By Joe Gonillo
Well, May hasn’t been that spring-like yet, but it’s early. The sports action was fast and furious last week as all the high school teams and middle school/junior high teams were in action. Another softball no-hitter highlighted the sporting news, and the annual Burlington Invitational was last Friday and Saturday.
The Essex softball team is a perfect 4-0 so far this season. Last week they clubbed Rice 16-0 in a five-inning contest as Bethany Falls pitched a three-hitter, smashed a double, a triple and collected 3 RBI. Stephanie Eide hit a solo HR. Keela Gendron hit a triple, had 2 singles, and collected 3 RBI and 3 runs scored. Brittany Wells was 3-4 with a double and 2 RBI. On Thursday, the girls beat Spaulding 14-0 as Steph Frank threw her second no-hitter of the year against the Tide. She’s 3-0 with two no-hitters, allowing a mere two hits in 21 innings. WOW! Frank also went 2-4 with a triple and 3 runs scored. Sam Tavlin had a triple, singles and 3 runs scored. Ashley McLaren hit a solo HR. Falls hit a double, single, 4 RBI and Eide hit a three-run double. Their game against South Burlington was rained out on Saturday. This week, the Hornets, who have outscored opponents 40-1, battle the Seahorses, the Comets (Thursday at home at 4:30) and the T-Birds. The JVs improved to 2-1 as they had their hitting shoes on, hammering SHS 28-2. The freshman team had their against ADL postponed.
The baseball team went 2-0 with a rainout to up their record to 3-1 this spring. Essex played solid baseball and easily dispatched Rice 10-3 and SHS 13-1 last week. This week they play Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday against BHS, BFA and Missisquoi Valley with the last two games at home. The JVs are 3-0 as they defeated SHS 5-3 last week. They play the same schedule as the varsity. Just switch the home and away games. The freshmen team is 3-0. They beat Rice’s JVs 5-3 and beat Rutland 14-3 on Saturday. They play BFA Fairfax and Rutland (DH Saturday) this week.
The boys’ lacrosse team’s winning streak is now six games. On Saturday, under the lights, Essex edged Hanover (N.H.) 9-8. Sophomore Bill Hennessy (2 goals) scored the game-winner with just over three minutes to play in the game. Marty Vanzo and Andrew Fournier scored twice. Pat Nee, Evan McCrea and Mike Hennessy each scored once. Nick Cheney stopped 26 shots as the Hornets raised their record to 6-2. They beat Middlebury rather handily, 9-4, with a stifling defensive effort earlier in the week. Assistant coaches Scott Edwards and Charlie Herrick have done a super job this spring with the boys. Essex plays two road games this week against Champlain Valley and BHS on Monday and Saturday. The JVs are 3-1. The Hornets beat The Tigers 5-3 as Nick Coons scored two goals, then fell against Hanover 5-4 on Saturday afternoon. Benny Adams 2, Kevin Bednar 1, and Chris Hemphil 1 accounted for the scores. The freshmen are now 4-0 following a 9-2 pasting of the Green Knights. The U-32 and the BHS JV’s provide their opposition this week.
The girls’ lacrosse squad (1-5) notched its first “W” of the season last week. After a close 10-6 loss at the hands of the always-tough Middlebury Tigers, Essex exploded for 20 goals against Rice under the lights last Thursday to snag their first win of the spring, 20-9, over the Green Knights. Red hot sophomore Julie Pearl scored five goals and added one assist. Fellow scoring machine Bridget Walsh (senior) pounded home five more. Katie Parks chipped in with three goals and two assists, Meredith Reagan scored two, Lauren Braunegg scored one and had an assist, Gwen Pastel, Emily Smith, Grace O'Neil and Kelly Barford each scored a goal. Kaila Krouse stopped 19 shots. The girls host CVU, Brattleboro and BHS this week. Get well soon wishes to Meaghan Goodheart. The JVs went 1-1 last week and stand at 2-4. The lost an 8-7 decision to Middlebury early last week then came back to slay Rice 13-2. They have the Redhawks, the Colonels and the Seahorses this week.
