Emma Heslin (l) and Jackson Heslin became the first brother-sister combo to ever capture state wrestling championships in Connecticut and the first siblings to win on the same day.
On Feb 27, Emma and Jackson Heslin of Marlborough made history, becoming the first siblings to win a wrestling state championship on the same day. They also became the first brother-sister combo ever to be crowned State Open wrestling champions by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC). Emma Heslin, a senior, defeated Elena Quintaro of Southington to win the State Open in the girls’ 99-pound tourney. In winning, she also became the first female wrestler at RHAM High School to capture a state championship. “I love seeing the sport grow. It’s the fastest growing female sport right now and I hope that seeing my name up on the banner in our gym will inspire other girls here,” said Emma, who embraced the moment. “I was so happy and I was excited for my team.” Senior teammate Claire Keene (126 lbs.) placed third at the State Open as the Raptors girls finished fourth overall. Emma said the program, both boys and girls, is extremely close and added that being the first female to even win a state title for the program is an honor. “I love this sport and am so humbled that I’m in this position. I am so grateful to the girls that have paved that path to give me the opportunity to wrestle,” she added. “I hope it inspires more girls to get on the mat because it is just such a great sport and it has made me an all-around better person.” Jackson, who is a freshman at Xavier High School in Middletown, won a 120-pound State Open title by downing top-seed Ethan Titus of Canton. “This is what I’ve trained for all year,” said Jackson, who also won the Class L title the previous week. “Coming into the tournament I was confident in my ability to win. What really helped me was knowing I’ve outworked everyone.” In addition, he became the first freshman wrestler at Xavier to win a State Open title. The Falcons also captured a State Open championship as a team, winning the program’s second title and first since 2012. “We’re all family,” Jackson said of his team. “This was the goal all year. It’s awesome to accomplish it as a team and celebrate together.” Both the boys and girls State Open championships were held last weekend, Saturday and Sunday, at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven. Emma, who entered her bracket as the #3-seed, beat Lena Alves of Killingly in the quarterfinal round. She then defeated #2-seed Madison Arthur of Gilbert in the semifinals before taking down Quintaro in the title match. Jackson also entered his tourney as the 3-seed in his bracket before eliminating Jaiden James of Norwich, Jake Elpi of Branford, and Ben Zuckerman of Fairfield to reach the championship bout. He then knocked off Titus to capture the State Open. Because they go to different schools, the siblings didn’t get to watch each other wrestle many times this season, so having the State Open held at the same venue allowed the two to cheer for each other and celebrate the historic moment together. “To accomplish this together means so much,” said Emma, whose championship match was first. “I knew [Jackson] was going to win because that is what he does. I’m just so happy we got this together.” Jackson added that the siblings didn’t talk much about winning a state championship together during the season until they realized it became a possibility prior to the State Open. “[Emma] found out she could go 99 pounds and we knew we had a shot,” he said. “When we were both going into the finals the next day I thought this would be cool if we both won—both Heslins winning.” Jackson will now compete at New England Regionals this weekend and both will head to the 33rd National High School championship in Virginia Beach, VA. during the last weekend in March. Following her graduation this spring, Emma plans to continue wrestling in college but has yet to make a decision on where. Her hope is to take the sport as far as she can, adding, “I’m just getting started and this could become a career path where one day I could be coaching a girls’ team at a high school.” Jackson has three more seasons on the high school mats where he hopes to join some rarified air and become a “four-timer” by winning additional state titles over the next three years.
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East Hampton girls’ basketball won a third consecutive Shoreline Conference championship with a 44-28 victory over Valley Regional. Freshman Liana Salamone, who led the team with 19 points, was named a Rivereast Standout Athlete of the Week.
