Harwood freshman breaks 26-year school shot put record

May 23, 2025  |  By Waterbury Roundabout

Harwood freshman Isabella Pockoski has landed in the school's Track and Field record book. Photo by Mindy Pockoski

In one memorable throw, Harwood Union freshman Isabella Pockoski has made school Track and Field history, breaking a shot put record that’s stood for 26 years.

The record-setting moment took place Thursday, May 15, at the Essex 9th and 10th Grade Championship Meet.

Pockoski threw a personal record of 37 feet 11.25 inches, breaking the Harwood girls shot put record of 37 feet 9 inches set by Louise Michael in 1999. 

Head Coach Jake Pitman said the 9th grader in practices has been working on her rotation combined with proper speed and intensity and it came together at the Essex competition. “Her excellent follow-through resulted in a personal record throw nearly four feet farther than her previous best,” Pitman said. 

The next day at practice, it was announced that the Waterbury 9th grader’s throw had broken the school record. “The team congratulated her with plenty of applause and positive affirmations,” he said. “Everyone is so happy for her.”  

At the Essex meet, freshman Connor Rowley placed first in the discus, further cementing his status as one of the best young discus throwers in the state. He threw a personal record of 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,” Pitman said. “He should be one of only two freshmen in contention for a spot on the podium.” 

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,” Pitman commented.

Wing finished first place in the 3000-meter run, with a time of 10:16.4, after pouring on the effort in the final stretch. 

Pitman recounted that an athlete from Milton High School was seeded first in the 3000-meter run and began it with an exceptionally fast pace on a hot, 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,” he said, adding that he encouraged Wing to try to close the gap in the final 500 meters. Wing took notice. 

“Unsurprisingly, he made up the distance and caught the Milton athlete in the final 100 meters for a first-place finish,” Pitman said. “For an athlete his age, he has an exceptional understanding of track racing.”