Brattleboro's Emma Rueter and Evan Perkins were selected to play in the 32nd annual Vermont All-Star Rotary Classic hockey games, which were played last Saturday at the Essex Skating Facility.
The top seniors in Vermont were showcased in this game, which is a benefit for several charitable programs run by the Essex Rotary.
Both Rueter and Perkins were co-captains of their respective Colonel teams. Perkins, a defenseman, and Rueter, a forward, were both steady and reliable on the ice for their teams over the course of the season and were well-deserving of selection to their All-Star teams.
As for Saturday's All-Star games, Rueter found herself on the winning side in the girls' game, as Burr & Burton forward Aggie Bisselle scored two goals to lead the Austin team to a 3-2 win over the Harris squad.
Bisselle was named the most valuable player for the Austin team, which had mostly southern players in the roster. Missisquoi defenseman Emily Fornier was named the MVP for the Harris side, whose roster was filled with mostly northern players..
Essex's Bailey Gaskill also scored for Austin, while teammate Sarah Tobey added an assist. Essex's Vika Simons and Rutland's Kelsey Eddy combined for 20 saves in goal.
Fournier and BFA-St. Albans forward Riley Yandow each had a goal for Harris, while Northfield Krystal Parent dished out an assist. South Burlington's Erin Church and Stowe's Mikaella Doran combined for 17 stops in goal.
In the boys' game, Perkins was on the losing side, as St. Johnsbury forward Jared Rutledge's unassisted goal with 38 seconds left in regulation gave the Harris team a 3-2 win. Essex defenseman Austin Theriault was named the Harris team's most valuable player. Rutland forward Bauer Hill was the MVP for the Austin Team.
Rice's Will Hesslink gave Harris a 1-0 lead after one period, while Stowe's Chris Cinque scored in the second period. Jack Ams and Cole Whitaker had assists for Harris, while Erik Short, Evan Chagnon and Sawyer Ryan combined for 30 saves.
Hill got Austin on the board in the third period and Hartford's Kyle Weeks scored the tying goal later in the third. Ryan Allen, Matt Palmer, Sam Shorey and Dalton James all logged assists. Justin Laperle, Ben Thibault and Dylan Whitaker split 20 saves for the Austin squad.
Rebels win state snowboarding title
• Before we close the book on the winter season, I would be remiss in not recognizing the Leland & Gray snowboarding team, which won the state team championship in Slopestyle at the Vermont high school snowboarding championship on March 4 at Okemo Mountain in Ludlow.
The boys' Slopestyle team of Owen McDonald, Patrick McDonald, Max Cramp, Casper Rowe, and Cody Cutler took home the gold medal, while Owen McDonald won the individual title in the event.
Snowboarding goes under the radar as a high school sport, because the meets happen at ski resorts such as Okemo, Mount Snow, Killington and Bromley. But Leland & Gray is one of 15 high schools in Vermont fielding competitive teams.
Leland & Gray has built up quite a tradition in snowboarding. The boys were third in team Halfpipe and Slopestyle last year, and riders such as James, Devon, and Maddie Crowther have all made their marks for the Rebels in the sport.
Snowboarding is open to all students at Leland & Gray, but the competition team is limited to riders in grades 9-12 and spots on the roster are determined by ability and academic standing.
Other members of this year's Leland & Gray snowboarding team included Jacob and Owen Ameden, Andrea Benson, Joshua Campbell, Triton Cesan, Luc DuGrenier, Riley Faulkner, Logan Hazard, Jake Leon Ires, Bryce Karg, Charles Lanouette, Patrick Meyer, Fairen Stark, Alex Urbaska, and Shane Whittaker Jr. Coaching the team was John Salzman.
Snowshoe for the Cure raises more than $30,000
• On a sunny Sunday morning in late February, 272 women and men gathered at Stratton Mountain's Sun Bowl, donned snowshoes, trekked two miles on an improvised course and neatly raised more than $30,000 for the Vermont and New Hampshire chapter of Susan G. Komen For The Cure.
Seventy-five percent of those funds will be granted to breast cancer organizations in Vermont and New Hampshire. Most ambled along the wooded trail at a leisurely pace, while others tackled the up-mountain and down course with remarkable speed. Mike Owens came in first with a blistering time of 11 minutes, 34 seconds, while Siobhan Collins took silver in 15:43 and Jen Kuzmich came in third in 17:43.
Team participation, always a major fundraising factor at Komen events, was once again impressive, with 21 cheekily named and pinkly dressed teams stepping up and stepping out. The 18-member Freezin' for a Reason juggernaut was the top team, pulling in $13,000. For more information on Komen VT-NH and upcoming fundraising races and events, visit www.komenvtnh.org or call 802-362-2733.
Lifeguard training in Vernon
• It's not too soon to be thinking about summer, and water safety. If you are 15 or older and are interested in becoming a Lifeguard/Waterfront Lifeguard, an informational and organizational meeting will be held at 4 p.m., on Sunday April 11, at the Vernon Rec Dept, located in the Vernon Elementary School on Governor Hunt Road.
Prospective lifeguard candidates, or a representative,are welcome to attend. All eligible candidates must be able to swim freestyle (front crawl) and the breaststroke for 550 yards continuously, successfully surface dive to a depth of 10 feet, retrieve a ten-pound brick and carry it for 25 yards, and they must be able to retrieve three rings underwater.
For more information, contact the instructor, Beverly Current, at beverlylifeguard@gmail.com or 802-257-9207.