STAwards_Spring

ST AWARDS - SPRING '04

A 41' thrower getting 2nd in New England in the shot put - as a sophomore! Now aren't you just a little intimidated? The way I see it, if the second best returning thrower in the league improves by 10' then Hillary will actually have to try hard. I won't say she's alien, but I heard they're making a sci-fi film on throwing and she doesn't use a stand-in.

They're so scary that if I include a picture it will psyche out my readers and they won't finish this article!

The same name kept cropping up over and over. I'm not fond of giving awards to first-year Hockomock athletes but this guy is hard to ignore. Coach Thomas took a great natural athlete and honed him into a super competitor. If you got into the blocks against Lancaster thinking you might win - let's just say you'll never end up on a "reality" show.

Hottest New Performer

It isn't usual for me to give this to a junior but since this is Ty's first year I can make an exception. She had the Hock's highest jump of the year at 5'4" (twice). Then I had this strange premonition that maybe she could hurdle. Her second attempt helped NA get 1st in the Class B shuttle hurdle relays and by her 5th meet she had placed at the Class B Meet. Her 6th meet she placed 7th at state finals. Maybe you don't think a 62.8 split in the 4X4 relay is hot, but add it to the rest of the stats and you better wear oven mitts.

In the 100M Aaron can cook. He won the Class B dash into a strong headwind and made a mockery of the freshman-sophomore meet. Oh yes, and he hovers around 6'0 in the high jump. He will be spending most of his career over the 20' mark in the long jump and anchors a pretty good NA 4X100. Funny that he has a cool exterior because when his feet are in the blocks he becomes a volcano ready to erupt.

Did you ever watch her warm up? I guarantee that a lot of her competitors do. She is more focused in preparation than most athletes are in their event. Her rivals better be happy that track is a no contact sport.

Comeback "Kid" Award

For awhile it looked like Terry might be human. He nursed a lot of injuries this year both indoors and out. There was no doubt he had talent but his durability was - well - not the type you'd give a money-back guarantee on. But when it got to the big meets he was the Terry of old. His final performance at the New England Championship was picture perfect. After setting the school record in the triple jump he faced stiff competition in the 300MH. Coming off the corner it looked like he had company but with seemingly no effort he pulled away to a decisive defense of his '03 crown.

Missy had a nightmare of a year in '03. As a freshman she had shown tremendous promise in the triple jump. But by junior year she was trying to perform with a large knee brace, the result of complete reconstructive surgery. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't fun to watch. But she kept at it. Although she is still feeling the effects of muscle imbalances and prolonged practice makes her knee swell - Missy pulled the comeback of the year. She jumped 33'6" and even represented NA at the heptathlon. I hope she's had enough!

So much can go wrong in the 4 X 100M but meet after meet this group made it work. They won the Hocks, Class B Relays and Class B Meet. They spent the day before the state finals dropping the baton in practice - never got it around the track once. The next day they were flawless running 49.50 F.A.T. and breaking an 18 year old school record. At the New Englands there were 12 teams under 50.0 but they got 5th, even after Kellyn's blocks went flying on her first start. If they can wear the speed suits nothing is going to phase them!

NA's 4 X 100M Relay

Being named "Hottest New Performer" in last year's ST Awards could be a jinx akin to being on the cover of Sports Illustrated. But Shawn didn't let it bother him. He just went out and did what he does best - jump! At the state finals some of the best jumpers around were getting psyched out by the short approach. Shawn shook it off and won the state title with a 6'7" leap. Now can he find a way to get a third straight ST next year?

I know it is hard to consider someone of her calibre as Unsung but I think she is highly under-rated. She won four events against NA in the dual meet, was a terror at Hocks and just missed finals in the New England 200M. She does it all for KP and then some. I had to give her something so she won't beat up on us again.

Rock of the Hock

Meredith Leenhouts

There isn't much you can say when two athletes with this much talent, charisma and dedication leave the league. Their teams will be looking for a new rock on which to stand next year.

Francesca Peretti

Francesca is pictured below - far left.

Francesca is a threat to win four events in any meet. With Katy O'Brien gone she will try to do just that. She placed 3rd in the state heptathlon just to show her versatility. With a bad ankle she placed 1st and 2nd at Hocks this year. Can she win two on healthy legs? Probably. She is OA's foundation on which to build a strong team next year.

If Canton expects to become a power (which many are predicting) they will have to tap into this source. Maybe he can't light up the entire Hockomock yet but I'm starting to see a glow in the northern sky.

