Jack Cady his junior season.
In a track and field event, sixty-five seconds is the average 400m time. Jack Cady can do it in forty-nine. Cady, a senior at Brattleboro Union High School (BUHS), is far from average.
“Since elementary school P.E. classes, I knew, and my parents knew, I loved to run, play sports, and compete. Track, to me, is the perfect measure of athleticism and hardwork. Your body is truly pushed to its maximum, and you can display your peak athletic abilities,” Cady said.
Cady has officially been running track since he was in 8th grade.
“After my freshman year, I was questioning whether or not I would return to the track the following spring. Not to say I had a bad freshman year, quite the opposite. I qualified for the Vermont State Championship meet, and reached very quality times for a 9th grader in the 400m. It was really a personal factor that my friends all played baseball, a sport I gave up playing in favor of track that year. However, I chose to remain loyal to the spikes and it has paid off exponentially,” Cady said.
Loyal to the spikes he was. Cady is set to return for his 5th and final Brattleboro track season.
Jack Cady his sophmore season.
“Both football and basketball have taught me great footwork, speed, and lessons off the field, that paid-off extremely well in track. Specifically basketball was very helpful, as our school does not have indoor track and field. Through the winter I conditioned by hooping. Football provided me with the resources of a weightlifting gym, where between my sophomore and junior track seasons, I gained powerful muscle and conditioned my body positively for track,” Cady said.
The star-studded senior finds comfort and necessity in CW’s The Flash.
“I always watch The Flash the night before any meets. Barry Allen is a massive inspiration of mine both on the track and off. Watching that show dilates my speed force energy,” Cady said.
It was sophomore year, at the Vermont State Championship meet, when Cady knew he had track potential.
“I placed 5th in the state for the 400m. From that moment, I knew I had serious talent, and belief in myself to carry on the love I had for track, and work extremely hard to come back the next year and place even higher,” Cady said.
He did in fact place higher, finishing second the following year.
Through all the ups, there have also been some low moments–including Cady’s most heartbreaking of his track career.
“Dropping the baton in the 4x100m at the 2023 SVL-A Championship meet my sophomore year. This was a race my team and I were confident we had in the bag, yet with an early takeoff for my handoff, I ran out of space to receive the baton and I dropped it, automatically disqualifying us from the victory,” Cady said. “It's really unfortunate to be the one to mess up on a relay, because your mistake costs four people, not just yourself. However, my teammates are great, and backed me up and supported me, and we found future successes even sweeter.”
Jack Cady his Junior season on the bus.
Cady has an all-star resume. He is a five-time All-SVL Team. In 2024, he was the Vermont champion for the 400m. He is a five-time New England Regional Championship meet Qualifier. He is also the 2024 Vermont State Champion for the 4x100m Relay. A three- time BUHS school record holder for the 400m with a time of 49.12 seconds, 4x100m with a time of 43.45 seconds, and a 4x400m with a time of 3:28 minutes. He qualified for the 2024 New Balance National meet. Last but not least, he is a two-time Vermont High School Track All-State Team member.
Cady is set for an explosive 2025 senior season. The state of Vermont is not prepared for Cady’s final lap.
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