Champion pg 9 8-30-12
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By Ron P. Coderre
RPC extends a sporty hello to Linda Lamoureux of Putnam and The Arc of Quinebaug Valley. Over the years she’s learned all about sports through her involvement with the success of the agency’s golf tournament.
Every four years the Olympic Games rejuvenate our country’s and the world’s interest in swimming. Names of individuals such as Michael Phelps fast become household names as people are glued to their television sets enjoying the competition of swimmers splashing their way to the finish line.
One of the best kept local swimming secrets is Mary Place of Woodstock. Place remains in great shape today thanks to her lifelong interest in swimming. A native of Manchester, N.H., she began swimming competitively as an eight year old.
As a young swimmer, Place was involved in AAU competition up to and through her high school years. Her swimming exploits provided her with recognition of college coaches. In 1979 she received a four-year scholarship to the University of Maine in Orono.
Place competed for the Black Bear women’s swimming team in the individual medley, which included the butterfly, breast stroke and back stroke. The team was an immediate success capturing the New England Collegiate Championship in her freshman year. In her senior year she was named captain of the Lady Black Bears.
Being a qualified swimmer also provided her extra income as she worked as a lifeguard during her high school and college years. She was also a swimming instructor for the American Red Cross.
“I think it’s important to expose kids to water at an early age. Water safety skills and swimming are so important in preventing drowning accidents,” said Place.
Today, swimming is a family affair for the Places. Her daughter Shannon, a sophomore at Woodstock Academy, is following in her mother’s footsteps as a competitive swimmer. Her husband, Rick, owner of Putnam Ford, uses swimming to remain in good physical condition.
McManus for Real…
On Aug. 11 Barbara McManus of Worcester ran through Putnam ahead of all the women in the Deary Memorial Road Race. She completed the 5-mile run comfortably in front of the rest of the pack in a time of 33:36. For certain McManus’ victory was no fluke.
On Aug. 18, exactly one week after her Putnam triumph, McManus duplicated her effort with a first-place finish in the 36th running of the Hardwick (Massachusetts) Community Fair Road Race. She completed the 5.7 mile race in a time of 37:34, almost a full minute in front of her nearest female competitor.
From The Where Are They Now Files…
It’s Hiawassee, Ga., for former Putnam standout athlete Kendall Dean, who recently returned to Putnam with his wife Jean for the Coach Greenhalgh Memorial Golf Outing and Dinner and the 55th Reunion of the Class of 1957.
Dean is one of Putnam’s original "boys of summer," playing in the first year of the Putnam Little League in 1951. As a 12-year old, Dean was one of the league’s top pitchers, hurling for the Red Sox in the four team league, composed of the Braves, Yankees and Giants.
In high school, he was ticketed for three sport stardom until a knee injury prevented him from playing football and limiting his basketball play. But on the baseball diamond, Dean was a stick out shortstop for the Clippers. A solid hitter, it was his slick fielding and strong arm that made him an all star performer. His ability level was so good that he actually caught the eye of Detroit Tiger scouts.
After leaving Putnam, Dean and his wife were involved in a family restaurant business in Florida. Now retired in Georgia, the couple enjoys traveling and squeezing in a few rounds of golf.
Tourtellotte Class of 1950 Standout…
The name Carabina is familiar to folks in northeastern Connecticut and often associated with local basketball official and teacher George Carabina. But from 1947 to 1950 there was another Carabina by the name of Chris Carabina making sports headlines in Thompson.
Chris Carabina came out of Tourtellotte Memorial High School during the ‘golden age’ of sports on the Thompson campus. He was an integral part of the success of the Tigers basketball, baseball and track programs.
Playing on winning basketball teams was routine for Carabina, who was part of two State championship teams (1949 and 1950), three Quinebaug Valley Conference champions (1948-1949-1950) and a New England Champion (1950). Carabina was honored in his senior season when he was named to the Connecticut All-State team. He was also a member of the TMHS track team during his four years, where he was an honorable mention performer in 1950.
But in an era when baseball was king, Carabina was a standout catcher for Tourtellotte. Carabina was selected as team captain in his sophomore, junior and senior seasons, the first ever sophomore to attain that honor. After playing semi-pro baseball for two seasons for the Cluett Arrows, Carabina enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.
While stationed at Mitchell Air Force Base on Long Island, Carabina once caught a 20-inning game and also caught the eye of a St. Louis Browns scout. He was part of a trio of Thompson players all signed off the Air Force Base campus by the Browns. In 1952 he along with Tommy Tanacea and Charlie Archambault left for spring training. Carabina played two seasons with the Whytheville Statesmen of the South Atlantic League.
He was inducted into the Tourtellotte Memorial High School Athletic hall of Fame on June 18, 2011 as part of the Class of 2011.