rare reminder Starting Five (Double Edition): Athletes of the Week

Cromwell High School softball ace Lily Kenney struck out her 500th career batter on April 18. Kenney (second to left) is pictured with teammates, from left, Grace McFarlin, Victoria Wiatrek, and Melena Signorello.   

Week of April 17 - 23
Lily Kenney - Cromwell High School (Softball): Kenney surpassed 500 career high school strikeouts in another masterful pitching performance, blanking Old Lyme 1-0 on April 18. Kenney, a senior ace who had her sophomore season canceled due to the pandemic, needed only 53 games to achieve the milestone. In the shutout of Old Lyme, Kenney struck out a total of 18 batters and she also connected on three hits from the plate to secure the shutout. Through the team’s first 10 games this spring, Kenney is fanning an average of over a dozen batters per start and also leads the Panthers in hits (13) and runs scored (nine).     

Shauna Kehoe - Rocky Hill High School (Softball): Kehoe pitched a complete-game three hitter, striking out a dozen batters as the Terriers defeated 7-1 Wethersfield April 21. Kehoe, a senior, also drove in a run, doubling on a line drive in the fourth inning to score Anna Aderhold for what turned out to be the game-winning run. Gianna Quaresima also drove in a pair of runs as the Terriers earned their fifth win. Entering the week, Rocky Hill has already qualified for the state tourney with a record of 8-4.     
           
Andrew Dunn Middletown High School (Golf): Dunn finished atop the leaderboard, shooting a 38 to finish as the medalist in the Blue Dragons’ home-opener on April 20. Dunn, a sophomore, was the individual winner and the Blue Dragons as a team defeated Platt (177-228) as Evan Langdon (43), Anthony Nanfito (46), and Andrew Latina (50) also paved the way for Middletown’s victory. 
           
Hailey Gaydos - Newington High School (Lacrosse): Gaydos scored five goals and dished out a pair of assists as the Nor’easters defeated RHAM 9-6 at Clem Lemire Field on April 19. Gaydos, a senior, provided a bulk of the offense while Maeve Gunning, Kailey Krusewski, Emma Freeman, Mackenzie Hillman each tallied a goal. The win over the Hebron-based Raptors was the Nor’easters fourth straight victory. 
           
Bella Tomaino - Wethersfield High School (Softball): Tomaino was perfect from the plate in consecutive games, combining to go 5-5 and drawing a handful of walks as the Eagles split a pair of games, defeating Manchester 8-7 on April 17 and falling to Conard 19-18 two nights later. Tomaino, a senior, also crushed two home runs and drove in nine total runs in the consecutive games.   
           
Week of April 24 -30
Candice Edmunds - Rocky Hill High School (Track & Field): Edmunds won both the 100 meter hurdles and 300 meter hurdles in a meet against Wethersfield on April 25. Edmunds, a junior, posted a personal-best time of 18.1 in the 100 meter hurdle and then posted a time of 55.4 in the 300 meter hurdles, edging Wethersfield sophomore Eva Nasse in both events. 
           
Will Levis - Xavier High School (Football): Levis, a 2018 graduate of Xavier High School, was drafted in the second round of the National Football League draft by the Tennessee Titans. Levis, raised in Madison, was an all-state quarterback with the Middletown-based Falcons where he broke the school’s records for passing yards (2,793), passing touchdowns (27) and completions during the 2017 season. After spending three years at Penn State, he transferred to the University of Kentucky where he started 24 games over the past two years, throwing for 33 touchdowns and running for 11 more. 
           
Tyler Cipolla - Cromwell High School (Baseball): Cipolla, a freshman, hit his first two high school home runs, going yard twice during the Panthers 11-8 win over Westbrook on April 24. Cipolla finished the game with four hits, driving in three runs and scoring three more. Two days later, he then smacked a double, driving in a pair of runs as the Panther beat Old Saybrook 5-1 and then closed the week by getting a hit and driving in a run during a 6-5 win over Portland. Entering the week, Cromwell is riding a six-game winning streak.     
           
Jacob Lawless - Newington High School (Volleyball): Lawless earned the Player of the Match as the Nor’easters defeated Wethersfield in three sets (25-23, 25-18, 25-19) on April 26. Lawless, a senior setter, served up 23 assists and tallied a team-high five aces, along with adding four kills, four digs, and a block.    
           
Sarah Morrissey - Wethersfield High School (Golf): Morrissey was the medalist in both the Eagles matches last week, posting a 44 against Newington on April 24 and a 48 against East Catholic on April 26. The Eagles won both contests, defeating the Nor’easters (198-223) at Goodwin Golf Course and edging East Catholic (214-215) at Minnechaug Golf Course.