Twilight Track Meet Returns

By Christopher Shaban
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CLAREMONT- The Stevens Cardinals hosted a twilight track meet on Friday with 24 teams competing. The Windsor boys took first place edging out Lebanon by a half point while the Plymouth women grabbed top honors topping Vermont powerhouse Thetford. With school busses lined along Chestnut street, Claremont youth baseball and softball competing on 3 different fields as well as the Cardinals hosting a tennis match, Monadnock Park was packed to capacity. Stevens track and field coach CJ Gosselin did a remarkable job organizing the meet with the help of dozens of local people to give these athletes their first track meet under the lights in the city since 2013.

“We have doubled our numbers since last year and we have so many talented athletes here at Stevens. I can’t believe the girls finished 3rd overall! They lost out to two teams that are double their size and still managed to beat all their D3 opponents and some D2 teams as well. I see big things coming at this years division meet for them,” added Gosselin. “The biggest thing to happen was our girls 4×800 setting a new record in 11:40.30,” according to Gosselin. The Cardinals record setting team included: Junior’s Stella Lavertue and Tori Dalke Freshman Nevaeh LeBlanc and Senior Brynn Murphy. “I’m very proud of the work and dedication this team has put in,“ said Gosselin.

Men’s Scores:1 Windsor 99.5, 2 Lebanon 95, 3 Thetford Academy 78, 4 Kearsarge 64, 5 Fall Mountain 59, 6 Hanover 52, 7 Newport 46, 8 Plymouth Regional 38.5, 9 Stevens 37, 10 Bishop Brady 25, 11 Sunapee 21, 12 Holy Family Academy 3

Women’s Scores:1 Plymouth Regional 129, 2 Thetford Academy 109, 3 Stevens 89, 4 Hanover 69, 5 Lebanon 56, 6 Newport 50, 7 Windsor 43, 8 Kearsarge 38, 9 Fall Mountain 26, 10 Sunapee 15, 11 Holy Family Academy 6, 12 Bishop Brady 1

Local Individual Highlights:Windsor’s Travis McAllister grabbed first in the men’s triple jump, Windsor’s Ben Gilbert placed first in the shot put and Discus, Newport’s Kyle Ashley won the javelin, Windsor’s Janiah Young grabbed first in the women’s 200m, long jump and high jump, Fall Mountain’s Sierra Proper claimed the woman’s discus toss, Newport’s Emma O’Conner won the woman’s javelin. Windsor’s 4×100 men’s team won the 4×100, Newport grabbed the men’s 4×400 relay top prize, while the Stevens Cardinal’s women set a school record winning the 4×800 relay.

“It was a great event and we had every team asking to come back next year,” said Gosselin.