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B Section
THURSDAY, Â AUGUST Â 11, Â 2016
KARL LINDHOLM
‘A-ÂHa!  moments’  and the  Cuban  Giants Some  time  ago,  spring  2003,  I  was  doing  research  in  the  Sheldon  Mu- seum  in  town,  looking  at  newspapers,  the  Middlebury  Register,  from  the  1880s  and  ’90s.  I  had  been  asked  by  Andy  Wentink,  the  archivist  at  the  Sheldon  at  the  time,  to  prepare  something  on  base- ball  as  part  of  a  series  on  Recreation  and  Leisure  in  Addison  County  in  the  19th  century.  It  was  interesting  work,  but  some- thing  of  needle-Âin-Âthe-Âhaystack  re- search.  I  was  looking  for  the  earliest  references  to  base- ball  in  the  Register.  7KH ÂżUVW PHQWLRQ I  found  was  in  Au- gust  1862,  a  brief  account  of  a  “trial  gameâ€?  played  by  the  Green  Moun- tain  Base  Ball  Club:  “It  was  highly  exciting  and  afforded  excellent  entertainment.â€? In  1866,  another  “game  of  ballâ€?  on  the  Fairgrounds  was  played  on  Aug.  6  by  the  “Midd.  College  Base  Ball  Club.â€?  The  following  year  the  “Col- lege  Clubâ€?  played  against  a  combined  team  of  local  clubs,  the  Fearnaughts  and  Wide  Awakes,  and  won  47-Â38.  (See  Lindholm,  Page  2B)
SPORTS
ALSO IN THIS SECTION:
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Vt. Â dominates
Locals  help  Vt.  to  50-Â2  Shrine  win  over  N.H. CASTLETON  —  Eight  local  foot- ball  players  and  a  couple  of  local  coaches  representing  Vermont  in  this  past  Saturday’s  Shrine  Maple  Sugar  Bowl  basked  in  glory  after  trounc- ing  the  New  Hampshire  team,  50-Â2  ² WKH *UHHQ 0RXQWDLQ 6WDWHÂśV ÂżUVW victory  in  15  years. Although  Vermont’s  offense  clear- ly  got  the  job  done  —  Fair  Haven  quarterback  Ryan  Alexander  tossed  ¿YH WRXFKGRZQ SDVVHV LQ WKH RSHQLQJ 24  minutes  —  some  drew  attention  to  Vermont’s  strong  defense,  which  didn’t  allow  a  single  New  Hamp- shire  point  (the  only  score  was  when  a  New  Hampshire  defender  sacked  Alexander  in  his  own  end  zone). Not  only  did  the  Vermont  defense  hold  New  Hampshire  to  negative  ¿UVW KDOI \DUGDJH EXW DOVR PDGH three  interceptions,  forced  two  fum- EOHV DQG WDOOLHG ÂżYH VDFNV Middlebury  Union  High  School  de- fensive  tackle  Nicholas  Beauchamp  forced  a  fumble  at  the  New  Hamp- VKLUH \DUG OLQH ZKLFK OHG WR D ÂżHOG
goal;Íž  the  Tiger  standout  also  made  eight  tackles.  Otter  Valley  Union  de- fender  Carson  Leary  was  responsible  for  at  least  one  of  those  sacks. In  addition  to  Beauchamp,  the  Vermont  squad  had  signed  up  two  other  Tigers:  tight  end/defensive  end  Sawyer  Ryan  and  two-Âway  lineman  Wyatt  Laberge.  Besides  Leary,  three  other  Otters  suited  up  for  Vermont:  two-Âway  line- men  Tyler  Allen  and  M.J.  Denis,  and  lineman/linebacker  Trevor  Peduto.  Also  on  the  Vermont  team  is  Mount  Abraham  Union  High  School  stand- out  lineman  Matt  Mullin.  Fair  Haven  Union  Coach  Brian  Grady  took  charge  of  coaching  du- ties  for  Vermont.  Grady  was  head  coach  the  last  time  Vermont  won  the  Shrine  Maple  Sugar  Bowl  in  2000. Among  Grady’s  assistants  were  Otter  Valley’s  Jim  Hill  and  Middle- bury’s  Dennis  Smith. This  was  the  63rd  annual  Shrine  Maple  Sugar  Bowl. The  bowl  game  pits  Vermont’s  re-Â
