Earns employee of the month award
DAYVILLE — Carleh Avery gathered accolades in September as Westview’s Employee of the Month.  She is a server and dietary aide at Country Living at Westview Commons.
She began working with the team at the independent and assisted living facility in April 2023 while still a junior at The Woodstock Academy.  She knew she wanted to find an opportunity to work with people and gain experience in the “humanities” as she prepares for a future career in nursing.  Since that time, she has begun studying nursing at CT State Three Rivers; viewing her time at Westview Commons as an invaluable step toward understanding care and building relationships in a healthcare setting.
She lives in Canterbury and values the quality time she spends with her mother Tisha, father Peter, and brother Emerson.  Their family also includes two Labrador Retrievers. Outside of work, she enjoys hanging out with friends. Shopping registers as a hobby for Carleh, as she is frequently drawn to Killingly Commons for a few finds.  She loves to read a variety of fictional novels in quieter moments; often being charmed with romance narratives.  She and her family are seasonal campers in Lebanon and have a great appreciation for the great outdoors.  Paddleboarding, swimming, and hiking are among their favorite pastimes while taking their 40-foot, fifth-wheel RV to go “glamping” (as she describes). She is every bit as enthusiastic about international travel as well:  during a 10-day European trip as a Woodstock Academy student, she visited Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, and England.
David T. Panteleakos, executive vice president of Country Living at Westview Commons, said: “Carleh’s warmth, reliability, and positive energy make her such a strong member of our dietary team.  Her rapport with residents, collaboration with colleagues, and eagerness to learn reflects the campus-wide spirit of Westview.  Carleh helps us to create the welcoming, engaging, and caring atmosphere here at Westview Commons every day.”

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Putnam Science Academy basketball roundup
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The #2 team in the country started the game down 14-0 against the 6th ranked Mount Zion Prep Warriors. Superior defense and the will to win that carried the team to an impressive 78-65 win to move to 21-2 on the season. The Mustangs rallied behind Kamai Samuels and his 23-point, 5-rebound, 5 assist and 5 steal performance. David Gaymon scored 15 points with 5 rebounds, an assist and 3 steals. Maryland commit Adama Tambedou scored 9 points while hauling 9 rebounds. He also had an assist and a steal. Favour Egbuna was fantastic on the glass with 13 rebounds and had 9 points of his own. Jalen Taggart, also in the 9-point club, had 2 defensive rebounds and an assist. Fairfield commit Jah Hatchett, in his third game back, went for 7 points with a rebound and an assist as well. Jordan Skyers contributed 6 points along with 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal. The Mustangs play against Lennoxille out of Canada at home, tonight at home with a 6:30 tipoff. 
PUTNAM — The #2 Mustangs got its 22nd win of the season behind Jordan Skyers 25-point, 13-rebounds and 5 steal performance. David Gaymon went for a double-double as well with 17 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Adama Tambedou was the third and final Mustang to record a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds and also had 2 assists and 4 steals. Kamai Samuels also went for 16 points along with 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Jalen Taggart had 19 points accompanied by 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals. Favour Egbuna scored 12 points grabbing 8 rebounds with 2 assists and 2 steals. Jah Hatchett scored 8 points in his fourth game back following injury. Hatchett also had a rebound, 2 assists and 3 steals. Much to the delight of his teammates Chiaka Sanogo scored 8 points and grabbed a rebound. Marc Etienne scored 3 points with 8 rebounds and 7 blocks. 
By Ben Heacox
PUTNAM — Whatever Adama Tambedou’s pre-game meal was,  he should consume it before each and every game as Putnam won big at home over Redemption Christian 136-106. Tambedou exploded for a 39-point, 25-rebounds double-double with 14 of those 25 rebounds coming on the offensive end. Tambedou missed the school record by one rebound. Jalen Taggart went for 32 points with 5 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal. Jah Hatchett recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 assists, along with 4 rebounds and 4 steals. Favour Egbuna scored 12 points while grabbing 5 rebounds. Jordan Skyers scored 12 points as well, with 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. Point guard Kamai Samuels had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists and one steal. David Gaymon scored 9 points, dished out 4 assists and had 4 rebounds. Marc Etienne went 2-2 from 2-point range scoring 4 points with 5 rebounds, a steal and 2 blocks. 
PSA Elite
PUTNAM — The Putnam Science Academy Elite boys lost a tough league game to Redemption Christian Academy 91-88.  Sterling Manigault led the Mustangs with 18 points and 10 rebounds.  Vadim Brezillion and Ethan Mvundura each added 15 points apiece in the loss.  Amyas Hall-Chiari (3 rebounds) and Ethan Graham (4 rebounds) each chipped in 13 points apiece as the Mustangs fell to 7-6 on the season.  Thomas Ma chipped in 5 rebounds and Aleksa Dzimric dished out 4 assists.
KENT — Ethan Graham led the Mustangs with 20 points but PSA lost to South Kent 70-62.  Vadim Brezillion had 10 points with 3 assists and 2 rebounds. Amayas Hall-Chiari went for 16 points. Sedar Sene had 3 points and 5 rebounds and Sterling Manigault had 8 points and 6 rebounds for Putnam Science. PSA Elite record stands at 7-7.
PSA Prep
KENT — The #2 ranked PSA men’s prep team got its 24th win of the season behind Jordan Skyers game-high 33 points, 2 rebounds and 2 steals. Kamai Samuels had 18 points while hauling in 4 rebounds and dishing out 3 assists. Adama Tambedou went for a 15-point, 15 rebound double-double. Tambedou also had 2 assists, a steal and 2 blocks. Jalen Taggart had 14 points while grabbing 2 boards with an assist and a steal. David Gaymon had 6 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal in the win. Big man Favour Egbuna had 8 points, 7 rebounds, dishing out an assist and 1 block. Jah Hatchett had 3 points with 5 assists and 2 rebounds. Up next for the Mustangs is a massive weekend in Boston in two NEBL matchups. The men’s prep team record stands at 24-2.
By Ben Heacox
PSA Elite
WOLFBORO, N.H. — Vadim Brezillion led the team with 15 points in the 87-53 loss to Brewster Academy. Brezillion also added 3 assists and 2 rebounds. Ethan Mvundura scored 7 points and added 2 rebounds. Martyn Poliuchovic went for 9 points and 2 rebounds. 
OAKDALE — The Men’s Elite basketball team fell on the road against St. Thomas More, 77-62. Ethan Graham scored 17 to go along with 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Amayas Hall-Chiari also scored 17 points with 2 assists. Ethan Mvundura also scored in double figures with 10 points and hauling in 5 rebounds. Vadim Brezillion went for 7 points. The Mustangs Elite record is 7-9 on the season.
PHS Prep Women
PUTNAM — Valentina Vrcan led the way for the Lady Mustangs with 22 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds in the 75-68 loss to the Darrow School. Paola Kanoute added 11 points and 7 rebounds for Putnam Science. Fatima Diouf chipped in 12 points.
PUTNAM — Hoosac faced a fired-up PSA Women’s Prep team and the women came away with a monstrous win, 68-59 to give the Owls their second loss of the season. Paola Kanoute went off for a 21-point, 10-rebound, 10-steal triple double. Fatima Douf led the Mustangs in scoring exploding for 27 points while going 7 for 10 from 3-point range. She also had 4 steals. The women played exceptional defense forcing 23 Hoosac turnovers. The Mustangs are now 4-9 on the season.
By Ben Heacox

