These nominations are sent to me from athletes and parents throughout the league. I will update these on a regular basis until the winners are unveiled on St. Patrick's Day. For those of you unfamiliar with the process: 1. You can nominate someone who as already been nominated and give additional comments. #2. Look at the Categories Page for additional explanation of the meaning of each award. |
THE BIG BANG AWARD Awarded to the person who has made the most dramatic impact on the Hockomock this year. |
Kendal Knous. Winning a state title in your first year of indoor track is as dramatic as it gets. Cruising a 44.2 at Franklin for 300m isn't too shabby either. Or a 2:15 lead leg in the 4x800.
Kendal Knous. A state championship says it all. Kendal Knous- In her first season of indoor track she is state champion and one of the best runners ever at Franklin High. With her determination and talent she will only improve Sam Smith - Canton- Really came into her own this year, and was the main reason Canton went 4 and 4.
Jen Esposito - She was runner up in the 300 and HJ at the league meet. I would say that is a big bang for this Sophomore in her first year of indoor track. Her stats of 41.15 in the 300 and 5'3 in the HJ is pretty impressive. This former all-hock gymnast in now an all-hock track all-star!! Ali Kirsch - Sharon's Ali Kirsch – several Hockomock League All-Star selections in XC and Winter/Spring track and a surprise member of the anonymous Lady Eagles sprint relays (who have enjoyed a modicum of success this winter season at the state level - shhh, that's a secret). Add to that a great smile and attitude – she IS the face of the Eagle's T&F program! Coach Collins - Never have i respected an opposing team's coach more. Everyone knows she puts her heart and soul into training those runners,creating the best competition i have ever run against. She does a fantastic job. Greg Bourisquot – Greg won everything important. He won the Elite Meet, the Hockomock Championship, the Division II Meet and the State Championship. Greg Borisqout- Pretty much untouchable in the hock, and proved to be at the state levels as well. Kyle Kilduff - HE"S REALLY REALLY GOOD Kyle Kilduff - has run great in every race this year whether individual or as part of relay. He made the 4x400 team successful. |
THE LUNAR AWARD Awarded to the person in your school or town who has the most effect on you or your program. So, think about whom has been a tremendous impact on you and your team. |
NA 4X200M - I don't think any individual athlete (currently on the team) can claim to have a major impact, but the boys 4x200 team was impressive. When the school record is 1:33.90 at the start of the season and a group of kids pulls it together to run 1:31.39, a full 2.51 seconds faster than any other team in school history, that's impressive.
Kyle Kilduff – Mansfield puts up a great team effort but Kilduff rules the 4X400M relay and that is what caps off every meet.
Ali Kirsch – Sharon doesn't get a lot of recognition but whenever it does Ali's name seems to be attached. Whether its running the mile or anchoring the 4X200M Kirsch is the top Eagle. Emily Broyles - SHE'S REALLY REALLY GOOD Coach Oldmixon - Canton - Her passion and dedication to track has brought big numbers and great athletes to the program. We are definetly going to miss her!! Coach Estey - while officially retired, still a HUGE part of NAHS Track and Field! |
THE SUN AWARD Awarded to the person who is the most recognized face of your team. Who stands out the most on your team? |
Ali Kirsch – For the same reason listed above.
Christy Deininger – Dino was the most known leader/runner on a very young team.
Samantha Smith – I think Samantha Smith is the most recognized member of our team. Emily Broyles - She had a target on her back this year. She is know as one of the states fastest 300 runners and everyone was out to get her.
