Hockey power rankings – 2/09

The No. 1 teams in girls and hockey team were no-brainers this week. Shuffling the rest of the rankings proved a bit of a challenge.

So enjoy.

And please offer your opinions and thoughts in the comments section.

Here’s our Week 9 hockey power rankings (through games played 2/08):

Boys hockey

1. Essex (15-2-1): The Hornets pulled away from North Country and edged BFA-St. Albans last week. The state’s best team hasn’t lost in over a month. Last week: 1.

2. South Burlington (12-6): The Rebels won in Barre, upending Spaulding with a wild second period that saw all five of the game’s goals. That road win vaults SBHS up the rankings. Last week: 3.

3. Spaulding (12-4-1): The Crimson Tide left the rankings last week, falling into the bubble category. They quickly redeemed themselves, losing a close game to South Burlington before dispatching Harwood and Champlain Valley. Last week: On bubble.

4. Stowe (15-2-1): Stowe has a very strong first line. It’s helped them to a 6-0-1 record in the last seven games, including a pivotal Division II win over Mount Mansfield. Last week: Bubble.

5. Burlington (10-5-3): Seahorses’ loss to BFA drops them to the fifth spot. They did rebound by beating lowly Hartford. Last week: 2.

On the outside looking in:
Champlain Valley (10-6-2) stays here, especially after losing to Spaulding on Monday, 4-1. … North Country (11-6-1) is dropped from the power rankings, suffering a loss to Essex and two-win Rice.

Girls hockey

1. Spaulding (15-1): The Crimson Tide have four shutouts during their current seven-game winning streak. Last week, Spaulding blanked Burlington and Missisquoi. Is there a team in Division I that can stop them? Last week: 1.

2. Champlain Valley (14-3-1): Plenty of quality wins for the Redhawks this season. Add two more to the list after last week’s one-goal victories over Missisquoi and Essex. Last week: 3.

3. BFA-St. Albans (11-4-3): The Comets pulled away Essex in the third period for a 6-1 win. Big wins like that are certain to get vertical movement in the rankings. Last week: 5.

4. Missisquoi (11-7): The Thunderbirds’ winning streak ended at six. A two-game slump followed until Monday’s win over Division II Stowe. Last week: 3.

5. U-32 (16-1-1): U-32’s wins last week weren’t over top-level opponents, but consistency is key here. The Raiders keep winning, and some D-I teams are faltering, opening a spot for U-32 in our rankings. Last week: Bubble.

On the outside looking in:
Once No. 1 in our rankings, Essex (11-5-2) has fallen in its last three games. It’s time for the Hornets, the defending champions, to regroup. … Rutland (15-4) continues its strong D-II play, running winning streak to 10. … Hartford (12-6) and South Burlington (9-9) played twice in five days, splitting the meetings in 3-2 outcomes.

Basketball power rankings – 2/08

Burlington boys move back to the top position. Girls basketball enters its final week of regular-season play, so how about a major shake-up in the top 5?

As always, debate and comment below!

Here’s our Week 9 basketball rankings (through games played 2/06):

Boys basketball

1. Burlington (15-1): Friday night’s big battle – South Burlington vs. Burlington at Buck Hard Gym — went to the Seahorses by 22 points, thanks to a 20-9 second-quarter surge. And now the Seahorses surge to the top spot in our rankings. Last week: 2.

2. Essex (14-2): Essex was bound for loss after last week. CVU provided the upset, halting the Hornets 13-game winning streak Friday. Last week: 1.

3. Champlain Valley (12-4): A four-game winning streak has erased memories of a 2-4 stretch in January. And knocking off Essex vaults the Redhawks back into the top 5. Last week: Bubble.

4. Rutland (13-3): Rutland has Division I’s longest winning streak (12). Last week: 3.

5. Mount Anthony (14-2): Let’s move the Patriots to the fifth spot. Their winning streak is at four games. Last week: 4.

Teams on the outside looking in:

South Burlington (10-6) drops just outside the rankings after falling big to Burlington. … Richie Hackett and Emmitt Simpson are leading Division III’s Lake Region to an undefeated season at 16-0.