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Final tune-up performances lead to high hopes for ECC championship
Woodstock Academy indoor track coach Josh Welch just has to hope everybody is ready because there is really little more than can be done to prep the boys’ and girls’ indoor track teams for the ECC championship meet this weekend and the Class M state championship that follows next Friday.
That’s one of the reasons why the last tune-up for the championship meets, the ECC Snowflake Invitational at Wesleyan University this past Saturday was so important.
“We had kids add on several events and tried to get them as much track time as possible because, realistically, there is not a lot of training that can be squeezed in before Saturday. We can do a few things to fine tune things but with all the snow and cold, it’s going to be awfully difficult to do a lot more in terms of speed. We just have to hope that everybody is where they need to be, are healthy and focused,” Welch said.
The boys’ team should go into the ECC championship with a bit of confidence as they took home a first-place finish from Middletown.
The Centaurs finished with 92 points as a team to better Fitch (86), NFA (51) and Stonington (47) who comprised the top four teams out of the 11 who competed.
Abraham McGregor owned the school indoor track record but bettered it as he finished with a leap of 22 feet, 2 inches to place first in the long jump.  McGregor also joined Thatcher Paterson, Collin Teal and Owen Williamson for a first-place finish in the 4x200 (1 minute, 35.22 seconds) and the foursome of Spencer Mayo, Ronan Curran, Lucas Hecker, and Jackson Durand were first in the 4x800 (8:56.86).
Eli Manning was second in the shotput (46-11) and the sprint medley team of Paterson, Williamson, Teal and Sam Greene also garnered a second-place finish.
Williamson also picked up a third in the 55m hurdles and earned kudos from his coach.
Greene was third in the 600m, Durand was third in the 1600m and Hecker was third in the 3200m.
With the Snowflake being pretty much a replica of what the ECC championship meet will be at the Coast Guard Academy in New London on Saturday, the Centaurs hopes are high but there is reason to be cautious.
Ditto for the girls.
The Centaurs finished second to East Lyme (70.5 points) with a 65-point total.
But there was an asterisk. Woodstock did not compete in the shotput as Avery Plouffe, Lily Morgis and Kiley Elliott were not in attendance.
“Our throwers didn’t come (to Middletown); they had other obligations so if this is a measure of the ECCs, we will be adding in three of the top five in the ECC for shotput and the points will look a lot different there,” Welch said.
Waterford was third with 63 points followed by NFA with 50.
Two school records were established with Emma Weitknecht winning the 55m hurdles and breaking her own school record in the process with an 8.57 second finish.
Emelia Langevin now owns the school’s indoor track 1600m record as she finished second Saturday in 5:27, besting the old mark of 5:29.29 established by Sylvia Lawrence in 2017. Langevin also placed second in the 3200m and also ran well in the 1000m.
The 4x400m team of Weitknecht, Claire Bruneaux, Teagan Maloney and Bella Amlaw ran a season’s best of 4:21.14 and captured first place. The 4x800m team of Olivia Tracy, Bruneaux, Amlaw and Nova Almquist also had a season’s best, 10:34.15, to take a first-place finish home.
Welch was also happy with the relay performances.
“The girls 4x400 is finally starting to come back around,” Welch said.
Maloney was third in the 300m and Ella Lidonde was third in the long jump.
“This is probably the most promising we have looked in getting an indoor conference championship for as long as I have been here and on both the boys and girls sides which is awesome,” Welch said.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

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