Roundup
Centaurs pick up 1st state tourney win; advance to Class S semifinals

It was pretty brutal in the gym. That was the general consensus on Friday as the temperatures soared to near 90 degrees outside and with no air conditioning; the temperatures were in hotter inside the Alumni Fieldhouse for the Woodstock Academy boys’ volleyball team for their Class S quarterfinal state tournament match against Kolbe Cathedral.
Thankfully, the Centaurs made it as short a day as possible as they blanked their guests, 3-0.
The Centaurs met a very familiar foe, fourth-seeded SMSA, in the Class S semifinals on Tuesday.
The Centaurs have beaten SMSA twice already, 3-0 in the regular season and 3-2 in the Connecticut Volleyball League championship match.
“We know what we’re capable of and know what to expect from them,” coach Adam Bottone said. “Are my players going to have the mentality to take it to them right from the start and not rely on what we think our skills are and that we’re just going to be able to roll them because that’s not the case. I think we could win 3-0 but we could just as easily lose 3-0. We know what to expect but is my team going to come with the intensity and desire?”
The Centaurs started out that way against Kolbe Cathedral enroute to their first-ever state tournament victory.
“We’re very happy because we haven’t been able to go this far yet in the States because we lost in the first round last year so this is basically a huge success for us and shows how far we have come,” said junior Evan Chernik.
The Centaurs opened with a 25-16 first set win over the Cougars.
“I think we just had to have energy from the start. For the whole season, we have started pretty slow. I think we did a better job of starting a little better than normal,” said outside hitter Brayden Bottone.
His father would agree with that but Adam Bottone wasn’t entirely happy with the effort as the Centaurs followed up that first set victory with wins of 25-19 and 25-22.
“We had a little lull at the beginning of the second set but in the third set, I don’t know if the heat got to us or what it was but we weren’t playing to our ability. I got on them because we were watching balls drop and we needed to find that fire and they responded to it with a pretty good long rally,” Adam Bottone said.
It was a pretty balanced effort again.
Brayden Bottone led the way with 12 kills while Owen Budd added eight and Chernik seven. Gavin Hecker added 16 assists and eight service points while Christian Hart contributed 11 digs.
“It helps having Christian back in the lineup. He’s been one of our starters and gets the most digs and touches on the team with our defense and serve-receive so we get a huge boost from him,” Chernik said.
The Centaurs already have two titles to their credit, the ECC and CVL tournaments and regular season crowns.
The third one, a state championship, is still out there.
“The teams in the ECC and CVL are teams we’ve played in the past few years but the State is a wider group of teams who are more competitive than we have been playing so far. I think to play better teams and win would even be more rewarding,” Brayden Bottone said of the possibility of winning a state title.
If the Centaurs get past SMSA on Tuesday, the Class S state championship will be about 100 miles away from Woodstock Academy as Newtown High School will host the state championship match on Friday.

Girls’ Golf
A clean sweep for the girls’ golf team in one week.
The Centaurs captured the ECC regular season title on Monday and followed that up on Wednesday with the ECC tournament championship --- both events were held at the Quinnatisset Country Club.
The tournament was a battle as the Centaurs downed East Lyme by one stroke 192-193 with Killingly right behind at 194.
"We've had matches with both East Lyme and Killingly this year and they have turned into dogfights and (Wednesday) was no different. We did our best to give it away but managed to hit some key shots in key situations and ended up winning by one shot which I will take and I know the girls are thrilled about it," said coach Earl Semmelrock.
It was a repeat of a previous match where the Centaurs just nicked East Lyme by one stroke in the regular season.
Junior Reagan Scheck made the putt that she had to make; a 6-footer on the ninth hole to give the Centaurs the win.
"Very happy," Scheck said when asked how she felt when the ball found the bottom of the cup. "I was thinking like 'OK, I can make this putt and finish with a 43.’ I didn't know that if I made the putt, it would give the team the win so that's rewarding."
Scheck did lead the team with a 43 with two of her teammates, Lily Moran and Colbie O'Connor both carded a 49.
"At the beginning, it looked like we were doing really well but toward the end, I was looking at the score and could see it was getting close," Moran said. "There was a lot of pressure at the end; you just have to push through it."
Or you could do like Scheck, don't look at the score especially since she was not having her best day.
"My driver was not the greatest but I still tried my best on every shot especially on that last hole where I didn't have the best drive again, but I got it on in three and I got the bogey," Scheck said.
It was the first ECC tournament championship for everyone on the team.
It may also mean that Semmelrock may have to delay retirement plans.
“I told the girls that I was retiring if they didn’t win, they did, so now I’m going to have to re-visit that but we will see how it goes. It’s a young group and if they all decide to come back, we should have a good nucleus. Maybe they will all play a bit this summer- the future is still bright,” Semmelrock said.
The Centaurs opened the week with a 196-207 win over Killingly on Monday to finish 12-0 in the league.
Scheck shot a 42, Moran added a 47 and Isabelle Tedisky carded a 52 as the Centaurs finished with a 15-2 overall record.
Scheck and Moran both earned Eastern Connecticut Conference All-Star status while Semmelrock was chosen ECC Coach of the Year.
The season is not over as the Centaurs will travel to Trumbull to compete in the CIAC Div. II state championship tournament.
Fortunately, the Centaurs will have a little time to practice prior to then as Semmelrock felt they “desperately” needed a range day.
“We go in ranked sixth. Are we favored to win? Absolutely not but who knows? If we play our best, we will see what happens,” said Semmelrock who is familiar with the Tashua Knolls course. “I’ve coached maybe seven or eight times down there, we played there last year so this team has some experience. We will go and play a practice round on Sunday night and get a chance to see the course again. It’s 18 holes and the girls don’t play 18 holes. It’s nine more chances to make a mistake, to make bad numbers, but conversely, you can make nine more good numbers. It’s a long day.”
Scheck has another date beyond that as she has qualified for the State Open Championship at the Mohegan Sun Country Club Friday, June 12.
“I’m very excited. It’s the first time I’ve qualified for it and it’s at Mohegan Sun so I’m ready,” Scheck said of the Open.

