2011 All Press High School Athletes

Sunday, December 26, 2010 | www.BristolPress.com | $1.75

AN EDITION OF THE

Special All-Press wrap-around section celebrates our star athletes

SUNDAY

HERALD PRESS

Full Sunday paper inside

Best of the best

Mike Orazzi | Staff

Bristol Eastern’s Cory White a member of our All-Press Football Team, celebrates a touchdown during the season at Muzzy Field. The full football team is unveiled inside today’s paper.

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All-Press Football

2 | Sunday, December 26, 2010

10 Mat Yopp

Bristol Eastern QB

Dylon Ouellette

Bristol Eastern RB

20 DeV’anti Gardner St. Paul RB

Justin Gonzalez St. Paul WR

30 Cory White

Bristol Eastern WR

Travis Thomas St. Paul WR

40

50

Steve Julius

Ryan Peloquin

D.J. Sanderson

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Bristol Eastern OL

Bristol Central OL

St. Paul OL

All-Press Football Team

Eastern places eight on all-star team, St. Paul nets six, Central next with five

By JOHNNY J. BURNHAM STAFF WRITER

For the second consecutive year, there was football being played by an area team after the regular season had come and gone.

Although it had to sweat it out a bit, on the strength of one of the best seasons in program history, Bristol Eastern punched its ticket to the Class L playoffs. And while players up and down the Lancer roster certainly contributed to its nine-win fall, several individuals left their mark on the Eastern gridiron.

Among those was Dylon Ouellette.

The Lancers running back was handed the ball 169 times on the year in which he picked up 1,399 yards. The rushing total stands as the fifth highest singleseason mark in program history behind only David Casanova and Reinaldo Soto, who control the top four spots on the list.

Ouellette’s 2010 campaign put him in rare company as he became only the eighth player in Eastern history to reach the 1,000-yard milestone. He did so in early

Most Valuable Player in the Battle for the Bell and surpassed the century mark in his final game in an Eastern uniform, going for 107 in the playoff loss to Masuk.

Ouellette is just one of four Lancers to be honored with an All-Press selection on the offensive side of the ball. He’s joined by quarterback Mat Yopp, receiver Cory White and offensive lineman Steve Julius.

St. Paul Catholic running back DeV’anti Gardner, wideouts Travis Thomas and Justin Gonzalez and lineman Ryan Peloquin as well as Bristol Central standout lineman D.J. Sanderson round out the AllPress offense.

There’s simply no drop in talent on the defensive side of the ball.

Eastern’s Mitch Rousseau along with Central’s Devven Granger and Aaron Oxton anchor the team up front. St. Paul linebacking duo Devin Zeller and Jordan Rowley Mike Orazzi | Staff (the youngest selection as a sophEastern’s Dylon Ouellette (38) scores a touchdown against East Catholic. omore) are joined by the Lancers’ John Chiaradio in the middle November when he helped the Ouellette scored a total of 18 while Eastern’s Tyrell Holmes and Lancers roll over Fermi in a game touchdowns.

Central’s John Simpson and Mike he crossed the goal line four He rushed for 208 yards and Benites fill out the secondary. times. was named the Lancers’ Offensive For the second straight season,

Lancers kicker Nick Randles was chosen as the All-Press special teams representative.

As a result of the potent Eastern offense, Randles repeatedly jogged onto the field. He converted on 91.8 percent of his point after attempts, going 45-for-49 on the year.

As a whole, the Lancers posted the second highest scoring offense in the entire Central Connecticut Conference with 355 points. That total stood as the seventh most in the state behind only Masuk, New Canaan, Ansonia, Naugatuck, Montville and Berlin.

Much of that certainly had to do with their man under center — Yopp.

The All-Press signal-caller was third in CCC Division III with 10 touchdown passes. In what became a run-oriented attack, he finished his senior season going 58-for-109 through the air for a total of 923 yards. Yopp, who finished with 2,373 career passing yards, was able to hurt the opposition with his legs as well, rushing for nearly 300 yards on the year.

