12 - August 13, 2010 Granite State Swimming Championships


submitted by Michael Valo The Granite State Swimming Championships were held over the weekend, wrapping up the summer


swim season. The Rockingham Area Youth Swim (RAYS) are a local swim team based out of the Londonderry and Salem Workout Clubs. The Swimmers come from Windham, Salem, Londonderry, and neighboring communities. The RAYS sent 53 athletes (20 in the 10 and under age group) to the Division I State Championships held in Dover at the Jenny Thompson pool this past weekend. A total of 16 teams participated in the event. The swimmers for the RAYS boys’ 8 and under age group were led by Bradley Valo (7) of Windham with a win in the 25 Freestyle in a time of 18.48 and third place in the 50 Freestyle in 39.20; Bradley also anchored the 100 free relay with teammates Owen Caprioglio (6), Asa Runge (8), and Ryan Golabiewski (8) to second place, with the same team also swimming to a second-place finish in the 100 Medley Relay. Asa Runge earned third place in the 25 Butterfly in 25.62 while setting a personal best. Eli Runge (10) of the boys’ 9-10 age group took second in the 50 freestyle in 36.61, and Dominic Zirn (9) set personal best times in several events. Samantha McCarthy was second in the girls’ 8 and under age group in the 25 freestyle in 21.42.


Freestyle warm-up Bradley Valo


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Looking Ahead to Salem’s Fall Season


by Chris White If Salem’s fall teams can replicate just a portion of their success from 2009, they will still be doing pretty well. The Blue Devils had a fall to remember last year, with four teams (football, golf, fall spirit, and boys’ volleyball) taking home a state title and the rest advancing well into the post-season. This season, Salem will be missing one program that consistently wins state crowns. The boys’


The 100 free relay team of Corrine Richard (8), Amy Pendergast (8), Samantha McCarthy (8), and Emi Caprioglio (8) took third place. The same team also placed fourth in the 100 Medley Relay. The 9-10 age group girls were led by Jillian Sorrento with a second place in the 100 free in 1:09.52 and third in both the 50 Fly and 50 Back, and anchored the 200 free relay with Allyson Gillespie, Emily Martsolf, and Sasha McNeal in 2:30.16 to third place. The team of Hannah Pickett (9), Maddison Martin, Caitlynn Mahan, and Gillian Doyle took fourth in the 200 Medley relay. Some of New Hampshire’s best swimmers had the opportunity to participate in the Granite State Championships and have a great team experience at a terrific venue.


The Never-Ending Season Called High School Sports


by Chris White If you’re a three-sporter, you’ll definitely understand this. If you’re a two-sporter, you’ll most likely understand this. If you play only one sport, you’ll probably understand, too. And if you don’t play sports, you might just ask, why? Why do high school athletes dread the beginning of a new season? You would think that the start of a new season would be a positive experience, bringing new beginnings and new opportunities. But in all honesty, most athletes can’t wait to get into the heart of the regular season—simply because that is when they will be free from those grueling two-a-days or three- hour practices they have to deal with in the pre-season. Work hard in the pre-season, play hard in the regular season, relax in the off-season. But, wait! There is no off-season! Even if you’re not a three-sport athlete, these days, you can play one sport and play that sport all year


long. And if you are a three-sport athlete, you’re also in luck. You can play those three sports all year long, too.


So, this upcoming week, when the fall season for high school sports officially starts on Monday, August


16, every athlete will be fresh and ready to go, right? Better check on that. Some summer leagues and tournaments did actually end this past week, believe it or not. And if the athlete played for an AAU team over the summer, just think of how many games he/ she played over the course of the past month. And then, the athlete is right back into the fall season next week—not even missing a beat. Some of the most committed high school athletes barely take any time for vacation, simply because they don’t have time to. One season ends, and the next one starts up right away. There’s always some team to play for or something to go to. So if any coach is wondering why his/her star senior is dragging in double sessions during these upcoming dog days of August, maybe it’s because the athlete is still in his/her first high school sports season that began three years ago. Here are my most important points out of all this. Coaches, please notice when your hard-working athletes are struggling, and don’t question their dedication or toughness when they need a rest.


