versatility by scoring in three different events at the state meet. She claimed silver in the 300-meter hurdles, bronze in the 100-meter hurdles and fifth in the high jump.

Adelaide Caron

Woonsocket, Junior

Caron racked up the team points for the Villa Novans at the state meet in the throwing events. Her highlight was striking gold in the hammer by nearly 14 feet, and Caron added sixth place in the javelin and seventh place in the discus.

Mackenzie Cleary

Burrillville, Junior

Cleary established herself as a favorite in the javelin early this spring and winning the Class C title gave her plenty of confidence for the state meet. There, the junior came up with a clutch performance as her throw of 120 feet, 8 inches won by over four feet and gave Cleary her first spot on the All-State team.

Kiley DeFusco

Cumberland, Junior

DeFusco dominated the field on her way to a state meet gold in the 3,000 meters. She took the lead early and never relinquished it, crossing the line nearly 12 seconds ahead of her competition.

Ellie Noonan

Barrington, Junior

Noonan has parlayed a gymnastics background into track and field success. Pole vault suits her skill set and she followed gold at the state meet with a seventh-place finish at the New England Championships.

Nini Olawuyi

Exeter-West Greenwich, Sophomore

Olawuyi found just about every step of the podium while scoring in four events at the state meet. She took silver in the long jump, bronze in the triple jump, fifth place in the 100-meter hurdles and sixth place in the high jump.

Isabella Piette

Woonsocket, Junior

Piette did her part at the state meet to keep the Villa Novans among the ranks of the state’s elite throwing programs. She struck gold in the discus and took home fourth place in the hammer.

Lisa Raye

West Warwick, Sophomore

Raye authored another sensational spring on the track, helping the Wizards to a second consecutive team championship. Her national glory in June was preceded by state and New England gold in the 100 meters and 200 meters. Raye also swept the state 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles.

Xenia Raye

West Warwick, Junior

Raye remains one of the region’s top athletes after a spring that saw her power the Wizards to a second straight team state championship. She hit for gold in both the state and New England 400 meters, took silver in the state 100 and 200 and ran a leg on a regional champion in the 4x100-meter relay.

Ailani Sutherland

Cranston West, Senior

Sutherland geared up for her college career with bronze medals at the state meet in the 100 meters and 200 meters. A past individual and relay champion with the Falcons, she’ll continue in the fall at Northeastern.

Sierra Thompson

South Kingstown, Senior

Thompson left her final state meet with three individual medals, a testament to the Sacred Heart commit’s all-around skill set. She closed second in the 100-meter hurdles, second in the high jump and third in the long jump against competitive fields.

Erin vonHousen

Chariho, Senior

VonHousen put the cap on a strong senior season with a pair of gold medals at the state meet. She crossed the line first in the 800 meters and 1,500 meters before posting top-10 New England finishes in each event. VonHousen will continue her career in the fall at RPI.

Classical 4x100 (Shakeyri Arroyo, Junior; Jasmin Berganza, Senior; Morricia Bryant, Junior; Zaida DePina, Senior)

Classical 4x400 (Shakeyri Arroyo, Junior; Jasmin Berganza, Senior; Morricia Bryant, Junior; Zaida DePina, Senior)

The Purple used the same foursome to sweep gold medals in the state meet sprint relays. Arroyo, Berganza, Bryant and DePina dipped under 49 seconds to hold off Cranston West in the 4x100 and cracked the 4-minute mark to beat South Kingstown in the 4x400. Berganza will continue her career next season at the University of Rhode Island.

La Salle 4x800 (Mia Bettez, Senior; Olivia Wahlberg, Sophomore; Carolina Terlato, Freshman; Jayden Donnelly, Junior)

The Rams struck gold early in the state meet behind this distance relay. Bettez, Wahlberg, Terlato and Donnelly outlasted North Kingstown by nearly five seconds to cross the line first. Bettez will continue her career next season at Bryant.

Second Team

Sprints — Alexis Caggiano, La Salle, Senior

Sprints — Thea Jackson, Mt. Hope, Sophomore

Hurdles — Emily DeConto, Portsmouth, Sophomore

Middle distance — Emmy Belvin, Mount St. Charles, Senior

Distance — Keaney Bayha, Pilgrim, Junior

Distance — Abbie Tighe, North Kingstown, Freshman

Pole Vault — Amber Shaw, Ponaganset, Sophomore

Jumps — Quiana Pezza, Cranston West, Senior

Throws — Gianna Decesare, Ponaganset, Senior

Throws — Peyton Goulding, Cumberland, Junior

Throws – Mia Hoskins, Coventry, Junior

Throws — Ava Pilderian, Scituate, Junior

Throws — Madison Pellegrino, Westerly, Sophomore

Javelin — Maia Riccio, Cranston West, Senior

Jumps — Nazarae Phillip, East Providence, Junior

4x100 relay — Cranston West (Quiana Pezza, Senior; Amelya D’Errico, Junior; Stalia Biosse, Junior; Ailani Sutherland, Senior)

4x400 relay — South Kingstown (Greta Dahl, Senior; Sofia Caito, Senior; Zoe Matos, Senior; Sierra Thompson, Senior)

4x800 relay — North Kingstown (Abbie Tighe, Freshman; Lucy Stowe, Freshman; Maura Whitney, Freshman; Ellie Tighe, Junior)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to a reporting error, Mackenzie Cleary's name was omitted from the First Team when the team was originally published. The page was updated to include Clearly's name and bio as part of the First Team. The Journal regrets the error.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Presenting the 2024 Providence Journal All-State Girls Track and Field Teams