FORT FAIRFIELD – The Tiger track and field team is quietly building into a very successful program. In the 2010 campaign, Fort Fairfield sent 18 athletes to the state meet, and the expectation is that this season will see that number met or exceeded.
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JAHLEEL WILLIAMS, a sprinter and jumper, is one of the top scorers for the Fort Fairfield varsity track and field team.
Senior captains Kaitlyn Kinsey, Nathan McLaughlin, and Jahleel Williams will lead this very large thirty-one member squad. Kinsey and McLaughlin have each qualified for the state meet for three years running, and they are banking on getting back this season as well. Kinsey’s events included the 100-meter hurdles, long jump, triple jump and the high jump. McLaughlin’s success has come in pole vaulting, the 100-meter dash, and the 4×100 relay.
Williams hopes to follow up last year’s success with even more this year. In his first year last season, Williams registered three top-10s at the states. His focus will be in long jump, triple jump, 100-meter dash, and 200-meter dash. He has already broken the school record in the triple jump this season with a 41-feet, 6.5-inch effort – more than six inches past the old mark.
Senior Ian Girvan will also add to the team strength in the sprinting events. He will compete in the 100-meter, the 200-meter, and the 4 x 100 relay.
In the junior class, on the girls side will be a strong contingent of field as well as track athletes. Katy Donovan has been to the states two different times, throwing both the discus and the javelin. She is looking to improve after placing at the state meet last year and should have a big year. Junior Amanda Hotham is a first-year track athlete, and is doing very well. She is improving daily in the discus, shot put and javelin and her work ethic will be her strength.
Kylie Plourde continues to gain points for the team through her sprinting and triple jumping, while Ashley Parady will compete in both sprints and pole vaulting. Aleesha Campbell competes in the 1,600-meter racewalk and the 300-meter hurdles, and Melissa McKenney will be solid in both middle distance events and the pole vault. McKenney is the current school record holder in the pole vault and is on the verge of getting a state-qualifying height.
Kacie York is a team contributor in pole vaulting and long jumping, and she has added the high jump to her repertoire as well. Exchange student Saki Iwayahas focused on middle distances while just enjoying the whole experience.
The junior boys are led by Legeorge Williams in both sprinting and jumping events. Travis Emerson will compete in middle distances, Todd Berube in throwing events, Arthur Robles in hurdles, and Jacob Wortman in sprints, jumps and the pole vault. This contingent improves each time out .
Andrew Lewis anchors the sophomore class as both a thrower and high jumper. He is very near breaking the school record in the discus and has shown a great deal of promise. Sprinter Spencer Campbell works hard and improves each time out, while pole vaulter Collin Cassidy is trying hard to get to the states as well. Isaac Wortman is improving in the race walk, while Devin Ireland will compete in 300-meter hurdles as well as discus and javelin.
The future is bright with a very talented freshman class competing in a gambit of events. Jessica Goshorn is a jumper, Nicole Giberson a sprinter, Janae Libby a pole vaulter and sprinter and Whitney McNamee will be a thrower. Logan Bubar will do a little of everything while focusing on javelin, discus, 100-meter hurdles and the triple jump. Freshman boys Carter Shaw and Jerry Harsh-Warne will compete in throwing events and the triple jump.
After only one meet, the Tigers have already put two automatic qualifiers and seven provisional qualifiers on the books for the state meet. Head coach Kerrie Alley is truly excited about the prospects for this team.
“I am looking to take most of the team to the states in June,” stated Alley. “This will be the year to see a few school records broken as well – both male and female events.”