Here are the Rivereast Standout Athletes of the Week for the week of Feb. 21-27: Liana Salamone - East Hampton High School (Basketball): Salamone continued her phenomenal freshman year by helping the Bellringers capture a Shoreline Conference (SLC) championship on Feb. 26. She scored a game-high 26 points as East Hampton eliminated North Branford, 53-37, in the semifinal round on Feb. 22 and then added 19 points as the team knocked off Valley Regional 44-28 to win a third straight SLC title. Salamone and sophomore teammate Jackie Russell were named to the All-SLC first-team, and junior Jordan Murphy was named to the All-SLC third-team. Head coach Shaun Russell was also named the SLC Coach of the Year. Owen Delisle - Portland High School (Indoor Track): Delisle, a senior captain, came in 3rd in the 600 meter run at the Class S Championship. His performance at the class championships qualified Delisle for the State Open where he ran a personal-best time of 126.27, shattering his previous mark and setting a new school record in the 600 meters. Jennifer Whipple - Bacon Academy High School (Track & Field): Whipple will represent Bacon Academy at the New England Regionals in Boston on March 5 and the New Balance National Meet in New York the following week. The senior, who has committed to Lehigh University for track & field, placed 4th overall in the shot put at the State Open and 2nd at the Class M finals to qualify for the regional and national events. Spencer Pilkington - RHAM High School (Basketball): Pilkington scored 18 points as the Raptors defeated Platt 72-54 in the opening round of the Central Connecticut Conference (CCC) tournament on Feb. 24. The senior helped lead the Raptors to a 17-3 regular season and now the team will turn their attention to the Division III state tournament, which starts next week. To nominate someone for an Athlete of the Week or with questions or comments on sports-related topics, email Josh Howard at joshhowardsports@gmail.com Bacon Academy junior Marissa Nudd attacks the basket during the Bobcats 66-55 loss to New London in the ECC title game at Mohegan Sun on Feb. 22
Bacon Academy girls’ basketball lost to New London in the Eastern Connecticut Conference (ECC) Division I championship game, falling 66-55 at Mohegan Sun on Feb 22. It was only the team’s third loss this season and the first conference defeat, ending a ten-game conference winning streak. Playing under the bright lights of the Mohegan Sun Arena, the Whalers—who were the #2-seed— jumped out to an early advantage on the top-seeded Bobcats and never looked back. New London was able to find holes in Bacon’s zone defense, scoring 38 points in the first half and taking a 17 point lead into the break. Nalyce Dudley, who was named the tournament’s most valuable player, led a second quarter surge, scoring 11 on her 25 in the frame. Bacon’s largest and last lead was 10-7 in the first quarter on a rebound putback by Valerie Luizzi, who scored a team-high 25 points. New London countered by going on a 12-4 run to take a lead they would not relinquish. Marissa Nudd, who finished with 18 points and eight rebounds, converted a layup to narrow the deficit to 19-18 early in the second quarter before New London went on another scoring run—this time a 19-3 spurt to close out the half. Bacon trailed by as many as 24 in the second half but slowly chipped away thanks to Luizzi and Nudd, who carried the team over the final 16 minutes. A pair of steals and four straight points by Luizzi cut the deficit to nine points in the fourth, but it was too little too late for the short-handed Bobcats, who were playing without senior guard and defensive standout Ashley Lizotte. Luizzi said playing at Mohegan was a “surreal” experience. As a sophomore, the now-senior captain was unable to play because of a broken wrist when the team made the ECC finals in 2020. Last season was limited because of the COVID-shortened season, so the team made it a goal this winter to make a march to Mohegan. “Making it back to play for my senior year was one of my goals and we couldn’t have done it without the whole team. We had a lot of people step up to help us get there. We have an amazing group of underclassmen who help make our team better every day,” added Luizzi, who was named to the all-tourney team with Nudd. The goal now turns to making another run towards the Sun in the state tournament. Prior to the conference championship game, the Bobcats had won 20 of 22 games. Bacon Academy’s regular season record earned them the #2-seed and a first round bye in the Class M state tournament. The Bobcats will face #15 Griswold on Fri., March 4 at Bacon Academy High School. The second round game will tip at 6:30 p.m. It will be the latest challenge for a team that has faced a slew of obstacles this winter, including COVID-restrictions, injuries, and the controversy surrounding the accusation of a fan using a racial slur during a game at Ledyard High School in early-February. Through it all, the players have continued to grind and remained above the fray. “The team has been resilient this year. We have had to overcome challenges both physically and emotionally that most teams haven’t had to deal with,” stated Luizzi. “We were a close team to start the season and have used these challenges to motivate us each game. We pull each other up and all have the same mindset when it comes to winning.” Bacon’s 18-2 regular season was tied for the second-best record in Class M, behind Holy Cross, who finished 20-0. With three tourney wins, they would get a shot at championship redemption on the court that the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun calls home. “We have been so successful this year because we all push each other to be better and know we can count on each other on and off the court,” added Luizzi. “We are 100% focused on the state tournament. We are taking it one game at a time. We know there are a lot of good teams in our bracket but we are hungry for the win. We plan to make it back to Mohegan.” Bacon Academy senior captain Valerie Luizzi shoots a foul shot at Mohegan Sun Arena as (#30) freshman Katelyn Novak looks on February might be a short month, but it was a big month for Glastonbury High School senior Hannah Caiola.
