Track and Field Teams Run for Titles

Today’s weather forecast calls for rain and high winds, a grim outlook for the high school track and field state championship meets at three venues around Vermont.

Coaches Dennis Akey of South Burlington and Dave Heitkamp of Fair Haven provided simple, but valuable mental approaches to the potentially nasty situation.

“We have to get our minds around it and not get too consumed by the bad conditions,” Akey said. “It will be who’s able to adjust to the elements the best.”

“You can’t melt in the rain. Whoever is ready for anything, those will be ones that do the best,” added Heitkamp.

And those who do should come away with the hardware.

Burlington High School is the site of the Division I meet. Fair Haven plays host to Division II for the second time in three years and Green Mountain Union in Chester has Division III and the inaugural Division IV meet.

Division I

Behind Mollie Gribbin, Kayla Gilding and Christa Weaver, the South Burlington girls have a chance at a repeat crown, hoping to hold off depth-driven Essex. The trio of Rebels, powered by Gribbin’s four No.¤1 seeds, are positioned to tally nearly 100 points, production that impresses Joe Gonillo, Essex’s 32-year coach.

“The strength from those three athletes is unmatched on any team I’ve ever seen,” said Gonillo, whose Hornets saw their six-year reign end last year. “It’s going to be tough. We are going to have to score in every event and try to keep it close until the last event.”

Gribbin, who has totaled seven of her 18 career individual state titles in outdoor competition, aims for a second straight quadruple-win showing in the 100 meters, 200, long jump and triple jump — events in which she owns the overall state record. Gilding, a freshman, is seeded second to Gribbin in the 100, 200 and long jump, and she’s favored to capture the 400. Weaver is ranked first in the 300 hurdles, second in the 100 hurdles and fourth in high jump. “It’s going to be fun. I’m not going to lie — I’m pretty nervous,” Akey said. “It’s going to be a wire-to-wire battle.”

On the boys side, St. Johnsbury, which last won the team title in 2008, is the pre-meet favorite. James Fitzhugh (200, 400) and Elijah Doerfler (javelin) have No. 1 seeds for the Hilltoppers, who are also ranked first in two out of the three relays.

Colchester, Mount Mansfield, Burlington and Essex are among the challengers. Burlington’s Alex Joyce is ranked first in the long jump and triple jump.Brattleboro’s Jacob Ellis has top seeds in the 1,500 and 800, the latter an event in which he set the overall state record last week.

Division II

For the first time in recent memory, the Harwood girls won’t rely on their throwers for major points at a state meet. Instead, the distance crew, led by Jaime Thomas, is seeded to tally more than 70 points. Naomi Koliba’s jumping efforts will also support the Highlanders, who are the pre-meet favorites to retain their crown over challengers U-32, Fair Haven, Milton and Lyndon.

Samantha Rock, Karleigh Manfredi and Brooke Phillips headline Milton’s top heavy group that finished third last year. Lyndon’s Riley Blankenship is looking to duplicate her three-win effort from last week’s Essex Invitational in shot put, discus and javelin.

On the boys side, Windsor is the frontrunner against a field that includes defending champion Harwood, U-32 and Fair Haven.Montpelier independent Colby Cunningham owns three No.¤1 seeds in high jump, long jump and triple jump. Cunningham’s biggest threat to a second straight triple-win state performance might be in long jump, where Rice junior Marcus Willingham is only three inches behind the Montpelier senior’s mark of 22 feet, 3 inches.

Division III and IV

In D-III, Ian Weider, who set two divisional state marks last week, leads a Thetford squad hoping to secure a fourth straight title. Elizabeth Bassette and the Woodstock girls are aiming for a three-peat.

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