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Hurley a double-sport star this winter

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Senior Ryley Hurley starred on both the mat and track this winter.

Ryley Hurley was feeling ambitious this winter and wanted to try something different. So, she did.

Already a four-time state champion cheerleader, you weren’t going to keep her off the mat. But with the cheerleading team opting to be noncompetitive for the season, that opened the door for Hurley, a senior at Whitman-Hanson Regional High, to flash her talents as a double-sport athlete. She knew it and joined the girls’ indoor track team.

“I really enjoyed being a part of two teams,” Hurley said. “It kept me fully involved with the school spirit and I love that. I had track practice every day after school, including days with meets. On days where we had to cheer at the basketball game, we would have a practice beforehand.”

Despite the busy schedule, she flourished. In addition to being named the MVP of the cheerleading team, Hurley was one of the girls’ indoor track team’s top point-getters.

“I am so proud of what I have accomplished not only this past winter season, but all four years of high school,” Hurley said. “Being a part of a team is so special. Even if the outcome was not what we hoped for, the bonds that I have made along the way make every practice and moment worth it.”

Hurley’s track career began middle school, but she didn’t participate in high school until last spring after some persuading.

“I recognized her athletic ability previously after watching the cheerleading practices, which took place in the gym while we practiced on the indoor track,” said W-H girls’ indoor and outdoor track head coach Steve George. “She was, in my opinion, that team’s most athletic member and its best gymnast. I felt she could be a very good track athlete.

“I asked a couple of our team members who had been cheerleaders, Dorothy DiMascio-Donohue and Allison Bartlett, to encourage Ryley to join the team.”

Hurley made a statement, qualifying for states in both the 400-meter dash and 400-meter hurdles. This winter, she excelled in 300-meter dash, high jump, long jump and as a leg on the 4×200 relay team and racked up the third most points on the team. She was unable to participate in the pentathlon after having her wisdom teeth extracted.

Ryley Hurley in track. / Photo by: Sue Moss

“She has the gift of speed and that along with her natural athleticism make her a track athlete with unlimited potential,” George said. “She also brings with her a genuine enthusiasm and willingness to take on any event when asked, adding the long and high jump to her resume.”

Hurley said picking up track last spring benefited her when the cheer season rolled around this fall.

“Doing track last spring and continuing the training all year really helped improve my stamina,” she said. “I was in shape and ready to go for the start of my fall season.”

Hurley’s passion for cheerleading began in second grade and has never wavered.

“From the first moment that I took the mat to compete I knew I was in it for the long haul,” Hurley said. “I loved learning new tumbling skills as well as learning new stunting positions throughout the years.”

She wrapped up her high school cheerleading career with four state titles, an NCA National title and a New England title.

“She is an athlete that has in one two-minute routine quite literally been in almost every stunting position,” said W-H cheerleading head coach Alyssa Hayes. “I would say that’s a rare feat, especially for high school cheer. She is our best jumper. She is one of our captains. She motivates the team. I could go on and on.”

Hurley and head cheerleading coach Alyssa Hayes. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Hayes said Hurley’s grit and determination make her special.

“I have seen her encounter obstacles in both youth and high school cheerleading, academics, tough losses, and regardless of each problem she pushes through until coming through to the other side,” Hayes said.

One of those obstacles is a tumbling block, which is a mental hurdle that keeps you from completing a tumble kill that you’ve done — even moments before.

“Mine has surfaced throughout the years usually after a fall of some sort,” Hurley said. “When the block would appear, I never gave up, not even once. Through multiple tumbling classes and talking myself through it I continue to try and push past it.”

Hurley said when she looks back on her time at W-H, one day comes to mind before any other.

“My greatest high school athletic memory so far was winning States for the first [during] time winter season of my freshman year,” Hurley said.

*This story will run in the Express’ print edition on Thursday, May 7. 

Season Review: WHSL finds its winning ways with confidence

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Junior captain Emily McDonald (Whitman) had nine goals this season. / Photo by: Sue Moss

WHSL went 11-10 this season and made the tournament for the first time in three years.

