Northfield, Vt.
The junior distance specialist swept the 1,000- and 1,600-meter runs for the third straight year at Saturday’s Vermont Division II state championships at Norwich University, giving her nine career individual track and field titles overall (indoors and outdoors combined).
As a team, Oxbow’s boys and girls both placed second for the second straight year, the girls falling four-time reigning champ Rice Memorial and the boys finishing behind Fair Haven.
Rice led, 183-80, and Fair Haven was up, 75-61, entering the triple jump, the final event of a very long day.
Giesing finished the 1,600 in 5 minutes, 36.26 seconds, 3.12 seconds ahead of Thetford’s Meaggie Balch and more than 17 seconds in front of Whitcomb’s Alexandra Timmins, the third-place runner.
Though her running style appears effortless and casual, Giesing’s competitive flare exhibited itself during the 1,000, when a slight collision with Rice Memorial’s Dina John inspired Giesing to find new legs for the stretch run. She ended up finishing in 3:11.18, nearly 4½ seconds ahead of John.
“I was thinking of letting her just go on and (finish ahead of me), because I wanted to save my energy for the relays,” Giesing said while Saturday’s 10-hour-long meet at Norwich U’s Shapiro Field House was still transpiring. “During the second-to-last lap, coming around a corner, she kind of nicked me, and I thought, ‘OK, there’s no way she’s winning now.’ ”
Oxbow’s girls placed second to Rice in the 4×400 and 4×800 relays, ensuring top-six overall placement between Divisions I and II and a berth in the upcoming New England championship meet. The Olympians were also fourth in the 4×200.
Oxbow also received points from Tyrus Rosten (third in 1,000), Emily Carson (fourth in 55 hurdles), Leanne Burgess (third in 3,200; sixth in 1,600) and Claire Cook (second in weight throw; 27-2), the latter coming at an earlier meet.
The Olympians’ boys were led by senior Jon Puffer, who won the pole vault (12 feet) and was fourth in the 300 (39.54). Freshman Harley Wescott was second in the pole vault (10-0) and Jarret Rock was third in the long jump (18-04.75), while the Olympians’ 4×400 and 4×800 relay teams each placed second.
“It’s a little rough, placing second for both (boys and girls) for the second straight year, but we really had another great day,” Oxbow coach Emily Willems said. “It’s a good place to be.”
Hartford’s girls placed fourth and its boys fifth. The Hurricane girls were led by Ileana Sirois, who was second in the 55 hurdles (9.18 seconds), third in the long jump (15-05) and sixth in the 55 dash.
Abayomi Lowe won the 55 dash in a meet-record 6.72 seconds after chief rival Seth Beard, of Harwood, was disqualified for a false start. Beard (37.99 seconds) came back to edge Lowe (38.07) in the 300.
The Canes’ boys were also third in the 4×400 meter relay, while Riley Kehoe placed fifth in the 55 hurdles.
Led by Caleb Davidson (second in weight throw), Noah Stommel (second in 600) and its winning 4×400 relay team, among others, Thetford’s club-level boys team would have earned enough points for the championship for the second time in three years, according to coach Charlie Buttrey.
The Panthers are becoming a varsity program next season.
“This just reinforced that it’s time for us to be varsity,” Buttrey said.
Rivendell’s Owen Pelletier won the long jump in 21-0, which would have been a state record except that the landing pit at Norwich does not meet regulation requirements due to shallow sand.
That’s because of lids that pact the sand down, according to a timing official.
Pelletier also placed third in the high jump.
Girls team scores (excluding triple jump): 1. Rice 183, 2. Oxbow 80, 3. Lyndon 50, 4. Hartford 24, 5. Fair Haven 22, 6. Middlebury 21, 7. Missisquoi 20, 8. Whitcomb 18, 9. Milton 14, 10. Vergennes 8, 11. Spaulding 6, 12. Woodstock 4, 13. Windsor 3, T-14. Bellows Falls, Williamstown and Randolph, 1.
Boys team scores (excluding triple jump): 1. Fair Haven 75, 2. Oxbow 61, 3. Milton 51, 4. Rice 39, 5. Hartford 36, 6. Missisquoi 33, 7. Spaulding 29, 8. Rivendell 26, 9. Middlebury 24, 10. Bellows Falls 22, 11. Lyndon 21, 12. Randolph 20, 13. Chelsea 18, 14. Vergennes 11.
Jared Pendak can be reached jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3225.