ST Awards - Indoors '07
And the category is . . . Natural Phenomena. It's only natural that year
after year the Hockomock produces phenomenal athletes.
Before you look at the results, I'm going to level with you. It will appear that I have a bias. I try hard not to. And when I pick the categories I don't immediately have anyone in mind. But here's what happens in the process.
There are a lot of great fans out there who do everything they can not to be biased. In fact, they apologize when they nominate athletes from their own team. They shouldn't feel bad, because I understand that they know their own athletes better than those from other teams. Partisan input is the kind I need. Tell me about your own teammates and it will help me understand. Both Franklin and Mansfield do a very good job of it. I also hear from a few Foxboro and Canton people (both parents and athletes). I don't hear from Sharon, Stoughton and Oliver Ames as much as I used to, and it is a rare day that I hear from King Philip.
So here's what happens. I get a nomination from a Mansfield athlete and he mentions Brett Badger. I'm impressed with the athlete for thinking globally and it reinforces an opinion that I already fostered about Brett. Its almost like two nominations. Then I hear from another athlete who mentions a name. I'm trying to listen, but not one other person ever e-mails me to mention him. Who do you think I'll chose?
So here is a recommendation for the future. If you think someone is really deserving, talk it up between your teammates and parents. Flood my e-mail! I think I only ignored one athlete who had a lot of recommendations (Dan Glavin for volcano) and that was only because I was more impressed with his position in "thunder and lightening".
So, maybe I have a bias. But I try my best not to. In the future, do everything you can to help me recognize excellence from other teams.
Blizzard
The athlete you both like and dread.
That's the way with a big snow storm. You may look forward to it, but
at the same time you know its going to be a burden. It can be fun to
watch, but in the end your muscles will ache from shovelling and you're
bone tired when you're done dealing with it. Kind of like lactic acid
which you'll be fighting after trying to keep up with this athlete.
I'm not snowing you on this one. The competition was fierce but these two Hockomock icons blanket the competition. No matter the race or the opponent, it's a white-out. Anyone would want these two as best friends, but dread having them as enemies. When Ryan or Keefe line up against you on the starting line, all you can think is "I hope I don't get buried."
Congratulations to Kathleen Ryan and Tim Keefe. These two will forever be known as "The Storm of '07!"
Reflection
Who is the athlete not only reflecting the best of the Hockomock, but
also improving our image?
Athlete's reflect on their team, school and even league. Who out there is the best symbol of the Hockomock? Who not only demonstrates the best attributes of your team and the league, but actually enhances them.
Brett is so into the sport that you often can't tell which team he's on. You won't find any pretenses here. He genuinely likes his competition.
Brett gets the reflection award not because he is any more special than the rest - but rather - because he is so typical of many athletes in the league.
Other leagues can debate whether they are the best in the state, but there's no question that the Hockomock is the "best league to be in!"
Tornado
The athlete whose laps around the field house are so rapid as to change
the wind patterns.
You'd think the air would be still within the field house. Then all
the sudden there's a breeze. At first it just tousles the hair, slowly
building from a a series of gusts into a steady blow. Then you realize
one athlete can change the entire climate, creating wind patterns that
blow away the competition, and make it hard for spectators to catch
their breath.
Sam Bastien can make the dust fly. If you're behind him (and most likely you are) all you'll see is the bottom of his shoes.
He made it all the way to the New Englands in the 300M, evidence that he's not just a blow hard - but instead a force to be reckoned with.
Step Mac - Imagine a season where you break 8 school records.
1000 - once
Mile - once
Two-Mile - three times
Sprint Medley - once
4X400 - three times
She
changed the entire wind pattern around North Attleboro. What do they call
a steady wind? WE call it EL MACO.
Volcano
The seething athlete that is ready to explode into stardom.
There is an athlete out there that is starting to build. You can tell
that something is going to happen. Even the experts don't know when!
One thing is for sure. Eventually this athlete is going to explode.
When it happens, the Hock may never be the same.
I tossed out a few nominations because they didn't make sense. Dan Glavin isn't a volcano ready to erupt. He's already done that and buried the rest of the Hock in his lava field.
I was looking for athletes who aren't all the way there yet, but by senior year will have everyone standing on their toes to watch. I think Mike Bolea and Katelyn Fortes fit the bill.
Here's
what others said.
Katelyn Fortes - She can hurdle and high jump. She would be great in the
pentathlon. Just wait how good she'll be next year.
Mike Bolea. His 4:33 mile at Hocks showed that he is ready to perform
at the next level, but it's just an indicator of what's to come. When
Bolea starts spewing fire, watch out!
Total Eclipse
The most dominant performance of the season.
The sun is the most dominant fixture in the sky, but even the sun can be dimmed - even completely covered - by the moon. There have been a lot of memorable performances this season but there is one that completely blots out all others. Which is it?