Coming into the season, Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake high school girls’ hockey head coach Kevin Marani had an idea of what it would take to jumpstart his team.

“We just need that signature win — that one signature win that we know we can do. And once that happens — winning is contagious,” said Marani back in December.

He was right. After an 0-4 start to the season, the co-op shut out Plymouth, 5-0, and finished the season winning 11 of its last 16 games for its first tournament berth in three years.

“When we started off 0-4, it was almost like, ‘Here we go again,’” Marani said. “I think the signature win was against Plymouth. They were good and we gave them a good popping and I think at that point they were like, ‘Ya know what, we really can, we can believe in ourselves,’ and they did.”

WHSL fell to Waltham, 5-3, in the first round of the Div. 1 tournament.

“Just making the state tournament is huge for this program,” Marani said. “What happens is little girls start watching you and want to be a part of the success.”

Senior captain Alyssa Murphy (Kingston) was a huge part of WHSL’s success. The Western New England bound-forward finished the year with 31 goals and eight assists. She was named a Patriot League All-Star.

“She reminds me a lot of Mel [McAleer],” Marani said. “She just made every single person on that team better. She had that leader’s attitude. She’s a great leader and a great captain with all the skills in the world. It was always team first.”

Freshman Shea Kellleher (Kingston) was also a league all-star after finding the back of the net 13 times to go with 14 assists.

“She is really, really good,” Marani said.

Junior captain Emily McDonald (Whitman), who was Kelleher’s linemate, scored nine goals, but her coach said it could have been a lot more.

“She was snakebitten this year,” Marani said. “She played crazy good. Her and Shea are a great combination together. She should have probably had 20 goals.”

In net, junior Kat Gilbert (Halifax) was a rock yet again this season.

“I knew she had it in her,” Marani said. “She worked her butt off all offseason. She is the most improved player in the league by far. It was just confidence and concentration. The sky’s the limit for her. She can be the best goalie in the league, I truly believe that.”

Fellow junior Caleigh Tompkins (Kingston) was the backbone of WHSL’s defense. And with 11 rising seniors set to return next season, Marani has set the expectation high.

“If we don’t make the state tournament, it’s going to be a disappointment,” Marani said.

*This article will run in the Express’ print edition at a later date.

Dealing with a delayed spring sports season at Whitman-Hanson

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The spring sports season is delayed until at least May 4.

For the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ tennis team, optimism was high — and rightfully so — as it looked toward this spring.

The Panthers are set to return all 18 players from last year’s team that won its first tournament game in program history.

Now, the girls’ tennis team, like the rest of the clubs, is grappling with a delayed start to the spring due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“We were looking forward to our best season thus far,” said girls’ tennis head coach Sue Sookiasian. “Coach (Sue) Moss and I are keeping the faith that we will be able to have some sort of an abbreviated season.”

This spring is also key for the boys’ lacrosse team, but for the opposite  reason. The Panthers are tasked with making up for the loss of 10 seniors. Five of those seniors combined for 112 goals, one was its Patriot League All-Star starting goaltender and another was a captain on defense.

“It’s definitely tough because I would have liked to get a full season in to develop the younger guys because the majority of starters last year were seniors,”  said boys’ lacrosse head coach Tyler Sabens. “I’m hopeful that we’ll have a spring season even if it’s short.”

If all goes as planned and there are no further setbacks, that short spring season will get underway on May 4 with tryouts. Games will get underway about a week later, according to athletic director Bob Rodgers. 

Baseball skipper Pat Cronin, who started coaching 47 years ago, has never seen anything like this, but he understands the delay is necessary. 

“[I] Feel for the kids, of course,” Cronin said. “The seniors are in their final year and will be unable to ever get back the time missed. While virtually my entire life has been centered about the classroom and athletic fields, missing a season or part of a season is a small price to pay if we can help to save lives.”

Head girls’ lacrosse coach AC Decker, who was hired last offseason, is possibly facing his first spring without picking up a stick since he was introduced to the sport back in 1975. 

