Thetford
Thetford Academy Co-Head Coach Emily Silver is optimistic about the squad she leads, along with Co-Head Coach Joel Breakstone, coming off a season in which the boys finished first at the VPA Division III state championship, and a fifth-place finish for the girls.
While the Panthers did graduate a number of productive seniors, the early part of the season will be a bit of a feeling-out process.
“We are asking some people to consider breaking out of their comfort zone and try new events,” Silver said. “Through these early weeks of the season, we’ll be figuring out best fits for athletes.”
Among some of the returners on the boys’ side that Silver is looking to for strong seasons and leadership are seniors Emmett Terry, Daniel Mann, Henry Trage, and David Thaxton.
The boys’ squad also has some standout juniors returning, including Sebastian Perdrizet, Jacob Phelps, Connor Sloop, and Ollie Emery.
As for the girls, there are no seniors on the squad this season. But several juniors, such as Aislin Peters, Leah Crossett, Lizzie Brown, and Lilian Miller, who competed during the indoor season, are on the team.
Moreover, Silver indicated that incoming freshmen Asa Williams and Zac Amber, along with junior Matthew McGovern for the boys and Meredith Sloop for the girls, are among many newcomers who could make some noise this season.
The Panthers opened their season at Bellows Falls on Tuesday. The boys and girls finished second. Their next meet is scheduled for Wednesday at Essex High.
“We are optimistic as always — we’re looking to score as many points as possible in as many events as possible come the state meet,” Silver said.
Hanover
The Bears finished in seventh place for the boys and third for the girls at last season’s NHIAA Division II state championship.
Head Coach Steve McConnell said that the boys and girls will be anchored by their distance runners, adding that he believes the girls team’s time is now.
“I think this year and next year they’ll be competing for a state title,” he said. “Seeing them come in the top three at states, surprising some people — I’m encouraged by that, I’m excited to see where they end up.”
While McConnell acknowledged that the boys were a few years behind the girls, they have a great class of sophomores and juniors.
“This is a great year for them to develop and see how it feels to be in the top levels of track and field in the state,” he said.
Seniors Megan Faris, Millie Larrick, and juniors Aria Deeb, Alice Bell, Grace Stewart, and Josie White are among the key returners for the Bears on the girls team.
On the boys side, juniors Ben Groves, Garrett Fournier, and sophomores Alexander Collins, Oliver Collins, Rhys Jones, Isaac McNaughton, Liam McConnell, and Yosh Bardach are strong returners for the Bears.
Newcomers who could potentially make an impact include freshmen Eowyn Jones and Lena Scavone, for the girls, and freshman Harper Smith for the boys.
“It’s exciting with both teams being competitive and this year, next year, the year after being a time I think we’ll be challenging for state titles,” McConnell said.
The Bears open the season on April 25 at Nashua High North.
Hartford
The Hurricanes boys finished second at last season’s VPA Division II state championship, while the girls finished eighth.
This season, Head Coach Dan Talbot is feeling good about his squad. “It’s a young team, but I feel like we’re going to have a really strong season,” he said. “Early on, we’ve had a lot of positivity and really great practice attendance, which makes a difference.”
Key returners for the girls include senior Rowan Dumont, junior Kathryn Summarsell, and sophomores Scarlett Brooks and Maddie Carbino. Senior Jayden Forbes and juniors Elliott Brooks, Jaidin Bennett, and Elijah Ofstad headline the returning players for the boys.
Senior Lyla Metheny and junior Sylvia Johnson are among the newcomers for the girls, while senior Matthew Nubin joins the boys team.
Hartford began its 2026 campaign at Bellows Falls on Tuesday and got fourth-place finishes for the boys and girls. Their next meet is on Tuesday at Lebanon High.
Lebanon
The Raiders enter 2026 coming off last season, in which both the boys and girls teams finished 11th at the NHIAA Division II state championship.
Head Coach Kevin Lozeau said he feels “pretty good” about the boys side this season.
