Jayden Wynn - Cromwell (Indoor Track): Wynn again shined on the track, winning both the 55 meters and 300 meters at the Shoreline Conference League Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Floyd Athletic Center in New Haven on Feb. 5. The junior ran a 6.76 in the 55m, defeating runner-up Nevin Joshy of Old Lyme, and then ran a 37.54 to edge teammate Michael Anderson in the 300m as the Panthers finished 1-2 in the event.
Marina Perry - Rocky Hill (Indoor Track & Field): Perry continues to impress at the indoor fields, winning the Central Connecticut Conference shot put championships at the Floyd Athletic Center in New Haven on Feb. 6. The senior easily won with a distance of 36-06.50, besting runner-up Layla Spann-McDonald of Glastonbury by over a foot. Next up for the Terrier thrower is the Class M championship (2/10) and the State Open (2/19). Sean Hurley - Newington (Basketball): Hurley scored a team-high 17 points as Newington defeated rival Middletown 65-57 on Feb. 3. The sophomore forward helped the Nor’easters outscore the Blue Dragons 19-9 in a pivotal third quarter as the team took a lead and held off a late run to earn their fourth consecutive victory. Nyasia Dailey - Middletown (Indoor Track): Dailey won the 55 meter dash at the Central Connecticut Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Floyd Athletic Center on Feb. 6. The senior ran a 7.36, defeating Victoria Francis (7.68) and Leila Gray (7.51), who are both from Simsbury High School and finished second and third respectively. Dailey ran the fastest time at the preliminaries and then duplicated that feat in the finals. Colby Quinn - Wethersfield (Hockey): Quinn scored an overtime game-winning goal as Wethersfield defeated South Windsor, 2-1, in dramatic fashion as the Eagles celebrated Senior Night on Feb. 5. Quinn was one of eight seniors honored before Wethersfield fell behind 1-0 after the first period. Braeden Hart’s first career goal tied the game for the Eagles and, in the extra session, Quinn got an assist from Jack Millen and Nate Odell to provide the game-winner, which sealed the team’s fifth straight victory and avenged a loss to the Bobcats from Dec. 16.
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Rocky Hill's #1 Abigail Boutin defends Tourtellotte's Alivia Dalpe as Maleena Muzio gaurds the corner of the zone during the Terriers 68-33 victory on Feb. 3.
Prior to the season, Rocky Hill head coach girls’ basketball coach James McKinnon was optimistic, yet unsure of what his team would look like on the court. 15 games into the season, the young Terriers are setting the stage for a postseason push with eyes on even bigger and better things in the future. Last Thurs., Feb. 3, the team easily defeated Tourtellotte 68-33 at RHHS to earn their most lopsided win of the season and ninth victory overall. “We have no seniors on the roster, so it’s a young group and some of them didn't play last year. They are starting to develop that confidence,” said McKinnon. In the 35-point rout, sophomore Maleena Muzio had a terrific all-around game, scoring a team-high 12 points, grabbing six rebounds, and nabbing four steals. The Terriers used a relentless zone press to baffle the visiting Tigers, registering 27 steals, including nine thefts in the first quarter as the home team took an 18-6 lead. Junior captains Alyssa Gau and Kate Oostendorp have been thrust into leadership positions, guiding a youthful, yet versatile group on the court. “They are so competitive in practice,” McKinnon said of his captains, “They are both so smart and whatever we teach them they pick up in minutes. In practice they work so hard and don’t take any drill off, and everyone else sees that.” Gau said the closeness of the class is the key to their success, “We have a lot of chemistry from playing basketball since middle school or playing other sports together. We love hang out outside of basketball too. It’s a really good group of girls and it’s nice to have everyone involved, from freshmen to juniors.” Because the Terriers led by double digits throughout most of the game, all twelve active players were able to play with 10 breaking into the scoring column. “These are some of the best games. It feels good, it’s a team win,” said Oostendorp. “It is very much a team atmosphere. We are all cheering for each other no matter what. It’s a very uplifting feeling.” Seven Terriers scored in the second quarter as the team used a 16-2 run to take a commanding 36-13 lead into the halftime locker room. Muzio scored on a rebound-putback