Quinn Ryder – Everyone knows Quinn Ryder. When people think of Oliver Ames they think of him first. Quinn Ryder Kevin Peter - Technically it's his voice that is more recognized but everyone knows the yell. Vlad Francois - bouncing from one event to the next, checking to see who did what and cheer teammates on. Matt Sidney (Canton) especially after the Hockomock championships everyone in the state know us from his performances. Christian Bates Canton-Always seems to be in the mix in whatever he runs, and someone who always represents Canton well. Christian Bates- Despite having an extremely difficult and frustrating season, Christian is still the face of our team. |
POLARIS (The North Star) Awarded to the person in North Attleboro who shines the brightest. |
Alley Harbour. 5:25 as a freshman who didn't run cross country. She has the potential to rewrite the school record books from 800 – 2 mile. Well, not if she keeps playing softball in the spring. Alley Harbour - isn't just a freshman that owns the track, she is interested and determined to run harder and faster in or out of season. She shows the determination of a well seasoned runner. Alley Harbour - Frosh miler Allie Harbour, seemingly out of nowhere, gave Ali Kirsch a real race in the league meet Mile and nearly took away 2 nd place from Kirsch in the Hock Champs (a 0.18 differential). At the divisional meet, she ran with the big dogs for most of the race before fading. There's a bright future there. Christy Deininger Christy Deininger Vlad Francois – Vlad could do anything from sprints to hurdles to the mile if they asked him to. Matt Smith - HE WORKS HARD TO BE GOOD AND THAT WHAT HE IS CONSISTENTLY WHETHER 300M, LJ OR PART OF A RELAY. Matt Smith- Came through big for the NA 4x4 team.
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AQUILA – THE EAGLE AWARD Awarded to the athlete who soars highest, furthest or proudest. Who in the Hockomock can soar to the heavens? |
Kristen McDonagh - Based on the name of the award, it has to go to Kristen McDonagh. 5' 8”. All State Champion. State Titles trump everything else.
Kristen McDonagh broke and Matt Sydney tied the Hockomock League high jump records. Both are deserving. Nojuku Canton - great thrower who helped lead her relay team to a second place finish. Pat McGowan - It's Hard to like Mcgoo when he's a step ahead the entire race. He tries as hard and is proud of his team. That's what it takes to soar highest. Matt Sydney - It has to be Canton's Matt Sidney – his 6'9” at the Hocks was flat out cool. To achieve that kind of altitude, you're pretty much flying for real. Matt Sydney - THAT KID CAN FLY IN HIS PINK SOCKS Matt Sidney - looking forward to seeing him jump outdoors this year Matt Sidney- Absoultley amazing what this kid was able to do at Hocks. Who else pr's by 5" and wins the league by 9". |
CAELUM – THE SCULTOR'S CHISEL AWARD Awarded to the coach who best creates masterpieces from raw talent. |
Can I call it a 3 way tie between Julie Collins, Pete Schuder and Paul Trovato? If you look at the results they got in their areas of specialty this year, it's tough to argue anyone else is in their league. But since I'm a sprints guy, if I have to pick one, it's Pete Schuder in a photo finish. (Well, as long as the officials at Franklin Fieldhouse aren't calling it.)
Julie Collins – Julie has great athletes every year. It can't just be luck. She's an artist. Coach Collins- Ridiculously good distance squad year in and year out...not just luck. MANSFIELD COACHING STAFF - CAN'T ARGUE WITH THEIR SUCCESS The Coaching staff of Oliver Ames High School, they are supposed to be a small school but went 7 and 1 beating powerhouse Mansfield. Every year they always seem to do well at the league and state level and beyond. OA Coaching staff-consistently one of the best teams in the league Coach Oldmixon- She was the heart of the girls team this year, helped bring them to .500 and set them up for bigger things in coming years. Tim Cimeno - It's hard to be Michelangelo without the marble. Perhaps closer to a cobbler making a great pair of shoes rather than a sculptor creating a masterpiece, it took real “out of the box” creative thinking by Sharon's coach Tim Cimeno to add their miler as the missing link to this season's successful sprint relays (shhh, did I mention it's a secret...). Coach Latif Thomas - He is by far the best coach North has ever seen. He believes in these kids and inspires them and gives them the tools and the power to reach their goals. Latif Thomas - there are not too many people as crazy about track and athlete development as he is - enough said. Latif Thomas - I would like to nominate Latif Thomas for the passion, dedication and education he brings to the track. Latif Thomas - Coach Thomas should get this award. In the last 3 years these are the people he trained straight to success. (This nominee sent in a list of accomplishments since Coach Thomas has been coaching at NA. They are too long to list in this section but are available on this link ) Before Coach Thomas came track was just a sport people did to help time pass by. |
