Skylar's the limit: Dartmouth High track and field star enjoys super season

Jun 10, 2015

The repetitive thudding could be heard at Dartmouth High School Monday evening. One by one, junior Skylar Barthelmes blasted each shot put farther and farther as she prepared for this weekend’s New England Track and Field Championships.

The Saco, Maine, event will cap an impressive year for Barthelmes. A nominee for The Boston Globe’s All-Scholastic Girls Track Team, Barthelmes has not only broken her own personal bests in 2015, but she has also broken multiple Dartmouth High records.

She recently placed first in the shot put in both the State and All-State competitions where she threw 38’11.25” and 41’9.25” respectively. She also placed third in the javelin with a throw of 121’8” at the state meet and seventh at the All-State meet with a throw of 118’.

Though she won’t be attending, her throw of 134’ in javelin at the Coaches Invite at Greater New Bedford Vocational Technical High School meet earlier this year was enough to qualify her for the New Balance Nationals, which is set to take place in North Carolina from June 19-21.

“I’ve already made it further than I did last year,” said Barthelmes, who's started to receive some attention from colleges for her throwing prowess. “I’m excited (for New Englands), yet nervous. It’s going to be difficult to PR (personal record) again after I just did.”

Track Head Coach Robert Southerland said Barthelmes qualified for the state meet based on her outstanding performances throughout the year.

“She set the bar really high,” said Southerland. “The second place girl (at All-States) wound up with a personal record because she was trying to chase her.”

Barthelmes also set a new school shot put record in her second throw in the final round at All-States. According to Southerland, her throw of 41’9.25” is also an outdoor personal record.

Along with her solo accomplishments, junior Caitlyn Demers and senior Oriana Barthelmes, Skylar’s sister, joined her to break the school’s shot put relay record last set in 1998 at the spring relay meet at Whitman-Hanson. Their combined throws were 100’.5”, while the previous record was set at 97’10.5”.

“She’s very versatile,” said Southerland.

Barthelmes also helped shatter the school discus relay record of 237’8” from 1999 with Oriana and freshman Nicole Leonardo with a total of 268’1”.

Oriana, who was one of the school’s spring track captains this year, said that Skylar’s success in the shot put has given her even more confidence.

“She’s good at it and likes to do it,” said Oriana. “She can say that the event is hers.”

Throwing Coach Wayne Cordeiro, who has been coaching for over 20 years, said she’s the best shot putter he’s ever had.

“She holds every girls shot put record in the school,” said Cordeiro.