to start the surge. Junior Abigail Boutin followed with a layup before Gau had consecutive buckets, both assisted by Christina DeNovellis. DeNovellis, also a junior, does a little of everything on the court and is the enforcer in the middle of the team’s zone defense. “It’s all about teamwork and atmosphere. We all want what is best for each other and the team and we want to win. We have high expectations from each other and we get better and better each game,” said DeNovellis, who scored 11 points. McKinnon was pleased with how his zone press worked to perfection in the win, praising Boutin for her never-ending effort atop the zone. “She is definitely a spark plug for us,” McKinnon said of Boutin, who scored 11. “Her hands are her best attribute; she is so quick on the press. She’s a fearless leader and I love how hard she plays.” The 68 points was a season-high for the Terriers, who used backdoor cuts and off-ball screens to create most of their points in the paint. “Some of our plays are designed, but a lot of it is just spur-of-the-moment on how we’ve been coached,” Gau said of the efficient slashing offense. “When you don’t have the ball, screen or cut, just help your teammates as much as you can. We stress team effort in practice.” Oostendorp added that the teammates have gotten to know each other so well that they often use non-verbal communication and know where to go just by looking at each other. The win was extra special for the players, who were playing in front of a full crown for the first time in nearly two years. “We had a DJ playing music and we had a student section,” said McKinnon, who is in his second year coaching the team, “Our girls fed off that energy. I hope more people come to our games and like the way we play.” Leading 54-23 after three quarters, McKinnon emptied his bench for a majority of the fourth. Sophomore Faith Beliveau scored six of her nine in the final quarter and freshman Angelina Daley scored three straight points. “I love getting all these kids in the game. I had them all in class in the seventh grade and to see them out here cheering each other on is encouraging,” added McKinnon, who teaches at Griswold Middle School. “They are great kids and I love coaching them every single day.” McKinnon added that the experience they are earning now will pay big dividends next year as well, “It will build competition for playing time next year. We have talent coming in from the middle school too. I want a lot of people competing for seven, eight varsity positions. It's a great problem to have and I’ll take that any day.” Entering the week, the Terriers stand at 9-5 and have back-to-back home games this week as they host South Windsor on Thur. Feb 10 (6:30 p.m.) and University, Fri., Feb 11 (4:00 p.m.) Newington girls’ basketball shook off an early deficit to come from behind and defeat Cromwell 64-44 on Jan. 31.
The Panthers jumped out to a 20-14 lead after the first quarter and held a seven point lead at the half before Newington rallied behind a tremendous defensive effort in which they held Cromwell to 12 second half-points. Four Newington players scored in double figures with freshman Bela Cucuta leading the way with 15 points, 12 coming from downtown. Fellow freshman Kendall Miller added 13 points, 11 rebounds, and four steals. Senior Lilly Ferguson added 12 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, while fellow senior Marlie Zocco chipped in 10 points. Cromwell was led by Nevaeh Clark, who had 13 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Adela Cecunjanin added 12 rebounds, nine points, and blocked four shots. Newington wrapped up last week with a win over Bristol Eastern, 55-41, upping the team’s record to 16-1. Ferguson scored a game-high 20 and Cucuta added 15 in the win over the Lancers. Next up for the Nor’easters is a rematch at powerhouse Windsor on Fri, Feb. 11 at 6:45 p.m. They close the regular season at home on Mon., Feb 14 against Wethersfield for a 5:30 p.m. tip. Cromwell rebounded from the loss to Newington with back-to-back wins over Haddam-Killingworth (53-42) and Coginchaug Regional (38-33) to close the week with a record of 11-2. Cecunjanin combined for 24 points and 28 rebounds in the two wins. The Panthers close out the regular season with two of three at home beginning with a game against Canton on Sat. Feb 12 at 2:30 p.m. Glastonbury High School seniors Jack Niland (l) and Jack Hennessy (r) committed to play college football on Feb 2. The commits are pictured with GHS head coach Eric Hennessy.
