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01/06/2013 11:00 PMSophomore captain Cynthia Lerman took first place in all four events en route to prevailing in the all-around with a score of 30.1 to lead Branford gymnastics to a 70.5-66.0 win against Hamden at In-Flight Gymnastics on Jan. 3.
Lerman, an All-SCC athlete last winter, recorded all-time personal-best marks in three events by totaling an 8.3 on beam, an 8.1 on vault, and a 7.7 on floor to go with a 6.0 on bars.
Lerman's performances were complemented by those of senior captain and fellow returnee Jennifer Lassman, who placed third in the all-around at 20.5 by virtue of finishing tied for second on vault (7.5), fourth in the floor routine (6.5, personal best), second on beam (5.0, personal best), and second on bars (3.2).
Also contributing to the victory was freshman Kayla Norton, who tied for second on vault (7.5), claimed second on floor (7.4), and was fourth on beam (3.3). Norton had previously placed fifth in the all-around and won the floor competition with an 8.5 in Branford's loss to Law. The Hornets own a record of 1-1.
"This meet was close until the last event and we overtook Hamden on the floor. We had a tough judge on floor and so for the girls to come away with those scores was satisfying" said Coach Brian LeRoux, who's assisted by his daughter Jamie LeRoux. "Cynthia was solid in all four events and has stepped up her leadership as a captain this year. I liked Jennifer's vault, her floor is getting better, and all of her routines are looking more polished this year. She is also showing a lot of initiative as a captain. Kayla has come to this team as a workhorse. She made an excellent debut against Law and I'm sure she will keep coming up with bigger scores, just like Cynthia and Jennifer."
Boys' Basketball
Branford had one game last week and dropped a 54-49 overtime decision at Amity to stand at 4-3. The Hornets trailed 45-40 late, but used a basket from Andrew Klarman to get within three, then tied it on Jon Fuller's three-point play. In OT, Amity made a three-pointer with just under a minute left to take the lead for good. Fuller scored 11 and had five assists, Restinel Lomotey scored 11 with six rebounds, Klarman had eight points with 10 rebounds, Alex King netted seven points, junior Vic Raffone scored six in his first varsity start, and Curt Sutherland scored six in his first game back after suffering a broken leg during football season.
In the previous week's action, the Hornets dropped a 66-63 contest at Cross in SCC Oronoque action, but then rebounded to win two games at their own Branford Holiday Festival by defeating Hewlett, N.Y. 59-56 in overtime, followed by a 53-43 victory versus East Lyme.
Against Cross, Branford held a 14-point lead before the Governors rallied to tie it, hitting a shot at the buzzer in regulation to send the game to overtime. Cross then drained a three-pointer late in OT to emerge victorious. The Hornets were led by 17 points from Lomotey, 12 points, five assists, and six rebounds by Fuller; seven points from King, and nine points and nine boards by Klarman.
The Hornets then won an overtime game against Hewlett in which King tied the game in overtime, then hit an acrobatic basketball to give Branford the lead for good. King scored seven of his 13 points in overtime and Palluzzi's team was further aided by Lomotey (10 points, 7 steals), Klarman (8 points, 10 rebounds), and Fuller (4 points, 7 assists, 4 steals).
Against East Lyme, Jeff Mahon hit a three late in the first half to give Branford the lead and the Hornets then used a 13-0 third-quarter run to come away with the victory. Charlie Fiskio netted 15 points for Branford, which was further aided by 14 points, nine boards, and seven steals from Lomotey; 12 points by King, seven points and nine rebounds by Klarman, plus five points and four assists from Mahon.
Girls' Basketball
Gabby Melgar hit four three-pointers en route to scoring 19 as Branford easily prevailed at SCC Oronoque foe Cross 53-16 on Jan. 3. Jenna Walsh scored nine and dished out seven assists for the Hornets (4-4, 1-0), who also received six points and 12 rebounds by Tatiana Alvarado. Joel Rebhun's team recorded a season-high 17 assists and held the Governors scoreless in the second quarter.
