Athletics Update: Panthers Springing into Action
May 10, 2022
TA Panther athletes are off to an impressive start for the spring sports season.
In baseball, the Panthers are six games in – with five in the win column. In their third game of the season vs. White River Valley, the team toppled the undefeated Wildcats, who had been 39-0 in two-plus seasons as a program. In the Valley News, Panthers’ Coach Phil Chaput said, ““It feels good to walk away with a victory today. WRV is a quality, well-coached team. We played a great game today with effective pitching, timely hitting and we were error-free. This is a total team victory.” The boys have kept their streak going with wins v. Lake Region (9-2), Lamoille (17-1), and on Saturday at Harwood (7-5). The boys will travel to Spaulding and Windsor this week.
TA’s softball team has a new head coach, Michelle Morgan, who came on board when her daughter Eiea joined the Panthers from Rivendell Academy. In an interview with the Valley News, Coach Morgan commented on the season so far: “Coming into this year, these girls were kind of down on themselves because they didn’t have a good year last year,” Morgan said. “I have seen some great hits, some great plays; they just come together as a team. It’s really nice to see. There’s so much growth to continue to have, but to see how young they are and how well they’re performing is just awesome. Very positive and upbeat group.” The girls came out of the gate this season showing their grit and three straight wins (v. Windsor, WRV, and Peoples). They are 4-2 for the season.
Thetford’s high school and middle school track and field teams continue to hold up Thetford’s reputation in VT and NH as formidable forces. Led by high school captains Kiran Black (hurdles, jumps, pole vault) and Tobin Durham (distance events), the teams have placed at or near the top of each meet so far. The teams have their sights set on repeat D-III championship titles as well as New England Championship qualifications. The middle school team practices with the high school team, and is led by Coach Max Higgins, a TA track alum and former captain. The team includes athletes from TA, Lyme, and the Newton School. The high school’s next meets are at Windsor on Tuesday, May 10 and at Hanover on Sat, May 14. The middle school next competes on Thursday, May 12 at Windsor.