Courtesy Vermont Sports Media Association

COLCHESTER — Standout soccer players at West Rutland and Green Mountain Union High Schools have been voted as the state’s top female and male Athletes of the Month for September by the Vermont Sports Media Association.

Brooke Raiche, a senior at West Rutland, and Mack Walton, a senior at Green Mountain in Chester, were selected in statewide balloting by VSMA members for the top high school athletes.

Association members submit detailed nominations about top individual performances by student-athletes across the state for the previous month, VSMA President Andy Kirkaldy of the Addison Independent said.  All fulltime and part-time sportswriters and sportscasters, including play-by-play announcers and analysts covering Vermont, are eligible for VSMA membership.

Walton and Raiche will be eligible for the VSMA Athlete of the Year award when it is selected at the end of the 2016-17 year.

Raiche scored 16 goals and helped carry West Rutland to a perfect 8-0 record during the month.  The goals included a pair of hat tricks on the road against both Green Mountain and Chelsea.  Her best game was home with 4 goals against Black River, while Raiche also tallied a clutch game-winner in overtime, 2-1, when the Golden Horde hosted longtime rival Proctor.

In winning the honor Raiche edged out soccer stars Jamie Barrett, Peoples Academy, senior; Darien Boerger, Stowe, senior; Jenna Bourdeau, Missisquoi Valley Union, senior and Kassidy Cummings, Green Mountain Union, senior; also, field hockey standouts Abbe Cravinho, Brigid Hodsden and Emma Lober, all sophomores from Bellows Falls Union; and Allison Lowell, Otter Valley Union, senior.
Walton scored or assisted on 28 of Green Mountain’s  29 goals in the month of September. He scored 18 goals and dished out 10 assists. The heart of GMU’s offense, Walton averaged 2.25 goals per game despite extra attention from defenses. He was often shadowed by two defenders, which made his statistics even more impressive.  Green Mountain was 6-2 in September. Walton was also named an Eagle Times Athlete of the Week in September.

Walton took the honor by beating out football stars Jahyde Bullard, Bellows Falls Union, senior; Kevin Garrison, Burlington High, senior; Collin Urie, St. Johnsbury Academy, senior and Bill Wood, Woodstock Union, senior;  also, soccer standouts Max Carr, Peoples Academy, sophomore;  Jacob Dow, West Rutland, senior; Mark Infante, Stowe, senior;  and Seraphin Iradukunda, Burlington High, senior.