On Feb. 2 at Glastonbury High School, seniors Jack Niland and Jack Hennessy signed commitments to play collegiate football. Niland committed to The University of New England (UNE) and Hennessy to Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU). The two have had very different paths to get to this point, but are now both college football-bound. The Quick Ascent of No-Miss Niland Niland will kick for UNE in Biddeford, Maine. It’s an amazing next step for Niland, who had not kicked a football off a tee prior to the fall of 2021. He had played soccer since he was five before injuries over the last couple of year derailed his soccer career, leaving him without the sport he had spent nearly a dozen years playing. Serendipitously, Glastonbury football coach Eric Hennessy was in need of a place kicker and boys’ soccer coach Chris Vozzolo suggested Niland. “It was an amazing opportunity,” said Niland. “I got to be with a great group of guys that supported me throughout all of this.” Going from kicking a round soccer ball to an oblong football was a bit of an adjustment for Niland, who embraced the challenge. “It’s a different feel when you have 11 guys rushing at you opposed to one or two on the soccer field. In football it all or nothing, but I’ve welcomed that change and it’s been really fun,” added Niland. Niland, who joined the team a little late this fall, was welcomed with open arms and immediately made an impact. He recalled his first week of practice, “I had to have seven days of practice to play in the game and we decided to run a few drills on special teams and this was one of my first times kicking with my holder, so I was understandably a little nervous. I made the first three and we moved it back and within the first week I ended up setting a current high for myself, which is 47 yards. Everyone was so ecstatic. It was an amazing thing to happen because in soccer I never had the whole team cheering me on.” From that point on his teammates nicknamed him a ‘No-Miss Niland’ and he became the team’s official place kicker and punter. Within 12 months he’ll go from being a kid without a sport to a college kicker, joining a Nor’easter team that plays in the Commonwealth Coast Conference. Niland said that with or without football, UNE was his next destination. “They have been my top choice school for a while,” said Niland. “I’m kind of a homebody so I wanted to stay somewhere close to Connecticut. I went up there for an unofficial visit and I loved the campus. [My family] goes up to Maine every year. It’s just a great area.” Outside of football and soccer, Niland enjoys swimming and tennis. He also plays piano and sings for the Madrigals, which is a voice ensemble at GHS who performs small choral works chosen mainly from the 16th and 17th centuries. At UNE, Niland will major in biochemistry and join a football program which will be entering their fifth year at the Division III level. “The thing that excites me is the college experience and I’m really looking forward to that camaraderie between the team” said Niland. Hennessy Willing to Accept Any Role Hennessy’s versatility will be welcomed at SCSU in New Haven. He was recruited as a football player, not necessarily defined by a position. He will most likely be a defensive lineman or tight end for the Owls, but the limitations are endless. “I’ll play whatever. If they need a quarterback, I can throw a little bit,” the 6’4” prospect joked. “Throughout my high school career I’ve played several different positions and that is something that I pride myself on.” One thing is for certain, Hennessy is physical and that will benefit him at the next level. He was the team’s lead back when the team physically dominated an undefeated Newington team in week five last year. He helped pave the way for the tandem of Jack Petrone and Matt Daniels as the Guardians rushed for 331 yards. Hennessy said beating Newington was his favorite moment so far on the football fields because his dad---GHS head coach Eric Hennessy---was the former coach at Newington High School. “I spent a lot of time there as a kid running around the field. It was nice to be able to win that one. We tried to be more physical than any team we played and we did that against Newington.” Following the conclusion of his senior season, Hennessy was honored with an all-state selection as a tight end. After losing his junior season to the Covid-cancellation, Hennessy set out to prove himself this past fall, “Losing my junior year there were a lot of questions. Knowing I was able to get all-state to finish my high school career was a good feeling.” College football is the next natural step for Hennessy, who has the both the football background and desire to thrive at the next level. But that wasn’t always the case. He said that he hated football when he first started playing in elementary and wanted to focus on basketball, which he still plays for the school. However, he slowly learned to appreciate the gridiron sport and cannot wait to showcase his abilities at SCSU. “In the summer they were one of the first schools to get into contact with me. It means a lot, it means they value me. What sets them apart from some of the other schools was that I could play in Connecticut and help make football better in the state” said Hennessy, who is leaning towards majoring in communications. “It’s another level of football. It’s men now and not teenagers. I want that challenge.” He’ll join a program that is notorious for keeping homegrown football talent in Connecticut. The Owls are led by Tom Godek, who is a former All-New England player for the program and has been on the sidelines for over two decades, serving the last eight as the head coach. GHS senior Sydney Kehl defends Avon's Adeline Standish during the Guardians 44-29 win on Feb. 1.