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volleyball team, which has won six Division 1 titles and has not lost a game in its young history, will be moving over to compete in the spring season in 2011. Despite the loss of the volleyball team, there is still plenty to look forward to. The football Blue Devils are coming off a 2009 season in which they won their first state title since 1995 and their first Division 1 title since 1983. The team has graduated a bundle of significant contributors from last season, but this year’s squad returns a nice, solid core of athletes. The Blue Devils are strong at the skill positions on offense with quarterback Matt Cannone taking the snaps, and running backs Jerickson Fedrick and Max Jacques return to give Salem a scary one- two punch in the back field. Mike Lorenz also looks to catch some passes on offense and be a pest to opposing receivers as a defensive back, while Joe Dipalma provides a solid tackler and pass-rusher on defense as well. With a strong unit coming back, the Blue Devils should be right in the thick of things at the end of the season. Another team that looks to


venture deep into post-season play and go after a state title is the girl’s soccer team. Last year, the team went all the way to the Class L semifinals at Stellos Stadium in Nashua, but lost 2-1 to Manchester Central. This year, Salem looks to take it a step further and returns a strong group that includes Gina Righini, Hanna LaRochelle, Cassie Chase, Mackenzie Miller, Tayllar Righini, and Jersey Burns. The Blue Devils will look for Gina Righini to control the midfield and make things happen, while Chase will provide scoring up front. Meanwhile, the boys’ soccer team will look to build on its 2009 season. The boys started out strong last fall and then had to conquer some adversity with a string of losses midway through the season. They got through it, made the playoffs as a lower seed, and upset Winnacunnet on its home field in the first round. The win earned them a date with Exeter in the quarterfinals, where they fell short. This season, there will be a core of rising seniors returning, along with some underclassmen who will be looking to help Salem make its mark in the league.


Salem running back Max Jacques ran all over Division 1 opponents last season on his way to helping Salem win a state championship


The girls’ volleyball team should also be right in the middle of things, come tourney time. Last year’s team advanced to the semifinals and lost to a very tough number-one-seeded Spaulding team. Spaulding met Londonderry in the finals, and Londonderry took it all. Londonderry was also a team that Salem had beaten earlier in the season. The 2010 Devils will return


Salem senior midfielder Gina Righini will help the girls’ soccer team try to advance one more step this season and win a state title


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Sarah Scott at the setter position and Melissa Ouellet on the front line. Both will be seniors and both saw significant action as juniors last season. Scott controlled the Salem offense and eclipsed the 1,000 assist mark last fall. Ouellet, on the other hand, showed steady improvement from the beginning to the end of last season, and looks to continue to be one of


the team’s main contributors. Also, look for junior Steph Long to be more of a factor on defense this season. The Salem field hockey team will also be looking to build on last


year’s success. The team graduated a host of seniors after its run to the quarterfinals in 2009, but it also returns some rising talent. The Devils return Allison Breton, Meghan Bench, Danica Blakslee, Sarah Frahm, Shayla Derosa, Melissa Higgins, and Jessica Curley, who all had productive seasons last year. With already a year spent playing in the system of head coach John Gatsas, there should be improvement from the Devils in 2010.


Also in 2010, the golf team will begin its defense of its second consecutive state title. The Blue Devils came out of nowhere at the Class L Championships to win it all last season. Salem entered the tournament as the third seed and collectively shot a 320 to overtake the field, which included a previously undefeated Pinkerton squad. This season, Salem’s golfers will do their best in trying to three-peat. Of all Salem teams, the “Windham Effect” may hurt the golf program the most, as most of Salem’s golfers over the years have come from Windham. This year, only the senior class at Salem has residents from Windham, but the golf team looks to shock New Hampshire again regardless of the circumstances. A young, developing boys’ cross country squad will also look to make its mark this season. The boys compete in a tough league, which includes dominant programs like Londonderry, Bishop Guertin, Manchester Central, and Merrimack. Despite a competitive field, the Blue Devils will keep in mind their goal of advancing to the New Hampshire Meet of Champions at the end of the season. Ben Dutton, Dan Schmidt, Eric Hutchins, and Mitch Dutton were some of Salem’s top runners last year returning to the team. On the cross country girls’ side, it’s the mostly the same predicament: a good, talented team facing a very competitive league. The girls will also be focused on grabbing a top-seven finish at the Class L meet to move on to the Meet of Champions this season. The team will be led by senior Steph Cabral, who individually advanced all the way to the New England Championships in 2009. The Devils also return a couple of other top runners, Samantha Hutchins and Amanda Buck, to the team this year. Salem’s fall sports look to be in good shape for the 2010 season. Who knows what the season will hold for the Blue Devils? But if they can build on last season, whatever they accomplish will be very good.


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