obit pg 6 5-16-24
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Ellen (Blanchette) St. Jean
WOODSTOCK — Ellen (Blanchette) St. Jean, 69, of Tripp Road, Woodstock, died May 9, 2024, in the comfort of her home with her family. She was the wife of Bruce St. Jean. Born in Hartford, she was the daughter of the late Wilbert and Mary Nora (Comeau) Blanchette.
Ellen graduated from Bloomfield High School in 1972 and went on to hold many positions during her professional career, including 15 years at Aetna, as well as many years at Hometown Properties as a Real Estate agent.
In her spare time, Ellen enjoyed traveling, visiting the beaches of Newport, watching the Red Sox, and spending time with her family and friends around the backyard campfire.
She leaves her daughter, Megan St. Jean of Woodstock; brother Paul Blanchette (Jo Anne) of Horseheads, N.Y.; and her best friend of 40 years Nancy Carpenter of Clinton.
A celebration of life in Ellen’s honor will be held at a later date. Donations: St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
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putnam pg 7 5-16-24
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caption:
Left: Anthony Mena pitching. Photo by Celine Hines. Center: Leighton Thomas , left, and Lachie Quate. Photo by Collin Hamilton. Right: Cody Heselton. Photo by Celine Hines.
The vision for PSA’s baseball team this season was to ride the strength of its pitching staff and hope its lineup could come through with enough big hits to result in some wins.
Unfortunately for PSA, there weren’t enough of those big hits this past weekend, the last games of the Mustangs’ season.
Cody Heselton overcame a rough beginning in which he gave up three runs in the first two innings to finish with eight strikeouts over five innings while allowing four hits, but PSA left the bases loaded in both the sixth and seventh innings of a 3-2 loss Friday to Avon Old Farms, the top-ranked team in New England. Denzel Rincon and Ryan Ponte both had two hits in the loss.
Saturday, PSA fell behind 8-0 after just two innings and could never recover in a 9-3 loss to Paramount Academy in the opening game of the New England Baseball Championships. Rincon, Ponte, and Cris Peguero had two hits apiece for PSA.
Later Saturday, PSA’s Anthony Mena allowed just one run on one hit over six innings but King’s-Edgehill won it 2-1 on a walkoff against PSA’s bullpen in the seventh, resulting in a 2-1 season-ending loss. Robbie Natale had two hits and an RBI, while Heselton, Jeffry Ferreira, and Junior Mesa all singled for PSA.
PSA did pick up a win earlier in the week, beating King’s Edgehill 10-0 on Senior Day. Harry Roy threw five shutout innings in his final home start, striking out six and allowing just three hits. Roy went unbeaten in his last three starts of the season, holding opponents to eight hits and no runs while striking out 21 over 17 innings.
The middle of PSA’s lineup – Ponte, Mesa, Heselton, Enrique Diaz, and David Batista – combined for nine hits, five RBIs, and seven runs in the win. Dereck Barrada added two hits and two RBI for PSA.
PSA’s soccer teams both won their respective season-finales over the weekend, with the Elite team topping Hoosac 5-1 and the Prep team knocking off Vermont Academy 1-0.
Renan Mafra scored the game’s only goal Sunday as the Prep team won its fourth straight game and finished the Spring season at 9-3-2.
Saturday, Aiden Basabose recorded a hat trick and Assa Mora added two more goals as PSA won with a terrific all-around team performance. The Mustangs ended the Spring at 3-4-1.
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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turning pg 7 5-16-24
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The Putnam High School softball team has a new look this season. It began with a new coach, a buy-in from the players and a belief in the fact that the team can compete with other teams in the ECC Div. IV.
This new-found energy and excitement doesn’t necessarily mean that the team will go from 0-19 (last year’s record) to a State Championship overnight. Turning this Clipper Softball Ship around is more like turning the RMS Queen Mary 2 around on a dime in the middle of a blustery ocean. Or it’s much like the query, “How do you eat an elephant?” Answer – “One bite at a time.”
That’s the philosophy that coach David Coderre and his team of 13 enthusiastic young ladies have bought in to. The results, though not yet at a championship level, are beginning to occur. As of this date the Clipper softballers sport an overall record of 5 – 10 overall and 5 – 1 in the ECC Div. IV.
“We set out some simple goals when we first met. We wanted to work toward teaching skills and providing support to help the players realize they belonged on the field with other teams and to recognize they could be competitive. Additionally, we stressed good citizenship, the importance of academics and finally translating those qualities to solid softball players on the diamond,” said Coderre.
The proof that the new philosophy is working centers around the team’s senior tri-captains catcher Lily Goyette, third baseman Kaya Pernini and center fielder Melodie Anderson. The trio has embraced the leadership role and it’s translated into a spirit of respect for each other, for opponents, officials and a few victories.