With the game tied at eight after the first quarter, Glastonbury girls’ basketball got defensive, holding visiting Avon to three points in the second quarter during a 44-29 victory on Feb. 1. The Guardians used a 14-3 run, spanning the beginning of the second quarter through the midway point of the third quarter, to break the game open. Offensively it was a balanced attack with eight players scoring, led by 11 points from junior Gisel Astiasaran. Avon’s Adeline Standish scored a game-high 14, but only eight after the first quarter. Seniors Sydney Kehl and Kiley Feeney were tasked with limiting Standish as the Guardians’ swarming zone defense stymied the Falcons, who scored just 21 points following the first quarter. “We definitely knew about [Standish]. We just tried to focus on staying in front and staying around her. We knew we had to stay straight up and not foul her,” said Kehl, who scored four of her five points in the opening quarter. . Following the first quarter, the Guardians upped the tempo, playing press and limiting Standish’s touches in the paint. “We started to play more aggressive,” said Feeney. “Sydney was able to shut [Standish] down and got her in foul trouble.” Trailing by one early in the second quarter, Astiasaran hauled down an offensive rebound and scored to regain the lead. On the following possession, freshman Madison Handrahan grabbed a defensive rebound before dribbling up court and canning a midrange jumper. The home team would lead the rest of the way. Feeney scored seven of her nine in the second half as the Guardians displayed great ball movement with each player touching the ball on nearly every possession. On most possessions, each player had multiple touches. Both Kehl and Feeney, who are the team’s only seniors, agreed that the offense is at its best when the ball is constantly moving. Glastonbury cemented the victory by going on a 10-4 run between the end of the third and beginning of the fourth. Astiasaran scored five points during the burst and Alyssa Healy provided a highlight when she grabbed a rebound on the defensive end, quickly dribbled up court and made a perfect pass to Lily Woodworth for a layup. At the 7:01 mark of the fourth, Kehl and Feeney checked back into the game and put the finishing touches on the win. Feeney scored on an assist from Skylar Fiske to make the game 35-22 and then had a block that stopped a transition opportunity for Avon. The Falcons narrowed the deficit to nine with four minutes to play before the Guardians scored eight of the game’s final ten points to wrap up their ninth win of the season. Prior to the win over Avon, the Guardians defeated Bristol Eastern 41-37, which qualified them for the state tournament. “We knew we had a young team, so Kiley and I knew we had to be leaders and really communicate,” stated Kehl. “A lot of the girls really didn’t know a lot of the plays, so we knew we had to be more patient with them and be the voice of the team.” Kehl is the only returning starter from a season ago when the team won 13 of 15 games en route to a conference title. “Before the season we lost four of the best people to ever go through this program so I knew it was going to be a challenge, but these younger players have stepped up and I’ve been impressed with all of them,” said Kehl. Feeney said the development of the younger girls has been tremendous, “They bring the effort every day and we’re here to help them.” Both senior have been impressed with Handrahan, who is playing point guard as a freshman. “On the first day of tryouts I saw what she could do on the floor. As soon as I saw her I knew she was going to make an impact,” said Kehl. Feeney added that the team came into the season solely focused on winning and playing “every game like it could be our last.” On Mon., Feb. 14 the Guardians welcome Simsbury to GHS for the team’s home and regular season finale. The game will tip at 6:45 p.m. It will be the final tune-up before postseason play begins. Kehl said she’d like to see the team tighten up defensively, adding, “Defense will win a lot of games.” “We need effort every minute of every game,” added Feeney. Sophomore Skylar Fiske gets ready to shoot against Avon's Lindsay Snyder Mount Southington Finale for GHS Ski
The boys and girls ski team had their fifth and final race of the season at Mount Southington on Feb. 2. The girls finished in 5th place of the 13 teams competing. The girls were led by senior co-captains Sara Wertsching and Katie Murphy who finished 24th and 30th respectively overall amongst the 182 girls racing this night. Freshman Ainsley Latz was close behind finishing in 34th place overall. Rounding out the scoring were sophomore Eva Giliberto, junior Lauren Carlino, and sophomore Sydney Waltz. The girls finished the year with an overall record of 39 wins and 22 losses. This excellent record has qualified them to race in the State Open. The boys ski race team finished in 10th place of the 14 teams competing on this night. The boys were led by senior co-captain Matt Bulger and his brother, freshman Alex Bulger. The Bulger brothers finished in 6th and 11th place respectively overall amongst the 209 boys racing. Contributing to the team score were senior co-captain Ryan Murphy, juniors Nate Zimbelman and Tim Kohlun followed by freshman Ryan Sarni. “I’m not surprised the girls qualified