DRACO – THE DRAGON AWARD Awarded to the person who breathes fire on the track. Who brings white-fire intensity to the track? |
Kevin Peter – Kevin Peter not only breaths fire – he also roars. If there is anyone more intense they don't show it. Kevin Peter-never lacks intensity; you always know when he hits a big throw Chris Allen- Only as a sophomore, he is running show in the 2 mile. Cant wait the see the kind of times he puts up over the next 2 years. Kyle Kilduff - If you want to see a no nonsense, real, fire breathing dragon, give Mansfield's Kyle Kilduff the stick from behind and watch him reel in the leader and singe the guy's singlet as he blows by. Give him the stick with a lead, and it's more of the same. It takes more than speed to throw down a 35.73 300m or to go sub-50 on a 4x4 leg. Kyle Kilduff - NO LEAD IS SAFE IF HE"S CHASING YOU DOWN. Kristen McDonagh might fit under the Eagles award but this one fits her personality. She had her eye on that all-state title all year. She didn't care that Moira had the 2nd best jumped in the country while Kristen only had jumped 5'6.25 at the time. She was out for the win and threw down a pr of 5'8 at the all-state and then a week later threw down another PR of 5'9. She is currently ranked #6 in the country and is breathing fire to get herself up to # Emily Broyles - If it's not first place, it's not good enough. Kendall Knous - Franklin - She is all business and is intimidating both physically and mentally. |
LEO - THE LION AWARD Awarded to the most effective leader of your team. Who do you look at to carefully help you avoid the pitfalls? |
Mary Cole - Perhaps lioness would be a better term. Whenever you saw the Franklin distance crew Mary you could tell Mary was in charge. She led the best distance team in the league - and one of the best in the state. Max Nolan - As a senior captain, Max knew exactly what was going on every step of the way. He worked with the coach to find the points to get 8-0. Josh Raia The entire Canton team- Despite an overwhelming amount of adversity, the entire team as a whole was able to put everything aside and salvaged a season. On the boys side, they managed to pull of a tie with Stoughton, despite missing 6 of its key varsity runners. Dan Mckim - When all hope is lost he always finds a way to motivate teammates and keep everyone positive |
LEO MINOR – THE LION CUB AWARD Awarded to the emerging athlete on your team who you feel is destined to become a future leader. |
Mike Rota - Outside of Canton Track, no one has heard of Mike Rota. He is a freshmen distance kid. We were competing against Stoughton and he was our #2- 1000 runner that meet by default (several members were suspended for that meet). He threw down what was a time that was way over his head to score the 3rd that helped ensure a tie in the meet. Without exaggerating the story, the guy I had penned as our #2 runner that meet missed the start in the bathroom and Mike just stepped in and responded. He saved the meet. The best part was he knew he ran great but had no idea that his point was the difference between a loss and a tie. Dan Duquette - named the protege because he is destined to do big things on the track Dan Duquette - he's got the spirit, the smarts, and the speed. Dan Duquette Nick O'Leary - He's applied himself 100% running and the team. Only a junior but his voice is definitely heard. We're prepared to show us what it takes to win. Nick O'Leary - There's no doubt he gives his all to fill the gap left by North's distance alumni, but he still takes the time to talk to all the kids on the team and help them out no matter how good of a runner they are; time he could be thinking about his own training. He's a great athlete and will make a great leader Sara Gildersleeve - Sara Gildersleeve is NA's Christy Deininger (sans Cappadona, Udall and Goldberg) next year or maybe closer to home, Sharon's Brad Maddocks (sans Gemba, Kutana, Revenales). The Eagles' top dash(wo)man (@ 55m, 4 th – Hocks, 7 th – Div. 2 55m, 8 th - Coaches), Gildersleeve was the lone junior among three seniors that won the McIntyre 4 x 55m Shuttle, 4 x 200m – 2 nd @ Div. 2, 3 rd @ Coaches Elites, 5 th @ All-State. Next year, Gildersleeve is left holding the baton – this one's a no-brainer. Nichole Sarkis. She was injured this winter, but remember the name. I'd follow her into battle. (Especially if she's dropping a pre-practice battle rap.)
