By Ron P. Coderre

This week’s RPC column is dedicated to Woodstock resident Caroll Spinney, who is best known as Big Bird.  On Saturday, February 28 The Bradley Playhouse hosted a full house for the world premier of "I Am Big Bird – The Caroll Spinney Story."  The documentary is a truly great story of a wonderful man, the love of his life Debra and his love for life.  Congratulations Big Bird and many more years of success.

The Woodstock Academy gymnastics team, under the guidance of coach Robin Deary-Fillmore, was virtually unstoppable as it leaped past the competition in the CIAC Class S competition.  This was the third consecutive Class S tourney title for the Centaurs and the fifth consecutive Class championship.  In 2011 and 2012 the Acads captured the Class M championship.

In the team competition Woodstock Academy finished with a score of 147.625 easily outdistancing second-place finisher Jonathan Law, which posted a score of 132.2.  The team was paced by the top two all-around performers Grace Logan, who finished first with a score of 37.775, and her teammate Paige Stuyniski who totaled 37.3.  Joining Logan and Stuyniski in the triumph were Centaur gymnasts Jacqueline and Nicolette Deary and Jordan Fulchino.

Stuyniski captured first place in the Bars (9.7) and Floor (9.625) while Logan was tops on the Beam (9.1).   Logan also finished second in the Vault (9.45), Jacqueline Deary third (9.250), Nicolette Deary fourth (91.75) and Stuyniski fifth (8.9).

Logan finished behind Stuyniski in the Bars with Fulchino in fifth place followed by Jacqueline Deary.  On the Beam Logan finished first, Stuyniski second with Nicolette Deary fourth and Fulchino fifth.  Stuysniski captured the Floor exercise followed by Logan, N. Deary third, and J. Deary fourth.

The Centaurs now have their eye on winning their third straight CIAC Open title and the New England Championships.  Coach Deary-Fillmore announced earlier in the year that this would be her final season coaching high school gymnastics.  The string of championships that she’s produced is witness to the fact that she’s probably the most successful high school gymnastics coach in Connecticut.  

The pressure may be on her gymnasts to produce in the next two meets but if the stars are aligned, it would be a fitting tribute to a great coach if she and the Centaurs could finish off the season as Open and New England champs.

Deary-Fillmore is assisted by her daughter Kasey Fillmore, who will succeed her mother as the Academy gymnastics coach.  Kasey certainly brings some solid credentials to the position as she was a four year gymnastics performer at Bowling Green University.  Deary-Fillmore is also assisted by her brother Gene Michael Deary.

All Star Selections

Girls’ all-star selections were announced recently for the Eastern Connecticut Conference and NEPSAC.  In the ECC Large Division Woodstock’s Galina Gruder was accorded honorable mention honors while her teammate Abby Willis received the sportsmanship award.

In the Medium Division, Plainfield’s Julie Jordan was a first team selection.  Her fellow Panther Madeline Lorange was chosen as an honorable mention honoree.  The sportsmanship award went to Adrienne Lorange and Killingly’s Drew Johndrow.

Allie Ablondi and Jess Dodd of Tourtellotte headed the ECC Small Division first team selections.  Sophomore Abby Poirier was an honorable mention selection, her teammate Elizabeth Jourdan received the sportsmanship award.

Marianapolis senior Rachel Aho, who is headed to Providence College on a basketball scholarship, was named a Class A NEPSAC All Star.  Aho corralled a team-leading 252 rebounds this season for the Lady Knights.  Her teammate junior Caroline Soucy was also NEPSAC All Star selection.  Soucy, who averaged double figures this season, led the team with 81 assists and 65 steals.

College Bound

Allie Ablondi, Tourtellotte’s long-range shooting phenom, recently announced she’ll be attending Central Main Community College in Auburn, Maine, in the fall where she will continue her basketball career.  Ablondi led the Lady Tigers of coach Carla Faucher to an 18-6 record and an ECC Small Division regular season title.  She was superb from beyond the three-point arc with 45 on the season as the team moves on to the CIAC State Tournament.

Stats and More

As both the boys’ and girls’ high school and prep school regular season come to a close the statistical leaders for the recently completed year are becoming clearer.  Steve Jankowski of Plainfield will have at least one more game but after 21 games he’s the scoring leader with 18.8 points per game.  

There’s new action from Putnam since Shawn Audet has returned from his medical absence.  Audet is behind Jankowski averaging 17.3 points per game.

Tim Horvat of Marianapolis appears to have captured the prep scoring title, averaging 19.4 points per contest.  He was followed by Pomfret’s Cam Winston at 18.3 and Putnam Science Academy’s Kealen Ives at an even 15 points a game.  

PSA’s Andrew Robinson is the prep’s top three-point gun with an amazing 101 as he enters the National Prep School Championships.

Plainfield’s Madeline Lorange is the top three-point shooter among the girls with 64, while Tourtellotte’s Allie Ablondi is second with 45.  Lorange is also the top female high school scorer, averaging 14.7 points per contest.

Trayniece Mims of Hyde-Woodstock ran away with the prep scoring title averaging an astronomical 28.7 points a game.  The Pomfret duo of Alyzae Davis and Juliette Lawless hold down second and third place respectively at 15.4 and 15 points per contest.

On the college level, Shaun Lawton, the former Putnam Science Academy standout, had four points and three rebounds for the University of Maine in a 63-60 loss to the University of Hartford.

All Star Selections

The Eastern Connecticut Conference boys’ basketball committee announced its all star selections recently.  As expected with the mediocre season most local teams experienced the selections were few and far between.

Steve Jankowski of Plainfield in the Medium Division was the only local First Team selection.  His teammate Liam Jacobs was an Honorable Mention pick, while Brian Van Alst received the Sportsmanship award.  Owen Guillot of Killingly also received the Sportsmanship award.   Adam Converse of Woodstock Academy was an Honorable Mention choice in the Large Division with his teammate Nick Kowalchuk receiving the Sportsmanship award.  Justin Tennant of Tourtellotte was the Sportsmanship winner in the Small Division.

RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: “Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.”  H. Jackson Brown Jr.

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