Boys' Ice Hockey
After taking a few defeats in a row, Branford bounced back to upend New Milford 3-1 at home on Jan. 5 and hold a record of 3-3. The Hornets had previously lost at Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe 7-3, followed by a 4-3 overtime defeat to familiar foe Trumbull at Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport on New Year's Eve, and then dropped a 6-5 home contest to Milford.
The Hornets only trailed Fairfield 3-2 after the first period, but allowed two goals in the middle frame in dropping the decision. Tyler Hackett, Tony Pascale, and Nick Johnson scored the goals against Fairfield for Adolph Brink's team, which was outshot 41-16 and saw goalie AJ Brink make 34 saves.
Branford then led Trumbull 3-2 entering the third period, but allowed the tying goal and then lost in OT. Jack Murray, Rob Petrillo, and Hackett scored for the Hornets, who outshot Trumbull 33-19 and received 15 saves from keeper Alessandro Sarno.
Girls' Ice Hockey
Branford took a 7-0 defeat at Simsbury last week, a game in which goalie Whitney Morris made 64 saves. The Hornets (0-6-1) face Notre Dame-Fairfield at East Haven's DiLungo Rink at 7:40 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 10.
Boys' Indoor Track
The Hornets ventured to the Hispanic Games in the Big Apple on Jan. 5, a meet with over 6,000 athletes from 12 states competing. Rich Biondi's squad was led by Jared Keck in the triple jump (41-8) and 55 hurdles (8.43), Pat Laske (4:53.89) and Luke Arsenault (4:54.85) in the 1,600, Logan Jarrett in the 55 (7.05), Carl Williams in the long jump (19-9), and Nathan D'Amico (56.76) and Steve Perrotti in the 400 (57.49).
Previously, Branford tested its mettle at the Hillhouse Winter Relays, a meet highlighted by Jaryd Hobbs and Keck winning the 55 shuttle hurdle relay with a time of 16.86, as well as a few other first-place finishes. Also prevailing for Branford were the long jump relay of Bryan Liu (19-10), Keck (19-8), and CWilliams (19-5½); and the triple jump relay of Keck (41-3½), Liu (39-9¾), and Santino Giannini (36-3¾). Additionally, the Hornets' distance medley relay of D'Amico, Alex Muniz, Arsenault, and Laske claimed fourth place (11:46.42) with the 4x400 of Perrotti, Chase Fowler, D'Amico, and Hobbs taking sixth (3:56.43).
Girls' Indoor Track
Branford competed at an SCC Developmental on Jan. 3 and saw Hunter Carden win the pole vault with a personal-record height of nine feet. Alyssa Case went 7-6 in the vault and other key performances came from Anna Atkinson in the 55 hurdles (9:42), Lisa MacLachlan in the 1,600 (5:42.97), the sprint medley relay of Angelica Limberger, Etta Hanlon, Carden, and Tracy Crookston (4:41.12); and Hanlon in the long jump, who went 16 feet in just her second time doing the event.
Kevin Connell's team then went to the Hispanic Games in New York City on Jan. 5 and were led by four athletes in the 1,600 in MacLachlan (5:46.94), Tanya Altrui (5:51), Maya Birney (5:54.02), and Anneliese Troidle (5:54.03); as well as Carden (63.71), Atkinson (68.02), and Alex Tracy in the 400; plus Atkinson in the 55 hurdles (9.41), Hanlon in the long jump (15-1), and Carden in the pole vault (8-9).
Previously, Branford competed at the Hillhouse Winter Relays and saw its distance medley relay of Cyrene Nicholas, Birney, Crookston, and Troidle run to third place (14:07); its 4x800 of Birney, Troidle, Sophie Bysiewicz, and Nicholas take fourth (10:54); the 4x400 quartet of Atkinson, Tracy, Bryanna Willaby, and Carden place fourth (4:33); the 4x200 of Atkinson, Tracy, Willaby, and Carden finish fifth (1:58.43); and the 55 shuttle hurdle relay of Atkinson and Willaby take sixth (20.48).