Top 10 High School Sports Teams Of The School Year

The 2009-2010 school year was an eventful one for the Marblehead High School Magicians. From hockey to tennis, Marblehead's teams showed strong showings. 

Here are the top 10 teams from the past year: 

Coach: Brian Heenan

Highlights: After finishing third in the NEC with a commendable 6-1 record, the team went on to place third in the Eastern Massachusetts Division 3 State meet at Franklin Park in Dorchester Nov. 14. Their third-place finish is the best any MHS team has earned during Heenan's nine years as coach.

The accomplishment qualified the boys to compete at the MIAA All-State Championship on Nov. 21 at the Northfield Mt. Recreation Center. Exceeding their expectations, they finished in sixth place out of the 16 teams competing.

For their efforts, five members of the team were selected as NEC All-Stars; they are Tucker Reece, Henry Pratt, Andrew Graf, James Wigglesworth and Will Herlihy.

Coach: Jim Rudloff

Highlights: Becoming Northeastern Conference Champions for the first time since 1973, the Magicians continued their winning ways with a 21-12 victory over the Rockland Bulldogs on Dec. 1 at Lynn's Manning Field. The Division 3 State Semifinal win came in Marblehead's first ever playoff game.

Next, the Magicians traveled to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro for the Division 3 Super Bowl, where they lost a heart-breaking game to Bishop Feehan, 12-6, conceding the final score with only 13 seconds left to play.

Despite their Super Bowl defeat, first-year Coach Jim Rudloff believes, "Nobody can question Marblehead High School football anymore, because these players have changed the face of the program forever."

After a groundbreaking season, six members of the team were chosen as NEC All-Stars; they are Liam Gililand, Blake Forman, Alex Haigis, Evan Comeau and Matt Evans. Quarterback Hayes Richardson was also honored with the Offensive Player of the Year Award.

Coach: Susan Guertin

Highlights: The boys and girls continued their dominance in the pool, capturing their fifth straight NEC title, going an undefeated 8-0.

The team went on to finish third in the North Sectional Meet on Feb. 13 at MIT, setting personal and conference best times in almost every race.

The 200-yard medley relay team of Sara Daher, Toireasa Rafferty-Millett, Katherine Foley and Megan Alexander (1:53.45) set a new school record, while finishing second overall. Alexander (1:54.14, personal best) broke her own Northeastern Conference record that she established last year to secure a first place finish in the 200-yard freestyle. Next, Alexander (5:04.27) took first in the 500-yard freestyle and in doing so she broke Kate Zenda's 1987 Northeastern Conference record.

Meanwhile, the 400-yard freestyle relay squad of Katherine Kelloway, Foley, Rafferty-Millett and Alexander (3:42.97) accounted for second, setting a new school record and securing the third place overall finish at the sectional competition.

The team also finished third at the Division 2 State Championships on Feb. 21 at Harvard University. Alexander (5:01.83, personal best) once again sped to a first-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle, landing her All-American consideration.

Ten swimmers and divers from the team were selected as NEC All-Stars; they are Megan Alexander, Toireasa Rafferty Millett, Tyler Strogoff (diver), Katherine Kelloway, Katherine Foley, Harrison Rodts, Marissa Spanos (diver), Ryan Hoey, Billy Wyman (diver) and Sara Daher.

Team: BOYS ICE HOCKEY

Coach: Bob Jackson

Highlights: Winners of the NEC Small-Division, the Magicians earned the fourth seed and a first round bye in the Division 3 North State tournament.

Marblehead exhibited skill and control during the tournament, defeating sixth-seeded Rockport (7-0), two-seeded Shawsheen (3-0) and top-seeded Concord-Carlisle (4-2) to capture their second Division 3 North title in three years.

The win was also the team's 20^th of the season, breaking the school record set by the 1973 squad in which Coach Jackson was a player.

The team proceeded to the Division 3 State Sectional Finals at Harvard University's Bright Center, but fell to Scituate, 5-2.

Team: SKIING

Coach: Matt Dawson

Highlights: The girls' team grabbed another first place finish in the Massachusetts Bay Ski League East, while the boys' team finished second in the Large School Division and third overall.

For the boys, Kyle Maulden (275.5 points) and Clayton Gamble (242) both qualified for the state individual championships. Jason Harris (239) and Charlie Thompson (230) earned spots as alternates.

The girls sent six skiers to the state championships. Hayley Braun, who led the league with 383 points, was joined by Sara Kalafa (344), Maika Strogoff (347), Katie Corbett (314), Maggie Corbett (298) and Alex Maulden as representatives at the state tournament on Feb. 24 at Wachusett Mountain. Lauren Rogers (210) was designated as one of the league alternates.

The girls ended up winning the state meet and were crowned state champions for the second consecutive season.

Katie Corbett, Strogoff and Braun went on to compete in the Eastern High School Skiing Championships (EHSC) on March 13-14 at Attitash Mountain in New Hampshire. The EHSC are comprised of the best male and female skiers from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and DC/Virginia. Overall, 120 boys and 110 girls competed at the championships. The Massachusetts Girls placed second overall and the boys captured first place, a feat they haven't accomplished in more than 10 years.

Coach: Tim Stonecipher

Highlights: After finishing second in the Northeastern Conference, the girls went on to defeat Beverly (4-1) and Belmont (4-1) in the Division 2 North first round and quarterfinals respectively.

