Former Niceville High School javelin thrower Raiden LaFortune got his track and field – and academic – careers off to a solid start for his freshman year at the oldest public college in the United States. Lafortune served the Niceville Eagles with significant contributions to the state championship performance. 

LaFortune and his classmate Brian Walsh emerged victorious at their first outdoor track and field meet with wins in the javelin (LaFortune) and pole vault (Walsh) categories at the Dan Stimson Memorial Meet on March 16. 

According to the William and Mary athletics website, LaFortune’s throw of 57.5m rates as the 14th best in school history. 

The William and Mary Tribe emerged victorious overall in the meet – partly thanks to LaFortune’s efforts over the weekend. The Tribe won 19 events against other schools like Bowie State, Christopher Newport, George Mason, VCU, Regent University, and Virginia Union. 

The Tribe has three more track meets in March. On March 22, the Tribe will head to Richmond to participate in the Fred Hardy Invitational. They will attend the Raleigh Relays, hosted by North Carolina State University, six days later. 

They will end the month at the Christopher Newport University Track and Field Invitational in Newport News, Virginia. 

In addition to his efforts on the field of competition, LaFortune also excelled in the classroom over his first semester in Virginia. The Colonial Athletic Association named LaFortune to its Honors list of the Academic Honor Roll. Raiden earned this laurel by achieving between a 3.0 and a 3.7 GPA for his first semester of college.