Several local athletes in baseball, softball, and lacrosse were honored by the Marble Valley League last week.
• Brattleboro pitcher Leif Bigelow and catcher Dan Petrie were among the baseball players named to the MVL First Team in the A Division. Colonel first baseman Conor Hiner received Honorable Mention.
In the B division, pitcher-first baseman Brady Illingworth and shortstop Jacob Streeter of Bellows Falls both made the First Team. BF catcher Liam Hackett received Honorable Mention. All three were key contributors to the Terriers playoff run in Division II.
Leland & Gray and Twin Valley had two players each on the C Division First Team: pitcher-center fielder Luc DuGrenier and third baseman Bryce Karg for the Rebels, and center fielder Ethan Fox and pitcher Joey Rafus for the Wildcats. Rebels shortstop Patrick MacDonald and Wildcats left fielder Skyler Boyd both received Honorable Mention.
• After leading Leland & Gray to the Division III softball championship game, four members of that squad - pitcher Olivia Brown, catcher Jessalyn Stockwell, second baseman Jessica Madore, and third baseman Rachel Borgesen - were all named to the C Division's First Team.
Brown, a junior, finished with a 15-4 record, striking out 103 batters and walking 35. The senior trio of Borgesen, Madore, and Stockwell paced the Rebels offense. Stockwell drove in 23 runs, Madore was third on her team with 20 hits, and Borgesen had 20 RBIs.
Four other area players received First Team honors in softball - Bellows Falls pitcher Murphy Hicks in the B Division, and Brattleboro's Hailey Derosia, Devin Millerick, and Jamie Mahoney in the A Division. Colonel sluggers Lauren McKinney and Emmalee Waite and BF's Aly Bashaw all received Honorable Mention honors.
• In lacrosse, Brattleboro senior Jack Gagnon, who scored more than 100 goals in his high school career, was the lone Colonel named to the boys' MVL First Team.
Teammates Alex Fitch and Declan Lonergan were named to the boys' MVL Second Team.
BUHS sophomore Elizabeth Day and junior Megyn Ayotte were selected to the girls' MVL First Team. They provided much of the scoring punch that helped lead the Colonel girls to an 8-9 record this season. Teammates Olivia Stent and Sam Cragin were both Honorable Mention selections.
Twin State baseball this weekend
• The 2017 Twin State Baseball Classic, featuring many of the top high school seniors from Vermont and New Hampshire, takes place on Saturday, June 24 at Memorial Field in Concord, N.H. The rain date is June 25.
The Twin State Baseball Classic returned after an 11-year hiatus in 2015 with Vermont and New Hampshire splitting two doubleheaders the past two seasons, with all four games decided by one run.
First pitch for the doubleheader (two seven-inning games) will be at 11 a.m. Admission is free.
Vermont's squad will have 18 of the top seniors from all four divisions of the state while, for at least one more year, the Granite State will be made up mostly New Hampshire's top seniors from its Division III and IV programs.
Bellows Falls coach Bob Lockerby will be leading the Vermont squad, along with Marcel Girouard of Burlington, Mike Czok of Randolph, and Roy Sargent of Missisquoi.
Bellows Falls first baseman and pitcher Brady Illingworth is one of 18 seniors on the Vermont team.
Also on the Green Mountain State's side are Jake Hakey of BFA-Fairfax, Chris Fenimore of Burlington, Griff Stalcup of Burr & Burton, Chris O'Brien of CVU, Jordan Bell of Colchester, Abraham Koyal and Tyler Roberge of Essex, Jordy Allard of Hartford, Ryan Austin of Milton, Shea Fitzgerald and Kyle Leggett and Ray Wilson of Mount Mansfield, Galen Goodenough and Greg Johnson of Randolph, Dalton Hotchkiss of Rutland, Patrick Greenan of Saint Johnsbury, and Josh Scoskie of South Royalton.
Brattleboro Skatepark update
• Jeff Clark, chair of the Brattleboro Area Skatepark Is Coming (BASIC) committee, wrote to The Commons last week with an update on the longrunning saga of building a skatepark in town.
Clark said BASIC has recently received a $1,400 grant from the Crosby-Gannett Fund, as well as a $2,000 donation from former Gov. Peter Shumlin.
As of now, he said that BASIC has $106,000 secured towards the $230,000 project.
“A summer event is currently being planned in which BASIC has been named the beneficiary (a date is not confirmed yet) and $70,000 worth of grants are currently being applied for. For those that haven't been keeping up to date, we'd like to reiterate that all state and local permits have been approved for the location at LMP and it's only a matter of raising the remainder of the $230,000 needed.”
