Young talents lead Harwood and Montpelier track and field teams
June 19, 2026 | By James Biggam | Times Argus staff writer This story was originally published by the Times Argus on June 12.
Power dynamics shift over time in any sport, though predicting the movement of each pendulum swing is never an exact science.
Harwood sophomore Isabella Pockoski won state Division II titles in both shot put and discus at the state championship meet. Times Argus photo by Jeb Wallace-Brodeur
For Division II track and field athletes, it’s no secret that the annual state meet has often turned into a race for second place. At the state championship in early June, U-32 earned a boys and girls sweep for the eighth time in 13 seasons, doubling down on its mission to solidify one of the greatest dynasties in Vermont history. The Raider girls completed a six-peat, and the U-32 boys took home the hardware for the 11th time in 13 seasons.
The long afternoon at Burlington High School featured a steady stream of Raiders climbing up and down the podium. And it quickly became obvious that the big question wasn’t if U-32 would win, but by how much.
When the final events wrapped up, the U-32 boys became the first D-II squad to surpass the 200-point mark and walked away with a 123-point victory over second-place Rice. And the U-32 girls wound up 83 points in front of Harwood and Rice, which tied for second place.
The runner-up performance by the Highlanders marked a long-awaited breakthrough for a program that captured 13 championships under former coach John Kerrigan. Last week’s result was the first second-place effort at the state meet in 11 years by the Harwood girls, who are five-time champs after taking home the hardware in 2004, 2005, 2011, 2012 and 2015.
“Harwood’s doing really good this year, and we’ve had a lot of podiums,” Harwood sophomore Isabella Pockoski said. “In almost every event we’ve had some podiums, and I’m really proud of everybody. A lot of the freshman girls coming in are amazing this year, so I’m just excited for that...We’ve got a lot coming for future years.”
Pockoski took home state titles in both shot put and discus, giving the Highlanders a huge 20-point boost in the team standings. She set a school record in shot put and broke her personal record by nearly a full meter with a throw of 12.46 meters, while teammate Rebecca Frank (7.76 meters) placed fifth. “[A PR] is the goal,” Pockoski said. “I’ve been throwing that far in practice, so I’ve been trying to inch it out at a meet.”
According to Pockoski, the entire spring season featured small but steady improvements. And during meets, she’s gone undefeated in shot put while winning eight times during nine meets in discus.
“I don’t really get anxiety,” Pockoski said. “But I get so excited that I shake, so I have to make sure to sit down before I throw because I’ll get dizzy.”
Pockoski and Montpelier senior Marie Voisin continued to lead the way in discus, with Pockoski showcasing impressive technique and strength to prevail with a personal-best distance of 37.22 meters. Voisin claimed runner-up honors with a heave of 32.38 meters.
“The first throw I threw around 113 [feet] and that was farther than Marie’s PR,” Pockoski said. “So on my first throw, I knew I already got first, and then I tried to PR – that’s my goal always. And because there were only five people, we automatically had the finals. And I was like, ‘First three throws I just want to get a good throw out there. And then I’m going to PR.’”
Last fall, Pockoski excelled for an up-and-coming Harwood volleyball team that pieced together a 12-4 record. And even though the individual spotlight can be intense at times during track and field season, Pockoski owes a good deal of her success to constantly being lifted up by her teammates.
“It’s still a team in track,” Pockoski said. “In volleyball, you have to rely on everybody else. But here you have more camaraderie, and everyone is here to cheer just you on. You’re viewed more as your own person than a team here. But you’re still part of Harwood.”
Next year the Highlanders will attempt to end a 12-year title drought – and it’s clear that beating U-32 will be a Herculean task. But young talent is a huge strength for Harwood, which will only graduate three seniors. This spring, the Highlanders relied on contributions from seven juniors, eight sophomores and a whopping 21 freshmen.
“U-32 is difficult to challenge,” Harwood coach Jake Pitman said. “We aimed for second place this season due to their sheer excellence. It’s very heartwarming to witness Mark Chaplin experience his most successful streak nearly 50 years after he began both teaching and coaching at U-32. Programs like Rice, Montpelier and our own hope to challenge their team throughout the next decade. My message to local upstart track and field programs is, ‘Be patient. Provide an inclusive and welcoming space — and the athletes will come. And trust in yourselves as coaches who care deeply.’”