On Feb. 9, Caiola committed to run track next fall for Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) and then ran lead for the GHS 1600 Sprint Medley Relay (SMR) team that won the State Open in New Haven on Feb. 19. Caiola joined forces with Alayna Taylor, Riley Carroll, Ava Gattinella to create a fast foursome that was seeded fourth coming into the State Open before blowing away the competition with an event-best 4:23.06, edging runner-up Bethel (4:24.29) and top-seed Greenwich (4:24.58), who finished third. “It was my last race ever at Hillhouse and it’s really important for me to do great,” Caiola said of the relay race at the Floyd Little Athletic Center at Hillhouse High School. “We all talked before the race and we said let’s give it our all.” Caiola was also the lead on the Guardians 4x200 relay team—teaming with Taylor, Carroll, and Meghan Smith—that placed fifth. The competitive sprinter said she likes leading the relay off, adding, “I find that being the first leg is my strength. I like to start and I like competition, I just go for it.” Because of COVID protocol and other factors, the SMR relay team had several lineup changes this year. Caiola said that the quartet at the State Open put in a lot of work in practice prior to the final meet, adding that the key to a successful relay team is chemistry and handoffs. “Unity is the strongest part. Creating a strong relationship with one another, you really need that,” said Caiola, who enjoys the feeling of winning as a relay team. “It’s the success of all of us together, so that’s really nice and it shows that we are collective and unified as a team. I really like that about our team. We’ve gotten really close throughout the season.” The State Open success produced more hardware for the Guardians, who won the Class LL title as a team on Feb. 11. Caiola now turns her attention to the outdoor track season this spring where she will look to follow up on her fifth place finish a year ago in the 200 meters, which she calls her favorite race. Because she is an outdoor enthusiast, she prefers the spring season to the winter season and is looking to potentially rewriting the program’s record books in the 200m. “My goal is to break the school record,” added Caiola, who currently has the second-fastest time in program history when she ran a 25.64 last spring. “I want low 25 or maybe break 25. If I keep doing the work I am doing now and have the right mindset, I think I can do it.” As a freshman, Caiola joined the GHS crew team but quickly realized her passion was on land and not on the waters. “I found that rowing was not my strength. We would always run to the boat house and we would do workouts where we would run all the time. I found I enjoyed running,” she said. “I tried indoor [track] my freshman season and absolutely loved it. I’ve made so many close friendships.” The transition to the track has proven to be invaluable and will be a major part of her next journey at SCSU. In the fall, she will join an Owls team guided by longtime head coach Melissa Stoll Funero and an experienced staff who have solidified the program as one of the best in Division II. Staying in Connecticut was important for Caiola, who explored schools down south before narrowing her choices to SCSU and Sacred Heart. Ultimately, it was the comfort of Southern that won her over. “I chose them because of the running program and it specifically supported my major,” added Caiola, who will major in Elementary Education. “When I went on my official visit, I felt supported and I met the team and got to go to the practice. I loved it. It reminds me of the program we have here and the coaches at Southern really remind me of the coaches I have here.” Caiola added that SCSU’s track & field travel schedule will allow her to see other parts of the country, yet allow her to have her base close to home. “I get home sick. It was important that I’m here to see my family and friends once in a while,” she said. Outside of athletics, Caiola is part of the Big Siblings program at GHS, which mentors and helps incoming freshmen get acquainted with the school. She is also part of Advisory, where she creates lesson plans that prompt kindness and positivity around the school. She said that Advisory is excellent training for her desired major in college. In her downtime she is an aspiring photographer, saying, “I really enjoy going around and photographing life.” GHS's state champion 1600 Sprint Medley relay team (l-r) Riley Carroll, Alayna Taylor, Hannah Caiola, and Ava Gattinella. Caiola, a senior, has committed to run track at Southern Connecticut State University this fall. Andrew De La Rosa just wrapped up his sophomore wrestling season at Glastonbury High School with an appearance at the State Open.