Boys’ Golf
It was one of those events that Aidan O’Connor will likely remember for a very long time.
The senior was playing in his final ECC event, the ECC championship tournament, at the Shennecossett Golf Club in Groton last Thursday.
He wasn’t enjoying a particularly great day when he stepped up to the tee on the par-3, 12th hole.
But what happened next turned just another round of golf into something special.
He placed his Woodstock Academy logo ball, which he received on Senior Day the week before, on the tee and took out his 54-degree sand wedge to attack the 120-yard hole with.
It was a club that he had swapped with teammate Alec Nunes for a sand wedge that he had a couple of years prior.
He hit it and the rest was history.
“I did see it go in,” O’Connor said. “There was a group in front of me with (teammate) Brady (Hebert) in it and he also saw it go in and I could tell by his reaction that it went in.”
Hebert immediately raised his arms to indicate what he had witnessed.
“I hit it pretty well, it took a big left kick and just rolled into the cup,” O’Connor said.
It was the senior’s first-ever hole-in-one and first-ever eagle.
“I got both in the same swing, that’s a good feeling. That ball is going into the top drawer and it will probably be with me for the rest of my life,” O’Connor said. “It’s going to be a great memory. It was a great course to play at. I just wanted to enjoy it, have fun, my last ECC tournament. I wasn’t playing well at the start but to have that go in was just a great feeling,”
O’Connor finished equal with Hebert as both carded a nine-over par 80.
It was a tale of two nines for the senior as O’Connor shot an even par 35 on the back but had a 45 on the front.
“The back is a lot more open. You have more freedom to hit where you want and figure it out from there. The front you have to put a good tee shot in play before you even think about your next shot. The back was a little easier for everyone,” O’Connor said.
Teammate Max Kopp shot an 82 while both Blake Hudock and Alec Nunes finished with 85s.
Quin Crowley and Zach Blanchard of Killingly, Lucas Vincenti of Waterford and Tyler Hollis from NFA shared medalist honors with a 73. Blanchard earned the individual title by winning the four-way, 2-hole playoff that followed the 18-hole event.
The Centaurs, as a team, placed fifth with a 327-stroke total.
“I think the team is happy. We could have definitely played a little better but we were solid compared to what we did in the past and we’re ready for States,” O’Connor said.
Norwich Free Academy, the ECC Div. I regular season winner, captured the tournament with a 300-stroke total while Killingly and Waterford tied for second at 305.
O’Connor was also named an ECC Div. I All-Star with Nunes earning the team’s ECC Scholar-Athlete Award and Luke Thompson getting the team’s ECC Sportsmanship Award.
The Centaurs played in the CIAC Div. I  tournament on Monday morning.