His leadership in the huddle simply can’t be overlooked either.

Sunday, December 26, 2010 | 3

The Herald Press

Aaron Oxton

30

Nick Randles

Bristol Central DL

Bristol Eastern K

20

John Chiaradio

Bristol Eastern LB

10

John Simpson

Bristol Central DB

Mike Benites

Bristol Central DB

No photo available

Mitch Rousseau

Devin Zeller

Bristol Eastern DL

St. Paul LB

White was on the receiving end of 12 of those Yopp tosses. Three of his 12 receptions resulted in points for Eastern. In all, White was the Lancers top receiver, accumulating 248 yards.

Thomas and Gonzalez highlighted another in a long line of talented receivers to play at St. Paul.

Gonzalez averaged 20.2 yards per reception in which he snatched 27 balls for 546 yards and seven touchdowns. The Falcons junior caught a season-high seven passes for 145 yards against Watertown.

Gonzalez was on the receiving end of a TD pass in five of the team’s 10 games.

Thomas hauled in an area-best 34 passes totaling 634 yards and four touchdowns. The Falcons captain finished his high school football tenure with three consecutive 100-plus receiving yard

Jordan Rowley St. Paul LB

Devven Granger Bristol Central DL

All-Press Football Team Continued games.

The St. Paul receiving tandem was aided by the play of their teammate in the backfield.

Gardner blossomed into the focal point of the Falcons offense. He averaged 97.6 rushing yards per contest, had five games with over 100 yards on the ground and two with at least 165.

His season-high came in his first varsity start in the backfield, tallying 174 on 18 carries in the Falcons win over Derby/O’Brien Tech.

In all, Gardner went for 976 yards on 154 carries with 10 touchdowns. He had three multiscore games to go along with 11 receptions for 132 yards.

But every offense is only as good as its boys in the trenches.

Seniors Julius, Sanderson and Peloquin anchored their respective offensive lines on a physical,

mental and a leadership level.

The same can be said about the boys upfront on the defensive side of the ball. Oxton, Rousseau and Granger each became a force at the line of scrimmage over the fall.

Rousseau was a consistent menace to the opposition both at the line of scrimmage and in the backfield. He was one of the Lancers leading tacklers and tallied 2 1/2 sacks on the year.

Oxton and Granger were part of a Central defense that forced a total of 22 turnovers and seemed to get stronger as the game progressed.

The Rams surrendered just 53 points in the fourth quarter — statistically their best defensive frame of the year.

The Central secondary of Simpson and Benites were a huge part in the Rams giving up a total

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Bristol Eastern DB

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of just 674 yards through the air, allowing the opposition to complete only 54 passes all season.

Simpson was Central’s Battle for the Bell Defensive MVP. Holmes earned the same distinction for Eastern. The senior DB finished the season with five interceptions to go along with a sack and three tackles for a loss. He had two interceptions on Thanksgiving morning.

Chiaradio was the leader of the Lancers defense. The linebacker led Eastern in tackles with 34 1/2, in sacks with five and had two tackles for a loss as well.

St. Paul’s Zeller and Rowley had similar success as Chiaradio at their linebacker post. Zeller totaled 29 solo tackles and assisted on 43 others, while Rowley posted 39 total tackles in his first year at the varsity level, including Mike Orazzi | Staff St. Paul’s DeV’anti Gardner. two sacks.

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4 | Sunday, December 26, 2010

All-Press Girls Soccer Team Eastern places five, Central four on all-star team

By JOHNNY J. BURNHAM STAFF WRITER

Alexa Pearson

Jessica Albino Terryville M

Angelina Saporito Bristol Eastern M

Elise Galipo

Bristol Central F

in 12 of those victories, setting a single-season shutout record.

In all, the senior posted a program-best 31 career shutouts in her three seasons in net. Botteon surrendered a total of just 10 goals in all of the 2010 campaign and was named All New-England as well as All-State and All-CCC South.

While Botteon was anchoring the back-end of the Southern Division champions, Saporito was taking care of business from the middle of the field forward.

