VERGENNES — This past winter the boys on the Vergennes Union indoor track and field team won four races at the Division II championship meet, at 600 and 1,000 meters and the four-by-400 and four-by-800 relay races.
The 600-meter champion and two of the runners who helped win the relays have graduated, but newcomers and improvement among younger runners has Coach Brad Castillo optimistic about the relays, while junior Ben Huston returns after winning the 1,000 and running on both relay teams. Senior Erich Reitz and junior Gabe Praamsma ran on the 4×800 team. Junior Xander DeBlois joined Huston on the 4×400 squad, and all three are back.
The Commodores are coming off a successful cross-country season that could have been even better if senior transfer Julio Quiles had not sprained his ankle a few days before the championship race.
“After last year it’s hard not to want to do it again. Lightning struck four times, and we did it,” Castillo said. “And we have a chance at doing the same thing, if not doing slightly better. Cross country only fueled the fire for some of them.”
Castillo expects Luke Bergmans to step into the open spot on the 4×800 team, and Quiles is one of three candidates to join Huston and DeBlois on the 4×400 unit, the others being Praamsma and junior newcomer Jarret Muzzy.
Huston will defend his 1,000 title, and sophomore Chris Therrien and senior newcomer Kai Williams will also compete at that distance. Four-year mainstay Wade Mullin has graduated and cannot defend his 600-meter championship, but Castillo said Williams shows potential at that distance.
At 1,500 meters Bergmans, Reitz, Williams and Praamsma can all line up, and Bergmans is also willing to stretch out to 3,000 meters, according to Castillo.
Senior veteran Josias Salomao, Quiles, Muzzy, junior newcomer Jonathan Willis, and freshman Nathan Muzzy will run at 55 and 300 meters and could also join forces on what Castillo believes could be a strong 4×200 team.
There are more girls on the team this year, junior Sydney Weber, sophomore Audrey Tembreull and freshman Peyton Paquette. All three will run the 55 and 300 and show promise, Castillo said.
As has been the case in recent years, the team lacks jumpers and throwers, although Castillo always holds out hope.
“I’m trying to convince a thrower or two to pop in and expand our ranks as much as we can,” he said.
The depth on the boys’ side even without competitors in the field events has Castillo thinking of a high finish for the team overall this winter.
“We’re hoping to repeat in the four-by-eight, the 1,000, and the four-by-400 again, and now we definitely have a chance in the four-by-200 and the open 300,” he said. “The big goal now is can we do it right to put it in place for a team title.”
Regardless, Castillo said he and the Commodores will enjoy the season.
“I can’t ask for anything better. It makes me nostalgic to a degree. I had a great group of guys when I ran here as an athlete, and I got lucky and ran with the right crowd. It’s an atmosphere and a culture. I point them in the right direction, and they’ve done everything they can to make it a place where people want to come,” he said. “I don’t know how I got lucky enough to have this group, but whatever I did I’d like to do it again so I can keep this going.”