Girls basketball

1. Burlington (16-2): 10 games. That’s Burlington’s winning streak after disposing CVU and North Country. Last week: 1.

2. Rutland (15-2): The Raiders have a better winning streak than the Seahorses, with an 11-game roll. The teams have split a pair of regular-season meetings; BHS winning the latest matchup. A third meeting in the final? Last week: 2.

3. Burr and Burton (16-2): The Bulldogs do have the top spot in the index standings, just ahead of Burlington and Rutland. That said, their resume isn’t as good as aforementioned teams. The third spot is still a good place to be. Last week: Bubble.

4. Milton (17-1): The Yellowjackets succumbed last week, dropping their first game of the season. Can’t win them all. Last week: 3.

5. Lake Region (15-2): A 14-game winning streak has gone unnoticed in these rankings. Not anymore. Behind stars Abbey Lalime and Kylie Atwood, the Rangers vault into the top 5. Will they stay? Last week: Not ranked.

Teams on the outside looking in:
Rice (13-5) and Champlain Valley (14-4) are right there; they just had some tough losses last week. … South Burlington (11-6) has a seven-game winning streak and a victory over Division II power Milton, ending the Jackets’ perfect regular season.

Tommy Howe loses battle with cancer

I just learned that Tommy Howe lost his three-year battle with cancer on Saturday.

The former Colchester High School basketball standout had his family, including his fiancée, by his side in Arizona, where the 24-year-old had been seeking alternative medical treatments since December.

A couple of weeks ago, family and friends had a fundraiser to raise money for the alternative treatments not covered by insurance.

I did a story on Howe a week before the fundraiser. And I must say, from the people I talked to — and from briefly speaking with Howe on the phone — I quickly found out what a strong and courageous man Tommy Howe was. He was determined to fight the cancer every step of the way and looked forward to his June wedding date with Kaitlyn Steller. The pair dated since their high school days at Colchester.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Howe and Steller families.

Indoor track championship notebook

If you weren’t at Saturday’s indoor track championships at Norwich University, you missed a truly memorable finish.

It’s a scenario coaches fear or relish: The outcome of the meet and the state title determined by the last event, the 4×400.

Well, it happened Saturday in the boys competition. Essex and South Burlington went back-and-forth all day. The Hornets had the early lead, thanks to their jumping prowess ; the Rebels fought back with major points in the distance events.

With an event to go, Essex held a 101-99 lead. The excitement at Norwich reached an all-time high. It was a frenzy filled atmosphere; athletes, fans and parents lining up on the far turn, right before the final straightway, to cheer – a custom seen at many high school championship meets.

This 4×400 had races within the race. It played out like this:

South Burlington and Mount Anthony were dueling for first place. By the midpoint of the relay, Essex was neck and neck with Fair Haven, but a wide gap from the leaders. So basically, you had Essex supporters cheering on their team and Mount Anthony to win, while South Burlington fans hoped Fair Haven would edge Essex.

It was an interesting dynamic, and it came down to the final meters where the Mount Anthony anchor, I believe it was Stephen Silber, the high jump champion, just beat South Burlington’s Zach Rachlin to the finish line. Essex went on to beat Fair Haven, settling for third.

That gave SBHS eight points and Essex six for a 107-107 tie.

Chu’s busy weekend

It was tough enough for Kyle Chu, the South Burlington multi-sport star, who had to guard the state’s best basketball player Friday night. Chasing Burlington’s Joe O’Shea around the court is tiring.

Compounding matters, Chu dropped a block pedal on his Achilles as he was getting onto the bus for Saturday’s state meet.
I’m not sure of the extent of the injury – either did Chu – but he conceded it was something that was a concern for Saturday.

But Chu rose above it: Winning the 55-meter dash by two-thousands of a second, clipping Essex favorite Michael DiMambro at the line. Winning time was 6.62. Chu also took second in the 300 and was a member of that memorable 4×400 squad that finished second.

Just a freshman

Essex’s Markie Palermo was not a runner before her freshman year started in the fall. She was a soccer player, but a broken jaw sidelined her from competing in contact sports. She opted to try cross country, then, naturally, joined the indoor track squad.

How did that decision pan out? Palermo finished second in the 1,600 and then saved the best for last: Winning the 3,200 to help the Hornets seal their fourth straight indoor crown.