Saporito struck for a team-high 15 goals this fall to cap her high school tenure. As a four-year starter, she posted 39 goals and 24 assists. Both her career scoring and assist output are second all-time at Eastern.

She’s been picked as an All-CCC South honoree all four seasons.

Marrero’s name can be spotted of those receiving Southern

Bristol Central D

Bristol Eastern G

Kelly Ziogas

Danielle Kriscenski

Bristol Central M

Bristol Eastern D

Helena Pereira St. Paul F

Division accolades come season’s end for the third consecutive year.

That, to go along with her AllState picking, certainly come for good reason.

The Central sweeper put a stop to the bulk of scoring threats all season. With the help Zygiel, the Rams allowed less than one goal per game and were able to reach the double-digit win plateau for the third consecutive season.

Brittany Maghini Bristol Eastern M

Zygiel was also an All-CCC South pick.

Two Lancers played a huge role in their team’s defensive success as well.

Pearson built a reputation as one of the top defenders in the conference three years ago, built on the reputation again as a junior, and only solidified her name near the top of the list once again as senior.

Kriscenski was solid at centerback

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Emily Zygiel

Bristol Central D

Nicole Marrero

Jamie Botteon

Bristol Eastern D

011281

The 2010 season will go down as a successful one in local girls soccer.

A divisional title was won, three teams reached the state tournament, two advanced to the second round, and the four clubs combined to win 32 contests.

While good coaching certainly played a factor, those accolades are the direct result of the play of a whirlwind of talented girls on the soccer field. At the top of that list of talent are All-Press selections Helena Pereira (St. Paul), Jamie Botteon (Bristol Eastern), Alexa Pearson (Eastern), Nicole Marrero (Bristol Central), Emily Zygiel (Central), Angelina Saporito (Eastern), Kelly Ziogas (Central), Jessica Albino (Terryville), Brittany Maghini (Eastern), Elise Galipo (Central) and Danielle Kriscenski (Eastern).

Unfortunately, the 2010 campaign was the last for a number of these standouts, including that of the state’s most dynamic scorer — Pereira.

The Falcons leader wrapped up her brilliant St. Paul career with a 20-goal, eight-assist senior season to help the program qualify for the Class S State Tournament for the second consecutive year.

Those 20 goals, believe it or not, are actually fewer than she scored during her junior season. Pereira netted 32 goals as a junior. She found the net a total of 68 times in her four seasons in a Falcons uniform.

Pereira was named to the AllState team for the third consecutive season.

She wasn’t the only All-Stater on this year’s All-Press team. Botteon, Saporito and Marrero were each also garnished with the honor.

Botteon was nothing short of stellar in goal for the Lancers, helping Eastern win its first-ever CCC South championship and post an impressive 14 wins. Botteon kept the opposition off the scoreboard

for the Lancers, but became one of the more versatile players for coach Roland Loranger. The junior was no stranger to being shifted up to the midfield. Botteon credits both Pearson (three-time All-CCC South) and Kriscenski (2010 AllCCC South) as much of the reason she was able to reach the record books.

No player was more versatile than Albino.

The Kangaroos senior captain was asked to control the midfield, switch into stopper mode, be the team’s best scoring threat, distribute the ball, and even slip on a pair of gloves, throw on a different jersey and hold the fort as a goalie.

The Roos were only able to win one game in 2010, but that certainly was in no way a reflection on the play of Albino, who was one of the top all-around skill players in the Berkshire League. Albino netted seven goals to go along with two assists. She was involved in 81 percent of the team’s scoring this season.

Maghini was a potent scorer this season, striking for 11 goals.

But more importantly, she seemed to have a knack for putting the ball in the back of the net at crucial times. Maghini, a two-time all-conference selection, tallied the game-winning goals against Berlin and Plainville — the two wins that helped start a nine-game winning streak that paced the Lancers to the Southern Division crown.

Ziogas and Galipo were simply a potent one-two punch for Central.

