Edd’s Sports Report: Feb. 22

Edd Merritt

CVU men join CVU women at the top of the state
Basketball is the name of the game in the CVU gym this winter. The men’s team stands atop the state rankings having lost only once this season and on a streak. The women, coming back from their historic winning streak for the past four seasons, are now ranked among the top teams in the state with their recent win over St. Johnsbury Academy and despite last week’s loss to BFA. Three-pointers seemed to set the tone for the 44-29 win over St. Jay with Jamie Vachon hitting two early in the game and another in the fourth quarter to bolster her game-high 13 points. Abby Thut, who has been a leading scorer all season, came in second with nine points, followed by Marlee Gunn with eight.

You won’t see a banner for men’s basketball on the Redhawk gym wall—until this season is through, perhaps. They’ve lost only one game this year and are ranked number one. Like their hockey counterparts, the Redhawks latest win was over South Burlington, 41-31. Walker Storey, a six-foot-four-inch senior headed to St. Michael’s next year, is their leading scorer. He hit for eleven, which has been his average. Josh Bliss has also scored well on a regular basis.

MacKillop is the lone CVU indoor track champ
Somer MacKillop is a senior pole-vaulter who was the lone CVU winner at the Vermont State Indoor Track and Field Championships at Norwich University in early February. Somer cleared 12 feet.

Gymnastics presents the Essex chase
Despite only one loss this winter, CVU’s gymnasts finished second to top-ranked Essex, who won the state tournament on Saturday. CVU finished second only five points behind. With three winners, in the vault, the beam and in the floor exercise, the week before CVU had defeated St. Johnsbury and U-32. Jam Giubardo won the vault, Lexie Cody won the beam, and Tali Giubardo won floor exercises. Julia Higa placed second in the all-around rankings.

In the state meet, the Redhawks placed four among the All-Around top finishers: Lauryn Bombardier, Tali Giubardo, Lexie Cody and Julia Higa. Giubardo won the floor exercises.

CSB Cup returns to Redhawk Junction
It’s friends against friends until the puck is dropped in Cairns Arena, and South Burlington faces CVU to play for the CSB Cup. The Cup signifies the players from each town who until high school have played together in youth hockey for Chittenden/South Burlington. This year’s victory for the Redhawks marks the first cup win in six years. With goals by Joe Parento and Jake Schaefer in the first period, CVU never looked back and came away on top 4-1. This year’s Larry Austin MVP Award went to Parento for CVU (a goal and two assists) and to South Burlington’s Michael Flaherty.

Cougar/Hawks fall to Spaulding
Mount Mansfield/CVU women’s hockey cut short their victory streak against Spaulding, losing to the Crimson Tide 6-2 on Saturday. Lydia Maitland and Jackie Ryan scored the Cougar/Hawks’ two goals, each unassisted. The team’s season record stands at 7 wins, 11 losses for the season.

Nordic skiers travel the trails
Men and women Nordics have done well this year. In a race at U-32 in mid February, the pattern remained with the women placing second, the men, first. Emma Strack was the second-place individual and Meara Heininger eighth among women. Tyler Marshall topped the men, followed by Harken Spillane in sixth and Jared Leonard in ninth. The beginning of the month saw both men and women finish second in the Tour de Chittenden.