‘Tis the time for honors, all-stars and “twin states” Let’s begin with the “Make-a-Wish All Star Twin State Ice Hockey Classic” scheduled for June 30 at Gutterson Fieldhouse. (If you were to put that title on jerseys, it would probably require front, back and socks.)
Four CVU teams ranked top in the state heading into the playoffs. Batters, men and women LAXers and women racketeers, all headed into their respective state tournaments ranked on top of the heap. As things turned out, two won and two lost.
Saturday, May 17, was a special day for the Redhawk baseball team, for the school itself and, particularly, for Storm Rushford, a sophomore who had contributed strongly to the team’s success through his all-around play as a pitcher, hitter and fielder – that is until physical weakness invaded his body and he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia last summer.
With the seasons winding down, CVU spring sports have produced a couple of bumper crops among their teams. Women’s tennis stands out, having won all but one match by set scores of 7-0. The one match that did not measure up to perfection was, nonetheless, a 6-1 win over St. Johnsbury in the middle of last month. Senior Stephanie Joseph follows in her older sister Kathy’s footsteps as the number one singles player for the Redhawks (and, perhaps, the best in the state).
Bill Littlefield has a weekly program on NPR called “Only a Game.” In it, he broadens the meaning of sports, often talking about what they aren’t more than what they are.
Winter sports close; spring sports open – Looking out at my snow-covered lawn, it’s hard to believe that winter is over and spring has sprung. However, I pick up the newspaper each day and read the lacrosse, tennis and track scores, countered by the lists of winter sports’ all-stars. The transition from season-to-season this year seems rapid. Let’s begin with all-stars from CVU.
So, you can end the season coming in at second place for men and second place for women and still win the overall state championship. This happened to CVU’s Alpine ski teams. The women finished second in their two-day event in early March, behind Mount Mansfield Union. Redhawk Becca Provost was the top individual finisher in the slalom race at Burke Mountain.
With five Division I state championships behind them, the CVU women’s basketball team looks forward to keeping the trend alive. They helped their cause with a quarterfinal win over the Bobwhites of BFA-St. Albans last Friday. Catherine Gilwee and Shannon Loiseau led the offense. After being tied at halftime at 16 apiece, the Redhawks pulled away in the second half, outscoring BFA by 10 points in the third quarter and going on to win by 9, 46-37, with Gilwee hitting for the victory margin in the final quarter.
Some names seem to repeat in high school basketball – The last time we published The News was the game day for a repeat of last year’s state women’s championship between CVU and St. Johnsbury. A tight contest, the outcome, however, remained the same with the reigning state champion Redhawks coming out on top 43-35. Shannon Loiseau had 11 points and a double-double as she grabbed 10 rebounds.
A couple of items in the recent high school sporting scene reminded this writer of colleagues of his sons who tied their sports activity to their educational settings. In my sons days, to a number of families, CVU, Rice Memorial and South Burlington were all choices of places to continue after middle school, largely on the basis of their strength in sports.
Before winter sports head into full swing, coaches and the Burlington Free Press sports writers selected players from across Vermont for their prowess this fall in field hockey, while the coaches did the same for men and women in soccer.
New England Cross Country results find CVU women among the top four teams – The “Belles” of Belfast, Maine, over the weekend of Nov. 10 turned out to be the women’s cross country team from Pinkerton Academy, Derry, New Hampshire. Vermont’s top team from CVU missed stepping to the podium by one place, finishing fourth among the 29 teams entered from across New England.
Georgia equestrian head coach Megan Boenig announced 14 riders have signed a National Letter of Intent to continue their riding careers and education at the University of Georgia beginning with the 2018-19 school year. The signed riders include Adelaide Toensing of Charlotte.
White and red claim women’s soccer championship
CVU women’s soccer capped an undefeated season with a 1-0 win over Burr and Burton Academy on November 4. It was their sixth straight title and 17th state championship overall. That’s right, “Soccer Central” lives up to its name once again.
The Kelly Brush Foundation has partnered with the local organizing committee for the Audi FIS Women’s Ski World Cup at Killington Resort on an initiative to improve on-hill safety for the upcoming event, Kelly Brush Foundation Executive Director Zeke Davisson announced.
It was state championship time for high school cross-country runners at Thetford Academy on Saturday. CVU men’s and women’s teams mirrored the blaze of red in the mountains with women clustering it near the top of the pack. The Lady Hawks won their ninth-straight state title by finishing five individuals among the top 20, led by freshman Alice Larson who placed fourth, one spot ahead of teammate Jennifer Ireland, with Chloe Andres running 10th, Cate Noel and Ella Whitman in 16th and 17th. This team victory was their 14th in the last 15 years.
Edd Merritt keeps us up to date on sports in and around town
Edd Merritt keeps us up to date with Charlotters hitting their sporting goals.
A rundown of local sporting events by Edd Merritt of Charlotte