“The girls are devastated, especially the seniors,” Decker said. “I can tell that there were many players who were very prepared and ready for the season. The captains, Marissa Connell and Riley Bina (sitting at 92 career goals), organized teams for indoor leagues and kept the players motivated.

“Going into my second year, I felt much better prepared. We were hosting a small preseason jamboree, and I was able to set my schedule this year.”

Josh Lopes is set to enter his first spring at the helm of the boys’ tennis team. He doesn’t think the season will actually happen — and if it does — he won’t have a good feeling going in. 

“I don’t know much about the team at all, especially what the experience levels are,” Lopes said. “Quite a few are first-year players. I had met with anyone interested in playing but it does feel like we are going into the season essentially blind. I don’t really know what to expect in terms of ability and players. It was actually part of the excitement for me, thinking about what the possibilities could be.”

Steve George, the girls’ outdoor track head coach, noted it’s frustrating not being able to communicate with his athletes about potential practices and workouts because of a strict MIAA policy that states, “A coach may not directly or indirectly require an athlete to participate in a sport or a training program outside of the MIAA defined sport season.”

“This pandemic has created an immensely frustrating time for me as a coach,” George said. “I’m literally isolated from the athletes, but in addition there are rules placing limitations on what we can discuss or suggest out of season.”

With that said, he is immensely concerned about his athletes getting hurt if the season ends up getting underway.

“I have a growing concern about injury, if and when we do return,” he said. “Accelerating training would increase that likelihood, and the MIAA will proceed with caution to ensure adequate practices take place prior to competition. But many of the athletes will not want to hold back, despite a lengthy period of inactivity and that could be disastrous. My job is to keep them healthy and safe and that is how I intend to proceed.”

Boys’ outdoor track head coach Stephen Schlicting tries to post a tweet each day to keep in touch with his athletes, but he knows it’s not the same as seeing their faces. 

“It seems like a long time since I’ve seen the team,” said Schlicting, who also coaches the boy’s indoor track team. “I’m hoping we have this thing beat by May 4. We had a very good group this past winter, and I’m looking forward to the others who will join and start next month.”

Softball head coach Jordan McDermott has been doing her best to keep her players’ spirits up. 

“I did do a challenge for a week with the girls where I gave them a challenge and they had the option to do something,” McDermott explained. “I loved how I made it not only for the softball girls but for all those who follow my account; it was pretty cool to see other girls from other schools and towns get involved. I go live here and there on my account and try to check in on the student-athletes. My goal is to keep the girls engaged, active and optimistic.”

One thing is certain: each coach is devastated for their senior(s). 

Brooks leaves his mark on and off mat

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Brooks wrestles his opponent from Hingham. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Senior captain Steve Brooks left his mark in the record book for the wrestling team.

A four-year starter and two-year captain, Steve Brooks left quite a mark on the Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling program — especially this winter.

The senior captain, who wrestled out of the 160-pound weight class, went 38-11, while tying a school-record for pins in a single-season with 32, as the Panthers (11-8) finished with a winning record for the first time in five years. Brooks also placed fifth at the Div. 2 state tournament to become W-H’s highest finisher since 2015.

“Now that my high school wrestling career has ended, the thing I am most proud of is the fact that I helped to lead my team to the best record we have had in years,” Brooks said. “I wanted to prove to my coaches and myself that my leadership, along with the other captains’ efforts, can create a winning culture in our team for years to come.”

Additionally, Brooks pinned his way to two in-season tournament titles at both Sandwich and Oliver Ames.

“Steve Brooks is a pinning machine,” said W-H wrestling head coach Gary Rabinovitz. “Steve had an exceptional career. I could not be more proud of the hard work and sacrifice that Steve has dedicated to our program over his career.”

Brooks hit the mat as much as he could this offseason.

“Sometimes I’d drive all the way to Dedham to practice with another wrestling team,” he said. “It’s great to have a wide variety of coaches and disciplinary styles to work with. My coaches have done a great job at pushing all the kids to stay in that wrestling groove by working out or going to offseason practice. Even just running for thirty minutes a day is a good way to stay in wrestling shape.”

