psa pg 7 3-9-23
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Ines Goryanova didn’t show up at Putnam Science Academy in the Fall of 2021 having spent much time thinking about what her career would look like.
And up until she was asked about her potential legacy last week, she still hadn’t thought about it.
But in scoring 24 points in a game over the weekend, Goryanova – the standout point guard on the girls’ Prep team – became the program’s all-time scoring leader, passing Fatima Lee. Goryanova entered Friday’s neutral-site game against Arizona Compass just seven points shy of establishing the new mark, and she got to it quickly, setting the record with a bucket early in the second quarter.
“It means a lot that I’m in first place,” she said. “It took a lot of hard work and effort, so just the fact that it paid off makes it even better.”
There is more to come, for sure. Goryanova, who holds more than a dozen Division I offers, is just a junior. So she has some time to put a lot of distance between herself and anyone who comes after looking to take her place atop the list.
“I haven’t really thought about it before, for real,” said Goryanova, who grew up in London. “But it definitely is something that will be great to look back at and hopefully see how it may inspire other student-athletes that come to PSA after I’ve left.”
“Ines is a special talent and when she committed to PSA I was hoping she would have this type of impact,” coach Devin Hill said. “I’m really proud of the player she’s become here in her two years. It has to be difficult to come from a different country and style of play at such a young age, especially as a point guard.
“But she’s handled it well and has established herself as one of the best point guards in the country and will leave PSA as the most decorating player in our history.”
One of the next goals is 1,000 points. And as she sits at 645 as this season concludes, that number is well within reach.
But there is more. The Mustangs had high hopes of winning their first national title this year, but lost in the semifinals for the third consecutive year.
And that more than anything is what drives Goryanova.
“1,000 points…I want that so bad,” she said. “Getting a ring…I need it.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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police pg 8 3-9-23
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The following charges were listed in the Putnam Police Department logs. The people charged are innocent until proven guilty in court. The Town Crier will publish dispositions of cases at the request of the accused. The dispositions must be accompanied by the proper documentation. The Putnam Police Department confidential Tip Line is 860-963-0000.
Feb. 27
Devin P. O’Neill, 27, Milton Street, Putnam; disorderly conduct, first-degree criminal mischief.
March 1
Devin Oneill, 27, Milton Street, Putnam; second-degree breach of peace, second-degree threatening, risk of injury to a minor, second-degree criminal mischief, violation of a protective order, violation of a restraining order.
March 5
Kyle Mcdonald, 30, Porter Plain Road, Thompson; third-degree assault, first-degree criminal mischief, disorderly conduct.
March 6
Matthew Fontaine, 44, Lane Road, Woodstock; risk of injury to a minor, disorderly conduct.
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psa pg 1 3-16-23
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caption:
Duane Thompson and Miles Rose celebrate winning the National Prep crown. Thomas Netzer photo.
captions, page 2:
Champs
Top: The winning team. Above left: Baye Ndongo. Above right: DJ Dormu. Right: The trophy. Thomas Netzer photos.
PSA wins
National
crown - again
WORCESTER — Mouhamed Dioubate had 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and three blocks Friday night, while Baye Ndongo made two free throws with 0.3 seconds and Putnam Science Academy won its second straight National Prep basketball championship by beating Sunrise Christian Academy 80-76. It is PSA’s fourth national title overall, with all of them coming in the last six years.
“I just got used to being three-time champions,” coach Tom Espinosa said. “I’ve got all those shirts that say ‘three-time.’ I guess we’ll have to get new ones.”
“We’ve been working for this since August,” said Dioubate, who was a major player off the bench last year and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player this year. “This is the best feeling ever. We faced a lot of adversity on this team, and we still faced it. They put us as the fourth seed…they didn’t think we were going to win. And look what happened! We’re the champs! Two times in a row!”
Last year, the Mustangs (39-3) were undefeated and the championship game victory seemed like a mere formality. That seemed like it was going to be the case again Friday night when PSA opened up a 20-point lead midway through the second half. But Sunrise got hot and kept chipping away, eventually whittling the deficit to 77-76 with 40 seconds to play. The Buffaloes missed a pair of 3-pointers before PSA’s Miles Rose ended up with the ball in his hands. He was promptly fouled, and hit one-of-two free throws to make it a two-point game with 15.8 seconds left.
Sunrise got into the lane for a final shot attempt, but Dioubate and Oswin Erhunmwunse combined to block the shot. Ndongo was fouled with 0.3 seconds left on the clock and made both free throws, then backed down the court with his arms extended wide as time expired, setting off a wild celebration at midcourt.
