BURLINGTON – For the first time in five years, a boys team other than the St. Johnsbury Academy (SJA) track and field team was standing at the top of the podium as Essex knocked off the Hilltoppers last week to lay claim to the Division I state title.
There was little drama as Essex brought an end to SJA’s four-peat with a decisive 137-100 team win at Burlington High School on Saturday. Reigning Vermont Gatorade Player of the Year Andrew Thornton-Sherman put a bow on one of the best high school track and field careers the state has ever seen with individual titles in the 800m and 1500m, as well as anchoring teammates Emmett Johnson, William Carter, and James Hatch to claim the 4x400m relay title. Former Craftsbury Academy (CA) Division IV champion Charlie Kehler wrapped up his stellar high school career with his first Division I title in the 4X800m relay, running the lead leg with teammates Evan Windrow, Bryan Stocker and Johnson. Kehler also posted a pair of top ten finishes in both the 800m and 1500m. Former Hazen Union sophomore Manny Fliegelman qualified for his first Division I state competition and posted a respectable 15th place finish in the 800m for the Hilltoppers. Thornton-Sherman, a High School All-American and holder of multiple Vermont state records, will attend Harvard this coming fall.
Multi-sport North Country superstar Sabine Brueck also put a bow on one of the best careers the state has ever seen over the weekend. Brueck won individual titles in the 300m hurdles and long jump events, giving her 19 state titles in her indoor and outdoor career. She also became North Country’s all-time scoring leader for the varsity girls program this past winter, breaking Hazen Union Lady Cat coach Sue (Micknak) Rivard (1996) and Kylie Wright’s (2018) previous mark. Brueck will defend her decathlon title this coming week and plans to attend Montana State in the fall.
