In the lead-up to the new indoor track and field season that began this month, the records board in the Wilton High School Zeoli Field House has recently been updated with new records, including the replacement of three girls’ records that have been in place for decades.
Jill Roberts, who graduated in 2023 and currently competes for Duke University, now dominates the board with her senior year achievements, comprising three indoor records — 55 meter and 55-meter hurdles, previously held by Shelby DeJana (WHS ’21), and 300-meter hurdles, previously held by Shannon Quinlan (WHS ’14); and three outdoor records — 200 meter and 200-meter hurdles, also previously held by DeJana, and 300-meter hurdles, a long-standing 1987 record previously held by Sarah Washburn (WHS ’88).
“Seeing my six records on the field house wall was really exciting,” Roberts said. “It was the manifestation of all my hard work that I put into my senior year season, especially after coming back from an ACL and meniscus tear and the required surgery.”
Melinda Pettit, currently a WHS junior, has her two new pole vault records on the board now, after clearing 10 feet 0 inches in the 2024 indoor season by breaking Annie Rava’s (WHS ’19) prior record of 9 feet 0 inches, and 10 feet 6 inches in the outdoor season by breaking the previous record of 10 feet 0 inches set by Sarah Lade (WHS ’03) in 2003. Pettit was also recognized as First Team All FCIAC for Track and Field in both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
“Having my name on the board makes me feel even more motivated to keep going! It is a constant reminder of something that I am working towards and by trusting in the process results can flow from the time and effort invested,” Pettit said. “I love the community of track and field, especially in pole vaulting, where even though everyone is competing with one another, we still support each other until the end.”
Allison Rayment, currently a WHS senior — who only started track and field in the recent outdoor season — broke the triple jump record in her very first meet and then ended the season with a best jump of 37 feet 9 inches, besting the previous record set in 2005 by Susannah Apuzzo (WHS ’09) with a jump of 34 feet 3 inches. Rayment’s personal record jump won her the FCIAC championship in the triple jump and she was recognized as First Team All FCIAC for Track and Field. Rayment had previously achieved success in gymnastics at Wilton High School, particularly in the vault, where she was the FCIAC and CIAC vault champion in 2024 and earned First Team recognition for both the FCIAC and CIAC for the 2024 season.
“I was really proud to see my name on the wall after working hard on my technique during the season,” Rayment said. “It meant a lot at FCIAC when all of my hard work came together and I was able to set my personal record and earn points for the team. Track and field clicked with me right away and I fell in love with the small changes and daily hard work that comes together to accomplish more than I previously thought possible.”
She will continue her athletic career as a member of the Middlebury College track and field team in the fall of 2025.
Coincidentally, in the 2024 outdoor track and field season, both Pettit and Rayment won their FCIAC championship events, both came in second in the State Class L championship, and both finished eighth in the State Combined Open championship.
The records board was donated by the Wilton Track Association Boosters in 2015 to inspire all the Wilton track and field athletes to go ever faster–higher–further, and it is hoped more record-setting achievements will soon be celebrated and proudly reflected for all to see after the 2024-25 seasons.