The boys’ tennis team went 2-0 with a couple of easy victories last week and now own a 3-1 record. They have won their last 3 matches. Essex shutout Mount Mansfield 7-0 and stopped BFA 5-2. The girls’ squad is also 3-1 with 3 consecutive wins. Last week they dispatched MMU 6-1 and whitewashed BFA 7-0. SB, Rice and Colchester are their opponents this week. Their Saturday matches against Stowe (girls) and Middlebury (boys) were postponed.
The boys’ and girls’ track and field teams won the BHS Invite last weekend. The Hornets combined to score 223.2 points to lead St. Johnsbury’s 158.2 and BHS’ 140. Highlights include Essex’s Bridget Hennessy, the top field event performer, who won the triple jump and was second in the long jump; Lauren Goodnow won the javelin, was 2nd in the shot put, and placed 3rd in the discus; Sarah Sherman won the high jump and placed 3rd in the triple jump; Mary Krug and Kimmy Dirmaier went 1-2 in the pole vault; Katie Polakowski placed 2nd in the 300m low hurdles and was 3rd in the 100m highs; Anna Guthrie won the 3000m and ran 2nd in the 1500m; the girls’ mile relay team of Leah Conchieri, Alexis Purdy, Katherine Ramsey, and Sherman set a new meet record; the 4x800m relay placed 3rd; Shannon Hennessey was 2nd in the triple and 4th in the long; Kara McNamara t:2nd in high jump; Courtney Brooks placed 3rd in the triple; Claire Murphy won the freshman 1500m; Brad Williams won the pole vault; the boys took the mile relay, placed 2nd in the 4x800m relay, and were 3rd in the 400m relay; Alen Turan placed 2nd in the long jump; and Niall McMahon ran 4th in the 3000m. The team owed a great deal of its success to Thursday evening’s chicken parmesan and spaghetti dinner prepared by Helen Murdock out at the Chapin Orchards. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Murdock. We are so very glad your daughter is a junior. This week the teams are in action Wednesday at home against SB, BHS, and Winooski. A handful of athletes will travel to Connecticut on Friday for Saturday’s Hartford Public HS Invitational which provides competition against teams from New England, the Northeast, New York
The golf team spun a shutout in its opening round. Essex blanked CVU, St.J, and BHS 18-0 in its opening match last Friday. Freshman Evan Russell shot a 74. The girls
Photos by Paul Lamontagne,
Wesley Armstrong-Laird
Justin Bouffard
Katie Polakowski
Lauren Goodnow
Julie Conlon
Meredith Reagan
Julie Pearl
Dale Lee
Stevie Mone
placed 7th in their first match/tourney of the spring. This week the girls play another tournament (VT National) while the boys hosted MMU, SB, and Vergennes on Tuesday.
Track and field alum Jason Polakowski, now competing for Southern Connecticut, placed 5th in the 400M hurdles (58.00) and 7th in the 110's (16.22) at Saturday’s NE-10 Outdoor Track & Field Championships. SCSU won the men’s competition scoring 229 pts to outdistance UMASS-Lowell’s 144. Nice job, Jason!
Skate Park News: The Essex Skate Park will finally become a reality. Located behind the basketball courts at Maple Street Park, the old tennis courts are paved and resurfaced and the fence is up. Construction on the ramps and other park elements started on May 5 with the "grand opening" scheduled for mid-to-late June.
Athletes, get in on this early. Essex’ Mike Landsberg of the Rehab Gym is bringing his Speed, Agility, and Quickness Camp to Essex. Mike was the CHS school trainer for many years and is now the Lakers’ sprint coach. EHS trainer Leo Labonte will also be on hand to get you into shape this summer. The camp runs M-W-F mornings from July 7 through August 4. Fee is $219 for Essex residents and $239 for non-residents. For more information call 861-0111, visit www.rehabgym.com, or to register go to www.essex.org and click on Town Departments - Parks and Recreation. This is an Essex Town Rec program.