These two used the big stage at the Hockomock Championships to make a point. They not only broke meet records - they obliterated the opposition at the same time.
Here's what others had to say.
Jenna
Davidner- She won hocks by over a minute with a new meet record... and
it wasn't even a PR. Enough said.
Ryan Collins - It's not often you see an entire fieldhouse rising to their
feet, cheering a runner on as he barrels down the straightaway to shatter
a 20 year old record. Plus, his mile split in his 2mile could have placed
third in the mile at Hocks- that's insane in itself. Collins is a hardworking,
phenomenal runner who deserves a ton of redit for all his accomplishments.
Sunset
Who's graduation this year will mark the passing of another era?
Every day and every era must end. How do you know when its been a a
special day? Because just after the sun sets the sky turns brilliant!
How do you know when its the end of a very special career? Because just
after they leave you'll finally realize just how special they were?
What senior deserves to have an era named after them?
For me, things won't be the same when Ryan and Kathleen leave. I always considered them both great athletes, but I always had a visual picture of their limits. Each year they continued to defy logic by pushing through those limits, reaching newer and greater heights.
Each is the poster child for their team's successes. Imagine what this year would have been like for their teams and this league if there wasn't a Ryan and Tooti. Can you visualize it? Good. Guess what? That's what it will be like next year.
Again,
I've included some comments from others.
Kathleen Hennessey - She was league champion in the 55M Dash, is on at
least three school record relays and is North's 5th leading scorer in
history. When she goes it will start a whole new era.
Ryan Collins- Year after year he has continued to improve his already amazing times. He really became a suerstar in his senior year, dropping seconds every week. Next year it will be hard not to notice the record-breaker of the Hock 2-mile's absence.
Sunrise
Who holds the promise of the future?
Every morning a new sun rises, and every year new athletes appear. It
is inevitable that one must set the skyline ablaze. Who is the athlete
destined to shine a positive light on the Hockomock League for the next
few years? Unlike cavemen, we may no longer worship the sun, but by
the time this athlete is done more than a few of us will have been bowed.
Jenna Davidner got many nominations. I took them under consideration, but found it hard to compare her to a sunrise. Her sun rose during cross country where she was league champ and one of the best in the state. I'd consider her at about high-noon by now.
But the other three are just breaking the surface. You just see a glimmer of their potential, and you know its going to be a great day.
Here's
what my readers thought.
Christy Deininger- Christy started track for the first time this winter.
She began 3 - stepping immediately and flew over the hurdles. With a fellow
hurdler and teammate injured at hocks, she stepped it up to take second
place; something totally unexpected. I think that we can only expect great
things from her.
You can't forget Sam Smith. Canton's freshman star is rising. She placed
in both the high jump and 55M hurdles in the Division 111 Meet. She'll
be scoring 10 points most meets next year, even more outdoors.
Nick Wade- 2:38.1 1000. Hockomock Champion. 2:04 800 on a 4X800. 4:41
Mile, 10:33 2- mile. and he is a sophmore
Aurora Borealis
For the most colorful athlete.
Some athletes are a pleasure to watch. They are multi-faceted and give
off a prism of color. Like the Northern Lights, it is easy to get mesmerized.
When they compete you stop what you're doing to watch. When its over,
you turn around to the nearest person and say, “Wasn't that beautiful?”
Or maybe its not their performance. Even when they are just standing
around, they attract attention! Style, antics or performance, you be
the judge of what makes someone a living rainbow.
Let me be very clear. I don't go to track meets to laugh. I don't fall for gimics or phoneys. But I've got to tell you. These two make me laugh. They're colorful and animated. They can dish it out and they can take it.
In simple terms, I like them.
Why? Because when you look deep you find a serious athlete who knows how to compete. One minute you think they're goofy and the next minute they blow your athletes off the track. I'm not falling for it any more.
If found in a Crayola box they'd be called 'blue flame!"
More comments.
Kate Beksha - Clowns are colorful and Kate is definately the biggest clown
in the league. I mean that in a good way!
Tim Keefe - I don't think this one should be in doubt. Tim Keefe is the
most colorful. He's not only the #1 seed in the 600M this week, but he'll
probably show up with the funniest hat.
Super Nova
Who is always setting the track on fire?
This athlete generates heat - and the pressure of competition only raises
the temperature. Which athlete never wilts under the strain but forces
all the competition to melt away. Who's hotter than an exploding star?
It looks like Bastien might take this one, but my vote goes to Kathleen Ryan. Watching her run makes me smile. She ran 3:00.09 in the 1000. That's crazy. She carried the Franklin 4x4 all season. She dominates the league in the 600 and the 1000. She ran an amazing mile in the field house, better than a lot of boys. She's real good, and she sets the track on FIRE.