for the state tournament. They have consistently put up excellent times all season and have worked hard during conditioning and also practice to hone their skills,” stated head coach Tom Zelek. “The boys had only one bad race unfortunately otherwise they also would have qualified. We are looking forward to the State Tournament and then the Shootouts to compete against the best high school ski racers in the state.” GHS Swim & Dive Defeats Amity The Glastonbury High School boys swimming and diving team took down perennial downstate power Amity High School, 93-88, on Feb. 1. It was the depth of the Guardians and the huge advantage in diving that made the difference in this meet. Amity actually won 7 of the 12 events behind the strength of their top-end talent, but Glastonbury scored more points in 6 of the 12 events along with splitting the points in one event. The meet victory raises the GHS regular season record to 8-1 and 18-11 all-time against AHS with nine GHS wins in a row. The Guardians were led by Campbell McFall who had three wins. Jay Shah, Jack Watson, Sander Silverman, John Redfern and James Liao all had one win each. The Spartans got three wins each from Seamus Hennessy and Ben Frazer. Adam Liu and Connor Hallstrom each added two wins. The single winners were Allen Liu, Kevin Sweeney and Henry Atwood. Two of the three relays were strategic as GHS head coach Suzie Hoyt split them in order to try and garner 2nd and 3rd places. It worked to perfection in the opening 200 medley relay as GHS did just that by placing 2-3. The relay team of Jack Watson, Will Torrey, John Comite and John Redfern placed 2nd while the relay team of James Liao, Isaac Shen, Connor Lieu and Ryan Lieu placed 3rd a second ahead of the Amity B relay. This made the score 8-6 in favor of Amity after 1 event. At this early stage of the meet, a shocking turn of events occurred as the top 200 freestyle swimmer from Amity had to scratch just seconds before the start of the event due to a sudden illness. Amity had to leave lane 3 empty and only compete with 2 swimmers against the 3 from Glastonbury. GHS took full advantage and placed 1-2-4 in the event. Campbell McFall was 1st, Brian Pawlowski was 2nd and Myles Murphy was just out-touched by 0.07 of a second at the end and placed 4th. That is a 12-4 event score and now the lead changed as GHS was now ahead with the score 18-12. Amity immediately started to chip away at this slim lead as they placed 1-3 in the 200 individual medley with Seamus Hennessy winning the event by a second. GHS placed 2-4-5. James Liao was 2nd, John Redfern was 4th and Ethan Hipsky was 5th. The event score was 9-7 in Amity’s favor and now the meet score was 25-21. The 50 freestyle was a huge event for Amity as they placed 1-3-5 with sprint specialist Ben Frazer winning the event. All the times very close together but GHS had to settle with 2nd and 4th place from Sander Silverman and Nick Roberts respectively. The event score was 10-6 in favor of Amity and now the meet was deadlocked at 31-31 entering the diving event. Amity historically always has several good divers, but for some reason they don’t have a single one on the roster this year. This resulted in a massive 1-2-3 finish for GHS and an event score of 13-0. Jay Shah was 1st, Evan Scott was 2nd and Max McCurdy was 3rd. The meet score was now 44-31 in favor of the Guardians. The next three events went a long way to seizing control of the meet for Glastonbury as they out-scored Amity in all three. The 100 butterfly was a 1-3-4 finish for GHS. Jack Watson was 1st, Connor Lieu was 3rd and John Comite was 4th. Sprinter Ben Frazer from Amity was back in the water and quickly won the 100 freestyle. Glastonbury flexed its strong depth and finished 2-3-4 to out-score Amity in the event 9-7. Sander Silverman was 2nd, Brian Pawlowski was 3rd and Myles Murphy was 4th as all of them did 52’s and came into the wall as a team. The 500 freestyle really solidified the chances for victory as Glastonbury went 1-3-4. Campbell McFall dominated for the win as he won by 5 seconds. John Redfern was 3rd and Ethan Hipsky was 4th. Coach Hoyt also split the 200 freestyle relay and it worked as planned once again as GHS easily placed 2-3. The relay team of Sander Silverman, Connor Lieu, Myles Murphy and Brian Pawlowski placed 2nd while the relay team of Nick Roberts, Ryan Lieu, Leo Wong and Campbell McFall placed 3rd 7 seconds ahead of the Amity B relay. The 100 backstroke was a stalemate as the event score was 8-8. Seamus Hennessy got his 2nd individual win of the meet for Amity. GHS placed 2-3-5. James Liao was 2nd, Jack Watson was 3rd by only 0.02 of a second and John Comite was 5th. Amity would dominate the 100 breaststroke, but it was too little too late for the Spartans. Adam Liu won the event for Amity. GHS could only manage 3rd and 5th place. Will Torrey was 3rd and Isaac Shen was 5th. The 12-4 event score in favor of Amity made the meet score 93-76 and now the meet victory was clinched for Glastonbury since Amity could only reach 88 points with 1 event left. GHS would swim the last event exhibition. GHS was all-in for the last 400 freestyle relay as they placed 1-3. The relay team of Campbell McFall, Sander Silverman, John Redfern and James Liao blew everybody out of the water as they won the event by 7 seconds. One of the best races of the day was the last leg of the relay between Ben Frazer and Brian Pawlowski as they battled for 2nd place. Brian left it all in the pool, but was just out-touched by Ben. The final score came to 93-88. For a meet that was knotted at 31 just before diving, the Guardians showed some moxie and made pretty easy work of it in the 2nd half of the meet. The upcoming schedule has two home CCC divisional dual meets. GHS swims East Hartford High School on Tuesday, February 15th at 3:45 PM and then swims Windsor High School on Thursday, February 17th at 4 PM. Contributed by Steve Hoyt. RHAM wrestling captain (l) senior Zackary Kanaitis and junior Jeremy Devine are both contending for a state championship this winter
