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Honored
WORCESTER --- The following local residents were named to second honors on the Clark University Dean’s List for the spring 2012 semester:  David C. Carter, a resident of Pomfret, Kathleen E. Matty, a resident of Pomfret, and Emma M. Cotnoir, a resident of Putnam.

On list
WORCESTER --- April K. Herleikson, a resident of Pomfret Center, was  named to first honors on the Clark University Dean’s List for the spring 2012 semester.

Named to list
ALBANY, N.Y. ---  Alyssa Hebert of Danielson, Windham County, was among 794 students named to the Dean’s List for the spring 2012 semester at The College of Saint Rose in Albany.

Named to list
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. --- Meredith Sbordy, of Woodstock, was named to Eckerd College’s Dean’s List for the spring 2012 semester.

Earns master's
SAVANNAH, Ga. --- Amberlee Isabella of Putnam, recently graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Isabella earned a master's degree in graphic design.

Joins class
FRANKLIN, Mass. --- Two local students joined the Dean's College Bulldog Nation last September: Holly Desrosiers, of Putnam, and Maxwell O’Neill, of Woodstock.


Inducted
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. --- Alison Navarro of Woodstock, was inducted into the Western New England University chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta Aug. 24. Navarro  is majoring in Pre-Pharmacy.

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PUTNAM --- The following students were promoted at the February Graduation 2013 at Mike Bogdanski’s and Kristin Duethorn’s Quest Martial Arts.  
Orange Dragon
Charlie Caggiano
Brenden Morris
Tobias Dexter
Julian Escobar
Blue Dragon
Sebastian Hanshaw
Cole Fontaine
Michael Lowery               
Green Dragon
Jonathan Racine              
Child Orange
Madison Bates
Marcos Escobar
Payton Keefe
Hailey Keefe
Nicholas Caggiano
Hunter McNally
Paige Keefe
Kate Melnick
Orange/Blue
Kyle Pazienza
Child Blue
Evan Odorski
Ava Fabiano
Aidan Danburg
Blue-Green
Ethan Benoit     
Green-White  
Sabrina Berard
Abby Card
Annie Griffin
Sophie Griffin
Zachary Wesolowski  
Green Black
Alexis Elkinson
Ellie Morissette
Red  
Melanie Pazienza            
Red-Black
Gavin Rickaby
Olivia Cunha
Keenan Lamontange     
Adult Orange
Milton Letendre
Yves Geyer
John Rock           
2 Stripe Blue
Anne Dilko
Chris Stedman
1 Stripe Blue
Rachelle Davis
Spencer Hall
Erica Smith
Kate Poplasky
David Anderson
Adriana Anderson
Tristan Stedman              
3 Stripe Green
Denise Wesolowski
Cameron Driscoll
Jr Apprentice Black Belt
Tanner Clark

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Wins Big
Students from Mike Bogdanski and Kristin Duethorn’s Quest Martial Arts won big at the New England Tang Soo Do Championships in Westbrook recently..  Results: David May, 1st weapons/1st sparring/2nd forms; Molly Mckeon, 1st forms/1st breaking/2nd sparring/2nd weapons; Julia Gilloran, 3rd weapons/3rd sparring/3rd breaking; Stacey Pazienza, 2nd forms and weapons 3rd breaking and sparring; Gary Pazienza, 3rd forms and sparring; Tanner Clark, 3rd breaking; Javier Alvarez, 3rd weapons 3rd sparring; Mark Rickaby, 3rd breaking 1st weapons;  Gerald Lamontagne, 1st forms and sparring; Nick Boligan, 3rd forms; Alex Boligan,  1st weapons 2nd breaking; Carl Andersen, 2nd breaking and weapons 3rd sparring and forms; Mason Lafleur,1st sparring and forms and breaking; Watts Herideen,1st Sparring and 3rd breaking; Hayden Wink,   2nd sparring; Andrew Wink,  3rd breaking; Olivia Cunha, 2 forms and sparring; Andrew Hughes, 3rd forms 3rd breaking; Alexis Elkinson, 2nd forms and sparring and breaking; Derek Pomes, 3rd sparring 2nd forms and weapons; Dheric Seney, 2nd sparring and weapons; Eric Nocera, 3rd breaking; Scott Selmecki, 1st weapons 2nd sparring and forms and breaking; Chris Martineau, appreciation award; Dylan Martin, 1st breaking 3rd sparring; Hailey Kuhn, 2nd forms 3rd sparring; Tyler Hopkins, 1st breaking 1st forms 2nd sparring. Courtesy photos.

