Relay pg 5 6-13-24
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Tradition
Co-presidents of the Putnam Rotary Club’s Interact Club, lightsabers in hand, were just a few of the Interact members who helped. The Interact Club raises money throughout the year for Relay and has for many years. In front of them are the tie-dyed socks they sell each year. Eric Levesque, at left; and Jordyn Butler. Courtesy photo.
A survivor's lap
Families, schools, and businesses alike celebrated cancer survivors and remembered those lives lost at Relay For Life of Northeastern Connecticut June 1 at the St. Marie-Greenhalgh Sports Complex in Putnam.
Participants and visitors alike said the American Cancer Society event felt celebratory and supportive. Taylor Penman, QMC team captain, said, “My students are still talking about the kindness and inspiration they experienced as so many people came together for a good cause.”
“Cancer survivors are what Relay For Life is all about,” said Tammy Brissette, survivor chair. “This year we had Lisa French and Holly Gilbert, survivors of 45 and 50 years, lead our first lap, lending inspiration and strength to the recently diagnosed. The survivor and caregiver brunch celebrated them. The brunch was provided for free by individual donors and local businesses.” The local businesses that provided the brunch were: Bakers’ Dozen, Dunkin’, Heirloom Food Company, Henry’s Diner and Variety, Putnam Supermarket, The Broken Crust, The Courthouse Bar and Grille, The Painted Baker Café, and the Sunshine Shop.
The Putnam Rotary Interact Advisor and sponsorship chair, Roberta Rocchetti’s team celebrated 28 years of participation this year. Of this year’s event, Rocchetti said, “It is a bittersweet Relay for me after recently losing my sister-in-law to cancer. I know treatments and care have improved thanks to research by the American Cancer Society. Generous sponsors like Fiberoptics Technology Inc., Foster Corp., and Linemaster Switch Co., make that research possible.”
Relay For Life Co-Chair Shane Donahue said: “We brought together around 100 caregivers and survivors for our reception this year, and honored over 600 lives touched by cancer during our luminaria ceremony. In the week leading up to and during our event, we raised over $18,000, bringing our total past the $75,000 mark. Our goal of $100,000 this year is within reach, and we have teams that are passionate about hitting it by August 31st. This work wouldn’t be possible without the support of my Event Leadership Team, my students, town officials, businesses, and our remarkable participants.”
You can still donate: relayforlife.org/northeasternct
Regarding funds raised, American Cancer Society Staff Member, Jennifer Cabrera said, “The funds we raise improve the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure everyone has the opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.”
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Elks pg 7 6-13-24
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Flag Day Ceremony
Each year, near Flag Day, the Putnam Lodge of Elks 594 reverently honors the country’s flag. In a solemn ceremony they trace the extensive history of the country’s flags and freedoms, sing patriotic songs, listen to a speaker and retire worn American flags. Michael Martin, exalted ruler, said the honors for the flag were mandated by the Elks in 1908. The tenets of the Elks are charity, justice, brotherly love and fidelity.
The Putnam Elks and the color guard at the conclusion of the Elks' Flag Day ceremony. Linda Lemmon photos.
honored pg 7 6-13-24
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Honored
BIDDEFORD and PORTLAND, Maine — Hanna Longwell and Jessica Milewski of Woodstock were named to the dean’s list for the 2023 fall semester at the University of New England.
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academy pg 8 6-13-24
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Honored
From left: Julia Coyle, Joel Koleszar, Reegan Reynolds, Noah Sampson, Donny Sousa and Talia Tremblay were honored at the Senior Athletic Awards for participating in a sport in all 12 seasons during their time at Woodstock Academy. Photo by Sam Clark/Woodstock Academy.
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Assistant boys’ hockey coach Bob Donahue, who has announced his retirement, was honored as the Woodstock Academy Coach of the Year. Photo by Sam Clark/Woodstock Academy
Julia Coyle, left, and Eric Mathewson received the Centaur Awards for their Academic Achievement, Athletic Participation, Leadership, Citizenship, & Sportsmanship. Photo by Sam Clark/Woodstock Academy.
Athletes of the Year
Reegan Reynolds, left, and Lucas Theriaque display the Senior Cup. They were named the Senior Athletes of the Year. Photo by Marc Allard/Woodstock Academy.
Golfers
Logan Rawson, left. Donny Sousa, above, took part in the State Open golf championship. Photos by Rich Garceau/Woodstock Academy.
It was a busy couple of weeks for the seniors at Woodstock Academy leading up to Saturday’s graduation ceremonies.
One of the activities was the annual Senior Athletic Awards Night.
The highlight of the event was the announcement of the 2024 Outstanding Senior Athletes of the Year.
Lucas Theriaque and Reegan Reynolds were the recipients of the Senior Cup significant of being Athlete of the Year.