Best Performance of the Year

Kellyn was faced with a possible third place finish when she took the runway for her final jump against Foxboro. When she hit the board everyone watching knew she had finally hit the big one. Her 17'8" leap erased a school record of 17'5 that had stood since 1986. The competition was intense and she used it to propel her into the record books.

Terry's 300M hurdles at the New England Championships. He shifted gears when he hit the straightaway. No one could touch him!

Some things come naturally. Meghan was blessed with a sense of fashion (unlike her coach who felt that black socks and work boots made a statement - actually it did - "I have no taste"). She quietly goes about improving in a number of areas such as long jump, 300MH, 100 and 200 but when it comes to attire she speaks loudly. Those sunglasses she wore at the New Englands yelled "Look at me!" I can only surmise that Shawn Leonard was doing just that when he should have been jumping.

Be serious. Marcus Vaughn created a standard that no mere mortal can reach. If you want to get better at track and field you can go to athletesacceleration (or directly to their HS coach). But to win this award there is no training program that can help you - you must be truly gifted. The problem is - how will he show off when he's bundled up for those harsh Syracuse winters?

Gullaume Theeman

ST AWARDS - SPRING '04
My apologies for not being creative. I know it is boring to see the same old names, but if they wouldn't be so darn good I could ignore them. Here they are again, dominating the awards when there are so many good new performers. I have included some new names so it isn't all a rehash of old seasons. Before I get on to the winners I feel it is necessary to mention the seniors as a group. Who wouldn't want to have Terry Young, Marcus Vaughn, Meredith Leenhouts and Katy O'Brien on their team. They have set an unbelievable standard that will be hard for next year's crop of athletes to duplicate. But it doesn't stop there. Give me Kellyn Kearney, Derek McCune, Chris Kalafarski, John Lancaster, Kim Coughlan, Ryan VanDeGeisen, Matt Hart and Lance Llewellyn. If I had them I'd take on most New England college programs and not break a sweat. These seniors don't all get awards from me but they better be recognized by their own teams as the absolute cream of the crop when it comes to high school track. Hockomock competition is some of the best track and field in the state and these athletes absolutely dominated. Now I know I'll disappoint some by not having mentioned their names. My own seniors were outstanding so if I neglect to mention them (Andrea McKim, Jess Rutter, Brooke Lenahan, Soup Barney, Melissa Megna, Marianne McKenna, Ashley Nerz, Molly Minah, Nicole Meagher, Kani Timm and Erin Cournoyer) I know they'll understand. They mean as much to me as Lauren King (ST) and Samantha Robbins (FR) mean to their own team.
Scariest
Hillary Crook		John Lancaster
A 41' thrower getting 2nd in New England in the shot put - as a sophomore! Now aren't you just a little intimidated? The way I see it, if the second best returning thrower in the league improves by 10' then Hillary will actually have to try hard. I won't say she's alien, but I heard they're making a sci-fi film on throwing and she doesn't use a stand-in.	They're so scary that if I include a picture it will psyche out my readers and they won't finish this article!	The same name kept cropping up over and over. I'm not fond of giving awards to first-year Hockomock athletes but this guy is hard to ignore. Coach Thomas took a great natural athlete and honed him into a super competitor. If you got into the blocks against Lancaster thinking you might win - let's just say you'll never end up on a "reality" show.
Hottest New Performer
TyLynn Graham		Aaron Fears
It isn't usual for me to give this to a junior but since this is Ty's first year I can make an exception. She had the Hock's highest jump of the year at 5'4" (twice). Then I had this strange premonition that maybe she could hurdle. Her second attempt helped NA get 1st in the Class B shuttle hurdle relays and by her 5th meet she had placed at the Class B Meet. Her 6th meet she placed 7th at state finals. Maybe you don't think a 62.8 split in the 4X4 relay is hot, but add it to the rest of the stats and you better wear oven mitts.		In the 100M Aaron can cook. He won the Class B dash into a strong headwind and made a mockery of the freshman-sophomore meet. Oh yes, and he hovers around 6'0 in the high jump. He will be spending most of his career over the 20' mark in the long jump and anchors a pretty good NA 4X100. Funny that he has a cool exterior because when his feet are in the blocks he becomes a volcano ready to erupt.
Most Intense
Kristy Fuller
Did you ever watch her warm up? I guarantee that a lot of her competitors do. She is more focused in preparation than most athletes are in their event. Her rivals better be happy that track is a no contact sport.		Still open
Comeback "Kid" Award