 Girls’ Tennis
The Guilford girls’ tennis team came into its Class L quarterfinal match sporting an 18-1record including a win over East Lyme, a team that had posted a shutout victory over Woodstock.
Someone forgot to tell the Centaurs that they should have been impressed.
The Centaurs put together a strong effort and fell just short, 4-3, to the Grizzlies.
“I wouldn’t call it surprised,” coach Stephen Wetherell said of his team’s near upset of the No. 1 seed in the division. “I think we knew that if we played the way we did, it would be a close match. I was so impressed with how my team played and I told them that after the match.”
Resilience was the key for the Centaurs as they had to overcome some hurdles.
None bigger than those facing Kerrigan Reynolds and Catherine Trudeau.
Reynolds, at No. 3 singles lost the first set, 6-4.
Trudeau, at No. 4, had it even worse as her opponent bettered her 6-1 in the first set.
Both responded. Reynolds rallied to win the next two sets, 6-2, 6-3. Trudeau followed suit again, winning her match, thanks to 6-3, 6-2 victories in the last two sets.
“For them to come back and win their matches against the No. 1 seed in the state, you could not ask for a better ending,” Wetherell said.
It was also badly needed as Gianna Musumeci lost in first singles and Wynter Worth was upended at No. 2 singles.
It was also the second time in two state tournament settings that Reynolds and Trudeau won their matches as they also did so the Friday before versus Simsbury.
“They have had the experience of being on the team for years and know the expectations for us to get to the next level. They have been great leaders for the whole team going into the state tournament,” Wetherell said.
Reynolds is a senior but Trudeau is a junior and will return.
Guilford was able to win the match in doubles where it won the first and third matches. Jayda Ngibuini and Andrea De Cos Ortiz did pick up a 6-4, 6-1 victory in No. 2 doubles.
“I’m kind of at a loss for words. Obviously, we’re sad that we lost. I thought this team had the potential to win a state title but as a first-year head coach, I saw them grow. Against the No. 1 seed, it came down to the last match. You could not have asked for more,” Wetherell said.
It certainly was a strong showing for the first time coach.
The Centaurs finished 14-2.
“I’m not one to pat myself on the back but for this team, absolutely. It was a great year for me to get involved and a great season for them in general especially for the seniors who have been here for four years- it was awesome,” Wetherell said.
It has not completely come to an end yet.
Musumeci, Worth and the doubles duo of Delilah Kesselman and Sofia Aguilar Del Olmo will play in the CIAC girls’ individual invitational tournament which begins on Sunday.
“I think we could definitely do some damage in the tournament. I think it’s going to be a great experience for them to play against players they don’t typically play against and several of the girls plan to play in college so the experience will help. They will get a chance to see what’s out there but it’s also good for the school. The loss to Guilford was a statement that we made. Woodstock Academy tennis is not going anywhere. I think we’re pulling ourselves up to the ECC level of tennis that we want to be at,” Wetherell said.

Baseball
here was no getting around it. 
North Haven was just the better baseball team on Monday.
“If we were going to compete with that team for seven innings and have a chance to win at the end, we would have had to have played our best baseball ever. Offensively and defensively, even if we had played great defensively, (starting pitcher) Logan (Coutu) would have given up a couple (runs) simply because they are such quality hitters. We didn’t quite answer with the bats,” said coach Connor Elliott.
As a result, the Centaurs fell in the Class L state tournament first-round game, 14-3.
The loss meant the Centaurs finished the season with a 10-13 record.
“We were just trying to piece things together this season as the year went on and were just trying to find the right guys for the right games,” said senior Logan Coutu.
Coutu and fellow seniors Caleb Simoneau and Collin Gaudette have put on the jersey for a final time.
“A lot of winning over the years,” Simoneau said. “We struggled a bit this year but it was good, with the other seniors, to learn how to lead the young guys. We had a lot of freshmen on this team and we were trying to build their character while also building ours. It was a challenge, but it was fun.”
Simoneau finished with a team-best .381 batting average including two doubles and two triples and he drove in seven runs.
One of those triples came against North Haven and he was responsible for knocking in two of the runs as the Centaurs scored all three of their runs in the seventh.
By that time, it was a bit too late as the ninth-seeded Nighthawks had put all 14 of their runs up in the first four innings.
“They were one of the best hitting teams I had seen in my four years and they just got to us early and kept their foot on the gas,” Simoneau said.
Coutu started the game for the Centaurs but did not have a memorable outing as he lasted just over two innings.
He finished with a 4-4 record and a 3.61 earned run average in his baseball swan song.
“I love the sport but everything comes to an end. I’m not playing anywhere else,” Coutu said.
With only three seniors on the roster, Elliott will have a good nucleus returning and the team did find some potent bats.
“A.J. Malone came on strong at the end. Brady Mullin is a junior but was new to the program, coming from Marianapolis, found his swing and became an every day starter for us. The sophomores, (Will) Ellsworth who was a borderline (Eastern Connecticut Conference) All-Star, Rhys Asikainen who was an All-Star, so the future is bright with those bats. We had 28 in the program, 20 were freshmen or sophomores, and all were good players. The future is bright,” Elliott said.