For as eye-popping as Brooks’ stats were, it was his leadership that stuck out to fellow senior captain Bethany Ralph. She said Brooks, a Patriot League All-Star, knows exactly when and just how to lead.

“Steve is an amazing leader, he’s the quiet yet strong type of leader,” Ralph said. “Whether it’s getting everyone hyped up for our match or whether it’s helping one of the guys cool off after they lost. He’s taught me a lot but the most important being that after you think you don’t have anything left to give, take it from my opponent and work harder.”

Leadership is always at the top of Brooks’ mind.

“I take a lot of pride in being a leader, being a role model and leading by example is one of my most important responsibilities as a captain,” Brooks said. “I’m glad I had my junior year to work on my leadership skills with the team. However, this year I believe I did a much better job at governing my team and motivating them all to work as hard as they humanly can.”

Next season, Brooks will continue his wrestling career at Plymouth State University. And while he’ll trade in his Panther red and black for Panther black and green, he won’t ever forget his roots.

“Whitman-Hanson will always be my home, so I plan on staying in touch with the program and the coaches,” Brooks said. “I can’t wait to see how the team does in the future.”

Season Review: Gymnastics shows progress standing on its own


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The gymnastics team. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The gymnastics team improved its score in each meet.

It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish — and the Whitman-Hanson Regional High gymnastics team finished strong, in its first year standing on its own.

Despite an 0-12 overall record, the Panthers showed significant growth. They opened the winter with a score of 118 and closed it with a 126.

“Overall we were happy with our progress this season,” said first-year head coach Alison Vance, who won the Patriot League’s Coach of the Year. “Each meet our team score improved and personal bests kept getting higher and higher.”

The Panthers’ improvement on the score sheet can largely be attributed to four of their vaulters, who upgraded their difficulty as the season wore on.

“Our vault scores, for the beginning of the season, were averaging around a 32.6,” Vance said. “By the end of the season, we were averaging a 34.5.”

Senior captain Sarah Bombardier was a constant for W-H, finishing the winter with a team-high vault average of 8.65.

“She is a hard worker and a great leader,” Vance said of Bombardier, the team’s lone senior. “She is always willing to try anything to help improve the team score. We were so lucky to have her lead this team. She will be greatly missed.”

Junior Savannah Poirier proved to be a pleasant surprise for W-H. After taking her sophomore year off to do winter cheer, Poirier came back to gymnastics and averaged a team-high 8.2 on the floor.

“We were so thankful that she joined us,” Vance said of Poirier, who will captain the Panthers next season alongside rising senior Madison Scaccia. “Not only did she consistently put up our highest floor score, she filled a void we had on the bars. She upgraded her skills every week.”

Freshman Riley Getchell was another standout, concluding the season with an 8.15 average on the vault.
“She was very consistent on all of her events, especially the vault and beam,” Vance said. “She worked hard to upgrade her difficulty to improve her scores and it paid off. It is tough coming in as a freshman and competing in the all-around, but Riley is very experienced and did it well.”

Vance said her team’s strength was its positive attitude regardless of how the results fell, which led to them winning the Patriot League Sportsmanship Award.

“We were excited and thankful to receive this unexpected award,” Vance said. “We knew we were coming into this league behind the other teams that have been established with their coaching staff for so many years. We just kept our spirits up and worked on improving ourselves each week.”

While Vance said it’s going to be tough losing Bombardier, a four-year gymnast, she is looking forward to seeing how the program develops.

“The team is doing a good job of getting the word out to the eighth graders about our program,” Vance said, “so we are hopeful we can make up for the loss of Sarah by the start of next season. I am also very confident in the leadership of our new captains, Madison and Savannah.”

Season Review: Girls’ indoor track meets expectations

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Sophomore Myah Kamprides was a league all-star. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The girls’ indoor track team finished the year 2-3.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ indoor track team did not disappoint its sixth-year head coach Steve George this winter.

“The team certainly met my expectations,” said George, whose team finished with a 2-3 record after going 0-5 the previous season. “I looked for effort and improvement against Hingham and Plymouth North, both much bigger teams than ours. They can beat you with the sheer numbers of athletes it enters in its meets. We saw that improvement.