“I’m still in shock, it hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Palermo said minutes after her 3,200 win. It’s pretty new for me.”
She plans on joining the outdoor track and field team, too, saying running is “kinda stuck on me now.”

Varney rises to top

I didn’t get a chance to chat with girls shot put champion Jess Varney of Mount Mansfield, but coach Bill Eschholz filled me in on her day. Eschholz told me she didn’t win once during the regular season, stuck in the 29-30s range except for one throw around 32 feet. That changed Saturday when she was looking really good in the warm-ups. In the competition she nailed 33-04.25.

The closer
Fair Haven’s Shannon Park is a closer. She anchored the winning 4×200, 4×400 and 4×4800 – the last two on comeback bids. There’s not a better feeling in the world as a coach, knowing you have an anchor on your team like Park, coach Dave Heitkamp said.

Park also won the 600.

Around the track: Mount Anthony’s Stephen Silber went for the state record in the high jump, nearly clearing 6-6.25 on his second attempt. The record of 6-6 has stood since 1999, set by Fair Haven’s Michael Heitkamp. … Evan McCrea and Pat Nee, two of Essex’s star wide receivers on this fall’s undefeated champions, had successful first seasons of track. McCrea was third in the 55, Nee second in the long jump. And they both were on the second-place 4×200. … A third Essex football player, Michael DiMambro, who has starred in outdoor track, won the long jump (21-3), finished second in the 55 and fourth in the high jump. … Jason Devens won the 300 and was a member of Mount Anthony’s winning 4×200 and 4×400 teams. … Fair Haven’s Dave Heitkamp and South Burlington’s Geoff Bennett were named the coaches of the year by their colleagues.

Later today…

I’ll have a indoor track championships wrap. There were some great performances that I didn’t get to in the print edition.

And stay tuned for this week’s power rankings over the next couple of days. I’m anticipating some movement within the top 5.

Big Weekend: Indoor track championships

Saturday’s schedule isn’t your typical slate.

However, we can still pinpoint a few that are worthy of this week’s installment of “Big Weekend.”

Indoor track state championships, at Norwich University, 11 a.m.

I blogged about the indoor track championships yesterday, highlighting just a few of the possible headliners. In Saturday’s print edition there will be a quick overview of the team races.

There’s plenty to talk about that wasn’t mentioned in the preview.

• The SBHS boys have a chance at their first indoor track crown in program history. Coach Geoff Bennett pointed to his leaders — Jagger Kemp and Zach Rachlin — as big point-getters who have helped the development of the team and been front and center with the increased work load. Kyle Chu is a member of the SBHS basketball team which played Friday night at BHS. Will he have the legs to make his pair of No. 2 seeds in the 55 and 300 stand up? I think so.

• The Mount Anthony boys will likely fall short of first or second place, but the program has several stars. Jason Devens (first, 300), Steven Silber (first, high jump), Zach Bartlett (third, 55; fourth, 300) and Jose Rosse (third, 600; fifth, 300) lead the Patriots. The foursome also make the top-seeded 4×200 team which is eyeing the state-record time.

• Speaking of state records, here’s a few that could fall: Boys high jump (Silber two inches from tying 6-6 mark); Girls 55 (Mollie Gribbin is a tenth from 7.34 record); Boys 55 (Michael DiMambro is a tenth away from 6.50 record); 4×400, 4×800 girls (Fair Haven has the 4×400 already and the 4×800, is within reach coach Dave Heitkamp told me, despite the wide gap in time).

• What are the key events that will determine the team races? For the boys, SBHS has three runners in the top six in the 1,000. … Essex’s Edmo Gamelin could be a difference-maker in the 3,200. He’s only seeded fifth, but that’s just based on a few meets. He could be peaking at the right time. … 4×400 has four teams that could claim the event (SBHS, Mount Anthony, Essex and Fair Haven). … It’s dangerous to score out high jump — just never know what’s going to happen. Having said that, Essex has three in the top seven and SBHS has just one. For the girls, the three relays appear to be all Fair Haven. Those 30 points would go along way to the title … Rachel Pinto of Essex is the top seed in the 1,600 while teammate Markie Palermo is the top seed in the 3,200. Hornets can get a leg up on Fair Haven in those events.

