Avon High School Sports Teams Accomplish Much During Fall Season

Submitted by Avon High School Athletics

Avon, CT – Avon High School finished its last fall season in the NCCC Conference with a bang. Three teams won conference titles and 24 individual athletes qualified for their respective All-Conference teams. “It was a strong start to what I expect will be a great sports year for Avon,” commented the school’s new Athletic Director, Greg Ferry. “Success like this shows that our program is ready to take it to the next level.” Avon will move to the more competitive CCC Conference next year.

Avon’s runners continue to set the pace for their opponents. The girls Cross-Country team was undefeated once again, winning the state Class M title. The team competed in the State Open race, and senior captain Molly Hamel won All-Conference and All-State honors. The boys Cross-Country team also competed in the State Open (their first time qualifying since 1985) and were State Class M runners-up for the season. Senior captain, Colin Pritchard, made the All-Conference and All-State teams and junior, Andrew Suter, qualified for All-Conference. Pritchard was Avon’s first All-State runner in twenty years.

For the third time in four years, Avon’s girls and boys soccer teams won their way to the State Class L Championship finals – and this year the boys brought home the trophy. Led by senior co-captain, Stephen Dorney, who made the All-Conference, All-State and All-American teams, the boys finished 16-1-4. Senior co-captain Matt Fuge, and junior Riley Strassner, also won All-Conference honors.

The soccer girls were NCCC Conference champions for the 7th time with an overall record of 16-2-2; they finished as State Class L runners-up. Senior co-captains Hannah Davey and Amanda Holtzman, along with senior Michaela Marcus and sophomore Christine Oberhausen, won All-Conference honors, and Marcus won All-State honors. A season highlight was the girls’ state quarterfinal 3-2 win over Guilford (last year’s state champs) with a buzzer-beating goal that earned veteran coach Jim Murray his 400th career win.

Avon’s Field Hockey team built on last year’s success, finishing 14-3-1 and making its way to the State Class M semifinals this year. Four seniors earned 2nd team All-State honors: Shelley George, Rachel Moore, co-captains Natalie Sawicki and Emily Stross. All four, plus Abbey Hagan, also qualified for the All-Conference team.

Three more All-Conference winners came from Avon’s Volleyball team: senior co-captain Sammy Maniatty, and juniors Brooke Fisher and Abby Laszewski. The team finished strong with a final record of 17-5. Football also produced multiple All-Conference honorees, including juniors Teddy Allmendinger, Alden Getz (2nd team) and Geoff Kirk, and senior co-captains Jameson Dlugolecki, Harrison Gill and Ryan Rogers. Rogers also made the All-State Class M team and was a Walter Camp selection.

On the water, Avon’s Crew teams continue to grow and succeed. The Varsity Girls 4+ and Novice Girls 1st boats both placed 5th overall (beating every public and private school in their divisions) at the Riverfront Regatta (which had over 630 entries). At the New England Junior and High School Championships, the Novice Girls 1st boat and Varsity 4 took home silver and bronze medals, respectively. In all, the Novice Girls 1st boat was undefeated in the league and beat every public and private school they raced. Avon’s Varsity Girls beat all but 6 of the 40 boats they raced this season.

The boys’ Crew team featured the largest group of rowers in program history (nearly 40 returning rowers and 20 novices). The team fielded six boats, including a novice ‘A’ boat that defeated crews from Glastonbury, Farmington, and Shrewsbury, MA in their first race. Senior varsity captains Jack Kostal, Kian Rossitto and Alec Whipple, along with senior Frank Campanelli and four sophomores, teamed up in the first of four varsity boats. Their season highlight was competing against an international field in the 50th Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, the world’s largest regatta. Senior coxswain Megan Boos guided the boys who were the top finishing scholastic crew from CT and one of the top 10 public school finishers overall.

The bar has been set for Avon’s Winter Athletes!

Photos:

1 – The Avon Girls Crew Varsity 4 boat, with coach and program founder, Eric Rosow

2 - The Avon Girls Soccer team celebrates after beating defending state champs, Guilford, with a buzzer-beating goal

3 – The Avon Boys Cross-country team celebrates their success at the State Opens: (l-r) Greg Oberhausen, Kurt Goldie, Andrew Suter, Collin Pritchard, Coach Fusco, Bryant St. Jean, James Grant, Jack Stokesbury.

4 – The Avon Boys soccer team celebrates their state Class L championship win

5 – Coach Al D’Addario and his winning Avon Girls Cross-Country team

6 – Avon Crew’s first Varsity boat rows in the Head of the Charles regatta.