The duo combined for 15 goals and 12 assists on the season. Galipo netted seven goals, including two in the Rams State Tournament victory over Simsbury. Ziogas also scored in the win over the Trojans and finished as the team-leader with eight goals and seven assists.

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Sunday, December 26, 2010 | 5

The Herald Press

All-Press Volleyball Team

Squad features stellar athletes

By PAUL ANGILLY STAFF WRITER

This past season was a highly successful one for the Terryville, Bristol Eastern and Bristol Central girls volleyball teams — especially for the Kangaroos and Rams, who each enjoyed one of their best seasons in recent memory. Even the Lancers, who are used to having great success, had a memorable season.

Each of those teams have at least two players included on our second annual All-Press team.

Terryville finished 17-4 overall, including an 11-1 Berkshire League mark to win the regular season championship for the first time in five years and two more wins in the BL Tournament to claim that title as well. The Roos went on to be Class S quarterfinalists.

Two senior captains and four-year varsity members of the Terryville squad earned Class S All-State honors for this past season to secure their spots on our 2010 All-Press team.

Anna Schmidt, a setter, makes a repeat appearance on the All-Press team after being part of our inaugural squad as a junior last year. She recorded about 12 assists per game this past season, including 42 in one match, earning first-team all-league honors in addition to her All-State nod.

Joining her on the All-Press squad is middle hitter Erica Stokes, who also earned all-league in addition to All-State honors. She had 20 kills in one match this past season and averaged about eight per contest. A very good student at the school, she’s also

Brittany Grozik Taylor Plantamuro Bristol Central H

Bristol Central H

Karissa Smith

Bristol Eastern H

Brianna Pasqualicchio

Bristol Eastern S

Erica Stokes Terryville H

Anna Schmidt Terryville S

an Honors Society member.

Both are looking to continue playing in college next year.

“It’s been a pleasure coaching them for the last four years, and they’ll be truly missed next year,” Terryville coach Linda Farrington said.

This past season Bristol Central got off to the best start in school history, but was unable to defeat city rival Bristol Eastern. As a result, the Rams finished 15-6 overall, tied for second in the CCC South at 10-4.

Three members of the Bristol Central squad earned All-CCC

Brooke Burns

Bristol Eastern L

South honors this past season, with two of them being selected for our All-Press team, both senior captains: middle hitters Brittany Grozik, an All-Press honorable mention last year, and Taylor Plantamuro.

Grozik had 178 kills and 33 blocks for points during the regular season.

“That’s a lot of blocks,” Rams coach Jen Manzo noted.

“She was a huge part of our defense, as well as offense,” she said.

“She changed the game when we played a lot of teams. They had to play around her.”

Manzo added that Grozik was a very hard worker and always put in extra time working on her skills after practice. “[She] just continued to work at being her best,” Manzo said.

Plantamuro, despite missing four matches due to injury, managed to put up totals of 60 aces, 132 kills and 119 digs during the regular season.

“She was a huge part of our offense,” Manzo said. “She was very capable and in her four years developed a very good court sense of where to be.”

As a leader, Plantamuro was a great role model, she added.

“Taylor was a big part of our team playing together as a team,” Manzo said.

After earning yet another CCC South championship with a 13-1 record, going 16-6 overall and becoming a Class L state quarterfinalist, Bristol Eastern also had three players selected for all-conference honors, with all three also being named to our area All-Press team: senior libero Brooke Burns, senior setter Brianna Pasqualicchio and sophomore middle hitter Karissa Smith.

Burns, a three-year varsity starter who also earned second-team AllState honors this year, had 196 digs for the season, had 344 of 400 passes go to target on serve receive (86 percent) and had 42 aces. “[Burns was] one of the best passers that I have coached,” Lancers coach Stacy Rivoira said. “Her senior year was her best year. She was one of the most consistent passers on our team. We relied on Brooke to put the ball in the setters’ hands and without her accuracy our offense would not have been able to run as effectively. Her serving also proved to be a strength. She averaged seven

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points per match. Her skills steadily improved year after year and she became a huge factor in our overall success.”

Pasqualicchio, a first year varsity starter this year, recorded 558 assists for the season, an average of 7.5 per game.

