The Woodstock Academy, due to enrollment, competes in Division I in indoor track in the Eastern Connecticut Conference.
The Centaurs came to the Coast Guard Academy Feb. 3 with a contingent of 26 athletes, boys and girls.
In comparison, East Lyme brought a team of 65, and that was only the boys’ program, to the meet.
In a sport where depth means something and second-place finishes and beyond matter, it’s difficult to compete against sheer numbers and, in East Lyme’s case, the majority of those numbers are pretty talented.
The Centaurs finished sixth overall in both the boys’ and girls’ championship meets.
“They gave their hearts. I can’t ask for more,” said Centaurs coach Nicole Brousseau.
There was success on the floor. Senior Mark Dumas came in seeded No. 1 thanks to a 49-feet, 11.5-inch throw in the shotput at an ECC Development meet on Dec. 30. He didn’t reach that mark Feb. 3.
But his 44-9 effort was more than enough to capture an ECC championship.
Adelino DaVeiga of Norwich Free Academy was well back at 43-6.
“I had to work for this one. I was a little off (Saturday). I don’t necessarily know why. I know that I’m going to come back better,” Dumas said.
Brousseau said Dumas had battled the flu the week before which may have affected his performance.
She was just happy to see him come out on top.
“He has put in so much work,” said the Woodstock Academy coach. “His season literally started in the weight room the week after States last year. He worked very hard for this. It wasn’t his best throw, but it was still a ‘W.’ We will take it.”
She hopes that Dumas can hit the “elusive” 50-foot mark in the Class M state championship at 4 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven.
If he doesn’t, he likely won’t have a chance to bring home a state title.
Michael Browning of RHAM has thrown nearly 60 feet this season and two other throwers, Khaled Elmady of Brookfield and Collin Martin of Plainville, have also eclipsed the 50-foot mark.
Brousseau said she thought about petitioning CIAC to move up to Class L where no qualifier has cleared 50-feet, but didn’t think it would be fair to the remainder of the team.
“The kid from RHAM is a phenomenal athlete to watch, but so is Mark. Mark has really put in the work and is not nearly the same size as the kid from RHAM. He is really a small dog in the fight,” Brousseau said.
Sophomore Julia Theriaque had a tough task.
She had to face Allyson Lewis of NFA in the high jump.
“She’s really good,” Theriaque said with a laugh.
Lewis finished with a 5-feet, 4-inch jump which tied the meet record.
Theriaque was next at 4-8.
“It was the goal. I knew I wasn’t going to beat Allyson,” she said.
The mark was just below Theriaque’s personal best.
She had cleared 4-9 this season and is within range of a Class L girls state championship (the Centaurs girls compete in L, the boys in M).
Three competitors have cleared 5-feet this year and it’s Theriaque’s goal to do the same Feb. 8 at the Floyd Little Athletic Center.
She has cleared 5-feet in practice.
“Competition is a lot more stress. It’s high pressure, everyone is kind of watching you and you don’t have to run before it either, so you’re not as tired,” Theriaque said.
The sophomore also ran the 1,000-meter Feb. 3 and finished eighth.
“She has so much potential. I love watching her jump. She is so determined. Watching her grow, getting better every day and finding her confidence is just such a beautiful thing,” Brousseau said.
Kennedy Davignon placed fourth in the 300-meter and sixth in the 55-meter dash.
“I’m really happy,” Davignon said. “This track season has had its ups-and-downs and I’ve been trying to get back to where I was last year so it’s nice to place,” Davignon said.
The problem has not been health or injury, but rather, the weather.
The tracks at The Academy have been, for the most part, snowed over for much of the winter.
“Getting in good running workouts has been pretty tough. That’s the major part of it,” she said.
Other girls finishers included Chelsea Wise getting a fifth in the shotput; Megan Gohn was sixth in 3,200-meter and both Ivy Gelhaus and Aria Gianfriddo earned seventh-place finishes in the 600 and 1,600-meter races, respectively.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
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Former Woodstock Academy standout golfer Roxanne Garceau received an email from the Central Connecticut State University athletic department on Jan. 22.
It simply stated that the men’s and women’s golf teams had to attend a meeting with the president and athletic director of the university.
There had been rumors earlier in the year, according to Roxanne’s father and Woodstock Academy boys’ golf coach, Rich Garceau, that changes were coming to the athletic programs at CCSU.
But as time went on, it became less of a concern.
“It was largely implied that whatever financial difficulties (the university was in were settled and it was moving forward,” Rich Garceau said.