“I have been working on those last-minute free throws for that kind of moment,” said Ndongo, an uber-talented wing who joined the team at the start of the second semester and is headed to Rutgers next year. “It was up to me but I didn’t feel any pressure. It was a good feeling to know the game was over and we won the championship. I am so happy to be a champion.”
Coach Tom Espinosa and his staff had the Mustangs playing their best basketball as the season closed. He said they probably had their worst game of the tournament in the final, but in the end made the plays they needed to make.
“I’m excited for the kids,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever had a team, individually, go through more adversity than these individuals. I could go through almost the entire roster, and the kid overcame some adversity. Starting, not starting. Playing, not playing. Being suspended for not holding up our standards off the court. Darryl (Simmons) Tarique Foster, DJ Dormu, Duane (Thompson), Blake Barkley…I could go on and on and on.
“The kids really deserve this, they did buy in. They won 24 straight games to end the season. What they’ve gone through and accomplished, I’ve never seen here before.”
“This feels good,” said Rose, a reserve on last year’s team, who developed into a starter this year. “But I called it before the season even started, so we expected it.”
Thompson, the ever-exuberant wing who is expected to be back next season for his third and final year, followed Rose’s lead, taking it one step further.
“I’m calling it now,” he said. “I’ve got two rings now. This is PSA … I’m getting another one next year!”
PSA advanced to the title game by defeating Bradford Christian Academy – a team that handed the Mustangs two of their three losses this season – 75-60 in Friday morning’s semifinal. Tarique Foster scored 14 points, while Dioubate, Rose, and DJ Dormu had 10 apiece. Dioubate’s last point in the game was the 1,000th of his career.
PSA opened the tournament with a 78-70 win over Perkiomen (Penn.). Dioubate had 30 points and 13 rebounds, becoming PSA’s all-time leading rebounder in the process. Erhunmwunse had 11 rebounds and 10 blocks, while Thompson scored 10. The Mustangs then knocked off Brewster Academy in the quarters with a balanced attack led by Erhunmwunse (14 points, 11 rebounds) and Will Lovings-Watts (10 points).
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
another pg 1 3-16-23
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Just a little over three years ago, Woodstock Academy girls’ soccer coach Dennis Snelling had a life-changing event.
A motor vehicle accident in Putnam, likely caused by a seizure, resulted in his suffering a severe back injury. The accident resulted in spinal cord damage; Snelling’s L3 disc had burst upon impact and created “a mess” in the spinal cord region.
Surgery was performed to fuse his L2-L5 discs in his back.
Doctors at Hartford Hospital prepped him to begin to adjust to life in a wheelchair as he did not immediately regain the use of his legs.
On Sunday, Snelling ran in the O’Putnam 5K road race and finished the 3.1 mile course in 28 minutes, 24 seconds.
“It was probably one of the coolest things I have done in a while,” Snelling said. “I don’t really enjoy running, in general, ever but to do so with pretty much the whole community is pretty cool. It was a personal accomplishment. That was my mindset.”
Snelling never asked his doctors if his being unable to walk was permanent. He knew it would, in part, depend on the effort that he put into it and how severe the damage to the nerves was.
After eight weeks of therapy for three-to-four hours per day, his quadricep muscles were still not responding.
But just before he was sent to a rehab facility, there was movement in his quad and new hope.
He regained the full use of his legs and not only was he walking by the fall of 2020, but he was also back on the sidelines, coaching the girls’ soccer program at Woodstock Academy.
He used to run about three times a week, averaging about 23 minutes for a 5K distance.
“I just had an MRI Friday (March 10) and if you read the results, you probably would think that this is not a person who would be running. There is constant pressure, not so much pain, in my back, but everyone has something wrong with their body. I do a lot of biking, it helps a lot,” Snelling said.
The biking is not only good for his back but for his prosthetic left knee.
“I can’t really run too much,” Snelling said. “It’s a balance thing. Running is probably not the best thing to do but I will do on occasion.”
He had run 3 miles only a couple of times before but had little choice about running on Sunday.
His wife, Sara, signed him up for the O’Putnam 5K. “I’m glad she did. I couldn’t opt out,” Snelling said.
Plus, he was sure he could beat her. Sara crossed the finish line a few seconds ahead of him. “I was trying at the end, but I couldn’t catch her,” Snelling said with a laugh.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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