Both wins were accomplished without the use of the Magicians 1^st Team All-Conference doubles pair of Annie Ryan and Lindsey Cohen, who played to an unbeaten 12-0 during the regular season. Stonecipher made an adjustment to his line-up before the Beverly match, which placed Ryan at 3^rd singles and paired Cohen with Megan Stanojev in 1^st doubles competition.

The girls' season led them all the way to the state semifinals, where they faced off against top-seeded Winchester at the Winchester Swim and Tennis Club. Though Winchester proved too much for the Magicians, their deep run into the tournament was exciting and rewarding.

Joining the Ryan/Cohen pair as all conference selections are Mary Lindsay Ryan in singles, and Captain Morgan Sharrio and freshman Meghan Gabel in doubles. Both are 2^nd Team All-Conference honorees.

Coach: Elisabeth Foukal

Highlights: The MHS boys dominated the courts capturing the NEC-Small Schools Championship, playing to an undefeated 16-0 in conference play. They earned the number one seed in the Division 2 North tournament, as well as a first-round bye.

Unfortunately, their state championship dreams were dashed by Boston Latin, in a hard fought 2-3 quarterfinal match at Marblehead High School.

Senior-Captain Justin Hyte was named NEC-Small Schools Most Valuable Player and 1^st Team All-Conference for his work as the Magicians first singles competitor. Marblehead's six other starting players were also 1^st Team All-Conference selections; they are Tyler Gelineau and Ian Hyte in second and third singles, Ryan Dempsey-Dylan White and Seamus McGuire-Jonah Katz in first and second doubles teams.

Coach: Carolyn Coyle

Highlights: Ending the regular season in second place in the NEC-North, the Magicians earned the sixth seed in the Division 2 North tournament.

It was the fifth time in as many years the girls had qualified for the tournament under head coach Coyle, who was selected as NEC-North Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season.

After an amazing last second 10-9 victory over Arlington Catholic, in which Courtney Maag scored the winning goal with only 41 seconds left in regulation, the girls once again fell to their tournament nemesis, the Weston Wildcats, 15-6, during the quarterfinal contest.

The team had six girls selected to the NEC-North All-Stars; they are Olivia Raisner, Katie Corbett, Stephanie Castoldi, Hayley Braun, Sarah Noyes and Michailah Adee.

Corbett, Raisner, Maika Strogoff and Kiley Fischer finished as the top four scorers in their conference, while Adee captured NEC-North MVP honors.

Coach: Brian Crowley

Highlights: Coach of the Year Brian Crowley found his runners back on top of the NEC-Small Schools division for the first time since 2003. They were represented by 22 boys at the NEC Meet at Lynn's Manning Field on May 22.

Standing out at the NEC Meet was Andrew Graf, placing third in the mile with a personal best time of 4:34.2. Tyree Williams, Junior Okereke, Damarco Dooleyand Andrew DiMare finished a personal best 46.4 in the 4 by 100m relay, good for fourth place. Graf, Nikolai Etholm, Greg Worth and Will Herlihy captured third in the 4 by 400m relay, finishing the race in 3:40.1, while Noah Bittermann, Henry Pratt, Tyson Miller and Mike Harper placed third in the 4 by 800m relay at 8:48.9, another personal best.

Moving forward, the team brought 15 runners to the State Division 3 Meet at Oliver Ames High School in North Easton May 29, and Andrew Graf's run in the mile stood out above everything else for the Magicians. Graf ended up placing fourth with a time of 4:37.56, earning a medal while also qualifying for the All-State Meet at Westfield State College.

The 4 by 800m relay team of Graf, Pratt, Harper and Miller once again ran a personal best race, finishing at 8:48:54.

Earning All-Star honors for the team was Graf in the mile, Okereke in the 100m, Nolan Raimo in the triple jump and Jake Smith in the 400m hurdles. Smith and Okereke both had NEC-Small best times in their events -- running 59.5 and 11.1 seconds respectively.

The team was also presented with the Team Sportsmanship Award.

Coach: Mike Toomey

Highlights: The girls placed fourth at the NEC Meet, improving on a seventh place finish last season. At the meet, Emma McGuirk, Sarah Bittermann, Julia Kingsleyand Maura Tubridy won the 4 by 400m relay in a time of 4:09. Bittermann defended her title in the 400m hurdles with a personal best time and NEC Meet record of 66.2 seconds.

Twelve MHS girls traveled to Oliver Ames High School in North Easton for the State Class 3 Meet, competing in sprints, distance and the field events.

McGuirk led the Magicians that day, earning state champ honors in the 400m, crossing the finish line in just under one minute at 59.49 seconds. Bittermann set a new school record in the 400-meter hurdles, with a second-place finish against the top runners in Division 3, improving her time to 65.79 seconds.

The 4 by 400 relay team of Julia Kingsley, Maura Tubridy, McGuirk and Bittermann (4:05) also had a second place finish. Their time was good enough to qualify them for the All-State Meet at Westfield State College on June 5. There, they once again improved their time and set a new outdoor track school record at 4:00.3.

The time earned them seventh place at the meet, and also qualified them for the All-New England Championship Meet in New Britain, Conn. on June 12, where they finished 14^th place out of 24 teams, running the relay in 4:05.

Joining the 4 by 400m relay team as conference all-stars are Bittermann in the 400m hurdles, Madeline Piela in the mile, Gretchen Rowe, who was undefeated in the 800m, Julia Kingsley in the 400m and the long jump, and the 4 by 800m relay team of Piela, Rowe, Courtney Maher, and Chloe Heskett.

For his team's accomplishments, first-year coach Toomey was selected as the NEC-South Coach of the Year.