Vermont

Bogues and Vermont host New Hampshire

Published

2 years ago

February 14, 2024

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New Hampshire Wildcats (14-9, 6-4 America East) at Vermont Catamounts (19-6, 9-1 America East)

Burlington, Vermont; Thursday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Vermont hosts the New Hampshire Wildcats after Shamir Bogues scored 23 points in Vermont’s 72-70 victory over the UMBC Retrievers.

The Catamounts are 10-1 on their home court. Vermont ranks eighth in the America East with 31.7 points per game in the paint led by Bogues averaging 8.5.

The Wildcats are 6-4 in conference games. New Hampshire is second in the America East with 27.4 defensive rebounds per game led by Clarence O. Daniels II averaging 7.9.

Vermont makes 46.7% of its shots from the field this season, which is 4.5 percentage points higher than New Hampshire has allowed to its opponents (42.2%). New Hampshire has shot at a 42.3% clip from the field this season, 1.1 percentage points higher than the 41.2% shooting opponents of Vermont have averaged.

The Catamounts and Wildcats meet Thursday for the first time in conference play this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: TJ Long is scoring 12.2 points per game and averaging 3.8 rebounds for the Catamounts.

Jaxson Baker averages 2.1 made 3-pointers per game for the Wildcats, scoring 11.9 points while shooting 36.8% from beyond the arc.

LAST 10 GAMES: Catamounts: 9-1, averaging 71.5 points, 36.7 rebounds, 14.3 assists, 6.7 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 61.0 points per game.

Wildcats: 6-4, averaging 73.5 points, 36.3 rebounds, 9.9 assists, 7.2 steals and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 42.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 73.9 points.

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Vermont

Why VT students are signing letters of intent with local employers

Published

9 hours ago

June 1, 2026

Press Room

Why VT students are signing letters of intent with local employers

Beth McDermott
| Burlington Free Press

Students who plan to enter the workforce after graduation are being celebrated at the Northwest Career & Technical Center’s 2026 Skilled Trades Signing Day.

The event is scheduled for 1 to 2:30 p.m. June 5 in the BFA Saint Albans Gymnasium, according to a community announcement.

Modeled after collegiate athletic signing days, the event will feature students signing “letters of intent” with future employers. The ceremony aims to recognize students for their hard work, technical skill development and commitment to pursuing careers in Vermont’s workforce.

Students from various programs at the Northwest Career & Technical Center are expected to participate, including those entering fields such as electrical, construction, cosmetology and engineering.

Participating students and their future employers include:

Theodore DeCiantis – Alliance Group (Electrical)
Nolan Howrigan – BP Construction
Lexie Lemieux – Downtown Cuts
Brayden Rooney – Engineers Construction Inc.
Hunter Gagne – Engineers Construction Inc.
Nicholas Boomhower – Engineers Construction Inc.
Quinton Nicholas – Handy Toyota
Natalie Powers – Hayward Tyler
Kaleb Bocash – Hazelett
Damien Callan – Husky
Hailey Carey – Jubilance Salon
Hallie Robtoy – Jubilance Salon
Ryiah Gaudiaso – Lake Shore Hair
Kris Mumert – MEI Electrical Contractors
Logan Little – Milton CAT
Alisa Freighberger – Nail Nook
Jonas Wagner – Omega Electric
Collin Langevin – PC Construction
Vernon Ouellette – PC Construction
Brandon Murray – RPM Engines
Wyatt Blake – United Ag & Turf
Edan Peters – VHV
Owen de Jesús López – VHV
Grace Robert – Villa Rehab Center

“We are incredibly proud of these students and the opportunities they have earned,” said Lisa Durocher, assistant director at Northwest Career & Technical Center. “This event highlights the value of career and technical education and the strong partnerships we have with local employers who are investing in the next generation of skilled professionals.”

The Northwest Career & Technical Center, located in St. Albans, provides career and technical education opportunities for high school students and adult learners throughout northwestern Vermont. Programs include automotive technology, building trades, cosmetology, culinary arts, digital media, electrical, engineering technologies, human services, medical professions, outdoor technology and public safety and law enforcement.

This story was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.

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Vermont

Essex’s Hannah Knickerbocker and Burlington’s Niah LeMay capture singles titles

Published

19 hours ago

May 31, 2026

Press Room

Essex’s Hannah Knickerbocker and Burlington’s Niah LeMay capture singles titles

The 2026 individual Vermont High School tennis tournaments concluded on Sunday, May 31 with a quartet of first-time winners.

