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Essex, St. Johnsbury reign again
After an anchor leg with no resistance from the field, Essex’s Sarah Hall arrived at the finish line of the girls 4-by-400-meter relay for what turned into a comfortable, 16-second victory.
Gerardo Fernandez came screeching in on the final lap of the boys 4×400 as St. Johnsbury surprisingly smashed its own state record in the relay.
The outcomes of Saturday’s Division I high school track and field championships had long been decided before the Essex girls and St. Johnsbury boys romped to relay wins. But the day’s final events on the track told the story: No one was chasing down the state’s powerhouse programs.
Despite a slow start, the Hilltopper boys raced to D-I’s biggest margin of victory in 16 years for a title three-peat, while the Hornet girls completed the second of back-to-back crowns with a point spread eclipsing last year’s championship total.
The Essex girls racked up 131.33 points to runner-up Champlain Valley’s 85.66 for their 29th outdoor championship. SJA collected 135 points, 55 points clear of second-place South Burlington, to track down their 32nd D-I crown.
“I know Essex has always had a strong track culture,” Essex coach Katie White said. “But there are highs and lows and I think we are in a pretty good swing of everyone really caring and showing up ready to go. People are buying in more and more.”
Said St. Johnsbury coach Chip Langmaid: “They really looked tired when we got here. Then the excitement built and we got rolling.”
Veterans pace Essex girls to second straight crown
Kayla Guerino entered the state meet at D.G. Weaver Athletic Complex nursing an ankle injury. Still, the senior forged ahead, winning pole vault (10 feet), placing third in long jump and running a leg on the Hornets’ victorious 4×100 relay squad (49.88 seconds) with teammates Ashley Clark, Genevieve Brzoza and Sara Sinkewicz.
“Like most teams, we were coming in a little banged up and a little sick,” White said. “Kayla stepped up, we put the pieces together and everybody showed up and did their job.”
Essex scored in 17 of 18 events and won six events in all. Hall, a sophomore, retained her 400 crown (58.67) from a year ago and nabbed third in the 200. Senior Scarlet Stimson tactically topped the field in the 1,500 (4:48.16) and then cruised in the 800 (2:18.16), her best event, for the mid-distance sweep.
Seniors Clark and Brzoza combined for 19 points across four individual events, with Brzoza aiding the winning 4×400 squad with a 59-second opening leg. And sophomores Tess Adams (second in shot put and discus) and Ada Jorschick (second in 100 hurdles, third in 300 hurdles, third in triple jump, fourth in long jump) gave Essex production from the team’s younger core.
“People are really dedicated. There is a lot of focus in our group and high expectations,” White said. “They really, really wanted it. They are all super-focused and super-motivated.”
The Essex 4×400 team of Brzoza, Elizabeth Orvis, Stimson and Hall ran to a 4:03.36, which is within 1.5 seconds of the state record.
“That was our goal. I think we perfected our order,” Stimson said.
St. Johnsbury boys burn to three-peat
Langmaid, the longtime SJA coach, hasn’t had speed like this before.
The Hilltoppers won seven of their eight events on the track: 100, 200, 400, 300 hurdles and all three relays. They took the top two spots in the 400, first and fourth in the 200 and, for good measure, nabbed 15 combined points in the 800, 1,500 and 3,000.
Then to top the day, Andrew Thornton-Sherman, Andrew Bugbee, Jaden Beardsley and Gerardo Fernandez torched the 4×400 state record with a time of 3:22.12, breaking the SJA mark set late last month by nearly two seconds.
Who says championships are won in the field events?
“We didn’t expect that,” Langmaid said of the relay record. “That was awesome.”
Fernandez paced the sprint-heavy ‘Toppers. On a windy day, the senior came within .25 of the D-I mark in the 400 with a winning time of 48.89. He also held on for the 200 victory (22.80) and ran on the winning 4×100 squad (43.86) with Beardsley, Bugbee and Alejandro Orozco Kuri.
Beardsley bested all challengers in the 100 dash (11.16) and Thornton-Sherman, a sophomore, showed his range by claiming the 300 hurdles (38.84). Quinn Murphy tossed in SJA’s lone field event triumph, taking javelin with a personal-best heave of 163 feet.