“She was a quiet leader who really improved over the course of the season,” Rivoira said. “She became a strong part of our offense and learned where to deliver the ball consistently and accurately. She was a very coachable athlete and will be missed next season.”

Smith, the only non-senior to earn a spot on our All-Press team, is a second year varsity starter who had a team-high 30 blocks, along with 217 kills (about nine per match) and 29 aces.

“Her experience and increased confidence helped her to become a force in the middle,” Rivoira said.

“She used her athleticism to become a powerful and adaptive hitter/ blocker on the court. We relied on her to put the ball down and her presence on the court was felt by the other teams we played. She has great potential in the next two years and will be an incredible asset to our team in the future.”

While not officially earning spots on our All-Press team, two other Bristol-area players deserve notice as honorable mentions.

Bristol Central senior setter Xheni Tema recorded 191 digs and 218 assists during the regular season, earning all-conference honors in the process.

While St. Paul missed out on postseason play this year with a 6-12 record, senior captain and middle hitter Jessica Michaels was named to the Naugatuck Valley League’s All-Brass Team.

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6 | Sunday, December 26, 2010

All-Press Boys Soccer Team Bristol Eastern has seven named to all-star team, Bristol Central places four

By JOHNNY J. BURNHAM STAFF WRITER

For the second consecutive fall, the boys on King Street emerged as the best of the area soccer teams.

The Lancers on their lonesome posted six more victories in 2010 than Bristol Central, St. Paul Catholic and Terryville combined. As a result of their 13-3-2 campaign, six of the 11 spots on the All-Press Boys Soccer Team are filled by those who wore blue and white.

Eastern keeper Ben LaValle, sweeper Jordan Derosier, defender Andrew Chase, midfielders Pat Plourde and Nick Roberts and forward Dishawn Miller highlight the selections.

The Lancer standouts are joined

by Central’s Connor McCarthy, Ryan Therriault, Cameron Soltis and Chris Dabkowski as well as St. Paul captain Matt Jandreau.

LaVallee, who had already made a name for himself as one of the toughest to slip a ball past in the Central Connecticut Conference Southern Division prior to his senior year, finished his last go-around in a Lancers uniform as possibly the best boys soccer keeper in Bristol history.

The Eastern netminder secured 10 shutouts over the course of the fall to become the program’s alltime shutout leader, finishing his career with a grand total of 31. He was named as an All-CCC South and an All-State honoree.

That 31st shutout advanced the Lancers to the second round of the Class L State Tournament.

That same day was a recordsetting one for Plourde.

The All-State midfielder (2009 All-New England selection) scored a record five goals to pace Eastern past Fairfield Ludlowe in the club’s first-round State Tournament affair. It capped one of the most impressive goal-scoring streaks possible. His five-goal performance came just one game after netting four in the regular season finale against Bristol Central.

Plourde finished the year with

Connor McCarthy Bristol Central D

Matt Jandreau St. Paul D

Ben LaVallee

Bristol Eastern G

Ryan Therriault Bristol Central M

Jordan Derosier Bristol Eastern D

Pat Plourde

Bristol Eastern M

Andrew Chase

Bristol Eastern D

were willing to give up the glory and recognition that comes with being an offensive threat and set their focus on the other end of the field.

Therriault was flexible, moving from defense all the way forward if need be.

Soltis, described as the team’s quiet leader, was a steadying point in the middle for the Rams, constantly directing play and distributing the ball to places on the field where the team’s final attackers had a chance to do some damage.

Dabkowski did the most damage for Central.

The freshman striker accounted for more than 40 percent of the Rams’ total goal output on the season.

Six of the seven times he found the back of the net came against one team. Dabkowski posted two hat tricks against CCC South foe Middletown.

THE SOCCER TEAMS Nick Roberts

Bristol Eastern M

Dishawn Miller Bristol Eastern F

22 goals and 12 assists.

Roberts had an impressive campaign in his own right. The Lancers sophomore dished out five assists and chipped in with seven goals over the course of the fall.