Most wrestling programs in the state are struggling with the number of wrestlers this winter because of the COVID-cancellation a season ago. Some wrestlers quit the sport or decided not to come back after the pandemic wiped away an entire season. That is not the case at RHAM High School where head coach Ryan Fitch has seen a boom in numbers, which has translated into 16 wins in their first 17 matches. “We started with 30 kids this year. We’ve never had 30 at this school and our numbers will be up even more next year,” said Fitch, who credited the town’s youth wrestling program. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s been a struggle with kids in and out with COVID and missing practice, but it’s been great seeing the kids back out on the mat.” The Raptors defeated Enfield 52-21 last Wednesday, Jan. 26 in front of a nearly packed house at RHAM High School. After a year without competitive high school wrestling, Fitch---who is in his 26th season coaching at the high school---noted that he’s felt the energy level has returned, referencing a recent match against powerhouse Notre Dame, saying, “I don’t think I’ve seen more intensity or excitement from this team. It was nice to see.” Senior captain Zackary Kanaitis is leading the team on and off the mat. Against Enfield, he defeated K’dyn McBride by decision (16-3). “It’s just awesome being back,” said Kanaitis, who wrestles at 145 pounds. ”We had a tournament last Saturday and we wrestled really well and beat two top-ten teams in the state. Everybody is ready to go and people are showing up to see us.” As a sophomore in 2020, Kanaitis won a state championship wrestling at 120 lbs., defeating Mason Concascia of Waterford to win the Class M title. RHAM finished third overall as a team that same season. Jeremy Devine finished fourth at the 2020 finals, wrestling at 126 pounds. Devine is now a junior and co-captain with Kanaitis. Now wrestling at 160 pounds, Devine is mowing down opponents this year. Against Enfield, he quickly pinned Robert Moeller. Devine said it took a few matches this year to “shake the rust off”, adding, “We have a great team this year. It took some preseason work with Zack and a couple of the other seniors, but now we’re back to full strength.” Fitch referred to his captains as “the hardest working guys in the room.” “It is a good family atmosphere but it all starts with the leaders of the team and I got two really good leaders this year. They work together well,” added Fitch. “Zack has grown immensely and he won a state championship a few years ago, but he wouldn’t have done it without Jeremy pushing him.” One of the reasons for the success this year is a tremendous group of sophomores, who are excelling despite experiencing high school wrestling for the first time. Sophomore Ben Fournier has stepped into a key role, wrestling at 106. Fitch called Fouriner a “stud” and also praised Michael Guerriero for his quick development. Against Enfield, Fournier won by decision (7-0), Guerriero (113 lbs.) won by forfeit, and fellow sophomore Gavin Ploude (120 lbs.) won by decision. Other Raptors to win were Claire Keene (126 lbs.), Borden Landers (170), Michael Marques (182), Zackary Syme (195), and Thomas Paneccasio (220). The team is stacked from the top down, contending in each weight class. “Everyone is really close,” Kanaitis said of the team, “We help each other out here or if we need help in school. Right now we are just prioritizing staying together as a team.” Devine added, “We’re always laughing and having a good time. We have a lot of new guys that came out and tried the sport and loved it and in our last tournament everyone was in every match. That’s the key to why we are so successful this season.” Monday, Feb. 1, the team celebrated Senior Night, Monday Feb. 1, by destroying Old Lyme 78-6. The team recognized six seniors; Kanaitis, Keene, Landers, Paneccasio, Emma Heslin, and Alexander Susman. Next up is the Bacon Academy Bobcat Classic, which is scheduled for this Saturday, Feb. 5, at 9:00 a.m. It’ll be a good measuring stick for the Raptors before the Class M championship starts on Feb. 18. “The more opportunities we can get the better we are. Bacon is a great tournament and we haven't had a lot of tournaments this year,” added Fitch. “We are doing well with dual meets but now we get to find out what we have in a different atmosphere.” Four years ago, Bacon Academy freshman Jordan Malloy shocked the local cross country community by winning the Eastern Connecticut Conference (ECC) cross country championships, defeating Montville’s Mady Whittaker who was a senior and the reigning champion.