“Duxbury and Silver Lake are both very well coached and very competitive teams that present problems for our kids every season throughout the year. The ladies stepped up and beat each of those teams convincingly. Individually, I saw remarkable improvement each time out from our kids which is really the most important factor in how I judge the success of the team.”

George said his assistant coaches played a major part in the club’s success, going as far as coining them the team’s strength.

“Kim Coletti’s children went through the program and she understands the dynamic as well as anybody,” George said. “She communicates extraordinarily well with our girls. She understands and counsels them and is supportive and more importantly honest with them. Samantha Richner was an incredible multi-event athlete both here and at Bridgewater State and she brings knowledge in field events that is admired and respected by the athletes. And Rob Bunszell is a very enthusiastic, young coach who is intent on learning and passing it along.”

As far as the athletes, both junior Izzy Amado and sophomore Myah Kamperides earned league all-star status this winter.

A Patriot League all-star in cross country as well, Kamperides was the league’s top 2-miler and Panthers’ team MVP.

“[She] loves to double in the mile and 2 mile, from which we try to refrain to keep her fresh,” George said. “An incredibly hard worker, who logs high miles at impressive paces and loves every step of it.”

Amado posted a 3:15.32 in the 1,000-meter run during the Panthers’, 57-43, win over Silver Lake on Jan. 22.

“When I first met Izzy, I had every reason to believe she would become the next great mid-distance/distance athlete here at W-H,” George said. “And despite a love for and commitment to soccer throughout the year, she became a very good runner and this year. I’m very happy she gives us all she has in track and I hope she continues that next year.”

A two-year captain, senior Samantha Perkins was W-H’s second leading scorer and a multi-event athlete, competing in the pentathlon.

“She is an outstanding sprinter, hurdler, jumper and thrower,” George said. “She was an easy choice for this year’s Coaches Award on the basis of her contributions to the program, her effort in every practice and meet, and her leadership, all while being our second leading point scorer this season.”

Senior Ryley Hurley and sophomore April Keyes were W-H’s third and fifth leading scorers, respectively. Hurley was a top performer in the 300- and 600-meter runs, long jump and anchored the 4×200 relay team, while Keyes was the team’s top hurdler and chipped in as a sprinter, mid-distance runner and jumper.

George said while there is a plan in place to establish a local youth running league to meet several evenings per week during the summer, the biggest draw to his program is the quality of athletes.

“Not only in their athleticism, but their character and work ethic which should get parents motivated to get their kids out running,” he said. “I’m blessed to have zero discipline problems, intelligent student-athletes and young people who want to work hard – all traits which will make them healthy, happy and successful adults.”

Olivia Martin commits to play basketball at Salve Regina

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Martin with her parents. / Courtesy photo

Olivia Martin has committed to Salve Regina University.

Olivia Martin is following in her parents’ footsteps.

The 5-foot-7 senior wing from Whitman-Hanson Regional High announced on Twitter she has committed to play basketball at Salve Regina University.

Both of her parents, Brian and Kerry, played for the Seahawks and her mother is in the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

“Salve is getting a steal,” said Martin’s AAU former coach Matt DellaBarba. “I think she’ll make an immediate impact there.”

An impact is just what Martin made in her final go-around for the Panthers this winter, scoring 9.5 points per game, on the strength of a team-high 40 3-pointers en route to being named a league all-star. She was the team’s lone captain, as well. W-H finished with its best record (15-7) since 2009-10 and won its first tournament game in eight years.

First-year W-H girls’ basketball head coach Mike Costa posted on Twitter:

At Salve, Martin will reunite with former high school teammate Meg Henaghan, a rising sophomore for the Seahawks.

Season Review: Wrestling moves the mat forward

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A Panther wrestler and Silver Lake wrestler. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling team finished above .500 for the first time in five years.

Proud is an understatement when Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling head coach Gary Rabinovitz reflects on this past season.