Goyette, who is headed to UConn in September, is a four-year starter whose been a rock behind the plate, at the bat and on the bases. She’s the team’s leading hitter with more than 20 runs-batted-in and she’s demonstrating the same tenacity in the classroom where she was recently selected Putnam’s CIAC Scholar Athlete.
Third baseman Pernini, who is headed to the University of Rhode Island, selflessly volunteered to take over the hot corner duties, where she’s progressed steadily game-to-game. She’s also a solid hitter at the plate.
The speedy Anderson, who is headed to UConn, has been a terror on the base paths and covers center field like a blanket.
Joining the tri-captains are juniors Hailey Summers a strong-armed shortstop who is the team’s defensive leader. Left fielder Olivia Hetrick, who teams well with center fielder Anderson. The other junior is key reserve outfielder Ava Wolinski. This trio should provide leadership next year and influence others to come out for the team.
With five freshman and two sophomores filling out the roster, the future looks bright for the Clippers. Freshman Aubrey Paquette is the team’s pitcher. She’s started every game in the circle and also provides a solid bat at the dish. Frosh Iyanah Ruiz is steady at first base and is coming into her own as a hitter. A third freshman Ayla Daniels completes the outfield, patrolling right field. Rounding out the freshman contingent are outfielder Gabi Cantuaria and outfielder first baseman Avah Grimshaw. Sophomore Madalyn Parquette is the starting second baseman and soph outfielder Brynn Dignam also fills the role of designated player.
“Coach Coderre is teaching these young ladies how to play the game and instilling pride. The girls appear to be very happy as they learn and see progress almost daily,” said a parent of one of the players.
“In addition to seeing growth on the field, I’m pleased that the majority of our players are honor roll students and involved in community and school activities. They form a solid core of the student body as they appear everywhere that positive things are happening,” said Coderre.
Tourtellotte softball coach Greg Guillot instituted The French River Cup this year, a prize that his Tigers and Coderre’s Clippers vied for twice this season with Putnam coming out on top in both contests. “I hope the cup gives the young ladies on both teams something special to compete for annually,” said Guillot.
Meanwhile in Putnam, Coderre and his assistant Aislin Tracey, a former lacrosse player at Eastern Connecticut State University and currently a grad student at the University of New England, come out every day and practice and prepare the girls, not only for the next game but for the next step in their journey of life.
“We row the boat every day with these hard-working young ladies. They understand that they are an integral piece of turning this ocean liner around.” said Tracey and Coderre.
Putnam High School softball tri-captains, from left: Lily Goyette, Kaya Pernini and Melodie Anderson proudly display The French River Cup, which they captured after winning both games against the Tourtellotte Tigers.
centaurs - bsbl pg 8 5-16-24
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Sharing is a good thing in most instances. Sports isn’t one of them.
On Saturday, the Woodstock Academy baseball team downed East Lyme, 2-0, to claim, at least, a share of the ECC Div. I title.
The Centaurs still need a win over Waterford or Fitch to claim it outright.
Coach Connor Elliott said: “It was our first goal coming into the year ... win the regular season championship."
Brady Ericson made this one possible as he allowed only a pair of harmless singles and struck out eight. In the 7th Maxx Corradi singled to lead off the inning and was sacrificed to second. Keon Lamarche followed with a base hit and an error on the play allowed Corradi to score. David Bunning came on to pinch run for Lamarche and came across on a Riley O’Brien single to account for the two runs. The Centaurs are now 6-0 in ECC Div. I.
Six players were honored in Senior Day prior to the game with Maloney High School and Elliott praised them all.
Woodstock handed Maloney a 7-1 loss. Corradi had a pair of doubles, scoring a run off of it in the first and driving in another in the fourth. Matt Hernandez also had a pair of RBI singles to back the pitching of O’Brien.
The righthander improved to 4-1 on the season as he pitched a six hitter through six innings and struck out four.
Earlier in the week, it was a rare occurrence at the Bentley --- a ball hit over the fence in left by Lamarche.
The Centaurs were leading Lyman by just two runs in the bottom the fifth. The home run by Lamarche helped guarantee the Centaurs their third straight victory by shutout, 4-0 over the Bulldogs.
Corradi drew a walk but was thrown out attempting to steal. O’Brien kept the inning going when he was hit by a pitch. Up came Lamarche. The coach’s guesstimate was that it traveled at least 380 feet.
Sophomore Brady Lecuyer was in the right place at the right time. Hernandez singled and Sampson reached on an error in the second. Up came Lecuyer and he hit a two-run double to put the Centaurs up, 2-0. Mathewson went six innings, gave up just two hits and struck out nine before he yielded to Logan Coutu in the seventh.
The Centaurs have four regular games left, but will be on the road, playing North Branford, Waterford, Fitch and St. Bernard.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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