The Mt. Hope High School indoor track and field teams got their 2024-25 seasons going last weekend when the Huskies participated in their respective Injury Fund preseason meets Saturday, Dec. 7, at the sport's now traditional home the Providence Career and Tech Academy Fieldhouse.

A quartet of Mt. Hope girls — Lola Silva, Sarah Bissonnette, Jasmine Kenney and Chloe Questel — ran third in the Headley Division 4x400 meter relay with a time of 5 minutes, 14.08 second while Silva added a solo sixth in the high jump. As well, four Huskies' juniors — Tyler Scarborough, Gavin Stegall, Andy Charest and Jackson Cicchinelli— placed fifth in the boys' B Division 4x8 with a 9:22.31.

The Mt. Hope girls are seeking to continue their recent run of success. The Huskies placed third last winter in their former home, the Dwyer Division ranks with a 9-2 record behind unbeaten St. Raphael and 10-1 Narragansett.

The locals leap-frogged the Mariners into second place in the division championship meet with 94 points. The Saints also were first with 125.5. Narragansett was third with 82. At class, Mt. Hope was again the runner-up with 66 points to the winning total of 87 earned West Warwick in the Medium ranks. The Huskies later earned 11 points at the state meet.

The Mt. Hope boys went 4-6 in the old Metropolitan Division upon their full-time return to varsity action. The Huskies hadn't had an Interscholastic League-sanctioned male indoor team since back in the 2018-19 season. The locals competed in 2022-23 as a club squad.

Mt. Hope earned 16 and 8 points, respectively, in the division and Class B meets. The locals did not score at states.

More girls notes
Silva, a senior, is among a trio of Huskies with juniors Thea Jackson and Jessica Deal who rank among the best in their events indoors. All three placed at states a year ago.

Though Silva ran a leg of the 4x4 at Injury Fund and competed in her speciality is the long jump, in which she finished eighth in the state meet last winter. She also runs the 55 hurdles, the 300 meters and the 4x200 relay.

Jackson placed fourth at states last season in the 55 meter dash and sixth in the 55 meter hurdles. Likely better known as a soccer standout, Jackson also participates in the long jump and may vie in the high jump, according to Renae Cicchinelli, one of the three co-coaches for the Huskies along with Liam Connors and Chad O'Neil.

Deal is Mt. Hope's distance stalwart. An All-Stater the last two falls in cross country, she'll run the 4x8 and 4x4 relays as well as the 1,000, 1,500 and 3,000, the latter likely her focal point this winter.

Bissonnette, a senior, runs the 800 and the 4x4 along with 4x4, 4x8, Kenney, a sophomore, is new to indoor. Outdoor last spring she threw. Cicchinelli sees her as a sprinter/300 runner who will also be in the relay mix. Questel, a freshman, runs the mid-distance both for relays and individually.

Among the other notables of the 18-member squad is sophomore Kyleigh Durette, of whom Cicchinelli called "key to the team's morale. Durette is a thrower, but an all-around contributor as well. "She does everything with a smile on her face," Cicchinelli added.

Sophomore Garcia Davidson is expected to add depth to the sprinting group. Two fine soccer players bring their athleticism to the team. Emma Goglia, a sophomore, runs the 55, 55 hurdles, 300 and 4x4. She scored as a frosh in duals last winter. Classmate Kendra Ascoli is new to indoor. She's also should bring quality to the sprinters.

Jackson has the unenviable task of running in events dominated by the Raye sisters from West Warwick. Junior Lisa won both the 55 dash and hurdles last winter. She's considered not just at the elite level locally and regionally, but nationally. Xenia Raye, a senior, finished second to her sister in the dash a year ago.

Both Jackson and Silva were actually hampered by illness throughout last winter, so Cicchinelli said, "It will be interesting to see both of them healthy hopefully for the whole season."

Overall, the Huskies have been placed in the revamped Headley ranks with the likes of Barrington, Cumberland, Chariho and East Providence.

"I would love to be a front runner in the division again and give class a go," Cicchinelli added. "But we have a lot of new girls, so it's hard to tell so early in the season how things will turn out."

More boys' notes
The MHHS boys, which number 33 at the start of the year, did qualify their 4x8 relay team for states last winter and are seeking to send a few more athletes to the championship meet at season's end.

Scarborough runs middle distance up to the 1,000 as well as the 4x2 and 4x4 relays. Stegall runs the 4x4, 600 and 1,000. Charest vies in the 4x8 and 1,000. Jackson Cicchinelli, whose main focus in the winter is basketball, run the 1,000 and 1,500.

The Huskies could have the makings of a solid group of shot-putters and weight-throwers in four-year letterman senior David Lowney, junior Quinton Smith and sophomore Ben Neverka-Vinciguerra.

The Mt. Hope sprinters who could score in duals include senior Everson Goglia along with juniors Jonathan Kay, Jackson Lopes and Alex Watkinson.

"Most of our athletes who are juniors were freshman when we started the team and barely picked up a point in a meet," Cicchinelli said. "They were barely able to be in the same arena as the rest of the teams. Then last year they kind of began to blend in and we took a relay to state meet.

"This year, I would like to see them compete, and when they have a good day pull in some points. I would just like to see them have a more competitive season this year."

For a handful of reasons, including the number of coaches who oversee teams of both genders, co-ed meets will be held indoors this winter for the first time.

Mirroring the outdoor season, boys' and girls' squads will also be grouped in divisions under the same name. Indoors, it will be the Headley Division named after the long-time coach and administrator Jane Headley. In the spring, the teams vie in the Eastern Division.

Both MHHS sides are slated to begin their 2024-25 regular season dual meets Saturday, Dec. 14, at the PCTA against Barrington and Pilgrim. The meet starts at 3:15 p.m.

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