“I didn’t think I could catch up with [Mady] but I knew I had enough at the end,” recalled Malloy, “It was surprising, but I was very happy. I feel like that gave me a lot of confidence.” Malloy would go on to have four fantastic seasons on the trails across the state and has now committed to continue her competitive running at Stonehill College in Easton, Mass. “I wanted to stay in New England because I love New England,” said Malloy, who was influenced by 2019 Bacon Academy graduate Andrew Janus, who now runs for the Stonehill College men’s cross country team. “I went there and met the team and I just really loved the atmosphere there. The coach is amazing, the campus is great.” Malloy is currently running distance events for the indoor track and field team and will do the same this spring during outdoor track season for the Bobcats. She has compiled an impressive resume at high school, which includes two ECC cross country championships and a third place finish at the Class M finals this fall. She first started running 5K races in elementary school with her mom, Marychia Malloy. It’s then when Jordan discovered that she had a knack for distance running. After attending a magnet school for art in the sixth grade, she realized didn’t want to specialize and came back to public schools, joining her first cross country team in the seventh grade. It was in eighth grade that Malloy was running near the front of the pack. And then, within the first few months of high school, she was a conference champion. She credits her coaches and teammates with pushing her and helping her train, adding “I am very grateful for them.” She added that both the boys and girls cross country teams as Bacon run together, giving her extra incentive and drive during practice. “The team part is very important. The girls cheer on the guys and the guys cheer on the girls,” added Malloy. “During meets you might feel alone, but we are all cheering each other on.” Because she runs all three seasons, she said she doesn’t have a lot of downtime but enjoys singing in the school’s choir and doing outdoor activities, particularly skiing and hiking, with her family. Her younger brother, Neil, is a sophomore at Bacon, who prefers rock climbing over running. Malloy is trying to soak up her time left at Bacon, saying, “It is going by fast. I’m trying to make the most of the rest of the time I have here.” Next fall she’ll be running alongside new teammates at Stonehill, joining the Skyhawks led by Karen Boen. Boen has been coaching at the college for nearly a quarter-century and has led the women’s program to 18 conference titles. “Stonehill ended up working out and I’m really happy about that,” said Malloy, who is leaning towards majoring in environmental studies or anthropology. “I don’t know what college is going to be like, but I’m excited.” Here are the Rivereast Standout Athletes of the Week for week of Jan. 24-30:
Luke Grimlord - Bacon Academy High School (Basketball): Grimlord scored a team-high 14 points and put the game on ice with a pair of clutch free throws with 10 second left in regulation as the Bobcats held off Fitch, 41-36, on Jan. 25. The junior hit two three-pointers and senior teammates added 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Bobcats, who followed up the win with another victory over Woodstock Academy on Jan. 28, improving to 8-5 overall and earning their fourth win in a row. Brylee Montanari - East Hampton High School (Indoor Track): Montanari won the 55 meter hurdles and finished second in the 55 meter dash at the Shoreline Coaches Invitational on Jan. 28 in New Haven. The senior, who has committed to run track at The University of North Carolina Wilmington, ran a 9.07 to defeat runner-up Madison McLeod of Ledyard in the 55m hurdles and then ran a personal-best 7.51 in the 55m dash, finishing second to Jalene Martin at Ellington. Anna Barry - RHAM High School (Basketball): Barry, a 2018 RHAM-graduate, made a season-high 10 field goals and scored 22 points as Eastern Connecticut State University defeated Castleton University in a Little East Conference title. The now-college senior also grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds and blocked four shots for the Warriors, who earned their eighth conference win and eleventh victory overall. Berry is averaging career-highs in points (14.9) and rebound (9.3) this season. Morganne Pineda - Portland (Basketball): Pineda shot 54% from the field, scoring 12 points and grabbing six rebounds as the Highlanders upended Haddam-Killingworth 44-34 on Jan. 25. It was the freshman point guard’s first game back after being out with an injury for two weeks. The win snapped an eight game losing streak for Portland, who has now won two of their last three games. To nominate someone for an Athlete of the Week or with any questions or comments on sports-related topics, email Josh Howard at joshhowardsports@gmail.com Wethersfield's junior guard Vanessa Venditti passes the ball during the Eagles 58-44 loss to NWC on Jan. 25