Ally Harbour - JUST A FRESHMAN? WATCH OUT Vicky Tondre, Canton- No Sam Smith, no problem, Vicky is going to be wreaking havoc on that 4x2 team for the next 2 years. Lauren Hagen (FR)- As only a freshman she shattered the freshman record in the 1000 with a 3:05.1 and is always trusted to have a strong performance in the 4x800 with a 2:21 split. She is always looking to help out the team and she definitely applies herself 100%. Katelyn Comer!! Has exploded into the the track scene with her 7.32 55m run. |
SCORPIUS – THE SCORPIAN AWARD Awarded to the athlete who strikes the biggest fear in competitors. Who do you most fear getting stung by? |
Emily Broyles. She wasn't as dominant this year as last year. But all my girls are afraid of her. Emily Broyles - you know she's going to compete all out every time.
Emily Broyles - Mansfield - Unbelievable competitor who has a fierce running style! Pat McGowan – Nobody wants to go against him. When he moved to the 1000M everyone in the mile and two mile breathed a sigh of relief. Pat McGowan - He's the guy you wanted to avoid running against. The scariest part is that you didn't know what event he'd end up in. As soon as Hock and state performance sheets came out the athletes from the 1000 to mile checked, hoping he picked an event other than their's. Kyle Kilduff- Everyone knows that if your racing him your going to get lit up. Ifeoma Okeke - With Stoughton's Ifeoma Okeke, every few races she throws down a real beaut (eg. 7.57 @ Div. 2 trials) after lulling you into a false sense of security (7.7s, 7.8s). That “not knowing what's coming next” feeling and her ability to rise to the occasion with a surprise attack makes Ms. Okeke a fine candidate for the Scorpius. |
ORION – THE HUNTER AWARD Awarded to the athlete who knows what he/she wants and goes after it. Who do you know that set out to get something done and didn't give up until it was accomplished. |
Jon Vaughn- Never gives up, regardless of opponent. Doesnt want to be anything less than first. Watch out for him this spring. Kyle Kilduff – It has to him! He hunts down the opponent and eats him for lunch! Pat McGowan Brian Carroll - It's not often you hear someone tell you their time before the race has started, but Brian knows what he wants and he goes after it with everything he's got. Plus his face at the end of a race shows the pure and painful determination he has. Emily Broyles - is a true competitor. Sorry and with all due respect, you didn't want to be Franklin's Sarah Solomon with a 15 meter lead when Broyles got the stick in the Hock 4x4. Solomon is solid, but Broyles was not to be denied, and everyone at the Reggie knew what was coming (56.8 leg). Cassie Olson - She gave up field hockey to focus on running and it has really paid off. She has gained a lot of confidence this year as she has taken the lead in some of the big races this year. She has thrown down 35 second last lap to get herself on that podium. Cassie Olson - In other years she was just good - but this year she focused on her prey and ran them into submission. Talk about keeping your eyes on the prize. Emily Broyles Samantha Kroll - Samantha has shown true determination and strength in achieving all that she has this past season. After being out for the whole of last year, she stayed focused and qualified for states in the 50, the 300, and the 4x2! Kendal Knous (FR)- Before Kendal even started the state championship race in the 600, she was telling herself that she will win and she was 100% determined to take home the title. From the start of the race she took the lead and I had no questions that she would win once I saw her determination during the race. Christy Deininger - Christy spent all fall going alone to the track to work on her running and worked with a personal coach to improve her hurdling. Her goal was to be Hock Champion and that's what she did. Katlyn Comer - Mansfield - You just know she is going to be fighting for a state title in a few years. |
PERSEUS – THE HERO AWARD Awarded to the athlete who saved a team through an outstanding effort/performance. Who do you know that came up with a heroic moment this year – and what was the moment? |
