Coach: Boys: JT Taylor (sixth year); Girls: Adam Curato (sixth year).
Class: C; Conference: Mountain Valley.
Last year’s results: Boys: Second in MVC, sixth at state; Girls: Sixth in MVC.
Returning athletes: Boys: Seniors — Kyle Farrar (sprints/jumps); Eli Turner (sprints); Juniors — Chris Glover (middle distance/javelin), Carter Thibodeau (throws), Nate White (triple jump/hurdles), Cam Payne (sprints/high jump), Sebastian Weston (sprints/throws), Vinny Deroche (racewalk); Sophomores — Eli Stickney (discus/sprints), Montana Averill (throws), Draven Finnegan (jumps/hurdles), Drew Farrar (racewalk), Adam Tag (long jump/middle distance), Cam Chase (distance), Noah Ronan (sprints/middle distance), Jacob Bellgarde (throws), Darrin Buono (throws). Girls: Seniors — Emily Billings (sprints/relays), Jeana Ronan (middle distance/relays/high jump), Marissa Crosby (middle distance/relays); Juniors — Abigail Blauvelt (triple jump/long jump/relays), Lauren Sterling (hurdles/sprints/relays/high jump), Hailey McNally (sprints, relays/high jump)..
Key losses: Boys: Mike Provencher, Tyreek Rankins. Girls: LeAnn McNally, Hannah Koch.
Promising newcomers: Boys: Senior — Zach Duguay (throws); Sophomores — Taylor Pelletier (hurdles/jumps), Shawn Dubois (sprints), Ethan Durfee (distance); Freshmen — Jasper Turner (springs/throws), Chance Vacchiano (sprints/jumps), Hunter Blauvelt (distance), Noah Stickney (racewalk/distance), Alex Shorey (sprints/hurdles), Sean Gould (middle distance), Allen Hagen (throws). Girls: Seniors — Paige Landry (racewalk/throws); Juniors — Alyssa Akers (throws/long jump), Hailey Akers (jumps/throws), Brooke Carver (long distance), Giulia Amorim (throws/long jump); Sophomores — Kylee Pelletier (hurdles/sprints/jumps), Sarena McIntire (long distance), Freshman — Jen Boudreau (racewalk), Cloey Ledesma (middle distance/jumps/javelin).
Season outlook: The Falcons lost only two boys from last year’s team that had the most successful season at Mountain Valley in more than a decade. Taylor said the Falcons have the largest roster of boys in his six years as coach. The team will still be strong in sprints and jumps, and Taylor hopes some of the new faces will help in the throws and distance events. With all this, the Falcons this season have their sights set on unseating perennial MVC powerhouse Lisbon. The girls’ team’s strengths appear to be in the jumping pits, hurdle events, sprints and relays. Reigning Class C 100-meter hurdles champion Lauren Sterling, a junior, highlights the returning Falcons. Curato says Emily Billings will place again at state in whichever sprints she runs this season. Mountain Valley’s weakness, at least early on, will be its weakness, but Curato is interested to see where the nine new girls will excel.
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