It's not too late to get on board and finish the job. Clark said people can donate by dropping off a check at the Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department, by donating at brattleboroskatepark.com or by going to www.youcaring.com/brattleboroareaskatepark-688731.
Rec. Dept. hosts 'Hoop It Up' basketball camp
• The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department will sponsor the “Hoop It Up” basketball camp for children entering grades 1 through 8 during the week of June 26 at the Gibson-Aiken Center, 207 Main St.
The cost of the camp is $90 for Brattleboro residents and $105 for non-residents. To register, stop by the Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon, or 1 to 5 p.m.
For students in grades 1-4, the camp will run from 9 a.m. to noon and will focus on the development of motor skills, giving each child the opportunity to practice specific skills in a structured and fun setting. It is for youngsters who want to have fun while improving their basketball skills. There is a maximum of 30 participants.
For students in grades 5-8, the camp runs from 1 to 4 p.m., and will focus on the development of motor skills as well as provide opportunities to practice team skills in game situations. The camp is meant for boys and girls to improve their skills with ball handling, dribbling, passing, catching, and lay-ups. There is a maximum of 30 participants.
“Hoop It Up” Basketball Camp is directed by Jay Cudworth and Todd Bell. They have more than 20 years of coaching experience and both are staff members at BUHS.
All counselors are present or past athletes attending BUHS or are involved in college basketball programs. This camp consistently provides small camper to counselor ration, helping to ensure plenty of individual attention and instruction, and allowing for plenty of positive encouragement in a fun, supportive environment. Each participant receives a free t-shirt.
For more information, or if there are special needs required for this program, call the Recreation & Parks Department at 802-254-5808, or check their website for a complete listing/description of events at www.brattleboro.org.
Firecracker 4-Miler race set for July 4
• The Red Clover Rovers will host the annual Bill Powers Memorial Firecracker 4-Miler in Brattleboro on Tuesday, July 4.
This is a 4-mile point-to-point race that begins at Living Memorial Park, travels through downtown Brattleboro and ends at the town common. Each mile is marked. There is one water station at Mile 2. Prizes will be awarded to the male and female winners of each age group (1-12, 13-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-plus).
Water and light refreshments are provided at the finish. In order to minimize impact on the environment, the race features local or organically produced food, compostable cups at the water stop, and reusable water bottles at the finish (to be taken home by the runners).
Registration for adults is $15 in advance, or $25 on race day. Registation begins at 8 a.m. at Living Memorial Park, with the race starting at 9:30 a.m. Visit www.redcloverrovers.com for more information, or contact race director Kim Lier at kim.lier@gmail.com.
Also, the Red Clover Rovers have begun their free summer fun runs on Upper Dummerston Road, starting and ending near the Brattleboro Country Club. They are held every other Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., with upcoming runs on June 28, July 12 and 26, Aug. 9 and 23, and Sept. 6.
Golf tourney benefits Youth Services
• The 32nd annual Youth Services Golf Tourney is July 26 at the Brattleboro Country Club.
Registration is at 11 a.m., and the shotgun start for the Scrambles format tournament will take place at noon, sharp. A free bag lunch is provided. Following the tournament there will be a banquet, sponsored by G.S. Precision.
The all-inclusive registration fee for the tournament is $130 per individual or $520 per foursome, and covers greens fees and cart, lunch, and dinner. Dinner-only tickets may be purchased for $35.
Early registration is encouraged at www.youthservicesinc.org/golf or call 802-257-0361. To buy a $100 golf ball for the helicopter golf ball drop, visit www.youthservicesinc.org/ball-drop.
Senior bowling roundup
• Week 7 of the spring season of the Brattleboro Senior Bowling League saw Team 4 (28-7) take a six-game lead over Team 8 and Team 3 (both 22-13). Team 5 (18-17) is now third, followed by Team 1 (15-20), Team 7 (14-21), Team 2 (13-22), and Team 6 (8-27).
Pat Bentrup had the high handicap game (227) and Jean Collins had the high handicap series (667) for the women, while Fred Ashworth had the men's high handicap game (243) and Norm Corliss had the high handicap series (667). Team 4 once again had the high team handicap game (854) and series (2,491).
Marty Adams (536), Warren Corriveau Sr. (592), and Ashworth (543) all rolled a 500-plus series, while Ashworth (208) and Corriveau (205, 220) had 200-plus games.