The Starting Five: Local Athletes of the Week

Megan Kelleher- Wethersfield (Volleyball): Kelleher is a consistent force in the middle, leading the Eagles with 30 blocks this fall. The senior captain finished the regular season with 123 kills and 41 aces, including an 85% serving percentage. The middle hitter came up with a team-high five aces in a crucial late season win over Rocky Hill.  

Mark Rodriguez- Cromwell (Cross Country): Rodriguez has been a steady force for Cromwell, placing near the top of the leaderboard all season. The junior started his season by breaking the home course record for a Cromwell runner by over 30 seconds. At the Wickham Invite, Rodriguez ran one of the fastest times ever for a Cromwell runner (16:35) and then at the Shoreline Championships, hosted by Cromwell, he finished 4th overall with a blistering time of 16:08, earning him 1st team All-Conference honors for the third straight year. At the State Class SS meet, Rodriguez placed third overall, leading his team to a 2nd place/runner-up finish as a team, which was the team’s highest finish since in over 50 years. His efforts at the state meet earned him All-State honors for the second straight year.

Ella DePase- Newington (Soccer): DePase posted back-to-back shutout wins over rival Rocky Hill (1-0) and Wethersfield (2-0). The shutouts were the sixth and seventh for the freshman goalie, who received offensive help from Alyse Karanian, Olivia Mullings, and Reagon Pelton, who accounted for the goals in the wins over the Terriers and Eagles. 

Shaun Gaskins- Middletown (Football): Gaskins ran for 64 yards and two touchdowns in Middletown’s 16-6 win over E.O. Smith last Friday. The junior running back also made an impact defensively as a linebacker, registering an interception and four tackles as the Blue Dragons improved to 5-3.

Emily Messina, Sydney Budaj, Lilli Cartiera, Emily Murphy, Clarissa Nock- Wethersfield (Field Hockey): Messina, Budaj, Cartiera, Murphy, and Nock have protected the backend for an Eagles team that won 15 of 16 regular season games. The five defenders helped preserve eight shutouts and head coach Colleen Budaj praised them for their consistent work, “[They’ve] done an excellent job at limiting scoring opportunities. [They] each compliment the others style of play and strengths, making them a strong unit as a whole.”