VERMONT  SHRINE  TEAM  Assistant  Coach  Dennis  Smith  from  Middlebury  Union  High  School  stands  with  three  members  of  the  Vermont  team  —  Sawyer  Ryan,  left,  Nick  Beauchamp,  and  Wyatt  Laberge  —  which  domi- nated  New  Hampshire,  50-Â2,  in  the  Shrine  Maple  Sugar  Bowl  on  Saturday  in  Castleton. Photo  by  Katie  Laberge
cent  high  school  graduates  vs.  New  port  three  regional  Shrine  hospitals  Maple  Sugar  Bowl  is  sponsored  by  Hampshire’s.  Net  proceeds  of  the  IRU FKLOGUHQ DIĂ€LFWHG ZLWK RUWKRSH- Cairo  Shriners  of  Rutland  and  Mt.  Shrine  Maple  Sugar  Bowl  go  to  sup- dic  conditions  and  burns.  The  Shrine  Sinai  Shriners  of  Montpelier. Â
Area  swimmers  earn  gold  at  state  championship Sports BRIEFS
Champs,  Midd.  cap  Panther  alum  11th  summer  seasons in  Olympic  cycling By  ELLIE  REINHARDT WHITE  RIVER  JUNCTION  —  RIO  DE  JANEIRO  —  U.S.  Olym- pic  Cycling  Team  member  Megan  Guarnier,  a  2007  Middlebury  Col- lege  graduate,  placed  11th  in  the  women’s  road  race  competition  at  the  Rio  Olympics  this  past  Sunday. The  Glens  Falls,  N.Y.,  native  went  into  the  Games  as  one  of  the  top- ranked  riders  in  the  world,  but  the  course  with  its  brutal  climbs  kept  her  out  of  the  medal  race.  She  had  told  the  Glens  Falls  (N.Y.)  Post  Star  that  it  was  one  of  the  hardest  courses  she  had  seen  in  her  10-Âyear  career. 6KH ÂżQLVKHG WKH PLOH UDFH LQ hours,  52  minutes  and  41  seconds,  in  a  near  dead  heat  with  a  rider  from  the  Netherlands  and  one  from  South  Africa. Fellow  U.S.  team  member  Mara  Abbott  gave  the  Americans  some  hope  for  a  medal  as  she  surged  to  the  lead  late  in  the  race,  but  she  was  passed  by  a  trio  of  competitors  in  the  last  300  meters  and  claimed  fourth  place.  The  third  U.S.  team  member,  Evelyn  Stevens,  was  two  seconds  be- hind  Guarnier  and  posted  12th  place. Two  other  Middlebury  graduates  are  scheduled  to  compete  in  Olym- pic  competitions  on  Aug.  20.  2005 Â
Ralph  Myhre  hosts  junior  golf  tourney
After  a  long  summer  of  training,  the  Vergennes  Champs  and  the  Middle- bury  Marlins  competed  for  the  last  time  this  season  at  the  Vermont  State  Championship  swim  meet  this  past  weekend. Twenty  teams  and  774  swimmers  competed  over  the  course  of  Satur- day  and  Sunday  at  the  Upper  Valley  Aquatic  Club  in  White  River  Junc- tion. 7KH &KDPSV ÂżQLVKHG VHFRQG LQ 'LYLVLRQ ,, DQG ÂżIWK RYHUDOO ZLWK D score  of  1,207.5.  The  Brattleboro  Swim  Team  won  D-ÂII  with  a  score  of  1,262.5. The  Marlins  emerged  third  in  Di- vision  III  with  a  score  of  826.  They  were  beat  out  by  the  Rockingham  Area  Swim  Team  (891)  and  the  Burlington  Country  Club  (913.5).  2YHUDOO WKH 0DUOLQV ÂżQLVKHG WK out  of  20  teams  in  the  meet. The  top  three  teams  at  the  meet  were  EDGE  Swim  Club  (4,202),  the  Town  of  Essex  Swim  Team  (2,817),  and  the  Burlington  Tennis  Club  (1,642.5). Vergennes  swimmers  claimed  a  QXPEHU RI ÂżUVW DQG VHFRQG SODFH ÂżQLVKHV WKHLU VSLULWV KLJK DIWHU D successful  league  championship  the  previous  weekend.
VERGENNES  CHAMP  MADELYN  Giroux  competes  in  a  relay  event  at  last  weekend’s  Vermont  State  Championship  swim  meet  in  White  River  Junc- tion.  She  was  part  of  two  relay  teams  that  earned  second  place.