“It’s so special to me,” Reynolds said. “Coming into Woodstock Academy, I knew I wanted to do athletics but I didn’t realize how deeply I would get into it. It’s my family. Everybody on my teams, I really loved.” Reynolds participated in volleyball, basketball and outdoor track.
Theriaque was a football player, wrestler and a member of the lacrosse team.
“I’m so happy that I was able to have an impact on Woodstock Academy in my senior year and over my four years of playing sports,” Theriaque said.
Theriaque was a team captain for the football team where he was also the leading receiver with 29 catches for 504 yards and six touchdowns. He was second on the team in scoring with 40 points and made 34 tackles, forced three fumbles and intercepted a pass defensively. He was named an ECC Div. I All-Star.
Theriaque was a key to bringing back the wrestling team after a five-year hiatus.
He then put the exclamation point on it when he finished second in the 165-pound weight class at the Class M state championship.
He went on to add 18 goals and 4 assists including five goals in a key win over Norwich Free Academy that vaulted the boy’ lacrosse team into the Class M state tournament.
“Probably my favorite season was football,” Theriaque said. “That’s what I’m going to do after high school. I’m going to play at Putnam Science Academy for a post-grad year and see where it takes me after that.”
Reynolds contributed 113 kills, 17 blocks, 74 digs and 39 aces for a volleyball team that advanced to the Class L quarterfinals last season.
She was also a captain and mentor for a youthful Centaurs’ basketball team and, in the spring, was the ECC Div. I and II champion in the triple jump, was a member of the 4x400m relay team that placed second and was fourth in the long jump.
She also placed sixth in the Class MM state championship meet.
“Being named captain of the basketball and track teams,” Reynolds said when asked what her highlight was. “That means a lot to me and I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead others and being an example to the younger kids on the team.”
Reynolds will be headed to UConn in the fall.
A man who is stepping back from the sidelines was named Woodstock Academy’s Coach of the Year for 2024. Boys’ hockey assistant coach Bob Donahue was honored as such.
“Speechless and for me, that’s unusual,” Donahue said when asked for his reaction after receiving the award. “It was a total surprise and I have been very honored to be a part of this program. I’ve done this for 45 years and doing this for the last 11 with this athletic department and the school has just been tremendous.”
Will he miss coaching? “Very much,” Donahue said. “But I told them they can’t get rid of me and I told (Coach Mark) Smolak that if he needs me – I will be there,” Donahue said.
Award winners:
Class of 2024 Senior Athletes of the Year: Reegan Reynolds, Lucas Theriaque; Centaur Awards: Eric Mathewson, Julia Coyle; Coach of the Year Award: Bob Donahue; Assistant Coach of the Year Award: Todd D’Alessandro; Centaur Nation Person of the Year Award: Cahan Quinn; Unified Sports Awards: Unified Athlete-Christopher Kirkconnell; Unified Partner- Tim O’Sullivan; Bertrand Golf Awards: Isabella Siwko, Blake Hudock; Clifford Spelman Tennis Sportsmanship Award: Ethan Staples; Alfred Warren Soccer Sportsmanship Awards: Addison Tyimok, Rebecca Nazer; 12-season Athletes: Julia Coyle, Joel Koleszar, Reegan Reynolds, Noah Sampson, Donny Sousa, Talia Tremblay; National Federation of State High School Associations Award of Excellence: Noah Sampson, Talia Tremblay; Connecticut High School Coaches Association Scholar-Athlete Awards: Jared Nielsen, Emma Massey; Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete Awards: Hunter Larson, Julia Coyle; Hannah Green Memorial Award: Leah Danis; Marvin M. Sherman Award: Donny Sousa; Evelyn and Arthur Weinmann Awards: Gavin Grant, Aiden Finch; John Suleski Jr. Most Improved Senior Golfer: Nick Sivertsen; John Suleski Jr. Most Valuable Senior Golfer: Donny Sousa; Athletic Department Awards: Delaney Anderson, Riley O’Brien, Lilly Verraneault, Peyton Bentley
Boys’ Golf
It was good to get there. The experience will pay dividends in the future.
Postseason golf is just not easy.
All of those rang true for the boys’ golf team this past week as not only did the team as a whole qualify for the Div. I state championship tournament but two of its members, senior Donny Sousa and junior Logan Rawson, became the first ever from the program to qualify, individually, for the State Open championship which was held on Friday.
“It was fantastic, a really great experience for both Donny and Logan,” coach Rich Garceau said. “Maybe they didn’t score as well as they wanted to and I get that but they learned a lot from the experience.”
Garceau was proud of Rawson who had set a goal for himself at the beginning of the season to qualify for the State Open.
“It was something he really wanted and he worked hard, spent extra time at the golf course practicing, going to the range, working on his putting and it paid off. It’s great to see a young man set a goal and achieve it,” Garceau said.