Northwest Catholic used a 16-0 run in the first quarter to take an early lead and never looked back as the visiting Lions defeated Wethersfield girls’ basketball 58-44 last Tuesday, Jan. 25 at WHS. NWC seniors Morgan Murphy (23 points) and Brianna Lebrun (19) did a majority of the scoring damage. The duo combined to score all 25 of the team’s first quarters points. “What has frustrated me to this point is that we are usually able to take away a team’s best player, but it’s been the opposite against us this year,” said Wethersfield head coach Jeff Russell. “Every team’s best player has had their best night against us. Our scouting report that we give is not appearing on the court.” Trailing by 17 after the first, Wethersfield chipped away at the deficit several times but couldn't get any closer than seven points. Mackenzie Mori came off the bench to lead the Eagles with 11 points, including seven in the second quarter as the home team outscored the visitors 17-10. Mori led a 9-point run in the quarter, hitting a floater and knocking down a three-pointer on back-to-back possessions. The run narrowed the gap to 30-23, which was the closest they would get the rest of the night. In an effort to get the ball out of the hands of Murphy and Lebrun, Russell used a press from the onset, rotating in several players and digging deep into his bench. “We wanted to force them to play fast because they really struggle to play fast, but if you don’t do the second half of it which is have a body on the post it doesn’t matter how fast you get them to play,” said Russell, who watched Lebrun torch his team for 16 point in the first quarter. “If you don’t have a body on her, she is going to get an offensive rebound and score. They killed us with that and they killed us from the foul line tonight.” Missed layups and turnovers doomed the Eagles in the second half. Northwest Catholic sophomore Maeve Rushin, who is the daughter of Connecticut basketball legend Rebecca Lobo, scored eight of her 10 points in the second half to secure the victory. Russell’s deep rotation allowed nine Eagles players to breaking into the scoring column but the team could only muster a total of 19 points in the second half. Vanessa Venditti, who scored eight in the first half, received a lot of attention defensively and was limited to two points after the break. Russell said Venditti has done well as the primary scorer and the team is still searching for a secondary scorer to alleviate some of the pressure. “We have a lot of kids that work really, really hard but what we lack are pure basketball players,” added Russell. “What we’ve gotten away with in the past is being really deep defensively and then on offense we have the basketball kids that can take over.” After allowing 25 points in the opening quarter, the Eagles played much better on the defensive end, allowing only 33 points the rest of the way. A young bench, featuring Mori and fellow sophomores Avery Ford and Sophie Adams, brought some much needed energy to the court. Ford was a force defensively, coming up with several deflections which started transition opportunities for Wethersfield. Russell said Ford does a lot more right than wrong and has a high IQ for an underclassman, “A few games ago she stepped in and played phenomenal for us against Windsor and really led the comeback to give us a chance.” Prior to the Northwest game, the Eagles were coming off a convincing win over Rocky Hill (65-30) and a hard-fourth loss against powerhouse Windsor. Venditti combined for 40 points in the two games, including canning a half dozen three-pointers against Windsor. Russell added that the team has to find other ways to win this year. The sixth year coach had a championship-worthy team in 2020 that was preparing to play in the Class L quarterfinals prior to the COVID-cancellation. Russell said this season’s team differs from that 2019-2020 team, which featured three all-conference players. “Our schedule is based on what we did a few years ago. We’ve faced two top-ten teams this year and our players are being tasked with some incredibly difficult stuff,” said Russell His goal is to have the team play disciplined defensively and hopefully create easy buckets on the offensive end. Following the loss to NWC, the Eagles responded with back-to-back road games against Berlin and Rockville, bringing their record to 7-5. Defense was the catalyst in the wins, holding the teams to 28 and 29 points respectively. Venditti combined for 24 points in the two wins, including going 4-4 from behind the arc in the win over Rockville. The Eagles return to WHS this Friday, Feb. 4, for an important Central Connecticut Conference tilt with Middletown. The game tips at 6:45 p.m. |
AuthorSports Editor for the Rare Reminder, Glastonbury Citizen, and Rivereast News Bulletin Archives
April 2024
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