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12/22/2016 11:00 PMThe 2016 spring season saw Indians’ senior Shane O’Connor continue his postseason domination by winning the shot put at three championship meets. Meanwhile, the Indians’ baseball team made a last-gasp dash into states and then advanced to the quarterfinals. In other news, freshman Julia Migliorini was named the SCC Division I Girls’ Tennis Player of the Year, plus both lacrosse squads returned to the State Tournament.
Baseball
One year after winning a state title, the North Haven baseball snuck into the Class L State Tournament and won two games to reach the quarterfinals.
The Indians needed to win their last two regular season games to make it and did so by defeating Cross (10-1) and North Branford (5-0) for a mark of 8-12. In the tournament, the Indians beat Berlin 5-3 eight innings and later rallied for three runs in the seventh to upend Fitch 7-6. North Haven then lost 7-4 at Avon as Head Coach Bob DeMayo’s squad finished at 10-13. Shortstop Giovanni Torres, who captained the team with fellow senior Mike DeRosa, earned All-SCC Oronoque Division honors and was chosen for the Senior Select All-Star Game that DeMayo coached in. Torres hit the go-ahead single when the Indians beat Berlin in states, as well as a two-run single that put them ahead to stay in the Fitch victory. Senior right fielder Joe Ireland won North Haven’s Most Valuable Player Award and Sportsmanship Award, in addition to collecting All-Oronoque accolades. Fellow senior Joe Balzano tossed a complete game when the Indians beat North Branford to make states and was named North Haven’s Most Improved Player, along with receiving the No ‘I’ in Team Award from the Southern Connecticut Diamond Club. Junior Brendan Clark won five games on the mound and threw a complete game versus Berlin in states. Coach DeMayo completed his 58th season as the Indians’ skipper with 856 career victories.
Softball
North Haven used a combination of veterans and freshmen to reach the Class L State Tournament last spring.
The Indians posted a 3-0 victory over East Lyme in the first round of the state bracket before taking a 3-1 loss to Lauralton Hall to finish at 10-12. Senior captain left fielder Jill Oestreicher earned All-SCC Oronoque Division honors for Head Coach Sally Maher’s club, while senior captain right fielder Antonia Barbiero received the Indians’ Sportsmanship Award. Rachel Card, a senior catcher, was an All-Oronoque selection, was chosen to play in the Scholar-Athlete Classic, and was also named North Haven’s Most Valuable Player. On the pitcher’s mound, junior lefty Ava Mattei threw a no-hitter when the Indians beat Cross to qualify for the State Tournament. Later in the year, freshman right-hander Lauren Card emerged on the scene by winning six games, including the victory against East Lyme in states. The Indians’ Most Improved Player was junior second baseman Ariana DelVecchio.
Boys’ Outdoor Track
The North Haven boys’ outdoor track squad posted a 13-0 regular season record and then finished third at the SCC West Sectional Championship, fifth in the SCC Championship, and fifth at the Class MM State Championship.
Senior Shane O’Connor had an exceptional postseason that started with him winning the shot put at sectionals with a distance of 51 feet-1 inch. After that, O’Connor took first at SCCs (50-7.25) and states (51-5) to finish his career with eight postseason victories. Junior Omar Gebril defended his 400-meter dash title at the SCC meet with a time of 49.51 seconds, which was just 0.01 of a second ahead of the runner-up, and then won the event again at states in 49.38. O’Connor and Gebril were both chosen for the New Haven Register’s All-Area Team. Also, Senior Ryan Brennan finished second at the state meet and broke a school record that had stood since 1968 with his time of 4:21.89. Additionally in states, Anthony Valentino grabbed first place in the javelin by throwing 161-1.
Girls’ Outdoor Track
After going 6-4 for the regular season, the Indians finished seventh at the SCC West Championship, eighth in the SCC Championship, and sixth place at the Class L State Championship.