For awhile it looked like Terry might be human. He nursed a lot of injuries this year both indoors and out. There was no doubt he had talent but his durability was - well - not the type you'd give a money-back guarantee on. But when it got to the big meets he was the Terry of old. His final performance at the New England Championship was picture perfect. After setting the school record in the triple jump he faced stiff competition in the 300MH. Coming off the corner it looked like he had company but with seemingly no effort he pulled away to a decisive defense of his '03 crown.		Terry Young
Melissa Megna		Missy had a nightmare of a year in '03. As a freshman she had shown tremendous promise in the triple jump. But by junior year she was trying to perform with a large knee brace, the result of complete reconstructive surgery. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't fun to watch. But she kept at it. Although she is still feeling the effects of muscle imbalances and prolonged practice makes her knee swell - Missy pulled the comeback of the year. She jumped 33'6" and even represented NA at the heptathlon. I hope she's had enough!
Least Likely to Get Psyched Out
So much can go wrong in the 4 X 100M but meet after meet this group made it work. They won the Hocks, Class B Relays and Class B Meet. They spent the day before the state finals dropping the baton in practice - never got it around the track once. The next day they were flawless running 49.50 F.A.T. and breaking an 18 year old school record. At the New Englands there were 12 teams under 50.0 but they got 5th, even after Kellyn's blocks went flying on her first start. If they can wear the speed suits nothing is going to phase them!		NA's 4 X 100M Relay
Shawn Leonard		Being named "Hottest New Performer" in last year's ST Awards could be a jinx akin to being on the cover of Sports Illustrated. But Shawn didn't let it bother him. He just went out and did what he does best - jump! At the state finals some of the best jumpers around were getting psyched out by the short approach. Shawn shook it off and won the state title with a 6'7" leap. Now can he find a way to get a third straight ST next year?
Unsung Hero
Kaitlin Lamothe		Jared Giblin
I know it is hard to consider someone of her calibre as Unsung but I think she is highly under-rated. She won four events against NA in the dual meet, was a terror at Hocks and just missed finals in the New England 200M. She does it all for KP and then some. I had to give her something so she won't beat up on us again.		Who?
Rock of the Hock
Meredith Leenhouts		Marcus Vaughn
	There isn't much you can say when two athletes with this much talent, charisma and dedication leave the league. Their teams will be looking for a new rock on which to stand next year.
The Franchise
Francesca Peretti	Francesca is pictured below - far left.	Fabian Faublas
Francesca is a threat to win four events in any meet. With Katy O'Brien gone she will try to do just that. She placed 3rd in the state heptathlon just to show her versatility. With a bad ankle she placed 1st and 2nd at Hocks this year. Can she win two on healthy legs? Probably. She is OA's foundation on which to build a strong team next year.		If Canton expects to become a power (which many are predicting) they will have to tap into this source. Maybe he can't light up the entire Hockomock yet but I'm starting to see a glow in the northern sky.
Best Performance of the Year
Kellyn Kearney		Terry Young
Kellyn was faced with a possible third place finish when she took the runway for her final jump against Foxboro. When she hit the board everyone watching knew she had finally hit the big one. Her 17'8" leap erased a school record of 17'5 that had stood since 1986. The competition was intense and she used it to propel her into the record books.		Terry's 300M hurdles at the New England Championships. He shifted gears when he hit the straightaway. No one could touch him!
Fashion Maven
Meghan Crowley		None!!
Some things come naturally. Meghan was blessed with a sense of fashion (unlike her coach who felt that black socks and work boots made a statement - actually it did - "I have no taste"). She quietly goes about improving in a number of areas such as long jump, 300MH, 100 and 200 but when it comes to attire she speaks loudly. Those sunglasses she wore at the New Englands yelled "Look at me!" I can only surmise that Shawn Leonard was doing just that when he should have been jumping.		Be serious. Marcus Vaughn created a standard that no mere mortal can reach. If you want to get better at track and field you can go to athletesacceleration (or directly to their HS coach). But to win this award there is no training program that can help you - you must be truly gifted. The problem is - how will he show off when he's bundled up for those harsh Syracuse winters?
Best Name
Tinuke Adeyemi		Gullaume Theeman
In her first year of track she goes 13.1, 62.4 and 16'2. It might be hard to pronounce her name but it sure is getting easier to remember!.		I suppose his friends just call him "The-Man"