rivereast Standout Athletes of the Week

Portland Cheerleader Sierra Koss & RHAM junior / ski racer Brady Lalonde

Sierra Koss – Portland High School (Cheerleading): Koss became the first Portland High cheerleading to be selected All-State since 2015, earning the recognition by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association (CHSCA). Koss, who is the team’s only senior, said she feels “very honored”, adding that she was supported by some incredible teammates this year, saying, “Luckily I had two juniors with me that helped me on this journey because we had a very new team with a lot of incoming freshman and even sophomores that were new. There’s a lot that goes into cheer, so it was really nice to have that time with them and the help. I think our season went very well.” Following graduation, Koss will attend the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford. 
           
Brady Lalonde - RHAM High School (Ski Racing): Lalonde, who races for an independent ski team, recently placed 6th overall for the state, qualifying him for the state of Connecticut squad that will compete regionally. The RHAM junior will be one of a dozen boys skiing for Team Connecticut at the Eastern High School State Alpine Championships in New Hampshire. Lalonde and the team will be representing Nutmeg State as they compete at Attitash Mountain in Bartlett, NH from March 3-6. 
           
Nicholas Rivard-Lentz - East Hampton High School (Track & Field): Rivard-Lentz finished 2nd at the State Open in the pole vault, reaching a height of 13-00.00 at the Floyd Little Athletic Center on Feb. 19. The senior was following up his Class S championship on Feb. 12 when he easily downed the competition by over a foot, defeating second-placed finishers Gage Rovelli of Coginchaug and Jason Ouellette of Seymour.
           
Marissa Nudd - Bacon Academy (Basketball): Nudd combined for 45 points and 15 rebounds as the Bobcats earned a pair of Eastern Connecticut Conference (ECC) tournament wins over Norwich Free Academy (NFA) and Waterford last week. The junior scored 20 points and hauled down seven rebounds in a 54-25 quarterfinals win over NFA on Feb. 17 and then netted 25 points (10-10 from the free throw line) and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 56-47 win over Waterford in the semifinal round on Feb. 19.
           
​To nominate some for an Athlete of the Week or with any questions or comment on sports-related topics, email Josh Howard at joshhowardsports@gmail.com