Then while sitting in his Woodstock Academy classroom, he received a text from the CCSU women’s golf coach Jackie Beck and he learned what the athletes had just learned: The men’s and women’s golf programs at the New Britain institution were being cancelled following this season. The school also is eliminating 35 ½ athletic scholarships to save $2 million.
“It was a gut punch,” Rich Garceau said. “It hit hard.”
Roxanne Garceau was not the only local athlete affected by the decision.
The Aitken twins from Killingly, John and Drew, had also been part of the CCSU golf program.
Drew played for the Blue Devils last year, but withdrew from the school in January.
John is still enrolled.
He red-shirted his freshman year and is fighting to make the team’s lineup this season.
Both John and Roxanne received partial scholarships from the school.
“It was a rough week for all of us, but it’s getting better. We’ve been trying to talk to other coaches and accepting the fact that we’re not going to be here next year,” Roxanne said.
There are six members of the women’s golf team at CCSU.
Two of them are seniors.
The other four, like Roxanne Garceau, are freshmen.
She said there was plenty of shock to go around. She agreed with her father that changes were anticipated, but nothing so drastic.
The team will be able to honor its schedule this season.
“We’ve all got to be great friends. For the senior’s sake, for everyone’s sake and for coach’s sake, we want to go out with a bang. We want to have a really awesome season just to show that we’re supposed to be here. It’s going to be bittersweet, but we’re looking forward to it,” Roxanne said.
Now, it’s back to what she was doing last year at this time; looking for a college.
“That’s what I said to some of my teammates, I just did this last year and now, I’m doing it again. Trying to get recruited, looking at schools, making all the phone calls, and doing everything that I didn’t think I would have to worry about any more,” Roxanne said.
Roxanne said Beck has already assured the freshmen that she would do everything she could to find them a new home.
Roxanne has already begun discussions with other schools.
“The first thing I thought of was the girls on the team. The four freshmen have really bonded, lived together, and have become like sisters. Just the thought of them going their separate ways, as a Dad, crushed me,” Rich Garceau said.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
Jumping
Jaiden Rivera of the Putnam Science Academy varsity team attacks the net. The New York Military Academy defeated the Putnam Science Academy Varsity Mustangs by a score of 92-90 Feb. 3 atop the Maple Street campus. The Mustangs were led in defeat by post grad guard Danny Ampofo who had 24 points. Jaiden Rivera and Seth Thomas contributed with 22 and 13 points respectively. Courtesy photo.
To many on the Woodstock Academy sideline, it was a goal.
That’s not how the officials saw it
It may have changed the momentum of the girls’ hockey game between the Centaurs and the Avon-Southington-East Granby-RHAM cooperative.
The Knighthawks prevailed over the Centaurs Feb. 3 at the Jahn Ice Rink at Pomfret School, 4-1.
The Knighthawks were up 2-1 late in the first period when Ellie Jellison broke in and sent a shot at Arielle Ohayon.
It appeared to go over the goalie’s right shoulder.
“Clearly the puck was in the goal,” said Woodstock Academy coach Jeff Boshka.
“There was no sound so I think it hit the top of the net. It’s tight up there and it just shot right back out. What was so frustrating about it was not just the goal, but the momentum shift.”
The Centaurs (5-4) had the momentum early.
Lily Wilcox took a pass from Hailey Armstrong and scored her second goal of the season on the power play just 3 ½ minutes into the game.
The Knighthawks (4-11-1) tied it on a power-play goal of their own from defenseman Caroline Nisbet just two minutes later.
The Avon cooperative then made it 2-1 on another goal by another defenseman.
Abby Lamson got an assist from her blue-line partner Kayla Clark and made it 2-1 with 3:44 left in the first period.
“They did a good job of spreading us out,” said Centaurs assistant coach Sean Farrell.
“They work it down low, then get it up to the defense and when we chase it up there, things are open in front. Their defense are very good skaters and they are able to make the pivots to walk the blue line.”
To add to the Knighthawks’ momentum going into the locker room, in addition to the waved off Centaurs’ goal, Sydney Rice scored with one second left in the period to make it 3-1.
Kori Bartko finished the scoring just 1:46 into the second period with another goal for the Knighthawks.
Despite the loss, Boshka is happy with what he’s seen this season.
“Overall, we’re happy. Their growth and development, knowledge of the game, skill level and the intangibles. They like to be together. We went to a UConn (hockey game Friday) and had a blast. I’m liking the big picture,” Boshka said.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director