June 27, 2025 | By Lisa Scagliotti

Spring sports have wrapped up and multiple Harwood Union High School student-athletes have received recognition for their accomplishments this season.

Below is a roundup of news about several standout players and season highlights.

Honors for Harwood Boys Lacrosse players

*Harwood’s Evan Andrews and Teighen Pelkey-Fils-Aime at the Twin State All-Star game in Hanover, N.H., on June 21. Vermont beat New Hampshire, 17-13. Courtesy photo*

Harwood Boys Lacrosse won the Vermont state Division II championship on June 14. Afterward, Coach Chris Lamonia shared news that seven team members were acknowledged with post-season honors:

Senior Evan Andrews was named a First Team All-American player.
Andrews and fellow seniors Teighen Pelkey-Fils-Aime and Indy Metcalf were named to the Twin State All-Star team.
Andrews, Pelkey-Fils-Aime, Metcalf and junior Eli Herrington were named to First Team All-State and All-Mountain Conference.
Herrington and sophomore Sawyer Pekarski were named Rising Stars. Pekarski also was named to Second Team All-State and All-Mountain Conference.
Junior Milo Lavit and freshman Charlie Lamonia received Honorable Mentions for All-State and All-Mountain Conference.

Eli Herrington’s championship hat trick

Photos by Gordon Miller. Click to enlarge.

Harwood junior – now a rising senior – Eli Herrington secured a spot in the school record books this year with his three-season participation in the school’s three boys teams that won state championships in 2024-25.

Herrington wore the No. 17 jersey for Boys Soccer, Boys Hockey and Boys Lacrosse – all three of which won state Division II titles this year.

Times Argus sports writer James Biggam did some digging to find two instances when Harwood had state champion teams each season with teams of the same gender: “During the 2012-13 academic year, Harwood won a girls cross country championship in the fall before capturing top honors in girls hockey during the winter and claiming a girls golf crown in the spring. On the boys’ side, during the 1989-90 academic year, HU went all the way in cross country, hockey, and track and field,” he reported in “A title sweep for local stars” published on June 20.

Herrington just finished his junior year, so there’s another year ahead to write new school records.

Freshman thrower earns a post-season national podium finish

*Harwood freshman Isabella Pockoski on the podium at the New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Courtesy photo*

Harwood Union High School freshman Isabella Pockoski closed out her exceptional track and field season by placing 6th in the Girls Freshman Shot Put at the New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, earning a podium spot

After the regular season in Vermont ended, Pockoski competed at the New England Interscholastic Track & Field Championship Meet against top athletes from six states. She placed 14th overall out of 34 competitors in the shot put and emerged as the top-performing 9th grade shot put thrower in all of New England. Among Vermont competitors, she had the second-best finish across all grades in the event.

Several days later, Pockoski headed to the New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia, an annual meet that attracts top high school athletes from across the country. Airline delays to make the trip led to an overnight road trip, getting her to the meet just in time to compete in the Girls Freshman Discus. The following day, Pockoski delivered a strong performance in the Girls Freshman Shot Put, throwing 35 feet, 10 inches to secure 6th place and a spot on the podium.

The rising 10th grader has established herself as one of Vermont’s rising track and field stars.

Baseball captains receive inaugural scholarships

*Harwood seniors and Boys Baseball Team Captains Jackson Palermo and Nathanael Conyers receive the first Robert M. Boyce Memorial Scholarships. Courtesy photo*

The family of Robert M. Boyce has announced the awards of two new scholarships to Harwood Union High School graduating seniors: the Robert M. Boyce “For the Love of the Game” Memorial Scholarship and the Robert M. Boyce “For the Love of the Game - Heart and Soul” Memorial Scholarship.

These awards honor the late Robert M. Boyce and his passion for baseball both on and off the field, according to BJ Griffith, Boyce’s daughter.

The “For the Love of the Game” scholarship was awarded to Harwood Baseball Team Captain #3 Nate Conyers; Captain and #11 Jackson Palermo received the “For the Love of the Game - Heart and Soul” scholarship award.

The players were recognized for their four consecutive years playing varsity baseball, their leadership, sportsmanship, camaraderie and passion for the game, as well as their solid academics, Griffith said.

The family also thanked and congratulated Baseball Head Coach Luke Russell and Assistant Coaches Jake O'Brien and Sam Grandfield on their assistance with the award process and their players’ induction.

The scholarships were created by the Boyce family to honor Robert Boyce, who played baseball and basketball in the 1950s for St. Michael’s High School in Montpelier and attended Stevens High School in New Hampshire. “He had a passion for all sports, but his true love was baseball,” Griffith said.

Boyce served in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in Korea during the Korean conflict, she recalled, remarking, “He could always be seen with a glove in hand, even on base where he was stationed.”

An avid Boston Red Sox fan, Boyce encouraged youngsters to play baseball, frequently counseling young players that “sportsmanship was just as important as skill, and when you love baseball, you do it for the love of the game,” Griffith explained.

That spirit inspired the scholarships, she said, noting that there are specific criteria for the two scholarships that student-athletes must meet. Palermo and Conyers met them “overwhelmingly,” she noted. “It's clear Coach Russell and his assistant coaches have instilled in them the importance of teamwork, hard work, dedication, and skill, and most of all sportsmanship.”

The scholarships will be offered annually to Harwood varsity baseball players. And while the team coaches assisted in selecting this year’s first recipients, Griffith said, the family will work with Harwood on the application and award process in the future.

Salute to Harwood Girls Lacrosse

Finally, here are some shots of Harwood Girls Lacrosse this season. The Lamoille game photos are from the Highlanders’ May 3 win over the Lancers, 14-2.

The Stowe game shots are from Harwood’s last win of the season in the playdown match against the Raiders on June 4. Ninth-place Harwood eliminated No. 8 Stowe, 16-11, and went on to the quarterfinal round against top-ranked Hartford. The Hurricanes ended the Highlanders’ playoff run, 12-8, but then fell short in an upset championship match against No. 2 Green Mountain Valley School. GMVS took home the Division II title, defeating Hartford 19-16.