Freshman Erica Marriott broke onto the postseason scene by breaking the automatic-timing school record in the 100-meter dash with a mark of 12.31 seconds at the SCC meet. Marriott finished second in the event at SCCs and states. Also at the state meet, Marriott won the long jump at 18 feet-1.5 inches, which marked another school record. She later finished second in the event at the State Open. Marriott was a New Haven Register All-Area selection. Additionally, senior Sonia Atluru earned her sixth career postseason win in the high jump by taking first at states with a height of 5 feet-1 inch in a tiebreaking jump-off. Junior Sarah Vanacore won the shot put at sectionals with a throw of 35-3.5 at was second at SCCs.
Girls’ Tennis
North Haven went 11-7 for the regular season to reach the SCC Division I Tournament, plus the Class M State Tournament.
The Indians blanked Fitch 7-0 in the qualifying round of states before losing to Barlow to finish at 12-9, marking a one-win improvement from the previous season. Freshman No. 1 singles player Julia Migliorini finished with a record of 22-2 and qualified for the State Open Championship, where she won two matches. Migliorini earned All-SCC and All-State honors, was named the SCC Division I Player of the Year, garnered New Haven Register All-Area honors, and was the Indians’ Most Valuable Player. S
enior captain Julia Gill and junior Sejal Atluru were 12-6 at No. 1 doubles, including a win at the State Open. Gill was selected as the team’s Most Improved Player. Senior captain Sophie Bates was presented with the Sportsmanship Award for Head Coach Bob Migliorini’s club.
Boys’ Tennis
The Indians finished the regular season at 9-8 and qualified for both the SCC Division II Tournament, plus the Class L State Championship.
In the SCC bracket, Head Coach Don Hurley’s squad defeated East Haven 4-3 in the quarterfinals before losing to West Haven by that same score in the semis for an overall record of 10-9. Then at the Class L meet, freshman Nick Cristante picked up North Haven’s lone win with an 8-4 victory in the opening round.
North Haven’s No. 1 doubles team of senior captain Liam Sorge and junior Jack Steinman earned All-SCC Division II honors for the second-straight year. No. 1 singles player Johaness Eisenberg was a junior captain for the Indians.
Girls’ Lacrosse
The Indians continued climbing up the ladder by posting a regular season record of 13-3 to qualify for the State Tournament for the second-straight campaign. In the Class M State Tournament, North Haven took an 18-7 loss at East Lyme to finish at 13-4. Among the bigger victories for Head Coach Lois Frankforter’s squad were a 10-9 overtime win against Sheehan that saw Erica Salvo score the game-winning goal, plus an 8-7 triumph versus Shelton in which Salvo again netted the winner.
Three athletes earned All-SCC Second Team honors for the Indians in freshman attacker Annie Uyeki, sophomore midfielder Kylie Brandt, and junior defender Callyn Priebe.
Boys’ Lacrosse
North Haven went 9-7 for the regular season and then posted a 12-2 victory at East Lyme in the first round of the Class M State Tournament. The Indians later took an 8-2 loss to New Canaan in the quarterfinals and finished the spring with an overall record of 10-8. Among the Indians’ biggest regular season victories were an 8-4 victory at Notre Dame-West Haven and a 5-4 overtime triumph against New Fairfield in which sophomore Korbin Pecora scored the winning goal from senior Christian DeRubeis after senior Nick Campanelli had tied it on junior Bowen Brennan’s assist.
Junior defender Max Sullivan earned a spot on the All-SCC First Team for Head Coach Eric Bailey’s squad.
Golf
North Haven welcomed new head coach Daria Cummings to the fold in 2016. The Indians finished with a record of 3-13 on the season, including wins against East Haven, Cross, and Hillhouse. Steve Pugliese and Kam DeMartin competed for North Haven at the Chappa Tournament and combined to post a score of 99. Then at the SCC Championship Alex Kirtland shot a 49 and Noah Garrison scored a 58. Rocco DiTullio also qualified for the meet.