The Fair Haven Union High School track and field team is opening the season in style on Saturday at the Empire Arsenal Relays in Watervliet, New York.
It is a great way to start a season, Fair Haven coach Jon Oakman said.
Rutland will kick off its season on April 12 with a home meet on its eight-lane rack at Alumni Field.
Oakman and his assistant Randy Shutter expect the strength of the Fair Haven girls squad will be the middle distance events led by the likes of Isabella Carrara, Ava Shull and Ella Kuehn.
The boys strength figures to be in the throwing events.
We have some big strong throwers, Shutter said.
Most will throw in all three events the shot put, discus and javelin.
Leading the way are Dave Doran, Cooper Spaulding, Nate Young, Caden Lynch, Kole Matta, Patrick Stone and Mason Williams.
Luke Williams will be taking aim at the school record in the long jump that was set by his brother Evan Williams at 21-4, established in 2019.
He also could be one of the top triple jumpers in Division II, Shutter said.
The D-II State Meet will be at U-32 in East Montpelier.
I think we could have a few (winning state titles), Shutter said.
Kuehn and Carrara are confident that they could be part of some relay units that could do big things.
I have been part of relay teams for four years. I see a lot of hard working underclassmen on the relay teams this year, Carrara said.
Since we have all played soccer together in the fall, I think we have a lot of chemistry and and I think we can be successful, Kuehn said.
A highlight of the Slaters hefty 21-meet schedule will be a large invitational hosted by Niskayuna High School in New York State. The Slaters will be going to several meets in the Glens Falls-Albany area.
Other boys on the squad include Phil Bean, Noah Beayon, Riley Buckley, Reilly Flanders, Emmett MacKay, Sulivan OBrien, Cole Oakman, Konner Savage, Kaylo Stevenson and Nikolai Wook.
Others on the girls squad are Aunnika Brannock, Julia Carrara, Olivia Charron, Abi Fowler, Ash Kennett, Vivian Ladabouche, Ayame Merkel, Madison Perry, Allison Rogers, Katarina Stevens and Alexandra Williams.
GREEN MT.Green Mountain coach Angela Hutchins wont be short on senior leadership with 13 members of that class across the boys and girls teams: Ryan Colburn, Aiden Farrar, Miles Garvin, Jordan Harper, Evan Hayes, Jaden Holden, Jayden Hinkle, Everett Mosher, Mitchell Rounds, Jackson Ruhlin, Elias Stowell-Aleman, Eva Svec and Grace Tyrrell.
Juniors include Greta Bernier, Josh Buckley, Luna Burkland, Berkley Hutchins, Marlayna King, Eben Mosher and Ben Munukka.
The lone sophomore is Noah Cherubini and freshmen are Kyra Burbela and Joa Gibson.
Mill River coach Brandon Ryan has a small team but it has members capable of making plenty of waves this season when the Minutemen open the season on April 12 at Fair Haven.
You can start with senior Annika Heintz who is defending her three individual state titles. The elite distance runner in coming off an outstanding cross country season and a good winter training regimen.
Ryan said the team has others who could turn heads this year.
We have a lot of surprises in the bag that I think will shock Vermont, he said.
One of those is Mount St. Josephs Leah Majorell who is training with the Mill River team.
The girls team is comprised of seniors Faith Murray and Heintz, junior Malorie Tarbell, sophomores Majorell and Claire Morris and freshman Willa Seo.
Leah Majorell has a lot of untapped potential, Ryan said.
Ethan Foley is the lone member of the boys squad.
I come into my first year as Mill Rivers track and field coach as optimistic. We have a small team but with very promising members, Ryan said.
When Rutland unveils its team for the home fans at Alumni Field, the Raiders could be strong in the distance events with top female runners from the cross country team like Helen Culpo and Erin Geisler as well as Brady Geisler, Karver Butler Owen Dube-Johnson and Sam Kay on the boys squad.
The potential of the distance runners has to excite coach Mike Audette, himself an elite runner at Catholic University in Washington, D.C.
The girls team is comprised of Calle Alexander, Sophie Boulette, Isabel Crossman, Culpo, Geisler, Raynna Hanlon, Makenna Houston, Makenna Hubert, Dierdre Lillie, Jenna Montgomery, Kailey Murray, Jillian Perry, Ava Rosi, Emelia Sabataso, Bethany Solari, Evangeline Taylor, Emily Wigmore and Emma Worton.
The boys team includes Abed Alawi, Butler, Dube-Johnson, William Fuller, Brycen Gandin, Geisler, Aiden Good, Sam and Joshua Kay, Coletan Lapham, Jahmalie Mckenzie, Tyler Messer, Logan Mormando, Slade Postemski, Hank Potter, Brock Quinlan, Matthew Reveal, Eli Rosi, William Sabataso, Brayden Shelton, Lane Shelton, Finnian Smathers and Marko Svoren.
There has been a trend at Springfield of athletes doing a couple of sports in the spring, baseball and softball players competing on the track and field team.
Baseball player Sam Presch is one of those.
He was kind of the pioneer of that, Cosmos track and field coach Jim Fog said.
Presch was third in the 400 meters at the State Meet last year and he is one of several baseball players that Fog expects to see.
Chris Jeffers is a senior in his fourth year on the team and is also strong in the 400.
Tim Amsden is a 300-meter hurdler and Aidan Donahue could perform well in the throws.
I coached him in football. He is big and strong. He could be one who steps up, Fog said.
Alicia Ostrom, a strong cross country runner, will be counted on as a leader of the girls 4X800 relay unit as well as being strong in distance events.
Liz Loney will be counted on for points in the girls javelin event.
Ari Cioffi, a softball player, could have success in the throwing events.
Damian Stagner and Dylan Magoon are both strong distance runners on the boys side.
The West Rutland girls will be led by the reigning Division IV state shot put champion Isabel Lanfear. She also finished second in the javelin at the State Meet.
She will also compete in the 100-meter hurdles and might try the high jump, coach Dillon Zaengle said.
Her sister Abigail Lanfear will compete in the triple jump, long jump and shot put.
The boys will have Jaden Jarrosak representing the Golden Horde in the 100 meters, 400 meters and long jump.
He moved back from Agawam, Massachusetts at the beginning of the school year and Zaengle considers that a windfall.
JJ Clemmons is a returning senior who will be competing in the shot put, discus and possibly the long jump.
Colby Perry is taking on the shot put, discus and potentially the 100 meters.
Sophomore Quincy Senecal is tackling the high jump, 100 meters, 100-meter relay and long jump.
Tristan Rocke, who flashed his speed on the soccer field, will showcase it in the 100, 400 and 800.
Freshman Charlie Duncan will be in the shot put and discus events.
Our goal is to get everyone qualified for at least one event in the State Meet, Zaengle said.
A highlight of the schedule, that begins on April 12 at Fair Haven, will be a trip to the Windsor Invitational.
I am excited about some of the newcomers because we are trying to grow the program, Zaengle said.
NOTES: The State Meets will be the weekend of June 3-4. ... Oakman said the turnout of 40 athletes in the Fair Haven program is low. The Slaters numbered in the 70s several years ago. ... The Jerry Jasinski Vermont State Decathlon Meet will be June 13-14 at Burlington High School.
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