• Individual battles: 55: Gribbin will be chased by several contenders; as will DiMambro on the boys side. … 600: Fair Haven’s Shannon Park vs. SJA’s Lauren Brown; SBHS’ Jagger Kemp vs. Lyndon’s Tim Thomas. … 300: Gribbin vs. Polakowski; Devens vs. Chu. … 3,200: Palermo vs. MVU’s Megan Flint; MMU’s Trevor Bibb vs. SBHS’ Matt Solomon. …

Those are just a few of the story lines for Saturday — and there’s plenty more. Good luck to all competitors!

Girls hockey: Essex vs. Champlain Valley at Cairns, 4 p.m.

The Hornets are slumping. Back-to-back losses, including a 6-1 defeat at the hands of rival BFA-St. Albans will do that. That said, Essex (11-4-2) can get back on track against a surging CVU squad which has five straight wins. CVU won the first meeting over a month ago, 5-4.

Boys hockey: Stowe vs. Mount Mansfield at Essex, 7 p.m.

A key Division II matchup. The Raiders lead the standings with a 13-2-1 record while MMU is 8-1-1 in its last 10 games to improve to 10-6-1 overall. The teams have not played this season.

Here’s the rest of Saturday’s schedule:

High school girls basketball
(All games 2:30 p.m. unless noted)
Winooski at Danville, 12:30 p.m.
Hazen at Harwood, 1 p.m.
Lamoille at Otter Valley, 1:30 p.m.
Rivendell at Thetford
Enosburg at Richford

High school boys basketball
Missisquoi at Middlebury, 12:30 p.m.

High school girls hockey
Colchester vs. S. Burlington at Cairns, 2 p.m.
NCU vs. Brattleboro at Withington, 2:45 p.m.
Essex vs. Champlain Valley at Cairns, 4 p.m.
Northfield vs. Rice at Cairns, 4:20 p.m.
Woodstock vs. MMU at Essex, 4:30 p.m.
Rutland vs. Harwood at Washing., 5 p.m.
Burr and Burton vs. BFA at C.-Perley, 5:30 p.m.
MSJ vs. U-32 at Central Vermont, 6 p.m.
Hartford vs. Burlington at Leddy, 6:20 p.m.
Montpelier vs. Stowe at Jackson, 6:45 p.m.

High school boys hockey
Burlington at Hartford, 2 p.m.
Lyndon vs. Northfield at Kreitzberg, 4 p.m.
Woodstock vs. Missisquoi at Highgate, 6 p.m.
Peoples vs. St. Johnsbury at F. Chester, 6 p.m.
North Country vs. Rice at Cairns, 6:30 p.m.
Stowe vs. Mount Mansfield at Essex, 7 p.m.
Essex vs. BFA at Collins-Perley, 7:30 p.m.
Milton vs. U-32 at Central Vermont, 8 p.m.
S. Burlington vs. Colchester at Leddy, 8:20 p.m.

High school indoor track
State championships at Norwich, 11 a.m.

High school wrestling
Lowell Invitational at Mount Mansfield, 10 a.m.
Mount Anthony duals, 10 a.m.

High school Alpine skiing
North Country, Colchester, Lyndon, St. Johnsbury, Lamoille, BFA-St. Albans, Champlain Valley, Stowe, Mount Mansfield at Essex Invitational at Smugglers

High school cross country skiing
Open meet at Lamoille, classic, 10 a.m.

Schedules subject to change

Who to watch at indoor track championships

The Vermont indoor track championships are Saturday at Norwich University.

The meet is slated to start at 11 a.m. The time schedule and an updated performance list are on Pavel’s Web site.

The South Burlington boys and Fair Haven/Essex girls are the pre-meet favorites. More on the team races in the meet preview for Saturday’s print edition. For now, let’s highlight individuals.

Girls to watch

• Katie Polakowski, Essex: The senior has top four seeds in four events, including the No. 1 position in her best event: the 55 hurdles.

• Mollie Gribbin, Independent: The sophomore trains with South Burlington, but as an independent, her finishes won’t garner any points. Only athletes on varsity teams can score. Still, she could be a double-winner Saturday with a pair of top seeds; the 55 and 300.

