Marcoux - RPC pg 9 7-26-12
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- Category: Past Issues
By Ron P. Coderre
This week’s sporty RPC hello goes out to Diane Bates, who recently celebrated a special birthday surrounded by her family and friends. Although she comes from an athletic family, she stays healthy by managing a strong walk on a daily basis. Happy Birthday, Diane.
Golf appears to be the primary sport of the season with a number of scramble formats taking place every week. The more serious golfers are competing for their respective club titles or travelling around the state and area playing some of the more prestigious events.
The Norwich Invitational was held last week at the Norwich Golf Course. This was the 86th year that golfers have vied for the championship. Northeastern Connecticut was well represented with numerous local golfers coming out for the qualifier.
The 2012 Norwich Invitational champion is a well known local athlete and educator. Kevin Marcoux, a former Plainfield High School baseball star who turned to golf at the age of 20, emerged as the top golfer in the Norwich tourney. Marcoux almost left the Invitational early because of family commitments but fate has a funny way of changing things.
After qualifying for the Championship Flight by shooting a 70 and garnering a 4-seed, Marcoux was going to withdraw because he coaches his son’s Little League All Star team. His son became a hero when he told his dad to go for the title because he understood how much he loves golf.
Marcoux then proceeded to put together four great rounds of golf to pick up a title that he had dreamed about winning someday. In the opening round he beat Michael Connell 4 and 3, moving on to the quarterfinals. In that round he duplicated his earlier feat by getting past Brett Bohara 4 and 3. His next two matches wouldn’t be quite as easy as the first two.
In the semifinals he edged Norwich Golf Course Club champion Chris DeLucia 1- up, sending him into the finals where he was pitted against another local, Thompson resident and Connecticut National Golf Course golfer Bret Siekierski. Marcoux, got by the competitive Siekierski 1-up in the crucial match. His crowning moment was witnessed by his wife Cary and his son Nolan, whose all-star game was over early enough to watch his dad capture the crown. It was an emotional family moment, needless to say.
Another area golfer, Cody Semmelrock out of Quinnatisset Country Club, captured the Third Flight championship with a relatively easy 5 and 4 victory over Jim Lawler.
Putnam Author Headed to Pittsburgh…
The University of Pittsburgh will soon be the new home of former Putnam resident and author Bill Lychack, his wife and his three children. Lychack, who’s been a writer in residence at Phillips Academy, is assuming a professorial position in creative writing at Pittsburgh.
Lychack is a 1984 Putnam High School graduate where he starred in baseball and soccer for the Clippers. He’s a graduate of Connecticut College and received his master’s in fine arts from the University of Michigan. He’s the author of "The Wasp Eater" and "The Architect of Flowers."
Tourtellotte Hall of Fame
Name From The Past…
When the name Jim Naum is mentioned around Putnam and Thompson most people immediately think of real estate. That association is a natural one since Naum has worked in that field since retiring from education.
Prior to real estate, Naum made a name for himself as a high school athlete and coach. His achievements earned him entry into the Tourtellotte Memorial High School Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2010. Naum’s athletic notoriety goes back to 1947 when he entered Tourtellotte as a freshman. He made an immediate impact in basketball and baseball, where he lettered for four years in each sport.
Naum was a member of two State Championship teams in 1949 and 1950. That wouldn’t be the only time Naum would be part of a Tourtellotte State basketball champion. In 1987 he led the Tigers to a State championship as the head coach of his alma mater. As part of the 1950 team, Naum was named All-State by the New Haven Register. As part of the 1987 team he was named Coach of the Year.
Following his high school playing days, Naum played basketball from 1950 to 1952 at Nichols College, serving as the captain of the Bisons during his second season. Following a six year hiatus as a player, Naum joined another Tiger George Dargati at Eastern Connecticut State University from 1958 through 1960.
A little remembered or known fact about Naum is that he served as the basketball coach at Eastern in 1960 and 1961. His longest head coaching stint was from 1977 through 1989 at Tourtellotte. Prior to assuming the head coaching reins for the Tigers he served as an assistant to his former coach Jim Canty. Along the way he also had stints as Tourtellotte’s athletic director and golf coach.
Perfect Hand – Lucky Man…
Friday the 13th of July proved to be a lucky day for Pomfret resident and longtime member of the Putnam Elks, Ray Navarro. A regular at the card table on Edmond Street, Navarro, on what’s supposed to be a jinx day, was engaged in a four-handed cribbage game.
Navarro’s partner was the quiet and always gentlemanly Roger Guertin. The pair was engaged in a close game with their opponents Danny Moody and the often times moody, Richard Preble. With the game on the line, Navarro rose to the occasion by producing a perfect “29” hand. His feat, which is likened to pitching a perfect game, bowling a 300 string or getting a hole-in-one, was like the shot heard round the world. Needless to say his feat, the first of his cribbage career, vaulted his team to victory.
Standing 3 feet (legal distance at the Elks) from the table and enjoying the festivities was another true gentleman of the card world, Vic “You Think I Bid With Nothing” Lippiello.
Biking For Jimmy…
Two bicyclists with ties to northeastern Connecticut will be among the thousands who’ll be part of the PanMass Challenge, which benefits the Jimmy Fund. John “Corkie” O’Rourke of Danielson and Katherine “Kip” Parker, a member of the Putnam Rotary Club, will take part in the two-day event scheduled for Aug. 4 and 5.
O’Rourke’s ride will be his 13th in the event, while Parker is a rookie, going out for her initial ride. To support either one or both of the cyclists go to http://www.pmc.org/profile/JO0033 and select “DONATE TO MY RIDE.” Those who prefer snail mail can support O’Rourke making checks payable to PMC/Jimmy fund and send to John O’Rourke, P.O. Box 636, Baltic, CT 06330.
RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: There’s no such thing as a free lunch.