He was asked to take nearly every important throw-in and was one of the more versatile of Lancers, often moving from the back to the frontline on several instances in the same game.

Miller gave opponents trouble all season. Although he finished with just three goals, the success of the likes of Plourde and Roberts often had much to do with Miller.

One or two defenders had to keep their eye on the speedy

Chris Dabkowski Cameron Soltis Bristol Central F

Lancer as he made his way into the box, allowing his teammates to work with just a little larger opening.

Miller tallied six assists to go along with his three strikes.

Derosier and Chase, on the other hand, were busy keeping the opponent’s strikers off the board.

The duo, along with LaVallee, anchored an Eastern defense that held the opposition to a total of nine goals during the regular season.

The Lancers allowed just six goals to its Southern Division foes.

Derosier and Chase were both All-CCC South selections.

Jandreau, before being hit with mononucleosis, was a force for the

Bristol Central M

Falcons in the back.

But even when he wasn’t on the field, he exhibited the little things that make up a true captain — always supporting his club, even if it was through another difficult season.

St. Paul coach Bruce Mazzochi described Jandreau as the “heart and soul” of the team the last two years.

He was an All-NVL Brass pick.

Similar things were said by Central skipper Larry Covino concerning the likes of McCarthy and Therriault.

Both McCarthy and Therriault entered 2010 as two of the Rams top returning offensive players.

But putting the team first, both

All-Press Boys Soccer Name School Ben LaVallee BE Connor McCarthy BC Jordan Derosier BE Matt Jandreau SP Andrew Chase BE Ryan Therriault BC Pat Plourde BE Nick Roberts BE Cameron Soltis BC Chris Dabkowski BC Dishawn Miller BE

Year senior senior senior senior senior senior senior soph junior fresh senior

All-Press Girls Soccer Name School Jamie Botteon BE Alexa Pearson BE Nicole Marrero BC Emily Zygiel BC Danielle Kriscenski BE Angelina Saporito BE Kelly Ziogas BC Jessica Albino TV Brittany Maghini BE Helena Pereira SP Elise Galipo BC

Year senior senior senior senior junior senior senior senior senior senior junior

Sunday, December 26, 2010 | 7

The Herald Press

All-Press Girls Swim Team Martin leads talented swim all-star team

By JOHNNY J. BURNHAM STAFF WRITER

There were many questions heading into the fall prior to the local girls jumping into the pool for the scholastic swimming season.

Would Bristol Central be able to hop back over the .500 mark and reemerge as a factor in the Southern Division? Could the Lancers of Bristol Eastern use a difficult, winless 2009 season as motivation to take a step in the right direction under a new coach? Was it possible for St. Paul to compete at a high level with a lack of numbers and its youth?

But with all those questions, there was one certainty.

Faith Martin.

The St. Paul Catholic senior, who was selected as The Bristol Press Female Athlete of the Year as a junior, built on her lengthy resume in the pool this season.

Martin captured the 500 freestyle and the 200 Individual

The record she bettered was her own.

As a result, Martin headlines the 2010 All-Press Girls Swim Team.

The St. Paul standout is joined by her sister and fellow Falcon Lilly Martin as well as three Rams and two Lancers as each team was able to successfully Stephanie Niman Courtney Pina Sarah Leoni answer those preseason questions.

Bristol Eastern Sr. Bristol Central Jr. Bristol Central Sr. Central swimmers Courtney Pina and Sarah Leoni as well as diver Molly Wojtusik are joined by Eastern’s Stephanie Niman and Faith Melanie Roy. Martin Niman was superb for the St. Paul Lancers. The senior was dominant in both the 50 and 100 freestyle Sr. events all fall. She eventually finished fifth in the 50 free event at the Class L State competition, touching in less than two seconds behind the winner.

That winner happened to set a new Class record.

In addition, Niman placed 14th in the 100 free at the Class L event. She was a respectable 21st in the 50 free at the State Open.