• Shannon Park, Fair Haven: Park is listed on three relays which are seeded first. Also the top-ranked 600 runner.

• Allison Scarf, Peoples Academy: Scarf is 1-2 in the high jump and long jump, respectively, with a fourth seed in the 55 hurdles.

Around the track: Fair Haven set the 4×400 state record at the Yale Invitational in mid-January, lowering the old mark by six seconds to 4:13.59. … Norwich laid down a brand new mondo track, a fast surface also used at international-level competitions. … The top 3 seeds in the 1,600, 1,000, and 3,200 are close. Should be exciting finishes.

Boys

• Michael DiMambro, Essex: Part of Essex’s outdoor track team in the spring, and a wide receiver on the football squad, DiMambro’s transition to indoor has been a smooth one. He’s the top seed in the 55 and long jump. Also on the second-seeded 4×200 and in fourth position in high jump.

• David Atkins, Fair Haven: Has the top four seeds in the high jump, long jump and 55 hurdles, where he’s top-ranked.

• Zach Rachlin, South Burlington: The soccer player’s athleticism has him ranked 1-2-2 in the 1,600, 1,000 and long jump.

• John Pornelos, Hartford: He’s seeded first in the meet’s only throwing event, the shot put.

Around the track: In talking to Geoff Bennett, South Burlington’s head coach, he mentioned the help of a SBHS grad as an invaluable asset to the hurdlers’ and jumpers improvement this winter. That grad — Dennis Akey — was a 2006 indoor hurdles champion. He’s set to graduate this spring from UVM with a degree in education, Bennett said. … Plenty of events to watch Saturday, particularly 4×400. Four teams — Mount Anthony, Fair Haven, Essex and South Burlington — are within two seconds or so.

Indoor track state meet performance list

The state meet performance list has been posted. FYI though: There’s likely mistakes, omissions and corrections. Usually it’s updated once during the week.

Check it out on Pavel Dvorak’s Web site.

I’ll have more on Saturday’s big meet later in the week.

Hockey power rankings – 2/02

I’m glad to see some back-and-forth in the comments section. Keep debating.

Here’s our Week 8 hockey power rankings (through games played 1/30):

Boys hockey

1. Essex (13-2-1): Did you know Essex has blanked its opponent in half of its games this season? We mentioned in a December post that the Hornets, with their blue-line nucleus back, would be stingy. Last week: 1.

2. Burlington (9-4-3): We wrote last week that the Seahorses, searching for consistency in the wins department, could be off and running after dispatching North Country in Newport. Well, BHS earned two more wins last week, upping its string to a modest, but season-high three-game streak. Last week: 4.

3. South Burlington (10-6): Yes, the Rebels blew a 5-0 lead to North Country in a game SBHS eventually won in overtime. But then the Rebels won a defensive game, 2-1, over an uneven BFA-St. Albans squad. This team has the talent and firepower to beat anybody in the state. Last week: Bubble.

4. North Country (11-4-1): The Falcons nearly shocked SBHS with a furious rally, only to fall short in overtime. Then North Country used Joey Rushford’s goal late in regulation to top rising Harwood. Last week: 5.

5. Harwood (8-4-4): Although they lost a close one to North Country, Harwood’s previous game was a 3-2 triumph over Champlain Valley. We could’ve placed a number of teams in the fifth spot, but the Highlanders, for the first time since Week 2’s’ rankings, earned the selection. Last week: Bubble.

On the outside looking in:
Spaulding (10-3-2) is still second in the index points – and they may very well make a deep playoff run – but last week wasn’t a good one for the Tide: 0-1-2, including a loss to a sub-.500 Burr Burton squad. … Stowe (13-2-1) nearly beat Champlain Valley on the road, settling for a 3-3 tie. Speaking of the Redhawks (8-5-2), their recent slump – 0-2-2 since Jan. 16 – pushes them out of the rankings. Still a dangerous team though.

Girls hockey

1. Spaulding (13-1): Two more impressive – and close – victories for the Crimson Tide. They edged South Burlington and BFA-St. Albans, improving their hold as the index points leader and the top-ranked team in our list. Last week: 1.