Photo  by  Josh  Kaufmann/St  Albans  Messenger
14,  in  the  13-Â14  50-Âyard  breast- Bechtold.  “We  had  a  fantastic  sea- Ellie  Brooks,  6,  swam  to  two  style  with  a  time  of  20.20. Hadley  Harris,  10,  also  captured  stroke  (30.97);Íž  Jake  Viera,  16,  in  son  with  a  lot  of  new  and  returning  ¿UVW SODFH YLFWRULHV LQ WKH DQG XQ- der  25-Âyard  backstroke  with  a  time  D ÂżUVW SODFH ÂżQLVK LQ WKH the  15-Â16  50-Âyard  freestyle  (23.25)  swimmers  who  swam  many  person- al  bests  throughout  the  summer.â€? of  23.27  and  the  U-Â6  25-Âyard  free- yard  backstroke  (18.19)  and  the  and  two  relays. 9-Â10  25-Âyard  breaststroke  (18.72).  Harris,  Clark,  Madelyn  Gir- The  Middlebury  Marlins  also  Acadia  Clark,  10,  came  in  a  close  oux,  10,  and  Aislynne  McGill,  9,  made  waves  at  the  meet  thanks  to  second  to  Harris  in  the  breaststroke  grabbed  second  in  the  U-Â10  100- D VHFRQG SODFH ÂżQLVK E\ $UFKLH with  a  time  of  18.95. yard  medley  relay  with  a  time  of  Milligan,  16,  in  the  open  500-Âyard  Will  Clark,  7,  who  won  three  1:12.59.  Clark,  Harris  and  Giroux  freestyle  (5:24.25)  and  by  his  big  titles  at  the  league  championships,  were  later  joined  by  Ava  Holmes,  sister,  Harriet  Milligan,  18,  in  the  ¿QLVKHG ÂżUVW LQ WKH 8 \DUG IRU D VHFRQG SODFH ÂżQLVK LQ WKH 17-Â18  50-Âyard  freestyle  (35.95).  breaststroke  with  a  time  of  22.30,  U-Â10  100-Âyard  freestyle  relay  and  a  Additionally,  the  Marlins  boasted  second  in  the  7-Â8  25-Âyard  freestyle  time  of  1:02.85. two  second-Âplace  relays. (16.01)  and  second  in  the  U-Â8  50- Of  note  was  Olivia  Hawkins,  16,  The  Middlebury  relay  team  of  yard  freestyle  (35.61). who  achieved  personal  bests  in  all  Will  Carpenter,  Devon  Kearns,  2WKHU VHFRQG SODFH ÂżQLVKHV of  her  individual  events  and  helped  Oliver  Poduschnick,  and  Fraser  for  the  Champs  included  Noah  lead  the  team  to  success. Milligan  claimed  second  in  the  Engvall,  12,  in  the  11-Â12  50-Âyard  “I  couldn’t  be  more  proud  of  our  U-Â14  200-Âyard  medley  relay  with  breaststroke  (38.64);Íž  Nathan  Viera,  team,â€?  said  Champs  head  coach  Jen  (See  Meet,  Page  2B)
MIDDLEBURY  —  Ralph  Myhre  Golf  Course  in  Middlebury  hosted  the  Vermont  PGA  Junior  Tour  Cham- pionship  this  past  Saturday.  Full  re- sults  weren’t  available  at  press  time,  but  the  winners  were  16-Â17  Age  Divi- sion,  Bryson  Richards,  Country  Club  of  Barre;Íž  13-Â15  Age  Division;Íž  Ben  Gramling,  Williston  Golf  Club;Íž  10-Â12  Age  Division,  Austin  Giroux,  New- port  Country  Club.  Giroux  shot  the  low  score  with  a  73. In  Thursday  men’s  golf  results  on  Aug.  4,  the  trio  of  Marsdin  Van  Or- der,  Doug  Biklen  and  Bob  Kirkpat- rick  took  top  honors,  followed  by  the  second-Âplace  trio  of  Dale  White,  Don  Dayton  and  Pete  Damone;Íž  and  the  threesome  of  Bert  Phinney,  Deem  Schoenfeld  and  Bill  Brown.  Phinney  had  the  low  gross  score. In  Friday  evening  golf  mixer  results  ¿UVW SODFH ZHQW WR WKH IRXUVRPH RI Georgia  Best,  Bob  Cameron,  Nancy  Reynolds  and  Wes  Smith;Íž  in  second  were  Mary  Ann  Broughton,  Steve  Gross  and  Bill  Laberge;Íž  and  third  place  was  claimed  by  Gail  Smith,  Fa- ther  Skip,  Nicole  Laberge  and  Dave  Wemette. Ralph  Myhre  will  be  the  site  of  up- coming  tournaments.  The  course  will  host  the  Ralph  Myhre  Women’s  Club  Championship  this  Saturday  and  Sun- day.  The  following  weekend  will  see  the  Ralph  Myhre  Vs.  Neshobe  Club  Challenge,  where  members  of  each  MIDDLEBURY  SWIMMER  DEVON  Kearns  makes  a  turn  in  the  pool  club  will  play  a  round  in  Middlebury  in  White  River  Junction  during  the  Vermont  State  Championships  last  VERGENNES  SWIMMER  MACI  Forgues  takes  the  freestyle  leg  of  a  relay  race  at  the  Vermont  State  Champi- on  that  Saturday  and  a  round  at  Ne- weekend.  He  was  on  two  relays  that  earned  second  place. onships  in  White  River  Junction  last  weekend. shobe  in  Brandon  on  that  Sunday. Photo  by  Josh  Kaufmann/St  Albans  Messenger Photo  by  Josh  Kaufmann/St  Albans  Messenger