It’s easy to see why. W-H finished the season with an 11-8 mark, its best record in five years, sent five wrestlers to the D2 state meet and filled all 14 weight classes by early January.

“I cannot say enough about what this year’s team was able to accomplish,” said the fourth-year head coach.

It wasn’t always smooth sailing for the Panthers, who opened the winter 5-7, before catching fire, winning six of their last seven, highlighted by a sweep of Nauset, Rockland and Hanover on Feb. 1.

“Each of my first four years as head coach we lasted a week longer than the previous year,” said the coach. “That means our wrestlers are getting better and that is all that matters.”

Senior captain Steve Brooks (160 pounds) paced the Panthers in every statistical category, going 38-11, while posting 32 pins for 215 points en route to league all-star status.

“Steve Brooks is a pinning machine,” Rabinovitz said. “Steve had an outstanding career as a four-year starter and two-year captain for Whitman-Hanson.”

Junior captain Damari Goldsmith-Greene (138 pounds) was also voted a Patriot League All-Star after going 32-13 and racking up 149 points. He’ll enter his senior campaign with 88 career wins.

“We can’t wait for Damari to reach the 100-win mark as only four Panther wrestlers have ever hit that mark,” said his coach.

Senior captain Bethany Ralph (120 pounds) brought leadership to the mat as well. Also, for the second straight year, Ralph finished as a runner-up in the girls’ wrestling state tournament.

“I noticed from Day One of her freshman year that Bethany Ralph was going to be a special wrestler,” Rabinovitz said. “She brought it all to practice and competition every day for four years. She had one heck of a career.”

Seniors Mike Gardner (182 pounds) and Tyler Cullinan (170 pounds), junior Declan Hanapy (220/285 pounds) and sophomore Joe Boss (106 pounds) also heavily contributed for the Panthers this season.

Rabinovitz said the future of the program relies on numbers and offseason training.

“If we can continue to fill all 14 weight classes with quality kids we will continue to head in the right direction,” Rabinovitz said. “I believe the whole team is excited for next season, we finished on a high note and it really brought this team closer together.”

Season Review: This winter’s girls’ hoop team ‘set the tone for what this program is and what it is going to become’

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The girls’ basketball team. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The girls’ basketball team finished with its best record since 2009-10, while winning a tournament game for the first time since 2012.

Coming into the season, first-year Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball head coach Mike Costa had a hunch he had a good team on his hands.

“When I took this job, I knew what I was going to have in terms of personnel, and I knew the type of girls we had,” Costa said. “They all work extremely hard and are high character kids. Those are the two things that make teams successful. Everyone was willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the team. There were no egos and they all accepted and wanted to be coached.

“Obviously, you want to strive to win the league championship and we fell short of our goal, due in large part to the amount of depth and talent our league has.”

While they didn’t win the Patriot League Keenan Division title, they still made significant progress. After posting their best regular-season record (14-6) since 2009-10, the Panthers knocked off Barnstable, 45-33, in the first round of the Div. 1 South tournament, for the program’s first playoff win in eight years, before they fell to top-seeded Bridgewater-Raynham, 67-47, in the next round.

“Barnstable gave us the best chance of getting a tournament win,” Costa said. “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy but the girls were resilient and pulled out a first-round win. Next up was Bridgewater-Raynham. We knew it was going to be a challenge with the amount of firepower that they have but we just wanted to go in and compete as hard as we could and see what happened.”

Senior captain Olivia Martin, classmate Brittany Gacicia and junior Reese Codero were named Patriot League All-Stars at season’s end.

A wing, Martin displayed her full skill set this winter, tossing in 9.5 points per game, on the strength of a team-best 40 3-pointers, while securing 2.9 rebounds per game. She hit the game-winning triple to send the Panthers past Saint Stephen’s Episcopal (Fla.) and into the finals of the Falcon Holiday Classic, which the Panthers won.

“Olivia Martin was big for us this season,” Costa said. “Obviously being the only captain she was looked to a lot for leadership. She won us a lot of games this year with her shooting. Above all, she is just a great kid. I am glad I got the chance to coach her and our program is really going to miss her. “

Gacicia, who was also a league all-star last season as well, led the team in points (11.9) rebounds (7.1), steals (2.5) and blocks per game.

