By Steven Sellers, Courier Assistant Sports Editor:
Fencing
Great things were expected of the Indians and they delivered. First-year Head Coach Tara Bowers felt she had one of the stronger and deeper boys’ foil teams in years and she was right—they finished with an 18-3 record. Better yet, they took both the state individual foil championship (Taylor Gregoire-Wright), the runner-up trophy (Sam Roh), and the team trophy. Also strong, the girls finished the foil season at 13-4, had a third place individual finish in foil (Natalie Rossetti), and also finished third in the team championships.
Even more impressive was the Indians’ performance in epee competition. In its first year of competition in the event, the girls’ team had a record of 9-2 and took the team championship—a landmark in the long history of excellence of Guilford fencing. The boys’ team finished with a record of at 8-5.
Indoor Track and Field
Always strong in distance events, Guilford again made its mark in the 2007-2008 season. Senior captain Pat Martucci won the 3,200 meters at the SCC Hammonasset championships, as did senior Amelia Farnham. Both teams also did well in the 4x800 meter relay, which has become a signature event for Guilford.
At the Class L state meet, the team of Allison Bonito, Gracie Brown-Geist, Katherine Crabtree, and Kristen Dostie took second place, while Amelia Farnham took third in the 3,200 meters. Crabtree came right back to place third in the 1,000 meters, as well. Janel Haggerty, already one of the state’s best jumpers, placed third in the high jump at the state tournament.
The boys’ team, loaded with underclassmen, saw an important year of development. Ben Wells had a standout year, winning the 600 meters at the Hammonasset division championships.
Overall, the boys’ team placed third in the Hammonasset division, 15th at the SCCs, and 22nd at the Class M meet. The girls’ team placed third at the Hammonasset meet, fourth at the SCCs, fourth at the Class L championships, and 34th at the State Open.
Girls’ Ice Hockey
A 20-2 season and a repeat league championship made the girls’ ice hockey season a smashing success. The Indians dominated very every opponent during the regular season—with the exception of a one-goal loss the Hamden, repeated as CCGHL champions (a league first), and appeared destined for the state title that eluded them last year. Only the reigning state champion, New Canaan, stood in the way and the Rams found a way to spoil Guilford’s party again this year, edging the Indians 5-4 in a five-overtime semifinal.
Guilford bid farewell to All-State goaltender Nicole Provencher and leading scorers Addie Sanders and Sarah Salatto, but retains key players Erika Drake, Victoria Clifford, Kelsey Greim, and Lindsay White and a solid defensive unit that includes Courtney Cattaruzza, Emily Ring, and freshman Katie Jolin.
Boys’ Ice Hockey
With a winning 11-10-1 record and another appearance in the state division III playoffs, Guilford’s ice men continued to build in 2007-2008. Led by captains Jason Bellonio, Mike Croce, Kevin Enright, and Will Jolin, Head Coach Ralph Russo blended experience and youth to gain Guilford the fourth seed in the state tournament, where they advanced to the quarterfinals.
The loss of its four captains leaves offensive and defensive holes to fill, but promising younger players, including Nate Dudley, Tim Brooks, Jordan Drake, Justin Gilloran, and Troy Raccuia leave Russo with good depth to help his corps of experienced juniors. The loss of Bellonio in the net leaves a big hole for the Indians to fill.
Wrestling
Guilford (16-11, 6-3 SCC) had a solid season on the mats and developed a young squad at the same time. Coach Craig Vedrani’s team included 14 freshmen, three sophomores, six juniors, and three seniors. Senior captain Kyle Lundberg led the way, taking second at the SCCs and advancing to the title match of the state Class L tournament, where he lost to the top seed. Lundberg also advanced to the semifinal round in the State Open, where he was narrowly defeated for the third place trophy in a 2-1 decision. As a team, the high point of the season for the team the Indians’ defeat of the always-strong Amity program at home.
Boys’ Basketball
Guilford finished with a disappointing 7-13 this season, a step back from their 9-12 record the year before. As a result, the Indians fell short of qualifying for the SCC and Class L state tournament, but they were in almost every game of the season—six contests were decided by three points or less. The team prevailed in just two of those games, which may have made the difference in assuring a tournament spot.
Despite its win-loss record, Guilford was an impressive squad because of its athleticism and non-stop effort. Guards Sam Greenberg and Ryan Brockett—two of the state’s top three-point shooters—made every Guilford game an exciting one. Fellow guard Mike Yates’s ability to communicate with Evan Aruny and Dennis McGinley made the inside-outside play one of Guilford’s greater strengths. Senior Greg Parker also was strong in the paint for the Indians and forwards Sean Healy and Eric Hedberg were effective off the bench. The Indians finished strongly, beating Jonathan Law by 18 points in the final game of the season.
Girls’ Basketball
The girls’ basketball team had its share of adversity in 2007-2008 and it translated into a disappointing 7-13 season. The Indians’ tough SCC schedule tested first-year coach Megan Rooney’s squad, which dwindled as the result of injuries as the season wore on. At one point, Rooney had just eight players on the bench.
Guilford made the most of its difficulties and, even though it meant playing athletes at both the JV and varsity level, Rooney’s troops got an early taste of the pressure-cooker that is the SCC.
There were many shining moments during the season, including a road win against a strong St. Joseph’s team in December, home wins against Hamden and West Haven in January, and a victory over Jonathan Law to end the season. Top scorers for the season were Annie Goodrich, Jenna Bellantoni, Kellyann Rooney, and Annie Snedegar. Goodrich also received All-SCC Hammonasset division honors.
Alpine Skiing
The results for Head Coach Rolf Meyers’s squads were mixed, but the talent was there. For the girls (3-11), Aris Walker continued to ski well for the Indians, as she did last year, and freshman Lindsay Camillo quickly established herself as a strong competitor. For the boys (6-14), Troy Puchini and Rothstein led the way. All four skiers competed for individual honors in the state championship. Walker was an All-State selection again this year, while Camillo was an All-League honoree in the “S” division of the Connecticut Interscholastic Ski League.