By Ron P. Coderre

This week’s RPC column is dedicated to Darin Maheu who’s enjoyed a rewarding career in construction and facilities management.  Maheu , who lives in Putnam, is embarking on a new venture as the Facility Manager of the Hale YMCA Youth and Family Center.  He’s anxiously looking forward to the opening of the sparkling new facility on Technology Drive in Putnam.

Big Purses Coming To Thompson

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (TSMP) through its Director of Marketing Theresa Condict recently announced that the course will pay out more than $600,000 in prize money over the 10-event 2016 season.  This is a $100,000 increase from 2015.

The Sunoco Modified division will have more than $12,000 in purse money for its Sunoco Modified 20/20 sprint scheduled for Wednesday, July 27.  Over the course of the season, Sunoco Modified teams will be the beneficiary of nearly $100,000 in prize money.

Late Model drivers will compete for nearly $60,000 over the course of the 2016 campaign.  The Limited sportsman Long Distance event on May 18 will vie for a purse of $4,255.  Overall the Limited sportsman will share in more than $30,000 over the season.

Mini Stock teams will vie for purses valued at $15,000-plus.  In addition to the event purses a healthy contingency program will be announced leading up to the season-opening Icebreaker.  More than $25,000 will be distributed in point fund money at the season-ending awards banquet for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and Triple Crown Series.  The available prize money promises to make the 2016 season on the historic 5/8-mile oval track very exciting and competitive.

Familiar Faces

The Assumption College Greyhounds faced off in a women’s and men’s basketball doubleheader on Wednesday, February 3 against Southern New Hampshire University.  It turned out to be a split with the Lady Greyhounds picking up their 13th win of the season and the men going down for the 14th time this season.

There were a couple of familiar faces in the Laska Gymnasium for the two contests.  On hand to root for the women was former Putnam High School and Providence College star Laurie St. Jean-Sevigny.  She was on hand to root for her Lady Friar teammate and Assumption women’s coach Kerry Phayre.  St. Jean was recently selected as one of the Top 15 best female high school basketball players in Eastern Connecticut.

On the bench for the SNHU Penmen was assistant coach Jeff Gore.  Around 1986 Gore arrived on the Plainfield High School campus from North Carolina.  He was an instant hit for the Panthers.  His play earned him a basketball scholarship to the College of St. Rose in Albany, N.Y., where he starred for four seasons.

New Football League 

Forming for the Fall

Football on the prep school level has been fading and dwindling over the past few years with many schools struggling with manpower issues.  There’s been talk in many corners that a number of preps were thinking seriously of dropping the gridiron sport.  Among the preps that were considering disbanding football was Pomfret School.

In a recent announcement in the Hartford Courant it was noted that a new football league featuring Forman School, The Gunnery, Millbrook School and Pomfret School will be forming in the fall.  The name of the league will be announced in the next few weeks.

A unique feature of the league is that games will be played with eight players on the field as opposed to the current 11-player set up.  A six-game schedule is planned, which apparently means that each school will play the others twice.  Presumably a home-and-home series.

It looks like when creative minds get together problems can be solved and sports such as football that are suffering can be saved, albeit in a modified fashion.

Gymnastics and More

Woodstock Academy gymnastics under coach Kasey Fillmore continued its winning ways with  victories over Killingly and Windham in a tri-event.  Woodstock ran away with the win with 146.75 points, while the Redgals posted a 97.35 and the Whippets 63.45.  The Centaurs are 6-0 overall and in the Eastern Connecticut Conference.

The all-around title went to Paige Stuyniski with a score of 39.75.  She won the bars and beam and finished second in the vault and floor.  The other member of the Centaurs one-two punch, Grace Logan was second in the all-around at 37.8.  She won the vault and the floor and finished second on the bars and third in the beam.  The third all-around finisher was Lydia Taft at 36.3.  She was third in vault, bars and floor and second in the beam.

For the first time in many years Putnam was represented as a team-of-one.  The Clipper gymnast was Maggie McKeon.  Proud to represent her school, McKeon finished with an all-around total of 32.7 and earns the coveted RPC Tip of the Sports Fedora.

College Update

Worcester Polytechnic Institute was upended by underdog Springfield College 56-51 in a key NEWMAC contest.  The Engineers are 16-2 overall and 6-1 in the NEWMAC.  Tied 23 all at intermission, the Engineers ran out of steam in the second half.  Former Woodstock Academy standout, 6-foot, 5-inch Ian Converse posted six points in the loss.

The Worcester State Lancers improved to 12-7 on the season and 4-2 in the MASCAC with a 104-96 overtime victory over MCLA.  Paul Brooks, the former Putnam Science Academy big man, contributed 10 points and 18 big rebounds for the Lancers.

Quinnipiac picked up wins over Niagara, Fairfield and Marist to raise its record to 8-13 on the season and 5-7 in the MAAC.  Former PSA performer, 6-8 Chaise Daniels had 12 points against Niagara and only one point against the Stags.  He’s still favoring his injured knee as he returns to full strength.  The Robinson twins Andrew and Aaron didn’t see action in the first two contests.  In the win over Marist, coach Tom Moore gave Andrew Robinson his first big opportunity of the season.  Robinson responded with 15 points, all coming via the three-point range.

RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: “To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first.”  William Shakespeare

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