Varsity Insider

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.

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.

The indoor track season for Vermont high schools is officially under way.

A large turnout was on hand for the first meet at UVM. Essex swept to meet victories, with Hornet Michael DiMambro leading the way (firsts in the 55, high jump, long jump, 4×200).

The Fair Haven girls won a meet in New Hampshire. St. Johnsbury, Mount Anthony and Bellows Falls were among the Vermont schools opting for a shorter drive to the Hanover, N.H. meet. Here’s the link to the boys results of that meet.