Matt Smith anchoring the NA 4x4 team to beat Mansfield in our (December) tri-meet. Biggest win for NA Boys track this century. Matt Smith - Both this year and last, Smitty put his team ahead of himself in big meets, forgoing his open events so that he could be strong in the relays ... and he was! And when he did run/jump his own events, he always added points. Mike Rota (Canton)- Mike is only a freshman, but came up HUGE for the bulldogs in the one meet we needed something special to happen. With 6 key members of the varsity squad out, it looked like Canton was going to fall to Stoughton, but out of no where mike droped a huge pr to pick up 3rd in the 1000. This 1 point decided whether we tied or lost, and was the only varsity point mike scored all season. Tristan Richardson and Nick O'Leary - These two have pulled the team through some tough times. Getting key points in High Jump and the dreaded 2-mile, they carried the whole team on their shoulders. They felt the pressure at the end of the North - Mansfield meet, where Tristan went above and beyond and Nick pushed through the pain to take a close second place to break up Mansfield's distance dominance. These two own that 8-0 personally. Emily Stickles (FR)- Even though Franklin came up short at the Hockomock League Championships, Emily Stickles gave everything she had in the mile to help out her team. She surprised everyone when she out kicked competitors and shattered her previous best time in the mile with a time of 5:39 placing 5th. Emily Grotz - Oliver Ames - She did everything for them and just won the All New Englands as a Sophomore! Kyle Kilduff - All States 4X400 |
PHEONIX – THE REBIRTH AWARD Awarded to the athlete who appeared down and out but rallied to succeed. |
Greg Bourisquot – Last spring had to be a big disappointment but he shrugged it off and is the top male athlete in the Hockomock. Joe DeGirolamo - Joe is in the unfortunate position of being overshadowed by his team's two other sprinters. Then he was hampered by an injury that made it look like his season would be a disappointment. Instead, he worked hard to rehab and placed 6th at the league meet. Matt Smith - DID NOT LET HAMSTRING ISSUES STOP HIM; ALWAYS IN THE LINEUP TO HELP HIS TEAM AND PERFORMS BETTER THAN MOST WHETHER HE'S HEALTHY OR NOT. Shayne Collins - Collins switched to indoor track for the first time but met some unanticipated adversity. Shayne was hurt most of the season but came back to place 5th at the divisional meet in 9:32.47. Anna Amico - While shooting photos for www.sharoneaglestrack.com (unabashed plug), I witnessed Canton's Anna Amico in real pain and reduced to tears 10 minutes before the Hock 55m trials with what appeared to be a back spasm. She took not one practice start from the blocks, out of fear I'm sure. I was convinced she had to scratch – she then goes out and qualifies cold with a 7.74 and later follows it up with a 7.65 for 6 th place overall. I was probably the only non-competitor besides her coach that witnessed what was going on. Her determination was nothing short of heroic (as far as T&F goes anyways). Amarachi Njoku- Started the season as a first year senior learning to throw a shot put, ended up being Cantons top thrower, and finished the season with a 1st place finish at hocks which she carried all the way to new englands. |
TAURUS – THE BULL AWARD Awarded to the most powerful athlete in the league. |
Patrick Riggs – The shot put exploded out of his hand at the Hockomock Championship. He's a bull alright. Pat Riggs (FR)- Hockomock League Champion and one of the best throwers in the state. Pat Riggs
Bradley Mattocks - Brad Mattocks is an old school locomotive, head and arms pumping, steam billowing from his stack, tons of torque…Mattocks is one BIG powerful sprinter. I wouldn't want to get accidentally clipped crossing the track at the Franklin Field House by Mattocks swinging wide off the first turn in a 300m. That's a train wreck! Brad Mattocks- Sharon had yet another disappointing season, but Mattocks was a lone bright spot. Kevin Peter - Stay out of his way Women throwers at Canton Laura Daley - You can be powerful without being a bull. Laura is just a sophomore but is already a veteran at throwing. She is always amont the top in the league and state. |
VULPECULAE – THE FOX AWARD Awarded to the athlete with the best running tactics. Who is the most tactical runner you know? |
Emily Grotz – She's just learning how to run the 1000M but she holds her own with the best in the state. She sticks to her race plan and doesn't panic. Kendall Knous - Franklin's Kendall Knous (more like a Panther?) got used to hiding in the weeds in the 600m, content to be in the lead pack before unleashing her devastating kick on her prey. She fooled them though at the All-States and took it out. Keep them guessing. Pat McGowan- Moving down to the 1000 was a shock, but probably a good move. Cassie Olson - Always seems to be outnumbered and having to face various coaching strategies to defeat her - Somehow finds a way to do her best |
MARS – THE WARRIOR AWARD Awarded to the athlete who loves to do battle. Who can't wait to hit the track no matter whom they are facing? |
Emily Broyles – When Emily puts on her uniform she means business.