Boys’ Lacrosse
The lacrosse season came to a close in Brookfield as the 11th-seeded Centaurs lost to their sixth-seeded hosts, 17-6, in a Class M second-round state tournament match.
Patrick Griswold had four goals in the loss with Dylan Phillips and Jackson Aleman getting the other tallies.
Zach Armbruster had a couple of assists as the Centaurs finished 9-8 on the season.
Corey Lafond led the team with 78 points thanks to numerous double-digit assist totals while Griswold earned goal-scoring honors with 50 tallies this season.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

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Following a 3-0 win over Kolbe Cathedral in the Class S state tournament quarterfinals, the boys’ volleyball team got together for a postgame chat and cheer.

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Sam Anderson (right) puts his arms up in celebration following the decisive point of the Class S boys volleyball quarterfinal. 

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Owen Budd (closest) and Gavin Hecker go up at the net to attempt the block for Woodstock Academy.

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Gavin Hecker (9) looks to make the set to middle hitter Sam Anderson (15) in its Class S quarterfinal.
(Above photos by Marc Allard/Woodstock Academy)

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The girls’ golf team was happy to display the ECC championship banner following their one-stroke victory in the league tournament over East Lyme.

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Coach Earl Semmelrock receives the ECC girls’ golf Coach of the Year award from the chairman of the sport for the ECC, Woodstock Athletic Director Sean Saucier.

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Reagan Scheck makes what proved to be the game-winning putt on the ninth hole.

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Liliana Moran blasts out of the bunker on the ninth hole during the ECC Championship tournament.
(Above photos by Marc Allard/Woodstock Academy)

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Aidan O’Connor proudly shows off something that may remain in his possession for a while, the ball that he hit for his first career hole-in-one at the ECC boys’ golf championship tournament.

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Brady Hebert tees off on the second hole during the ECC championship tournament.

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Aidan O’Connor putts during the ECC championship tournament last week.
Photos by Marc Allard/Woodstock Academy