“The boys are definitely an older squad — we’ve got a few more seniors with experience and upperclassmen who generally are pretty experienced,” he said. Though he added that he was not sure the squad had the depth for a state championship run.
“We have a lot of individual performers who I think are going to do really well,” Lozeau said.
While the girls squad might be young, Lebanon’s head coach is hopeful for what that means for the team’s future.
“The girls are looking strong for the future, and if I’m being completely honest — with how many young girls we have — sophomores and freshmen who were already really successful at the middle school level or last year as freshmen, they honestly might be the team that pushes toward the championship before the boys do,” Lozeau said.
Notable returners on the boys side are seniors Oscar Gulledge and Ryder Desharnais, who are coming off strong indoor seasons. Sophomore Ian Kiefer is also a standout returner for the boys.
On the girls side, key returners include senior Sarah Smith and sophomore Rowan Laundry, among others.
Regarding newcomers, Lozeau noted that the team has many new upperclassmen who are dual-sport athletes or trying out track and field for the first time.
Senior Peyton Rutherford for the girls and senior Nehemiah Billings were newcomers, Lozeau said to keep an eye out for.
“We have so many new kids, there’s a lot of new kids coming up,” Lozeau said. “The middle school program right now has been phenomenal… they’re turning into a really strong feeder program for us.”
The Raiders opened their season last Saturday at Pelham High. The boys finished fifth, and the girls finished 10th. Lebanon followed that up with first-place finishes for the boys and girls on Tuesday at Merrimack Valley High.
Lebanon visits Sanborn High for a meet on Saturday.
Mascoma
Head Coach of the Royals, Rick Currier, is hopeful the boys and girls will be able to match or exceed their placements in last season’s NHIAA Division III state championship. Mascoma enters 2026 coming off a third-place finish for the boys and a 10th-place finish for the girls at the state meet.
While Currier acknowledged the loss of Gunner Currier on the boys’ side, he said this year’s squad will be able to make up for the points lost.
“Not one person grabbing 10 points for us, but collectively, through some improvements from some people,” Currier said.
As for the girls, Currier thinks they could compete for a spot in the top five at the state meet.
“We’re really excited about where our jumpers may be this year,” he said. “If the jumpers all do what they can do, they could come in the top five, and they might actually do it, getting all of their points in field events.”
Among the Royals’ key returners are seniors Barnaby Diehn and Colin Myers for the boys, along with Georgia Kondi and Aubrey Meyveagaci for the girls.
Juniors Sam Joyce, Carl Russell, Silas Jukosky, and Reece Yorke for the boys, and senior Baylee Hill, along with sophomores Montana Ballard and Lyla Jacobson for the girls, are among the returners poised for a strong season.
As for some newcomers who could stand out this season, Currier mentioned freshman Sophia Smith and sophomore Tori Petty for the girls, and freshman Riley Hathaway and juniors Nate McAndrew, who returns after taking a year off, and Lincoln Butterfield.
The Royals opened their season on Tuesday at Monadnock. The boys finished in first while the girls finished fourth. Their next meet is scheduled for Saturday at Winnisquam.
Newport
After last season’s finishes of 10th for the boys and fourth for the girls at the NHIAA Division III state championship, the Tigers get back to work with a new head coach this season — Ethan Houde.
Key returners for the Tigers include senior Callie Dixon for the girls and seniors Aidan Couitt, Bryce Palmer, and Brady Minckler, as well as juniors Ayden Hodge, Isaiah Nash, and Logan Rusin for the boys.
Freshman Kellan Zullo, junior John Wilkinson, and senior Glory Parker are among the other athletes that Houde said could stand out this season.
“This is a new voice for the Newport track and field team with PJ Lovely stepping down,” Houde said. “I think for all of them this has been kind of a different experience, workouts have been different, our preseason looked different.”
That said, Houde is looking for continued growth from his squad this season. Newport travels to Sanborn High for a meet on Saturday.