Melanie Roy Molly Wojtusik Lilly Martin She won both events at the CCC Bristol Eastern Sr. Bristol Central Sr. St. Paul Fr. South Divisional meet a few weeks beforehand.

Pina placed second at the Medley State Open champion- record time. In fact, she broke the Southern Division showdown ships in addition to conquering State Open record in the 200 IM, in the 100 free, while staking the events at the Class S meet in posting a 2:00.90. claim as the CCC South’s fastest

swimmer in the 100 backstroke.

She qualified to compete at the Class L meet in both events.

Leoni had a strong showing for the Rams all season, culminating with a second-place time in the 200 IM and a third-place finish in the 100 breaststroke at the annual CCC South meet. Like Pina, Leoni posted state-qualifying times in both events.

After a strong season on the board, Wojtusik did the same in diving.

Behind the trio (and with the help of several others), Central posted a 10-3 overall record and fell just nine points shy of posting an unblemished mark within the Southern Division.

Roy was a constant contributor for the Lancers, winning the city championship in the 100 butterfly as well as taking part in the 200 medley relay squad (along with Niman) that defeated teams all season, including both city rivals.

Lilly Martin made her freshman season a good one. The St. Paul swimmer qualified for the Class S meet in both the 200 IM and the 100 butterfly. She was ninth overall in the individual medley. Martin won the 200 IM and the 100 butterfly city championship, defeating those from both Eastern and Central.

St. Paul swim star Martin one of the best ever THE GLASSMAN

2:07.86 set two years earlier.

As if that wasn’t enough, Martin lowered both times considerably in winning the events at the State Open. She posted a smart 2:00.90 in the 200 IM to break her previous State Open meet and state mark of

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2:01.60 and was clocked in 4:53.41 in the 500 free, lowering her Class S swim timing by over nine seconds.

“It’s always my favorite meet of the year,” Martin said. “It’s a great atmosphere to swim in with all the excitement.”

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At Yale she claimed both the 200yard individual medley in a record time of 2:06.4 and the 500 freestyle in 5:02.49, showing her versatility in swimming different-styled events and distances. The 200 IM timing broke her own Class S mark of

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The following was published this past study biology, Martin ranks as one November as Faith Martin of the best-ever to swim in the was named Athlete of the Week.

Connecticut scholastic ranks, posting the second highest number of

By BOB MONTGOMERY state championships wins with 13, STAFF WRITER six in Class S and seven in State Open competition.

Faith Martin would have been the female “Athlete of the Week” for area sports even if she hadn’t jumped into the pool at Yale University to team win two State Open titles. Earlier in JOHNNY... the week, she captured two Class L titles and that more than earned her The whole family the honors. In fact, any week this is so proud of you. fall when she swam, she could have You’re all heart! been chosen as an unbeaten swimWe love you! mer. If there were a “State Athlete of the Week,” it’d probably be her.

Nana & Grumpy Al A senior at St. Paul who is headed for Harvard next year to

The Herald Press

8 | Sunday, December 26, 2010

All-Press Boys Cross Country Team Central races to four of five spots

No photo available

By JOHNNY J. BURNHAM STAFF WRITER

It was a magical fall in the world of Bristol Central boys cross country.

The Rams ran through the Central Connecticut Conference Southern Division with 14 wins in 14 meets, cruised past their city rivals to stake claim as City Champions, finished the season unbeaten, and for the first time in program history, climbed to the top of the mountain.

Central won the Class L State Championship, defeating its nearest competitor by 15 points.

As a result, four of the five slots on the All-Press Boys Cross Country squad can be forever referred to as state championship harriers.

Central’s Mike Duprey, Jacob Eschner, Connor Kelley and

Tyler Tanasi

Bristol Eastern Sr. Ethan Washburn are joined by Bristol Eastern’s Tyler Tanasi.

Duprey, Eschner and Kelley paced the Rams all season.

Duprey was the group’s top finisher at the Class L state meet, crossing the finish line sixth overall with an impressive time of 16 minutes, 43 seconds. He was just a second shy of placing in the top five and less than 30 seconds off the pace of the Class L individual champion.

