Hartford boys win indoor track title

Hartford's Bennett Moreno (with baton) and Gabe Guillette were on the winning 4 by 400 relay with Jack Fournier-Stephens and Payton Bessette. (BigZig Photography)

Hartford's Bennett Moreno (with baton) and Gabe Guillette were on the winning 4 by 400 relay with Jack Fournier-Stephens and Payton Bessette. (BigZig Photography) BigZig photogrph

Hartford's Ayodele Lowe took third in the long jump at the Vermont Division II state indoor track meet won by the Hurricanes. Lowe won the high jump and was on the winning 4 by 200 relay team with Gabe Guillette, Payton Bessette and Hayden Hewitt. (BigZig Photography)

Hartford's Ayodele Lowe took third in the long jump at the Vermont Division II state indoor track meet won by the Hurricanes. Lowe won the high jump and was on the winning 4 by 200 relay team with Gabe Guillette, Payton Bessette and Hayden Hewitt. (BigZig Photography) BigZig photography

Rivendell Academy's Sydney Schoenbeck, who trains with Hartford, shows her winning form in the 55 meter hurdles at the Vermont Division II state indoor track meet held in Burlington on Jan. 27. Schoenbeck also won the high jump, was second in the long jump and third in the 300 meters. (BigZig Photography)

Rivendell Academy's Sydney Schoenbeck, who trains with Hartford, shows her winning form in the 55 meter hurdles at the Vermont Division II state indoor track meet held in Burlington on Jan. 27. Schoenbeck also won the high jump, was second in the long jump and third in the 300 meters. (BigZig Photography)

By PATRICK O’GRADY

Valley News Correspondent

Published: 02-13-2024 7:01 PM

Modified: 02-14-2024 10:45 AM


BURLINGTON — The Hartford High boys indoor track team won its second straight VPA Division II championship at the University of Vermont on Jan. 27 with 20 teams competing.

The Hurricanes registered 126 points, followed by Thetford with 83.

Hartford’s Bennett Moreno won the 600-meter run, took second in the 1,000 meters and helped his team to first place in the 4x400 relay with Jack Fournier-Stephens, Payton Bessette and Gabe Guillette. Guillette also anchored the winning 4x200 relay team that included Hayden Hewitt, Bessette and Ayodele Lowe.

Fournier-Stephens, Joey Knapp, Hugh Wendling and Moreno took second in the 4x800 relay.

Guillette won the 300-meter dash with Fournier-Stephens taking second. Lowe won the high jump, was third in the 55 meter dash and took third in the long jump. The Hurricanes’ Jordan Davis won the weight throw and was second in the shot put.

For Thetford, Ulysses Junker-Boyce won the 55-meter dash and the long jump and was on the 4x200 relay team with Liam Murphy, Sebastian Perdrizet and David Thaxton that finished second. The Panthers’ Ben Mattern was second in the 1,500 with teammate Brady Sloop third, and both were on the third-place 4x400 relay team with Boyce and Owen Goodrich. Mattern was also third in the 3,000 meters. The 4x800 relay team of Mattern, Sloop, Miguel Kutter-Walker and Daniel Mann finished third. Chase Lefevre was third in the shot put for Thetford.

The Panther girls finished seventh among 19 teams, led by Ava Hayden, who won the 3,000 meters and was third in 1,500.

Rivendell sophomore Sydney Schoenbeck, who practices with Hartford, won the girls 55-meter hurdles and the high jump, was second in the long jump and third in the 300 meters. Her finishes qualified her for the New England Championships on March 2 in Boston.

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Boys team scores: Hartford 126, Thetford 83, Vergennes 44, Fair Haven 39, Spaulding 22, Lake Region 17, Springfield 15, Bellows Falls 15, Missisquoi 11, Peoples 9; Oxbow 3 (17th), Windsor and White River Valley 2 (T-18th).

Girls team scores: Rice 99.5, Burr & Burton 60, Fair Haven 36, Peoples 36, Lake Region 32, Milton 28, Thetford 26, Middlebury 20, Green Mountain 19, Bellows Falls 16; Oxbow 3 (17th).