Rawson will, hopefully, have another opportunity of playing in it again next season.
For Sousa, it was the last hurrah.
He carded an 86 in his final tournament in a Centaur uniform on the day before graduation on Friday.
“The score that he put up was very respectful and I think he had a feeling of accomplishment. He identifies himself as a hockey player, everyone knows that, and we do spend a couple of weeks early in the season trying to take the hockey out of his golf swing. He worked hard to get there and for a kid who sees himself not as a golfer, still to reach a high level of achievement, make it to the Open and he and Logan led the team to the state tournament – I have to take my hat off to him,” Garceau said.
The team, admittedly, was hoping for better at the CIAC Div. I golf championship just two days before the Open.
The Centaurs, who were seeded 10th, finished 14th in the field.
“Fairview Farms is a hard course especially if you haven’t played it,” Garceau said.
It was for that reason that Sousa and Rawson went out to Harwinton and played a practice round.
“It was really eye-opening to them and, to some degree, may have backfired on them. They realized it was a difficult course, one of the hardest they had played as Donny told me and they might have been a little more nervous than they should have been and some of the younger guys who had not been on the course, got those vibes,” Garceau added.
Rawson finished with an 81.
“His putting has been decent. His lag putts have been giving him reasonable chances at par or birdie, his wedges had been suspect over the season. He was getting on the greens fine (at the championship) but with his putter, he was leaving it short or catching the lip (of the hole), had some putts dropped for him, he could have been in the mid-70’s,” Garceau said.
Sousa finished nine strokes back of Rawson with a 90 while Aidan O’Connor and Brady O’Brien both finished one stroke back of Sousa as the Centaurs totaled a 353.
“I did kind of sense the nervousness, anxiety when we got to the course and it played itself out on the course. But, the good thing, other than Donny (who is a senior); I asked ‘What did you learn in these tournaments on tough course?’ It wasn’t the skill part that was fine. It was the mental part because golf is a mental game when you are out there for four and five hours. I think the guys got a lot out of it from a psychological point of view and will take it into next season,” Garceau said.
Outdoor Track
Three members of the track program had top-10 finishes at the State Open Track Championship early last week.
Lilly Morgis led the way as she finished with a personal best throw of 113-feet, 2-inches to take seventh place in the discus.
“She’s gaining a lot of consistency there,” said girls’ track coach Josh Welch. “I know that in practice, she felt she was on the verge of a breakthrough. I think it’s coming still and, hopefully, in Nationals is where we will see it happen. She’s on the verge of something big.”
Juliet Allard placed ninth in the 300-meter hurdles and Christian Menounos was 10th in the boys’ 800m race.
Avery Plouffe finished in 11th place in the shotput.
“We’re struggling with keeping our focus into the long postseason stuff. There are more of us going to the Nationals and I’m trying to build some momentum around that. All in all, we got a slight personal best out of the 4x800m relay team (at the State Open), not bad. We were hoping for a breakout day in javelin but I think (the team) was fired up for (the ECC) championship and it takes a while to regroup. We didn’t keep the momentum up,” Welch said.
But the season is far from over.
In-state competition continues on Monday when the CIAC decathlon and pentathlon championships.
Eli Manning will compete in the decathlon and Jillian Edwards in the pentathlon.
Early this week, Kathryn Dobosz, Avery Plouffe, Chandler Folkerts, Michael Susi and Cayden Menor competed in the hammer throw championships.
On Tuesday, Colton Sallum, Sam Greene, Joel Koleszar and Harrison Durand competed in the CIAC Steeplechase championship.
Both events ended too late for this edition.
“I’m hoping we have some nice performances in steeplechase from Koleszar and Sallum, they could do well there and have a fun experience,” Welch said.
Thirteen athletes will then be flying out to Eugene, Ore., in the middle of the week for the National High School Championships.
Those competing in the Championship division include the 4x400m co-ed relay team of Talia Tremblay, Christian Menounos, Charlie Caggiano and Juliet Allard.
“I think they have a shot at All-American based on what entries are. It’s not a super-popular event but it’s a cool one,” Welch said.
Allard will also compete in the 400m hurdles with Plouffe in the championship division for the hammer.
The 4x400m team of Talia Tremblay, Reegan Reynolds, Juliet Allard and Emma Weitknecht will compete in the Emerging Elite Division.
“I think we’re going to break the school’s 4x400m relay record which will be great,” Welch said.
Also competing in the Emerging Elite will be Weitknecht, Allard, Elise Coyle and Ella Lidonde in the 4x100m relay; Tremblay, Julia Coyle, Isabel D’Alleva-Bochain and Olivia Tracy in the 4x800m relay; D’Alleva-Bochain in the javelin and Morgis in the discus.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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