Harwood freshman Isabella Pockoski continued her season on the high school track and field team at the Essex Ninth- and Tenth-Grade Championship Meet on Thursday, May 15. This time, she broke a long-standing Harwood record.
Pockoski threw a personal record 37 feet 11.25 inches, breaking the Harwood girls’ shot put record of 37 feet 9 inches set by Louise Michael in 1999.
“Izzy had been having some trouble finishing her rotation with proper speed and intensity, but she finally put it all together during actual competition this past Thursday. Her excellent follow-through resulted in a personal record throw nearly 4 feet farther than her previous best. The team congratulated her with plenty of applause and positive affirmations the following day at practice when we announced Izzy’s record-breaking throw. Everyone is so happy for her,” explained Jake Pitman, the head coach of the Harwood track and field team.
Freshman Connor Rowley placed first in the discus at this meet as well, further cementing his status as one of the best young discus throwers across the entire state. He threw a personal record 111 feet 0.75 inches.
“Connor made a strong commitment to training for throwing events when he was only in middle school, and he hasn’t looked back since. He will be competing for a top-three finish in the Division 2 State Meet in a few weeks. He should be one of only two freshmen in contention for a spot on the podium,” Pitman said.
The freshman duo of Vince Wing and Zach Maravetz continued their steady improvement across middle-distance track events at this meet as well. Wing ran a personal record 4:31.72 in the 1500-meter run, finishing in sixth place. Maravets ran a personal record in both the 800-meter run and the 1500-meter run as well, with times of 2:21.2 and 5:09.65, respectively.
“Zach tends to be a little conservative while racing, which often results in an uncharacteristic sprint in the final 100 meters. He has more left in the tank than he knows how to use, but he’s been learning this about himself as the season has progressed. He performed excellently on Thursday,” noted Pitman.
Wing finished first place in the 3000-meter run, with a time of 10:16.4. An athlete from Milton High School was seeded first in the 3000-meter run and began it at a fast pace on that hot and sunny day.
“I could tell this Milton athlete was significantly struggling during the final two laps, likely due to both the heat and his ambitious starting pace. I remarked to Vince that catching up to this athlete was suddenly much more realistic, and that he should make it his goal through the final 500 meters. Unsurprisingly, he made up the distance and caught the Milton athlete in the final 100 meters for a first-place finish. For an athlete his age, he has an exceptional understanding of track racing,” Pitman pointed out.
Harwood’s next track and field meet takes place today (May 22) at Middlebury College.