The Guardians grappler qualified for the State Open after a 5th place finish at the Class LL tournament on Feb. 19. It was a succsessful debut for someone that had his first high school wiped away by the Covid-19 cancellation. De La Rosa used that time to train and compete outside of school in travel leagues. “I knew other states had a season and I wanted to make sure I had those matches. I didn't want to miss out while those other guys around were wrestling,” recalled De La Rosa. He returned this winter and took the mat by storm, winning 15 of 18 matches and becoming one of the most reliable wrestlers on the team. The Guardians only had one senior—Michael Maciolek—so De La Rosa was thrust into an important role this winter. “This team is like a family, we really have a good family atmosphere,” said De La Rosa, who wrestled at 126 lbs. “In practice everyone is trying to help each other and we push ourselves hard. We don’t give up, we don’t quit, we just keep going. I love the guys and I love being with them.” De La Rosa was introduced to the combat sport in third grade while living in New York City. He moved to Glastonbury in the fourth grade and took his passion to the next level. He said living in a small town has helped him grow as a wrestler, adding, “It gives me a lot more opportunities. I wasn't able to do a lot of the stuff when I was younger and I’m able to do that here. Living in a small town environment lets you experience a lot more things that you wouldn’t in the city.” Over the years, he has dabbled in soccer, baseball, and other athletic activities but nothing gave him the adrenaline rush of wrestling. He competed in Pennsylvania with guys from all over the country and plans to wrestle in a tournament in Virginia Beach later this month and potentially a national tournament in Fargo, North Dakota later this year. The extensive wrestling and travel has allowed him to compete against the best-of-the-best in the wrestling community. De La Rosa says he has fully “embrace the lifestyle”, basing his diet, exercise regimen, and daily life on what is best for his wrestling career. “I love the whole wrestling culture,” added De La Rosa. “I love the sport; I love the process. I understand that a lot of people aren’t willing to make this commitment and I am one of the ones that can and I take pride in what I do.” Alice Kelly - Wethersfield (Basketball): Kelly, a 2020-graduate of Wethersfield High School, scored a college-high 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) beat Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 67-63 in the quarterfinals of the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) tournament on Feb. 23. It was the first time that the former WHS all-conference standout registered a double-double in college as she hit 7 of 10 shots from the field, including both from beyond the arc, and connected on all seven of her free throw attempts.
Evan Howard - Newington/Canton (Ice Hockey): Howard earned player of the game after scoring a goal and dishing out a pair of assists as Newington co-op defeated the Bolton/Coventry/Rockville co-op. The junior then dished out three assists in a 7-2 victory over Rocky Hill/RHAM on Feb. 26, improving the Nor’easters to 16-3. Elijah Wilborn: Middletown (Basketball): Wilborn scored 16 points, including the game-winning basket as the Blue Dragons knocked off Farmington 51-50 in the opening round of the Central Connecticut Conference (CCC) tournament on Feb 24. The senior center tipped in a missed shot in the closing second to preserve the victory and advance Middletown to the second round of the tourney. Brooke Arnold - Wethersfield (Wrestling): Arnold finished second overall (138 lbs.) at the girls’ State Open wrestling championships held at The Floyd Little Athletic Center on Feb. 26 and 27. The senior defeated Arianna Cortez of Meriden in the quarterfinals and then knocked off top-seed Sydney Dameron of Griswold in the semifinals, before falling to Kelly Aspras of Foran High School in the championship bout. Grace Fisher - Rocky Hill (Basketball): Fisher, a 2018-graduate of Rocky Hill High School, made all-conference as a member of the Western New England University basketball team. The college senior is the team’s leading scorer at 14 points per game, shooting a career-best 56% from the field, and averaging nearly eight rebounds per game, earning her 2nd-team All-Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC). The swim and dive team at Wethersfield High School scored an important conference victory over Newington last Tuesday, Feb. 22.
Of the 12 events, Wethersfield won eight, including two relays to hold off a strong Nor’easter team 94-89 at Newington High School. Eagles senior Tanner Bradbury chalked up two individual victories, winning the 200 Yard Individual Medley and the 100 Yard Fly. Bradbury was also part of both relay winners, teaming with Zackary Crevier, Joseph Andino, and Jack Kulpa to win the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay, and Owen Powers, Colin Pace, and Jack Lynch to win the 400 Yard Freestyle Relay. Pace took home an individual win in the 200 Yard Freestyle, Crevier won the 50 Yard Freestyle, and Kulpa won the 100 Yard Freestyle. The Eagles also took the top-two spots in the diving portion, as Chase Dumais paced first and Lilliana Garcia placed second. Newington posted three individual wins and a relay win. Kuba Latawiec finished first in the 500 freestyle, Filip Nadratowski won the 100 Yard Backstroke, and Bryce Turner took the top spot in the 100 Yard Breaststroke. Latawiec, Nadratowski, Turner, and Wyatt Smith combined to win the 200 Yard Medley Relay. The 200 Medley Relay was the first race, which put the Eagles in an early hole. Wethersfield head coach Lee Schwartzman said it was an interesting start to the meet, adding, “[We] were immediately behind the plan. But then the seniors did what the seniors are supposed to do. They took control of the meet and we won pretty soundly.” The win improved the Eagles to 8-2. Newington's Lilly Ferguson is defended by East Hartford's Shailyn Pinkney during the CCC championship game at Enfield High School on Feb. 24.