“Things went pretty much as expected,” Langmaid said.
Colchester’s Garrow, Burlington’s Sightler among Saturday’s stars
Like every senior who competed Saturday, Colchester’s Ryleigh Garrow lost her freshman year due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
And in the three track seasons since, Garrow has been busy racking up accolades. The multi-sport standout captured her third straight 100 hurdles state crown (15.16) while also retaining her triple jump title of a year ago (36-2.75) and taking second in high jump.
Garrow has been most dominant in the 100 hurdles. Untouchable, really. She has not lost an in-state race in her three seasons, according to athletic.net results. Garrow, who will run at the University of Vermont, said she’ll compete at New Englands next weekend in the 100 hurdles and triple jump, but will bypass nationals this year.
“I’m looking forward to my next four years at UVM,” she said.
Garrow’s younger teammate, Brinlee Gilfillan, also had a big day. The freshman swept to victory in the 100 (12.48) and 200 (26.16) by wide margins to put the rest of the state on notice in the years ahead.
“To be 15 years old and running this quick, honestly, I think it’s a blessing,” Gilfillan said. “I get it from my dad — it’s in the genes.”
Burlington’s Winslow Sightler has waited his turn to reach the top of the podium at states. And he did so twice on Saturday. An heavy favorite in shot put and discus, the junior established a new PR in the former (58-5.75) and close to another one in the latter (159-9).
Last year, Sightler was runner-up in both events to Mount Anthony’s Isaiah Brunache, who broke the long-held shot put state record.
“It feels great, especially on home turf,” Sightler said.
In girls javelin, CVU junior Harper Danforth regained the title she first won as a freshman in 2021. But not without some late drama. Slotted third in the finals with one throw to go, Danforth uncorked a 113-3 to leap-frog to the top of the table.
“I didn’t think I was going to win because I threw (61 feet) right before. Then I pulled it out,” Danforth said.
This spring, Danforth said she tweaked her technique and went from a three-step approach to nine.
“It paid off,” she said.
Other standouts from Saturday include:
Sabine Brueck, North Country: Repeated as state champion in the 300 hurdles (46.97) and high jump (5-1), won long jump (17-7) and took runner-up honors in triple jump.
Vaughn Larkin, South Burlington: Seized top honors in the 110 hurdles (15.43), placed second in pole vault and fourth in the 400.
Nathan Lesny, Essex: Won triple jump (41-2.25), placed second in long jump and fourth in pole vault.
Matthew Servin, CVU: Went first in the 1,500 (3:56.33) and second in the 800 to Essex’s Kelton Poirier (1:54.56), the event record-holder.
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DIVISION I STATE MEET RESULTS
Girls team scores
1. Essex 151.33; 2. Champlain Valley 85.66; 3. Mount Mansfield 59; 4. Colchester 52; T5. Burlington, North Country 42; 7. South Burlington 31; 8. St. Johnsbury 29; 9. BFA-St. Albans 25; 10. Mount Anthony 16; 11. Brattleboro 13; 12. Rutland 12.
Boys team scores
1. St. Johnsbury 135; 2. South Burlington 80; 3. Essex 78; 4. Mount Mansfield 59; 5. Burlington 50; 6. Champlain Valley 44; 7. Colchester 41; 8. Brattleboro 21; 9. Mount Anthony 20; 10. BFA-St. Albans 18; 11. North Country 11; 12. Rutland 1.
Girls top-six finishers
100-meter dash: 1. Brinlee Gilfillan, Col 12.48; 2. Chloe DeJong, MMU; 3. Ashley Clark, Essex; 4. Grace Filan, Essex; 5. Gracie Morris, SB; 6. Sara Sinkewicz, Essex.
200: 1. Brinlee Gilfillan, Col 26.16; 2. Amelie Scharf, CVU; 3. Sarah Hall, Essex; 4. Ashley Clark, Essex; 5. Ella Palisano, MAU; 6. Brooke White, SJ.
400: 1. Sarah Hall, Essex 58.67; 2. Finley Barker, MMU; 3. Grace McNally, CVU; 4. Brooke White, SJ; 5. Evangeline Taylor, Rutland; 6. Elizabeth Orvis, Essex.