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By Ron Coderre

In late November and early December 2012 the boys and girls high school and prep school basketball seasons got under with a flurry of activity.  Entering the season every team had aspirations of posting winning records, winning division or conference championships, making the State and prep tournaments and some even spoke of winning a State title.  All those memories seem like so long ago.
Now slightly more than three months since the start of the season only one local team can proudly say they are State Champions.  The Woodstock Academy Centaurs under the direction of coach Greg Smith are the only team from the area left standing.  The Acads reached the apex of high school basketball with a hard fought, well deserved 52-49 victory over Trinity Catholic of Stamford, in a game played at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville.  (See story starting on page 1 for the details.)
There were numerous heroes for the Acads, who led the game at every stop.  Ian Converse, the team’s “go to” guy all season didn’t disappoint, posting a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds as he played the entire 32 excruciating minutes in leading his mates to victory.  Chris Lowry, who was also on the court for 32 minutes, had five points while dishing out 11 rebounds, many of the spectacular variety.  Workhorse Sullivan Gardner was immense off the boards with 14 caroms, while contributing eight points, as he also played the entire game.  The other half of the Woodstock rebounding tandem, “BIG” John McGinn had six boards and five points, while long range bomber, Tristan Welch tossed in two treys, the closer coming with 3:23 to play, as he tallied eight markers.  Trent Peters, who was the lone bench player to see action, played six minutes but contributed a huge three-pointer from beyond the arc.  It was a total team effort for the Woodstock Academy Centaurs, who are now the reigning Connecticut Class L champions.
Notes
It was truly amazing sitting on press row and scanning the huge crowd at the Mohegan Sun Arena and thinking there were some folks who were originally opposed to moving the championship games to that venue…The bottom tier of the arena was filled to capacity and many of the seats in the upper arena were also occupied…Often the crowd is referred to by the media as the “sixth man.”  In the case of the Woodstock crowd, they deserve a “tip of the sports fedora.”  They filled a large part of the arena and were positively vocal all evening…When the team arrived in Putnam and exited Route 395 at Exit 95, the Putnam Police along with two fire trucks were waiting to lead a parade that snaked up Kennedy Drive, over the Bridge Street bridge, up Woodstock Avenue and into Woodstock and to the Academy campus.  Along the route more fire trucks and ambulances were waiting at the Farmer’s Market and at the Woodstock Avenue and West Thompson Road intersection…Most of the Woodstock Academy faculty and coaches from other sports were on hand for the game as were many area coaches and fans from throughout Northeastern Connecticut…Jim Gothreau was spotted roaming around the arena, snapping photos of the game and the fans for the Putnam Town Crier…Prior to the start of the contest, Academy senior Austin Stone captivated the audience with patriotic rendition of the National Anthem…WINY Radio with John Wilbur and Paul Coutu were located at courtside, providing the play-by-play and color analysis for those listening at home.  The game was also streamed far and wide around the world via the internet…Woodstock Academy golf coach Rich Garceau upon exiting the stadium, “This was a great victory.  It puts a lot of pressure on my golf team to also bring home a State title…According to Coach Smith the team watched the movie “Hoosiers” the night before the big game.  It worked.     
RPC’s Super Conference Final Standings
            Boys                    Girls
Woodstock        24-3        Pomfret        20-5
PSA            22-8        Marianapolis        19-9
Marianapolis        21-9        Plainfield        16-7
Plainfield         12-10        Putnam        15-7
Hyde-Woodstock    10-11        Hyde-Woodstock    11-6
Tourtellotte        10-12                               Woodstock Academy 8-14
Ellis Tech        9-12                                   Tourtellotte        4-16
Pomfret        8-12        Killingly        2-18        
Killingly        7-13        Ellis Tech        1-19
Putnam         4-16