Winning and losing can come down to a single moment. Basketball games, tournaments, and championships are sometimes decided by a miraculous shot. That was the case last Thursday when Newington High School girls’ basketball fell to East Hartford, 31-30, in the Central Connecticut Conference (CCC) championship game played at Enfield High School on Feb. 24. Leading 30-28 with 3.7 seconds remaining in regulation, East Hartford had to go the length of the floor and hope for a miracle. Senior Kayla Henry delivered by draining a deep three-pointer from the left baseline as the buzzer sounded, giving the Hornets a dramatic victory and crowning them as the CCC champs. “Kid hit a big shot. That’s how it goes sometimes,” said Newington head coach Marc Tancredi. The last minute of regulation was a microcosm of the game, which was a nail-biter from start to finish and where points were at a premium. With the game tied at 28, Henry missed a pair of free throws and Newington freshman Selah Prignano gobbled up the rebound. Tancredi wanted to make sure his team got the final shot so he strategically used three timeouts to drain the clock, setting up what looked to be the game-defining play. In the closing seconds, senior Lilly Ferguson drove to the hoop and got fouled as she began to attempt a shot and made the basket. However, the official ruled that the foul occurred before Ferguson started her shooting motion, sending Ferguson to the line for a one-and-one (a penalty situation where a player shooting the free throw only gets a second foul shot if they make the first one). Ferguson, who finished with a team-high 14 points, made two clutch free throws. After a pair of timeouts, East Hartford set up a perfect play as Nia Edens inbounded to Shailyn Pinkney who dribbled towards midcourt and fired a pass to Henry on the left baseline. Henry quickly gathered and heaved a contested, high-arching shot that dropped in as the horn sounded, causing a huge celebration in front of East Hartford’s bench. Ferguson’s late-game continuation-that-wasn’t was just one of a handful of controversial officiating decisions during the intense championship bout. “I thought a couple of calls could have gone a different way, but they didn’t and the game goes on. You just have to continue to play,” said Tancredi. “It’s unfortunate, but at the end of the day you have to give credit to East Hartford and their execution.” The back-and-forth game featured seven ties and 11 lead changes. Pinkney provided a bulk of the offense for the Hornets, scoring a game-high 15, including 11 over the final nine minutes of the first half. However, the senior point guard was held in check in the second half thanks to Prignano, who defended her for a majority of the second half. Overall, it was a tremendous defensive effort from the Nor’easters. Prior to Henry’s shot, Newington allowed only eight points total in the second half, including three in a physical third quarter. Tancredi said the team didn’t change much strategically and was “just locked in” defensively coming out of the halftime locker room. Prignano, a freshman, also canned a three-pointer in the closing second of the first half and another early in the fourth, giving the Nor’easters a 26-23. She then made two free throws to regain the lead at 28-26 with 2:48 to play in regulation. Tancredi called Prignano’s performance “unbelievable”, adding, “She wasn’t getting a lot of time early in the season and we told her to stick with the process and continue to work. We knew she’d have a big impact on our program and playing in a conference championship game against one of the best players in the state she played phenomenal defense.” The fourth-year head coach did a masterful job in the final minute as Newington held the ball for nearly an entire minute before taking the lead late on Ferguson’s free throws. “We wanted it to go down to the end. We wanted to go with three or four seconds left and we executed it perfectly. [East Hartford] just made a great play,” added Tancredi. Henry’s shot prevented consecutive CCC titles for Newington, who defeated Windsor to win the conference championship a year ago. It also dealt the Nor’easters only their second defeat this season—the other a 52-37 loss to the same East Hartford team on Jan. 28. Outside of the two stinging losses to the Hornets, the Nor’easters have downed the other 22 opponents this season, earning them the #1 seed in the Class L tourney, which started his week. Because of their 19-1 regular season record, Newington earned a bye in the first round of the state tourney and will host a second round game this Friday at NHS, tipping at 6:30 p.m. Newington’s coaches, players, and fans in attendance were dejected following the heartbreaking conference loss, but the even-keeled Tancredi had a simple message for his players following the defeat. “I’m going to tell them I’m proud of them. I’ve been proud of them all season and I love them. We’re going to take a break over the next couple of days and re-energize for the state tournament because we have championship aspirations,” said Tancredi. “This isn’t the end of the road for us and we’ll continue to lock in like we’ve done all season. One or two losses will not define us. I give a lot of credit to East Hartford, both teams deserved to win.” Interestingly, East Hartford is the #2 seed in the Class LL tourney. So it is possible that both teams could end up as state champions as the run to the Mohegan Sun begins. Newington #30 Marlie Zocco and #21 Selah Prignano box out East Hartford's Kayla Henry during a 31-30 loss to the Hornets in the CCC championship game. |
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April 2024
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