Duprey also finished 25th at the State Open and earned All-State accolades.

Jacob Eschner

Bristol Central Jr.

Connor Kelley

Bristol Central Sr.

Eschner and Kelley joined Duprey in the top 10 at Class L, placing ninth and 10th, respectively.

When it wasn’t Duprey leading the charge, it was certainly Kelley or Eschner. Kelley placed first in the Southern Division meet with a time of 16:38 and was followed

by Duprey and Eschner. All three finished within 11 seconds of each other.

The trio crossed the finish line simultaneously at Page Park during the City Championship.

Kelley set the Rockwell Park

Ethan Washburn Bristol Central Sr.

record with a time of 17:09.

Washburn was never far behind.

In fact, coach Tamara StaffordKirk called his performance at the Class L competition nothing short of “huge.” Washburn placed 14th overall on that championship day.

He was also 15th at the Greater Hartford Invitational and in the top five or six in nearly every dual meet throughout the fall.

Tanasi was easily the best among the Lancers.

The Eastern harrier was consistently the group’s top finisher. He

Mike Duprey

Bristol Central Sr. placed eighth at the CCC South meet and was the lone Lancer to place in the top 50 at the Class MM competition at Wickham Park in Manchester.

His seventh-place spot also helped Eastern cruise past St. Paul in the city competition. When he wasn’t opposed by a group of Rams, Tanasi was no stranger to running himself to the top — including a first against Middletown.

Duprey, Kelley, Eschner, Washburn and Tanasi were all selected to the All-CCC South squad as well.

All-Press Girls Cross Country Team BE, BC runners shined this season

By JOHNNY J. BURNHAM STAFF WRITER

The Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern cross country teams combined to post only three losses on the season while racking up a total of 29 victories.

The Rams accumulated a perfect 16-0 mark over the fall while the Lancers finished an impressive 12-3, in which two of their three defeats came at the hands of the CCC South champions from Central.

While both squads were led by a number of fine performers, five stood out as the area’s best. Two seniors, a junior and two sophomores make up the 2010 All-Press Girls Cross Country Team.

Seniors Alyssa Brandt (Central) and Laura Brin (Eastern) are joined by junior Aubrey Palmquist (Central)

Melissa Cummings Bristol Central So.

and sophomore’s Melissa Cummings (Central) and Mariah McPhee (Eastern).

Cummings, Brandt and Palmquist were fast all season. The threesome led the Rams to a sixth-place finish at the Class L state meet in which Cummings provided the best time of any area harrier.

The Central sophomore placed sixth overall.

Brandt wasn’t too far off that pace, finishing her trek around Manchester’s Wickham Park in

Alyssa Brandt

Bristol Central Sr.

Aubrey Palmquist Mariah McPhee Bristol Central Jr.

ninth while Palmquist was 13th.

McPhee and Brin ran the Lancers to eighth-place overall at the Class L competition. McPhee was 31st while Brin was 32nd.

McPhee was at the head of the pack for Eastern most of the season.

She was the Lancers top finisher at the Southern Division meet, crossing with the sixth-best time. McPhee was also fourth in the city meet to help Eastern defeat St. Paul and split the day as well as finishing first in several league and non-league meets.

Bristol Eastern So.

Brin was strong throughout as well. The senior was eighth in the CCC South and fifth at the City Championship.

However, it was a Central runner that ruled that day at Page Park.

In fact, no girl to ever run a scholastic meet on the Lancers’ home course had done so as fast as Brandt.

The Central standout shattered the course record by 40 seconds.

Brandt completed the course in 18 minutes, 58 seconds.

If not for Brandt, Palmquist

Laura Brin

Bristol Eastern Sr. would have been the new course record-holder as her 19:31 was seven seconds ahead of the old mark.

Cummings placed third at the meet.

The Central trio ran away with the end of the regular season CCC South running, taking home the top three spots to aid in the team’s sweep of its divisional foes.

Brandt took first, Palmquist was second and Cummings was third.

All five All-Press harriers were selected as All-CCC South runners.