Kathleen Hennessey- As both a captain and a great athlete she feels the pressure. Despite injury towards the end of the season, she managed to step it up for the team and became hock champion in the dash.
Benton Wong comes out of nowhere at the hock league meet
Jenna Davidner is in the top 20 in the country... she's a freshman.... enough said
Seeded 18th for All-States Sam Bastien Came out of No where to make finals out of the 6th lane and take 7th place at finals. Now that’s an example of mantaining your composure even when under intense pressure of being a slow seed. And he will be running at New Englands im excited to see how much he bumps up at this meet
Sam Bastien for the SuperNova award. He sets the track on fire with his speed and determination.
Tuti knows how to step up to the competition. You could say she is the kyrptonite for many teams. She is a true example of an athlete that runs with her heart.
Jenna Davidner - She's one of the best two milers in the nation. How much hotter can you get?
Kathleen Hennessey because she managed to burn the competition in the 55m at Hocks even with an injured knee/leg that wouldn't keep her down. If that doesn't deserve some respect, I don't know what does.
Tooti (Kathleen Hennessey) had the kind of season that was expected, and I think under appreciated. Tooti isn't very flashy. She just runs her races and jumps backwards over high bars. She wanted to help her team, and she did by consistently beating the competition and scoring points. After her injury in the Elite Meet, her unexpected and hard fought first place finish in the 55m dash at the Hock League Championship was her shining moment. I would like to second her nomination in the Super Nova category.
Shannon Cunningham- at the beginning of the season I don’t think anyone realized how good she was. But gradually, she’s gotten fast and fast to eventually run a sub 42 in the 300 at Hocks. She effortlessly blows by competition, and doesn’t seem to let any pressure get to her. She blazes the track in anything up to the 400 (who knows, she could even run farther) and isn’t intimidated by any competition- I saw her smiling when she was standing on the line to anchor the 4x4 relay this past weekend. She’s confident and knows how good she is, and won’t hesitate to show it to the rest of the state.
Sam Bastien for the Super Nova award. Last week Sam suffered from Food poisning/stomach virus. And he still came too school for two days and practiced in the fitness room because he did not want to give it a rest. Until thursday when he woke up and the stomach pains were just unbearable he ended up going to the emergency room where they gave him IV because he seemed to have dehydrated throughout the week. He still managed to win the 300m dash on saturday despite not being over his stomach sickness
Thunder and Lightening
What duo holds the perfect combination of flash and power?
This category is for two athletes from the same team. The first must shine
- a flash of brilliance that overtakes the field house and makes everyone
else on the track look like a 40-watt bulb. The second evokes power, either
a sudden crack that makes your hair stand on end or that growing rumble
that overtakes all in its path. First the dazzle – then the noise!
Meghan Ferreira and Dan Glavin
Kathleen Hennessey and Kelsey Achin
Elijah Harris and Anthony Sherman
This has to be one of the best categories ever. I had a lot of input and everyone of them made sense. This is the perfect T&F category. I kept coming back to the same two words.
Flash and Power
Flash and Power
Who would dispute that Ferreira provided the flash to Glavin's power?
Who would dispute that Hennessey provided the flash to Achin's power?
Who would dispute the fact that Harris is the flash and Sherman is the power?
If you dispute it, you'd better whisper it before Glavin, Achin or Sherman show you what power is. And before you think you can outrun them, you'd better think again. They'll send Ferreira, Hennessey and Harris to run you down!
Here's what others had to say.
Kathleen Hennessey and Kelsey Achin - Call it lightening and thunder, because you see the lightening first. Kathleen flashed to a PR and unbelievable Hockomock Championship. Then Kelsey provided the thunder on her last throw by socking away another 33' throw to also win. They provided NA with a double win. They're the Big Red equivalent to "shock and awe!"
"Elijah Harris and Anthony Sherman-This is the other North sprints/throws
combo. If Harris is the lightning in the dash, Sherman must be the Thunder-it
follows right after, then brings the noise (in shot). Besides,how many
All-State shot putters also ran a 23 high 200?"
I nominate Meghan Fereira and Dan Glavine for the Thunder and Lightening
award. Not only were they both Hockomock League champions, Division 2
champions, Freshman-Sophomore meet champions (both re-writing the meet
records, in times that will be very tough to beat), but they both also
placed in the top 4 in the All-State meet. Meghan is without a doubt the
80 watt bulb, her not winning a race, no matter the competition, is a
surprise. And after each throw that Glavine has his yells just attract
attention from all over the fild house, whether it be a shock or surprise
or an annoyance, it must get the job done.
As they say in the Instant Replay Booth - upon further review!
I've revisited the issue and am pretty high on the Beth Muller and Sam Bastien combo.
Beth Muller and Sam Bastien - Beth Muller is quick as lightening. Sam
Bastien never goes unheard. Add them to the list.