800: 1. Scarlet Stimson, Essex 2:18.16; 2. Grace McNally, CVU; 3. Ava Whitney, Bratt; 4. Kate Bradford, Col; 5. Finley Barker, MMU; 6. Aya Goldstein, BHS.
1,500: 1. Scarlet Stimson, Essex 4:48.16; 2. Alice Kredell, CVU; 3. Estella Laird, CVU; 4. Amelia Dion, BHS; 5. Kaitlyn Lumbra, BFA; 6. Maddie Connery, CVU.
3,000: 1. Tess Drury, MMU 10:28.73; 2. Estella Laird, CVU; 3. Alice Kredell, CVU; 4. Kaitlyn Lumbra, BFA; 5. Erin Geisler, Rutland; 6. Gillian Fairfax, BHS.
100 hurdles: 1. Ryleigh Garrow, Col 15.16; 2. Ada Jorschick, Essex; 3. Regina O’Leary, SB; 4. Amelia Shelton, Rutland; 5. Izzy Laramee, SB; 6. Rylee Strohm, SJ.
300 hurdles: 1. Sabine Brueck, NC 46.97; 2. Lila Brillhart, MMU; 3. Ada Jorschick, Essex; 4. Amelia Shelton, Rutland; 5. Izzy Laramee, SB; 6. Rylee Strohm, SJ.
4×100: 1. Essex (Guerino, Clark, Brzoza, Sinkewicz) 49.88; 2. MMU; 3. South Burlington; 4. BFA; 5. North Country; 6. Brattleboro.
4×400: 1. Essex (Stimson, Orvis, Hall, Brzoza) 4:03.36; 2. St. Johnsbury; 3. CVU; 4. South Burlington; 5. MMU; 6. North Country.
4×800: 1. Burlington (Dion, Fairfax, Goldstein, Henry) 10:01.01; 2. CVU; 3. St. Johnsbury; 4. Essex; 5. South Burlington; 6. MMU.
High jump: 1. Sabine Brueck, NC 5-1; 2. Ryleigh Garrow, Col; 3. Ella Palisano, MAU; 4. Isabella Gravina-Budis, CVU; 5. Peyton Qualter, SJ; 6. Genevieve Brzoza, Essex.
Pole vault: 1. Kayla Guerino, Essex 10-0; 2. Cara Rockwell, MAU; 3. Addison Devault, Bratt; T4. Grace Symula, Essex; Zoe Jenkins-Mui, CVU; Kate Kogut, CVU.
Long jump: 1. Sabine Brueck, NC 17-7; 2. Genevieve Brzoza, Essex; 3. Kayla Guerino, Essex; 4. Ada Jorschick, Essex; 5. Mallory Chicoine, MMU; 6. Amelia Novak, CVU.
Triple jump: 1. Ryleigh Garrow, Col 36-2.75; 2. Sabine Brueck, NC; 3. Ada Jorschick, Essex; 4. Brooke White, SJA: 5. Kelsey Adams, SB; 6. Josi Fortin, NC.
Shot put: 1. Vivian Halladay, BHS 36-3.5; 2. Tess Adams, Essex; 3. Nadia Sylla, BHS; 4. Savannah Werner, SB; 5. Mia Lacasse, Essex; 6. Maya Frost, BFA.
Discus: 1. Samantha Alexander, MMU 136-10; 2. Tess Adams, Essex; 3. Nadia Sylla, BHS; 4. Mia Lacasse, Essex; 5. Fernanda Bustamante, SJA; 6. Gracie Lawrence, SB.
Javelin: 1. Harper Danforth, CVU 113-3; 2. Aiyana Auer, BFA; 3. Lauryn Johnson, BFA; 4. Vivian Halladay, BHS; 5. Sara Sinkewicz, Essex; 6. Kate Bostwick, CVU.
Boys top-six finishers
100-meter dash: 1. Jaden Beardsley, SJA 11.16; 2. Demunga Alfani, Col; 3. Ahmed Diawara, BHS; 4. Avery Rogers, CVU; 5. Armani Lee, SB; 6. Sean Von Ranson, Bratt.
200: 1. Gerardo Fernandez, SJA 22.80; 2. Armani Lee, SB; 3. Demunga Alfani, Col; 4. Jaden Beardsley, SJA; 5. Hayden Pine, Essex; 6. Caden Colburn, NC.
