DANVILLE – The memory of St. Johnsbury Academy (SJA) coaching legend Arlan “Chip” Langmaid was honored last week at the annual Dickie Vance Fun Run, presented by the North Danville Community Club.
Langmaid, who tragically passed away on June 11, had always been a lead organizer of the event, and last Thursday many of his former athletes came out to run in honor of their late coach. Danville-Twinfield-Cabot (CCSU) athletic director Randy Rathburn and his wife Jen organized this year’s event. Karenna Gerhardt won the one-mile race with a time of 9:56, clipping runner-up Ried Moriarty by four seconds. Andrew Thornton-Sherman (38:34) held off Issac Lenzini (38:35) to take home the five-plus mile race.
Langmaid guided the boys’ Hilltopper track and field team to their fourth consecutive Division I title just over a week before his passing and was the standard in his 35 years of coaching at SJA. The 1980 SJA graduate was the head coach for 13 outdoor track and field boys’ state titles, five straight girls’ indoor and outdoor titles from 2015-19, four boys’ indoor championships, and led the Hilltoppers to their third consecutive cross-country championship last fall. He was named VT Boys Track and Field Coach of the Year last spring, VT Girls Track and Field Coach of the Year in 2015 and ‘16, and Cross-Country Coach of the Year in 2022 by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association.
Runner-up Finish for Thornton-Sherman in the Capital City
MONTPELIER – St. Johnsbury Academy senior star Andrew Thornton-Sherman finished second last week in the annual Montpelier Mile.
Former U-32 and University of Vermont standout Andrew Compton bested the field with a time of 4:23.7, finishing comfortably ahead of Thornton-Sherman by six seconds. U-32 senior star Ginger Long beat all competitors on the girl’s side with a time of 5:31.3. Long and her U-32 teammates demolished the field to take home the overall girls’ track and field Division II state championship last month. Long also won an individual title in the 1500m event and joined teammates Madison Beaudoin, Clara Maker, and Mollie Mislak to capture the 4X400m relay title.
Thornton-Sherman was recently named the 2024 Vermont Gatorade boys track and field Player of the Year after leading his boys’ Hilltopper team to their fourth consecutive Division I state championship. He also smashed his own state record in the 800m by a full second with a time of 1:50.64 last month at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals. He is ranked just outside the top 10 nationally in the 1,500m and 36th nationally in the 800m.