2. Missisquoi (10-5): Rolling to a 10-1 win over a middle-of-the-pack Division II team (Stowe), isn’t going to move you up our rankings. Defeating the team ahead you in the rankings is. The Thunderbirds topped Essex, 3-2. With six straight wins, MVU deserves its quick ascent in our rankings. Last week: 3.

3. Champlain Valley (12-3-1): A big jump from on the bubble to third. But CVU has four straight wins since back-to-back losses in the middle of last month. This week, the Redhawks face Missisquoi and Essex.

4. Essex (11-3-2):The Hornets haven’t suffered back-to-back losses this season. After losing to Missisquoi on Saturday, Essex faces BFA-St. Albans and CVU this week. Last week: 2.

5. BFA-St. Albans (9-4-3): No shame in losing to Spaulding, especially just 2-1. BFA bounced back from that with a 4-0 win over Colchester. Last week: 4.

On the outside looking in:
Fans of Hartford (10-5), don’t worry. The Hurricanes are still on our radar. … Still like U-32 (14-1-1), even after its 1-0 loss to Rutland (13-4) – so both teams make the bubble.

Basketball power rankings – 2/01

No surprises, no changes to the top five in girls and boys basketball. Sorry to disappoint, but I didn’t see any flip-flops or big movements to make. Perhaps tomorrow’s hockey rankings will be different.

Here’s our Week 8 basketball rankings (through games played 1/30):

Boys basketball

1. Essex (13-1): The Hornets had a surprising test last week: A road meeting against two-win North Country. Thanks to Demir Smajovic’s 34 points, Essex rallied with a late run. Smajovic added 26 points in a victory over Colchester later in the week. Over the next eight days, Essex plays Rice twice, CVU and South Burlington. Grueling. Last week: 1.

2. Burlington (13-1):Can you guess who scored 24 second-half points in a win over South Burlington on Tuesday and, Friday, sink a pair of free throws in the final seconds to edge Rice? Yep, no surprise: Joe O’Shea Last week: 2.

3. Rutland (12-3): Only one win for the Raiders since our last rankings. However, it stretched the Red Raiders’ winning streak to 11 games. Last week: 3.

4. Mount Anthony (10-2): Two blowout wins, including a victory over Brattleboro, keeps Mount Anthony in the fourth slot. Last week: 4.

5. South Burlington (9-5): The Rebels had Burlington in an 11-point hole at halftime. Then O’Shea took over. They rebounded by using one big surge to knock off St. Johnsbury. Last week: 5.

Teams on the outside looking in:

Champlain Valley (10-4) and Brattleboro (11-4) are the only teams on the bubble of the rankings this week.

Girls basketball

1. Burlington (14-2): Middle-of-the-pack St. Johnsbury has a couple of impressive wins on its resume. But there was no letdown for BHS. Tonya Conley and Hannah Senftleber posted double-doubles and BHS now has eight straight wins. Last week: 1.

2. Rutland (15-2): Defense wins championships – or so the old cliché goes. The Raiders used that motto Saturday, running up a 24-2 halftime lead on St. Johnsbury – a team the Raiders only beat by four points earlier this season. Last week: 2.

3. Milton (16-0): The question of who’s No. 1 in Division II was answered on Saturday. Milton went into Hyde Park and dispatched previously unbeaten Lamoille, perhaps the Yellowjackets’ chief rival to the title come tournament time. Now this question: Should Milton be higher in our rankings? Last week: 3.

4. Rice (12-4): The Green Knights weren’t messing around in Newport, rolling past North Country by 23. Last week: 4.

5. Champlain Valley (13-3): CVU has a great scorer in Allison Gannon and a defensive-minded star in Shae Hulbert (five blocks and nine rebounds in a win over Spaulding). Big test Monday night for CVU, too: Off to Buck Hard Gym to face Burlington. Last week: 5.

Teams on the outside looking in:
Burr and Burton topped Brattleboro to improve to 12-2. … I wouldn’t bank on these teams going far in the Division I tournament but Mount Mansfield (9-7) and South Burlington (9-6) are playing better basketball of late. MMU’s on a three-game winning streak while SBHS has a five-game roll going.