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Nicholas ‘Nick’ Peter Leary, National Guard, State Police K9
POMFRET CENTER — Nicholas “Nick” Peter Leary, 56, of Pomfret, passed away on May 24, 2026, at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, after a long and courageous battle with multiple myeloma. He fought like a warrior until the very end and during his final days he was surrounded by family, friends, and countless members of the Connecticut State Police.
Nick was born June 9, 1969, in Fall River, Mass., to his late parents, Daniel Peter Leary and Dinah (Nobrega) Leary.
Nick lived a life defined by courage, loyalty, humility, valor, and service. Whether serving his country, protecting his community, coaching young athletes, or spending time with the people he loved most, Nick approached every part of life with strength, heart, and unwavering dedication.
A proud veteran, Nick served in the U.S. Army and Massachusetts National Guard from 1992 to 1998, attaining the rank of Sergeant (E5) with Charlie Company, 181st Infantry. During basic training at Fort Benning, Ga., he served as platoon leader for 50 trainees and earned the distinction of Distinguished Honor Graduate. 
He later attended the Non-Commissioned Officer Academy at Fort Indiantown Gap, Penn., and was honored as the 1994 Soldier of the Year for the 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry.
On Feb. 14, 1997, Nick began his distinguished career with the Connecticut State Police as a member of the 106th Training Troop. Upon graduating from the Connecticut State Police Academy, he was assigned to Troop D in Danielson, where he proudly served his entire 20-year career, retiring as a Trooper First Class on Sept. 30, 2017.
Throughout his career, Nick earned the respect and admiration of fellow troopers and the communities he served. 
He was a member of the Connecticut State Police Search and Rescue Unit and was a K-9 handler to three remarkable partners: K-9 Joel, K-9 Max, and K-9 Elvis. His work with his K-9s became legendary throughout the law enforcement community and he is often regarded as the best K-9 handler to ever have served the Connecticut State Police.
Nick’s service earned him four Life Saving Medals, a Bravery Medal, four Unit Citations, a Meritorious Service Medal, and two Outstanding Police Service Medals.
In 2008, Trooper Leary received the prestigious Andrew Carnegie Hero Fund Medal for rescuing a woman from a burning second-floor apartment in Danielson on Aug.  9, 2007. Though not specifically trained or equipped for such a rescue, Nick crawled through flames into the woman’s bedroom, dragged her to safety, and carried her outside as the apartment became engulfed in fire. In true Nick fashion, he donated the monetary award accompanying the honor to The Jimmy Fund at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Nick’s commitment to K-9 work and public safety was extraordinary. In 2005, K-9 Joel received the First Company Governor’s Foot Guard “Stubby” Award for canine heroism after locating an unconscious injured person more than 2 miles from a serious motor vehicle accident, ultimately saving the individual’s life. In 2014, Nick and K-9 Elvis became the first Connecticut State Police team to win Connecticut’s K-9 Olympics — a distinction that remains unmatched in the event’s 33-year history.
On Sept. 13, 2009, Trooper Leary and K-9 Max played a pivotal role in the investigation into the murder of Yale graduate student Annie Le when K-9 Max located her body concealed behind a basement wall, helping bring answers in a case that captured national attention.
Following his retirement from the Connecticut State Police, Nick continued his life of service with the Mohegan Tribal Police Department, where he served as a Sergeant and K-9 handler alongside his beloved bomb detection dog, K-9 Dixie.
Outside of law enforcement, Nick was fiercely devoted to his family. 
He loved traveling to Disney with his wife and sons, attending his boys’ sporting events, attending concerts, working out, BBQ, and spending time with friends. 
A lifelong Raiders and Boston Red Sox fan, Nick brought the same passion and loyalty to his favorite teams that he brought to every aspect of his life. 
He was also regarded as one of the nation’s foremost historians of police memorabilia, badges, and antique police cars, traveling the country to attend events and connect with fellow collectors and law enforcement friends where he earned numerous awards and national recognition.
Nick also possessed a remarkable artistic talent for creating and meticulously painting law enforcement figures, which he quietly and generously gifted to members of the law enforcement community. 
These handcrafted pieces became treasured keepsakes and reflected the pride, respect, and brotherhood he carried throughout his life and career.
Nick was a graduate of Springfield College, where he was a four-year member of the wrestling team, and Providence Country Day School, where he participated in football, wrestling, and lacrosse. Following college, he coached wrestling at American International College and later served as an assistant wrestling coach at both the Rectory School and Pomfret School, proudly coaching alongside and supporting his son Will.
Above all, Nick will be remembered as a devoted husband, proud father, loyal friend, mentor, protector, and brother in blue. He possessed a larger-than-life presence, an unmatched work ethic, and a deep love for the people around him. His courage inspired many, his kindness touched countless lives, and his legacy of service will live on forever.
He leaves his loving wife, Susan Hatfield; his sons, William Leary, Daniel Leary, his loyal K-9 partner, Dixie; his father-in-law Thomas W. Hatfield, his brother-in-law Thomas A. Hatfield (Dawn), his sisters-in-law Katheryn Mann (Steve) and Anne P. Hatfield, and thousands of brothers and sisters within the Connecticut State Police and the greater law enforcement community. In addition to his parents, and mother-in-law Phyllis A. Hatfield, he was predeceased by family members, friends, fellow officers, and beloved K-9 partners.
Services celebrating Nick’s life are open to all and will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 11, with a noon memorial service at the Connecticut State Police Museum, 294 Colony St., Meriden. Light refreshments and fellowship will follow as family, friends, and his law enforcement family gather to honor and celebrate him.
Donations: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute - directed to Dr. Richardson’s Multiple Myeloma Research Fund - at: dana-farber.org/gift or Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.

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Putnam draws another business in
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The Putnam business community is magnetic.
For Thrift Happens, a consignment shop now on Providence Street, the attraction was the foot traffic Putnam offers. 
Business owner Rachel Brodeur started her shop two years ago in Woodstock. But she moved here in February because of the foot traffic on Providence Street. 
The town and the Putnam Business Association welcomed Thrift Happens to Putnam last week. She thanked her family and friends for the help. “I am so thankful.” She also complimented the town of Putnam and the Putnam Business association. “They’ve all been so supportive,” she said. 
Kate Cerrone, PBA president, welcomed Thrift Happens. “She had a dream of having a consignment shop since she was young. She had this very specific dream and here it is. It’s come true.”
In his welcome, Putnam Mayor Barney Seney said business owners recognize what Putnam has to offer. “Rachel realized the important of having foot traffic to make it a successful business.” 

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caption:

Rachel Brodeur cuts the ribbon at Thrift Happens' new home on Providence Street  with town, PBA officials and friends and family. Expanded photo array Wed.  night on our FB page. Linda Lemnon photo.

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