CASTLETON, Vt. (WCAX) – 50 years of organized sports at the Division III level may not seem that long, but each minute means the world to those who play the games. While Middlebury and Norwich have racked up the hardware in recent decades, neither school was part of the original D-III back in 1973.

Three state colleges were: Castleton, Lyndon, and Johnson, three key cogs of the newly formed Vermont State University. Middlebury has grown into one of the benchmark athletic departments in Division III since their entry into championship competition in the mid-90′s.

Current women’s lacrosse head coach Kate Livesay played on both the field hockey and lacrosse team at the turn of the Millenium.

“It’s really changed,” Livesay said. “In fact, when I was a player was when we first got boundaries. And then after I graduated, googles came into the mix. So it’s really adapted and evolved over the last 20-25 years.”

And they’re not alone. The eleven schools of the NESCAC have made the league a powerhouse across the scale of D-III sports

“When I started here, it was kind of the first NESCAC tournament,” LIvesay said. “When we talk about preparation for the NCAA tournament, I think you know you’ve been tested like that every week of your season. You were really prepared in a different way going into NCAA’s.”

But success isn’t just defined on the turf, ice, or hardwood for college athletes in Vermont. Many devote their time to improving the student athlete experience for everyone. The Student Athlete Advisory Committee was created in 1989, and Castelton sprinter Zackary Durr is the national representative for the Little East Conference.

“It’s realy nice to be able to meet different athletes from different schools,” Durr said. “And it’s just really good, especially for this university, just to be able to have us showcased at the national level.”

Durr says the goal of the committee is to encourage student athletes to give back to their communities and help build friendly relationships between on-field rivals.

“Get more student ahtletes involved and wanting to do more community service,” Durr explained of the organization’s goals. “Do more social events to have student athletes from different teams get to know each other better. I think its really important to have all of our student athletes backing each other.”

“After whistle blows, you’ll se the teams intermix, you’ll see best friends catching up, who went to high school together or played club,” Livesay added. “You’ll see coaches shaking hands and catching up about their families. So for me, what this experince is about, demanding so much of ourselves and our players, and going out and just playing hard and being really proud of what we put on the field but being collegial and respectful of our opponents all along the way.”

Castleton just had an athlete earn All-American honors at the D-III Track and Field Championships, with Harrison Leombruno-Nicholson finishing 11th nationally in javelin, while Middlebury’s women’s lacrosse team will look to claim a 4th straight national championship on Sunday afternoon.

Copyright 2024 WCAX. All rights reserved.

Marion Elizabeth (Provost) Blanchette, 95, of South Burlington died on May 21, 2024.

She was born to the late Edith (Ellwood) Provost and Daniel Provost on February 13, 1929, in Burlington. She married William George Blanchette in 1946, shortly after he returned from the war.

William and Marion spent their married lives in several towns in Chittenden County: Winooski, Burlington, Colchester and South Burlington. They wintered for many years in Palm Bay, Fla.

Marion attended Cathedral High School and worked for 35 years for the Catholic Diocese of Vermont, primarily at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and Saint John Vianney Church.

She was predeceased by her husband, William, and her three siblings: Danny Provost, Bob Provost and Peggy (Provost) Bostock.

Marion is survived by her son, Bradley Napoleon Blanchette, and his spouse, J. Timothy Bourne, of North Hero; and her daughter, Laurie Edith Blanchette, and her companion, Stephen Daily, of South Burlington. She is also survived by her three grandchildren: Bradley Stevens, Mason Stevens and Cole Stevens. Additionally, she is survived by many nephews, nieces, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great-nieces, and great-great nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the McClure Miller Respite House of Colchester, Vt.

A
mass of Christian burial will be held on June
3, 2024, 11 a.m., at Saint John Vianney’s in South
Burlington, where Marion and William were long-standing parishioners.
The family has chosen not to have a viewing. Immediately following
the funeral, Marion will be buried at Resurrection Park, adjacent to
the church.

Arrangements are in the care of Ready Funeral & Cremation Services. To send online condolences, please visit readyfuneral.com.

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – With the Vermont City Marathon just days away, set up for the annual event is just beginning at the Waterfront Center in Burlington.

This is the 35th Vermont City Marathon and there are a small handful of runners who have ran the 26.2 every year since the marathon began in 1989. Running it 35 times is a next-level achievement.

South Burlington native Rob O’Brien now lives in Ohio but makes returning to Vermont a priority every Memorial Day weekend to crank out 26.2 miles.

“It’s a good excuse to come home and see everybody,” said O’Brien.

He reflects on when the marathon was a small race with a much different route. In the first event in 1989, he says runners blocked people from boating on Mallet’s Bay.

“Everything’s changed over time, but it’s still fun to do it though,” he said.

He’s been joined by his niece and nephew and has seen his fair share of wacky weather like pouring rain, extreme heat, and even snow.

“One year early on where it was 93 on Saturday and then on Sunday, it was like 38 and there was sleet two times. That was crazy,” said O’Brien.

RunVermont Executive Director Joe Connelly says the first race had over 1,000 runners, now it’s increased to roughly 5,000.

“It’s been it’s been a long run. And the growth over the years has been fantastic,” said Connelly.

He says it’s all about tradition and embracing the change, including the start and finish line being at Battery Park before the Waterfront was developed.

“The support of the Burlington community has been just phenomenal over the years,” he said.

And as the marathon legacy continues, O’Brien says he isn’t stopping anytime soon, athough he has heard you can keep your status as a yearly marathoner even if you run just one leg of the race.

“At some point maybe I’ll just do the half, but for now I’m still enjoying it,” he said.

You can see live team coverage of the Vermont City Marathon on Channel 3 on Sunday morning.

The race begins around 7 a.m. but several roads will be closed in Burlington before that.

You can find more information here.

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