By JOSH KAUFMANN
Messenger Sports
Mirroring the recent surge in high school track and field, the number of local youth programs has vaulted this spring from one to three, with more than 50 young athletes jumping into first-year teams in Fairfax and Milton.
The two new teams join an established program in St. Albans, and together the three sent 41 7-14-year-olds to the July 6 Hershey's Track & Field Meet at Essex H.S., with most competing in multiple events.
Fairfax's program was born from the desire of recreation director and running enthusiast Katrina Antonovich and the arrival of Sarah Thrall as the third BFA-Fairfax high school track and field coach in as many years.
The high school team shrank some because Thrall was hired close to the start of the season, but Fairfax's 15-member team at the Hershey meet is a sign of long-term growth.
In Milton, some 40 youths make up the new program that came about in part from the self-interest of Sheri Turnbull Lacy, known more for her basketball exploits.
Lacy helped drive the University of Vermont program to national prominence in the early 1990s, is a member of the UVM Hall of Fame and the New England Basketball Hall of Fame, played for the Canadian National Team and played professionally in Turkey and Portugal.
She is the junior varsity boys basketball coach at Milton H.S. also, but her background in track and field has led to another opportunity for Milton's youth.
"My husband and I did track in high school and college. He was a decathlete in college and used to do masters meets. I grew up doing track since I was little," she said last week at a practice where dozens of happy youngsters were helped by a half-dozen high school and college volunteers.
"My kids like to run and I wanted to get them interested in it, but you donβt see it here until middle school and high school. It seems like a waste; you've got this beautiful track. I was going to enter them in
Essex, but I didn't want to drive to Essex every night for track practice. So I talked to Joe and Gary and asked, 'Can I start a track program here and use the facilities?'
Joe Solomon, the high school's athletic director, and Gary Furlong, Milton's longtime track and cross country coach, were quick to back the effort. Furlong, whose high school teams embody the positive aspects of sports that are truly for everyone, also helps at practices and knows that getting kids running early will make Milton's high school teams far stronger and more attractive to students.
"Gary and I talked about it and we wanted to make it as economical as possible for the kids," Lacy said. "We offered it and said, 'Hey, who's interested?' And we got 46 kids signed up. They're absolutely loving it. They don't care where they place, they just want to run.
"I want the kids to run. I want them on the track. I want them to understand what long jump is, what disc is, what shot is, what the 100 is, the 400. Just enjoy it. We spent all day on the track at Essex Saturday and all the kids had a blast. Cheering on their teammates, standing at the finish line cheering each other on. It's an individual sport, but it's also a great team sport. The last kid comes down the line in the 400 and everybody in the stands is clapping.
"We've got seven high school or college students or helping out. They work with the kids and interact with them. It's great."
The vounteers assisting with the program include Joe Badger, Nicole and Alex Orest, Alex Lauzon, Taylor Wensley, Logan Tracy, Caleb Kasupski, Joe Badger and Christina Watson.
In Fairfax, this year's program has not drawn as many youngsters but that's likely to be a statement only valid for a short time.
Antonovich is one of the driving forces behind the hugely popular Fairfax Egg Run 5K and 10K road race last year's event drew more than 450 runners, by far the biggest turnout in any of Franklin County's many events and Thrall arrived in Fairfax after serrving six years as the head coach for the University of St. Francis track and field program in Indiana.
When Thrall arrived to a diminished BFA-Fairfax program in the spring, athletic director Geri Witalec explored sending Thrall the few Bullets to train with Colchester for the season. But, Witalec said, Thrall wanted to start building Fairfax's program, and with just a handful of athletes the team put together a season that would meet any sensible definition of success.
Now, the coach and recreation director have established a program that should ensure long-term numbers to quickly restore a program that not long ago was one of the state's best. Several boys who were part of Fairfax's middle school team in the spring take part in the recreation program, which is open to those up to age 15.
"Fairfax has not had an elementary track program before," Thrall said, "Katrina Antonovich was huge and very adamant about getting a program started in Fairfax as St. Albans, Essex and other towns around had it.
I only coach the program; she put it all together and does everything for it."
Thrall echoed Lacy's sentiments about the draw sports such as cross country and track hold for youths.
"I personally think kids like cross country and track simply because everyone can participate. There's no 'playing time'. You work hard at your individual time and your individual events. For some kids, this is a better approach rather than trying to get playing time or a starting position."
The St. Albans program, run by the City Recreation Department, was offered intermittently for many years but has been solidified with five straight summers competing in the Hershey's meet and the state championships.
This summer, 17 athletes are taking part under the direction of Kyle Messier, who welcomes the teams in two neighboring communities.
"I think that the addition of the new programs in Milton and Fairfax will not only help keep kids active through out the summer, but also generate more local interest in track and field," Messier said.
"Hopefully this new interest will help bring more local youth meets to this region of the state. As of right now, summer track and field teams only compete in two meets the Hershey track meet at Essex High School and the Vermonnt Parks and Recreation state meet at St. Johnsbury Academy. I personally believe that there is room for more meets through out the summer and that Collins-Perley Sports Complex would be the perfect place to host another meet.
"Hopefully with the addition of these two new programs there will be enough interest in the sport to host a meet in St. Albans."
In the Hershey's meet at Essex, Milton 10-year-old Rileigh Lacy was one of the day's top performers, winning three events the 50- and 100--meter dashes and the standing long jump. Shaleigh Lacy, 8, added a second place (200 meters) and third (100). Gabriel Thompson led Milton's boys team, placing third in the age 7-8 softball throw. Nathaniel St. Amour added a fourth in the long jump.
For Fairfax, 11-year-old Anna Senesac took third in the 800 meters and was sixth in the 400, while Seneca Durocher, 8, finished in the top five in three events (100, 200, long jump).
St. Albans' team was led by Tanner and Trey Poquette. Tanner, 8, earned a pair of first-place finishes (50 meters, long jump); Trey, 12, was second in the 100 and 200.