“You always knew Brittany was  going to stuff the stat sheet,” Costa said. “ She impacted the game in so many ways. Offensively, she was able to score from all three levels and defensively she was all over the place. When our team was struggling offensively, they would look to get the ball to Britt to make something happen.”

W-H’s starting point guard, Codero scored just over seven points per game, while dishing out a team-high 3.2 assists per game.

“She was just solid in every area for us,” Costa said. “She is a coach’s dream. She plays so hard and gives 100 percent effort each and every play. Sometimes you wish she would take her foot off of the gas a little bit, when she is diving for a loose ball out of bounds near the bleachers because you don’t want her to get hurt, but she knows no other way to play that’s just who she is. I am glad that I have her for another year and I expect big things from her again in her senior year.

Costa is also expecting big things from sophomores Abby Martin (4.5 pgg) and Megan Stone (5.8 ppg), both of whom he’ll have for another two years.

“They were both battling for starter’s minutes for the majority of the season,” he said. “Abby wound up starting more than Megan but really it was mostly because of matchups. They both complement each other so well. Abby was a huge piece for us defensively and really brought a toughness and physicality to our team. Megan gave us some scoring punch off of the bench. There would be games where she would only play 10-15 minutes but you look at the stat sheet and she is our second leading scorer. They both really rebound the ball at a high level and attack the offensive glass. We are excited for their growth moving forward.”

Costa said the future of the program is bright.

“We were able to accomplish things that the girls program has not been able to do in a long time, and I think that gives the girls some confidence heading into the offseason and next season,” he said. “We were young this year, only having two seniors, which I think bodes well for this group. It is nice to give such a young group experience playing in the tournament. Now they have been there in those types of environments which should make it more comfortable for them the next time around. This group has set the tone for what this program is and what it is going to become.”

Season Review: Boys’ indoor track finds success

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Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers finished the year 3-2.

It was a winning campaign this winter for the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ indoor track team.

The Panthers finished the season 3-2, which included league wins over Duxbury and Silver Lake.

“The high point was the excitement we experienced with seeing our athletes get better and being competitive within the league,” said first-year W-H indoor track head coach Stephen Schlicting. “Having three wins and losing a fourth by only two points fueled excitement and a feeling that no challenge was insurmountable.”

Junior Theo Kamperides picked up where he left off in the cross-country season, earning league all-star status once again. He set a school record in the 5k at 15:52.61, before capping the year by setting a personal record in the 2-mile run at the Div. 3 state indoor track meet with a time of 10:06.32.

“Theo Kamperides was outstanding this winter,” Schlicting said.

Kamperides was one of a bevy of veterans to impress Schlicting this winter.

“Many had career personal records,” the coach explained. “Our top scorers, with one exception, were all returners. Graham Stewart, Theo Kamperides, Jake Caterer, Brandon Hager, Liam Cafferty, Chris Blackman, Pat Bui, Dyllan Burns and Nathan Tassey scored the majority of our points. They all pushed themselves, and set the example for newer teammates.”

Blackman, Cafferty, Hager and Tassey led the way in the distance events, which Schlicting coined as the team’s strength.

“They were dependable, hard workers who excelled on the track and set a great example in practice,” Schlicting said.

“We had some younger distance athletes in Gordon Johnson and James Molito who will make an impact in the future. Cullen Poth was our Rookie of the Year, winning shot put in four of the five dual meets. We had some great performances from Seniors Pat Bui, Dyllan Burns and Matt Avery in our middle-distance races. We had some younger athletes who will be scorers in the future in Jacob Donovan, Mike King, Ryan Smith and Sean Kelly.”

Schlicting said he has a simple message to his athletes with the hopes of carrying this momentum into the spring.

“Build on what you have done this winter,” he said. “Bring a friend,  we are interested in anyone willing to learn, listen and challenge themselves to get better. We especially welcome freshman athletes or those who may be on the bench or not an important part of another sport. No one sits in track and field — everyone plays.”