Harwood freshman crowned state shot put champion at rainy D-II state track meet
June 9, 2025 | By Waterbury Roundabout
Harwood Track & Field team gets a break in the rain in Burlington on Friday for a team photo and confetti. Photo courtesy Susan & Bob Cummiskey
Under gray skies and relentless rain at Burlington High School, 15-year-old Harwood freshman Isabella Pockoski landed a spot in the history books as the 2025 Vermont Girls Division-II Shot Put State Champion.
The win came at Friday’s D-II Vermont state meet, where Harwood girls finished in fifth place overall in a field of 13 teams. Harwood boys finished in 10th place overall in a field of 14 teams. U-32 ran away with first-place team finishes for both girls and boys. (Full results are online here.)
Isabella Pockoski dominated the shot put field, unleashing five throws over 36 feet and a final throw of 36’ 11.25”. The championship was earned in both distance and determination during a competition so drenched that officials had to sweep puddles from the shot circle between throws.
Unfazed by the storm, Isabella opened with a dominating mark and then climbed steadily, throw after throw, with the support of her teammates cheering through the downpour. She also came in as runner-up in the discus event.
Isabella had a record-breaking year, shattering a 26-year-old Harwood school shot put record, winning both shot and discus at the Twilight Meet, and capturing first at the New England qualifier. She next heads to the New England Championships and the New Balance Nationals in Pennsylvania.
Isabella shared the spotlight for the Highlanders with teammates who together racked up 12 podium finishes, broke 12 personal records, and notched two season bests—all supporting one another from the first event to the final relay.
“The whole team showed up not just to compete, but to lift each other higher,” said Assistant Coach Melinda Pockoski. “Whether it was a rainy shot put or the last 100 meters of a relay, you could hear Harwood athletes cheering at every pit, lane, and runway.”
Freshman Connor Rowley had a breakout day in the throws, earning runner-up in the discus with a 3-foot personal best of 114’01” and placing sixth in shot put with another personal record of 38’11.75”.
Achieving personal bests in throwing events at the state championships, in a downpour no less, is an outstanding accomplishment built on months of physical and mental preparation, Coach Pockoski noted.
Shot Put medals go to Harwood freshman Isabella Pockoski, first place, and senior Heidi Haraldsen, in fourth place. Courtesy photo
Senior Celia Wing made a podium appearance in the 3000-meter race, finishing in second place with a personal record time of 11:09.29.
Senior Heidi Haraldsen claimed medals as well, placing 4th in shot put (29’4”), 6th in the 800-meter race (2:32.95 PR), and running legs on both the 3rd-place girls 4x800m relay (10:42.09 SB) and the girls 4x400m relay, also a season best. Haraldsen also qualified for the New England Championships in the shot put last week at the New England Qualifier. She out-threw her previous personal record four times, finishing with a new lifetime best of 29’6.5”.
On the boys team, senior Gavin Clark shone in the mud-slicked javelin event, earning third place with a final throw of 123’10”.
Junior Indigo Leese turned in two more strong performances for the Highlanders, placing sixth in both the girls long jump at 4.36m (season best) and triple jump at 9.32m (personal record).
Harwood’s relay teams turned in solid performances on the track as well:
Girls 4x800m Relay: Heidi Haraldsen, Julia Cisz, Celia Wing, Lily Bourbonnais finished at 10:42.09 in third place, a season best
Girls 4x400m Relay: Julia Cisz, Ella Cisz, Heidi Haraldsen, Lily Bourbonnais finished in 4:42.53, seventh place and a team best
Boys 4x400m Relay: Gavin Clark-Viola, Mason Jones, Vincent Wing, Christopher Cummiskey also finished with a personal best of 3:52.71, in sixth place.
Harwood coaches said they left the state meet seeing a bright future for Harwood Track and Field. “We’re seeing more than athletic progress—we’re watching a team culture come to life,” Head Coach Jake Pitman said. “These kids are learning to compete with courage and support one another every step of the way.”
Harwood Track & Field seniors, left to right: Soren Schoennagel, Gavin Clark-Viola, Christopher Cummiskey, Celia Wing, Heidi Haraldsen, Trevor Deschamps, Susannah Smith, Eliana Buckingham, Ella Cisz, Addison Gibbs. Not pictured: Luke Hamel, Thea Anderson. Photo courtesy Susan & Bob Cummiskey