Chris Allen – To be a real Warrior you have to be from King Philip. Chris is the member of our team who loves to race. Jon Vaughn- Whether he is facing Quinn Ryder in the dash, or Greg Borisqout and Vlad Francois in the hurdles, Jon is always up for a challenge. Cassie Olson - This year she put on her war paint and did battle week after week. Even when she wasn't 100% successful she came back just as intense the next week. |
VENUS – THE LOVE OF TRACK AWARD Awarded to the person who is in love with the sport of track and field. Who loves the sport more than the prize? |
Courtney Wilk - Now the Foxboro assistant coach, She does anything to get close to the track and loves the sport win or lose. Ali Amendola - Canton - She comes ready for competition and has helped build the Canton program. Dan McKim - McKim knows everything there is know about track from what spikes to wear for each race to who ran what times in previous meets Vlad Francois/ Dan McKim- Everyone could tell these two loved the sport, and now facing the possibility of losing it from a bad decision, they must want it/cherish it more than anything. Vlad Francois – This kid loves track and loves to run. You can tell he enjoys it. Jon Vaughn - He's always smiling at the track. You can tell someone who loves running because they show up everywhere there's a race. Jon was a fixture at the Puma Street Meet last year. Paul D'Amico - Sometimes we forget that the obstacles some athletes have to overcome are more than just an occasional injury or disappointment. Paul suffered the loss of his father and grandmother this year. Yet, his commitment to the team and the sport was an inspiration that led Coach Elgar to tell me " He was back and with the most amazing attitude for someone that would have been understandable if his heart wasn't in it. I know that doesn't really fit a category but wanted to share about someone that I am so impressed by." I think it fits this category perfectly! Quinn Ryder - He is "Mr. Track and Field" |
MERCURY – THE SPEED AWARD Awarded to the fastest person in the league. Who explodes like a Mercury Rocket and propels across the track at breathtaking speed? |
Quinn Ryder - The fastest person in the league can't, by definition, be anyone other than the fastest 55 runner. I'll go with Quinn Ryder since he got it done when it counted.
Quinn Ryder - QUINN RYDER - HOCK 55M CHAMP Quinn Ryder - too bad McConnell wasn't a year older. Quinn Ryder - Oliver Ames - Wow what a runner ! Quinn Ryder- NOBODY in the league could touch him this year. Quinn Ryder and Samantha Smith - OA's Quinn Ryder is so fast he had to have his hair cut into a spoiler to keep his feet on the ground. That, a 6.49 at the All-State meet, and his own set of launch codes, makes him the easy choice for the Mercury Award. CT's Samantha Smith over MN's Kayla Comer for the "Miss" Mercury award (7.30 and a trip to the NEs - 'nuff said). Samantha Smith – Lightening is also fast. They say it can't strike the same place twice but Samantha struck for a meet record at Hocks and a surprise 5 th place at state finals. Both were new records for her. Katlyn Comer - Comer of Mansfield. Her speed at the division meet shocked everyone and helped speed Mansfield on their way to a championship. Katlyn Comer - A sophomore in her first year of indoor track and she already has a division title! Just wait until next year to see what real speed is. Only Smith's time at state finals was faster. Alexa Murray - While she was overshadowed by Smith head to head, Alexa had a great career at OA and deserves mention. Her win at the State Coaches Meet is evidence that this dynamo is packed with fast twitch fiber. |