Both girls match-ups went to a third set tiebreak with Essex senior Hannah Knickerbocker capturing her elusive title. Burlington High School swept the boys singles and doubles tournaments becoming the first school to accomplish that feat since St. Johnsbury did it in 2019.

Read on below for a recap from both tournaments’ finals.

Hannah Knickerbocker upsets top-seed in final; while Stowe’s freshman tandem wins doubles

In the last two individual tournaments, Hannah Knickerbocker advanced to the semifinals before her run ended there. This past offseason, Knickerbocker spent a lot more time honing her tennis skills. With a stronger tennis IQ, Knickerbocker cruised into the finals with a trio of straight set wins.

“Consistency and shot choice,” Knickerbocker said. “I think I improved with knowing when to go for a win and when not too.”

There Knickerbocker earned a match with No. 1 seeded Anna Dauerman from Champlain Valley, the 2024 champion and last year’s runner-up. The match was competitive with Knickerbocker winning a three-set thriller 6-4, 4-6, 10-8, becoming the first female Hornet to win an individual title since 2007.

The skills Knickerbocker worked on in the offseason paid off in her match against Dauerman.

“Anna’s a really hard fighter so a lot of balls come back and if you go for too much on the wrong one then she would beat you,” Knickerbocker said.

This is Knickerbocker’s fifth state title overall after winning the Division I girls volleyball championships all four years of high school. The 2024 Vermont Gatorade Player of the Year in volleyball is pivoting to a stronger focus on tennis. Knickerbocker will be playing Division I tennis at the University of New Haven starting next school year.

While Knickerbocker saw this part of her career end on a high note, the doubles champions of India Freund and Belle Gaines from Stowe hope to usher in a new wave of tennis talent. The freshmen tandem, partnered up for the first time this season for the individual tournament and won three straight matches to reach the final.

Then in the championship, Freund and Gaines took down Champlain Valley’s tandem of Sara DiGuglielmo and Justyna Amblo in three sets, 7-6 (7-3), 0-6, 12-10. The duo built on the momentum they gained from their three-set victory over Essex’s team into May 31’s final.

“We both like high-pressure situations, so maybe that’s what we needed to play our best tennis,” Freund said.

Freund and Gaines are great friends on and off the court who play tennis together all year around making this a tandem a formidable duo. Freund and Gaines showed maturity after getting crushed in the second set to squeeze out the win in the tiebreaker.

“It was really impressive of us to not get in our heads and it did for a bit,” Gaines said.

Burlington sweeps the boys singles and doubles finals

The boys tennis had some drama with rain forcing an interruption of the matches’ at Leddy Park to drive over to the The EDGE Sports & Fitness in Essex. Still the pause (that was almost two hours for the double players) did not affect the players in the lead.

No. 3 Niah LeMay held a 4-2 lead in set 1 entering the weather related intermission against teammate and top-ranked Oscar Crainich. LeMay did not let the pause phase him or interrupt his momentum.

“Just a lot of deep breaths and tried not to think about it,” LeMay said. “I turned on the radio and listened to some music.”

The sophomore bested his teammate in straight sets with a 6-3, 7-5 victory. In his run to the title, LeMay knocked off the top-two seeds. The only set he has lost all season came against No. 2 Charles Young from Middlebury in the semifinals. LeMay brought the energy with passionate bursts of emotion after nailing a tough shot.

LeMay becomes the first male Seahorse to win an individual title since 2004. It’s the first time since 2015 that the singles final featured two members from the same school. LeMay and Crainich have been rotating between the No. 1 and No. 2 single spots for Burlington this year after helping the Seahorses capture the 2025 team title.

“I have only beaten him once in the past,” LeMay said. “It felt really good to beat him since he’s one of my main competitors if not my main competitor.”

The winning for Burlington did not stop at singles. The Seahorses No. 3 ranked doubles tandem of Miles Kenny and Ben Koh captured the championship as well sweeping No. 1 Middlebury Nate Cook-Yoder and Nathan Stefani 6-4, 7-5.

The weather pause came after the Seahorses claimed the first set. It’s the second straight year Burlington claimed the doubles title. This is Kenny and Koh’s second championship this spring after helping Burlington win the 2026 Unified Basketball title earlier in May.

Contact Judith Altneu at JAltneu@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.

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