400: 1. Gerardo Fernandez, SJA 48.89; 2. Andrew Bugbee, SJA; 3. Jacques Alfani, Col; 4. Vaughn Larkin, SB; 5. Jack Cady, Bratt; 6. Nathan Lyle, Essex.
800: 1. Kelton Poirier, Essex 1:54.56; 2. Matthew Servin, CVU; 3. Austin Simone, SB; 4. Avi Yagoda, BHS; 5. Charlie Krebs, SJA; 6. Nathaniel Bernier, SJA.
1,500: 1. Matthew Servin, CVU 3:56.33; 2. Porter Hurteau, BFA; 3. Avi Yagoda, BHS; 4. Carson Eames, SJA; 5. Luke Miklus, Essex; 6. Jack Crum, CVU.
3,000: 1. Luke Miklus, Essex 8:53.38; 2. Carson Eames, SJA: 3. Avi Yagoda, BHS; 4. Jack Crum, CVU; 5. Porter Hurteau, BFA: 6. James Steward, Essex.
110 hurdles: 1. Vaughn Larkin, SB 15.43; 2. Avery Gilbert, MMU; 3. Andrew Thornton-Sherman, SJ; 4. Tucker Hall, SB; 5. William Hughes, BFA: 6. Carter Higgins, SB.
300 hurdles: 1. Andrew Thornton-Sherman, SJA 38.84; 2. Avery Gilbert, MMU; 3. Tucker Hall, SB; 4. William Hughes, BFA; 5. Carter Higgins, SB; 6. Max Lesny, Essex.
4×100: 1. St. Johnsbury (Bugbee, Beardsley, Kuri, Fernandez) 43.86; 2. Brattleboro; 3. CVU; 4. Colchester; 5. Essex; 6. South Burlington.
4×400: 1. St. Johnsbury (Thornton-Sherman, Bugbee, Beardsley, Fernandez) 3:22.12*; 2. South Burlington; 3. MMU; 4. Essex; 5. Brattleboro; 6. North Country.
4×800: 1. St. Johnsbury (Bernier, Leven, Krebs, Callaghan) 8:31.83; 2. South Burlington; 3. MMU; 4. North Country; 5. Essex; 6. Colchester.
High jump: 1. Tyrese Pratt, MAU 5-11.5; 2. Owen Moriarty, MMU; 3. Ethan Gamelin, Col; 4. Koyle Denis, NC; 5. William Hughes, BFA; 6. Levi Brewer, NC.
Pole vault: 1. Raf Campanile, MMU 12-11; 2. Vaughn Larkin, SB; 3. Owen Moriarty, MMU; 4. Nathan Lesny, Essex; 5. Ozzy Alsaid Ahmad, SJ; 6. Anders Johnson, CVU.
Long jump: 1. Avery Rogers, CVU 22-2.5; 2. Nathan Lesny, Essex; 3. Tyrese Pratt, MAU; 4. Alejandro Orozco Kuri, SJA; 5. Cian Nott, SJ; 6. Hayden Pine, Essex.
Triple jump: 1. Nathan Lesny, Essex 41-2.25; 2. Ethan Gamelin, Col; 3. Cian Nott, SJA; 4. Tyrese Pratt, MAU; 5. Cyrus Goetze, MMU; 6. Stephane Mujomba, Col.
Shot put: 1. Winslow Sightler, BHS 58-5.75; 2. Carter Davis, Essex; 3. Alexander Johnson, Essex; 4. Aidan Lybarger, SB; 5. Sidiki Sylla, BHS; 6. Tyler Messer, Rutland.
Discus: 1. Winslow Sightler, BHS 159-9; 2. Aidan Lybarger, SB; 3. Sidiki Sylla, BHS; 4. Maxwell Spaeder, Essex; 5. Jordan D’Amico, MMU; 6. Carter Davis.
Javelin: 1. Quinn Murphy, SJA 163-0; 2. Jacob Girard, Bratt; 3. Diego Perez, SJA; 4. Oliver Cohen, MMU; 5. Cooper Niles, MAU; 6. Alexander Johnson, Essex.
