Panthers cruise to another track championship

Thetford Academy Athletic Director Bri Barnes, left, signals the start of the last heat of the boys 200m sprint for runners, from left, Malik Gordon, of Bellows Falls, and Thetford Academy teammates Emmett Terry, Luke Miller, and Ulysses Junker-Boyce, during the Vermont Division III Track and Field Championship in Fair Haven, Vt., on Thursday, May 30, 2024. Junker-Boyce won the event with a time of 23.28 seconds followed by Miller in third at 24.37 seconds, Gordon in fifth at 24.51 seconds, and Terry in sixth at 24.59 seconds. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.

Thetford Academy Athletic Director Bri Barnes, left, signals the start of the last heat of the boys 200m sprint for runners, from left, Malik Gordon, of Bellows Falls, and Thetford Academy teammates Emmett Terry, Luke Miller, and Ulysses Junker-Boyce, during the Vermont Division III Track and Field Championship in Fair Haven, Vt., on Thursday, May 30, 2024. Junker-Boyce won the event with a time of 23.28 seconds followed by Miller in third at 24.37 seconds, Gordon in fifth at 24.51 seconds, and Terry in sixth at 24.59 seconds. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. Valley news photographs — James M. Patterson

Reuben Keefe, of Oxbow, right, is followed in the final heat of the 110 meter hurdles by Ramona Spelman, of Thetford Academy, middle, and Finn Farrell, of Woodstock, left, during the Vermont Division III Track and Field Championship at Fair Haven Union High School, in Fair Haven, Vt., on Thursday, May 30, 2024. Keefe finished third with a time of 17.61 seconds.(Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.

Reuben Keefe, of Oxbow, right, is followed in the final heat of the 110 meter hurdles by Ramona Spelman, of Thetford Academy, middle, and Finn Farrell, of Woodstock, left, during the Vermont Division III Track and Field Championship at Fair Haven Union High School, in Fair Haven, Vt., on Thursday, May 30, 2024. Keefe finished third with a time of 17.61 seconds.(Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. Valley News — James M. Patterson

Ethan Wood, of Windsor, throws the shot in the the Vermont Division III Track and Field Championship at Fair Haven Union High School, in Fair Haven, Vt., on Thursday, May 30, 2024. Wood's top throw of the day was 10.69 meters. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.

Ethan Wood, of Windsor, throws the shot in the the Vermont Division III Track and Field Championship at Fair Haven Union High School, in Fair Haven, Vt., on Thursday, May 30, 2024. Wood's top throw of the day was 10.69 meters. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.

From left, Anita Miller, of White River Valley, leads the pack of Ava Hayden, of Thetford Academy, Isabel Cellini, of Woodstock, Abigail Bedore, of Bellows Free Academy, and Desi Broadley, of Bellows Falls Union, during the 3000 meters at the Vermont Division III Track and Field Championship at Fair Haven Union High School, in Fair Haven, Vt., on Thursday, May 30, 2024. Hayden took first place at 11:04.61 seconds, and Miller took second at 11:11.23 seconds. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.

From left, Anita Miller, of White River Valley, leads the pack of Ava Hayden, of Thetford Academy, Isabel Cellini, of Woodstock, Abigail Bedore, of Bellows Free Academy, and Desi Broadley, of Bellows Falls Union, during the 3000 meters at the Vermont Division III Track and Field Championship at Fair Haven Union High School, in Fair Haven, Vt., on Thursday, May 30, 2024. Hayden took first place at 11:04.61 seconds, and Miller took second at 11:11.23 seconds. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.

Cassandra Armstrong, of White River Valley, congratulates Pippa Shaw, of Woodstock, after both cleared 9'0.25

Cassandra Armstrong, of White River Valley, congratulates Pippa Shaw, of Woodstock, after both cleared 9'0.25" in the pole vault during the Vermont Division III Track and Field Championship at Fair Haven Union High School, in Fair Haven, Vt., on Thursday, May 30, 2024. Armstrong won the event and Shaw took second place. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.

By BEN HOOKE

Valley News Correspondent

Published: 05-31-2024 8:32 PM

FAIR HAVEN, Vt. — The constant headwinds blowing southward toward the facilities at Fair Haven High School slowed a number of athletes in their pursuits of individual state records in the final meet of the season.

It couldn’t slow Thetford Academy’s march to the history books, though. The Panthers placed a capstone to their five-year dynasty in boys outdoor track, shattering the Vermont record for both largest margin of victory and highest points total as they cruised to the state title on Thursday.

TA placed in the top five finishers for all but one event, and won nine events outright. They also set the lone Division III state record on the day with 45.22 time on the 4x100 relay.

In total, Thetford took home 218 of the 558 points available, winning by a 160-point margin over runners-up Bellows Falls.

“Perfect storm, in a good way,” said Thetford coach Emily Silver of her team’s record performance. “To have this many strong athletes in this many fields…it’s unique.”

Junior sprinter Ulysses Junker-Boyce led the day for Thetford, winning three individual events and running anchor in the record-setting 4x100. The current division III record holder in the 100 and 200 meter dash won both wind-affected events with times well above his normal best, but maintained the team-first mentality shown up and down the thetford roster.

“Today was just not the day for the individual, it was the day for the team,” Junker-Boyce said. “Last Saturday in Essex (at the new england qualifiers) was my A-plus day individually, if my times were a transcript, so I got that done.”

Despite not being in major competition for the team title, several upper valley athletes stood out in individual events.

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James Underwood of Woodstock held off a pair of close challenges from Thetford’s Ben Mattern to win both the 1500 and 3000 meters, marking an improvement from a year prior where he finished second and third, respectively.

Oxbow’s Ruben Keefe jumped 1.87 meters in the high jump to win his school’s lone event on the day and also finished third in the 110 meter hurdles.

Eban Margolis had Windsor’s top finish, vaulting 3.37 meters to place second overall in the pole vault.

The White River Valley 4x800 relay team of Hayden Maybey, Lincoln Miller, Kway Antwi and Tomo Watanabe earned their team’s best finish with a second-place performance.

The team title caps a remarkable stretch of dominance for the Panthers. After breaking through to win in 2019 after years of close finishes, Thetford has not lost the title since, winning five consecutive times and racking up state and school records along their path.

“I think morale is really good. Me and Joel (Breakstone, fellow head coach) have coached together a long time, so that lets us build momentum without having to press the reset button,” said Silver of the team’s long-term consistency.

Several of the division’s top athletes will have one final meet of the season when they compete at the New England Championships in Durham, N.H., on June 8.