The Montpelier girls won their only crown in 1979 – led by legendary coach Rome Aja – and both the MHS and Harwood boys own eight championships apiece. This year, the Solon girls placed sixth at the state meet, and the MHS boys finished ninth. Like Harwood, Montpelier is poised to return the bulk of its talent next year after only losing six athletes to graduation. This spring, the Solons featured 17 juniors, 11 sophomores and 19 freshmen.
“Montpelier is youthful, and I expect an explosion of talent from them in the next few years,” Pitman said. “Nathan Suter was a very supportive mentor of mine, not to mention what Dylan [Broderick] and other coaches are doing with the middle school program. I will always be rooting for Montpelier track and field: They are awesome people.”
Team building
Pockoski wasn’t the only Harwood athlete to set a school record at the state meet, with freshmen Campbell Skates, Willow Thomas, Anna Wulff and Gia Gendimenico joining forces to win the 4x100-meter relay in 52.01 seconds.
“Every member of this track and field team is valuable, but it would be silly not to acknowledge the degree of talent among our freshman class,” Pitman said. “They caught the bug after winning the state championship in middle school last season. I am curious if any all-freshmen relay teams ever won their state championship. Well, now Harwood has. And their accomplishment is difficult to put into words.”
Skates added eight points to her team’s scoring total by finishing runner-up in the 300 hurdles in 50.09 seconds. And Skates teamed up with Lily Bourbonnais, Julia Cisz and Liv Kielich on a 4x400 relay squad that placed second in 4:20.45.
Harwood’s Willow Thomas placed sixth in the 100-meter dash (13.41 seconds) and Wulff was fifth in the 100 hurdles (17.44 seconds). Cisz, Frank, Bourbonnais and Fiona Wanner combined efforts in the 4x800 relay and placed fifth in 10:51.18. Gia Gendimenico placed fourth in long jump (4.58 meters), teammate Damiana Leese finished fifth in triple jump (9.39 meters) and Maisy Gendimenico was sixth in javelin (23.34 meters).
“This year’s team built their season on daily commitment, encouragement and an unwavering belief in one another,” Harwood throws coach Melinda Pockoski said. “Every practice, every workout, every relay exchange and every throw helped shape a team that competed with resilience and pride. Whether earning a state title, setting a personal record, scoring points or supporting teammates from the sidelines, every athlete played a role in making this one of Harwood’s most successful and memorable track and field seasons.”
Senior soccer star Camille Edgar was an individual state champ for the Montpelier girls by winning the 300 hurdles in 49.82 seconds. Teammate Anna Wetherell placed fifth in the same event with a time of 51.78 seconds.
Montpelier’s Josephine Swiech was second in the 200 (27.78 seconds) and Edgar was sixth (28.17 seconds). Wetherell cleared the bar at 1.37 meters to place fourth in high jump, while fellow Solons Valerie-Lynn Hlivkova, Sonya Mancauskas, Phoebe Bakeman and Adele Pritchard completed the 4x800 relay in 12:03.88 to finish sixth.
Boys’ breakdown
On the boys’ side, Montpelier’s Jack Rubie was third in high jump (1.77 meters) and fifth in long jump (5.8 meters). Salvador Doyle placed sixth for the Solons in the 3,000 (9:44.23). Simon Eikenberry, Teddy Fournier, Andy Sheehan and Jozef Chamraz represented the Capital City crew in the 4x400 relay and placed sixth in 4:01.46. Doyle, Sheehan, Asa Lloyd and Tristan Bradley posted the second-best result in the 4x800 relay with a time of 8:48.66.
For the Harwood boys, Grayson Eley turned in a personal-best time of 12.26 seconds in the 100-meter dash and teammate Vincet Wing had a PR in the 1,500 (4:23.02). Highlander Connor Rowley finished third in discus (6.34 meters).
Eley, Mason Jones, Peter Baruzzi and Jacob Simms recorded their best time of the season in the 4x100 relay (50.25). Jones, Baruzzi, Ryan Campbell and Beckett McElroy combined efforts for a season-best time of 4:09.35 in the 4x400 relay, while McElroy, Campbell, Graham Schaefer and Trey Isham delivered a PR of 10:06.22 in the 4x800 relay.
“I’ve been the head coach at Harwood for three years now and we finally have a complete coaching staff,” Pitman said. “It’s amazing what you can accomplish when the coaching responsibilities are properly distributed.”