Oxbow
The Olympians got finishes of 13th for the boys and 14th for the girls at last year’s VPA Division III state championship, but got off to a solid start this season with the boys and girls picking up fourth-place finishes in their first meet of the season at Champlain Valley Union High on Tuesday.
Oxbow had standout performances at this week’s meet from junior Kingsley Swingforth and sophomore David Prouty, who finished first and second, respectively, in the boys triple jump. Additionally, freshman Margaret Williams won the girls shot put, while Williams and sophomores Sage Cook and Willow Cook finished two through four in the girls discus.
The Olympians’ next meet is set for Wednesday at Essex High.
Sharon
The Sharon Academy Phoenix were ninth for the girls and 12th for the boys at last season’s VPA Division III state championship.
They opened their season on Tuesday at Bellows Falls and picked up a fifth-place finish for the boys and an eighth-place finish for the girls.
Top performers for the Phoenix from Tuesday’s meet include senior Phoenix Colburn, who won the boys 110m hurdles and also tied for first with his teammate, sophomore Will DeCapua, in the high jump. On the girls side, junior Paetyn Gray finished fifth in the shot put and sixth in discus.
Sharon’s next meet is on Friday at White River Valley High.
Stevens
The Cardinals were 11th for the boys and tied for 19th for the girls in last year’s NHIAA Division III state championship.
On Tuesday, Stevens competed in a meet at Monadnock High and finished ninth in the boys division and seventh in the girls division.
For the boys, junior Owen Chapman finished third in the 100m, while senior Kieran Heath finished fourth. Heath was also the runner-up in the 200m, while Chapman got a top-five finish in fifth. In the field events, junior Justin McGuire stood out, finishing second in the long jump.
As for the girls, junior Maddy Chambers won the 100m, and junior Faith Norton, who also got herself a win in the 200m, placed third on the podium.
The Cardinals will head to Sanborn High for a meet on Saturday.
White River Valley
The Wildcats had two top-three finishes at last year’s VPA Division III state championship, with the boys finishing as the runner-up and the girls placing third.
This season, White River Valley has started with a bang, with the boys and girls taking first place at a meet on Tuesday at Bellows Falls.
Highlight performances for the Wildcats include junior Allen Wedge winning the boys high jump, junior Samuel Armstrong winning the boys pole vault, and junior Jack Hughes winning the long jump.
Additionally, senior Addison Isham won the girls 100m hurdles, and senior Imari Taylor won the girls shot put and discus.
White River Valley hosts a meet on Friday.
Windsor
The Yellow Jackets placed 12th for the girls and 10th for the boys at the VPA Division III state championship last season.
To begin this season, the Jacks had some solid showings at a meet at Bellows Falls on Tuesday, where the girls finished sixth, and the boys finished ninth.
Notably, junior Effie Reovan won the boys shot put and finished fourth in the Javelin. On the girls side, junior Olivia Dube was the runner-up in the 1500m, freshman Isobel MacLeay was the runner-up in discus, and junior Audrey McFarland placed third in the triple jump.
The Jacks will next head to a meet at St. Johnsbury Academy on April 28.
Woodstock
Last season, the Wasps’ boys finished ninth at the VPA Division II state championship, while the girls finished 10th, and this season they get to work with a new Head Coach at the helm — Taylor Eves.
Among the key returners for Woodstock are juniors Nicholas Cellini and Logan Martes for the boys, with senior Annesonia Beardsley and junior Piper Pauly for the girls.
While there are a few newcomers to the team, according to Eves, what she has seen early from her squad is leadership.
“They’re really good at taking leadership into what they do and what they love,” Eves said, while also noting that there has been a desire from the team to try new things.
“I think they’re really excited about the season,” she added.
The Wasps began their season on Tuesday at Bellows Falls. The boys placed seventh while the girls placed fifth. Their next meet is slated for April 28 at Springfield High.
