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06/03/2017 12:00 AMGirls’ Lacrosse
For the first time in program history, the Branford girls’ lacrosse squad will play in a state final. The Hornets have won their first three games in the Class M State Tournament to advance to the championship game, while improving to 15-5 for the season. Branford beat Foran, Farmington, and East Lyme to reach the final and a contest against No. 2 seed Pomperaug (16-2) at Law High School in Milford on Saturday, June 10. Pomperaug defeated 3rd-seeded Hand 12-9 in its semifinal game. Branford took a 13-12 overtime loss to Pomperaug during the regular season.
The 4th-seeded Hornets opened states by posting a 15-3 home win over No. 20 seed Foran on May 30. Sabrina Torcellini, Sophie Spencer, and Katie Parker all scored three goals for the Hornets, who received two goals apiece from Autumn McHenry and LaLe Crotty. Brianna Shaw and Ashlee Smestad added goals, Torcellini and Smestad both had two assists, and Spencer, Crotty, Parker, McHenry, and Carly Shea had one assist each. Jill Ciarleglio made 11 saves in net for Head Coach Jackie Ceccolini's squad.
Two days later, Branford hosted 5th-seeded Farmington and prevailed 18-5. Spencer and Smestad both scored four goals and Spencer also had two assists. Crotty netted a pair of goals to go with four assists, while Torcellini scored three goals. McHenry had two goals with an assist, Karly King and Morgan Gilman both scored a goal, and Haley Maercklein and Erin O’Brien each added one assist for Branford, which saw Ciarleglio make seven saves.
On June 6, Branford sealed its spot in the Class M final by posting a 16-13 victory versus top-seeded East Lyme at Guilford High School. Spencer scored nine goals to lead the Hornets, who led 11-9 at halftime and outscored the Vikings 5-4 in the second half. Fellow junior Torcellini netted three goals with an assist, while senior captain Smestad and junior McHenry both scored a goal to go with two assists. Maercklein, a junior, had a goal with an assist, and freshman Karly King added a goal. Junior goalie Jill Ciarleglio came up with seven saves in net for the win for Branford, which avenged an 11-9 loss against East Lyme in its season opener.
Boys’ Lacrosse
The Hornets took a 10-7 home loss against No. 25 Stratford in the Class M State Tournament qualifying round on May 27. Branford, which was the No. 8 seed, finished the year with a record of 11-6.
Baseball
Branford defeated Cheney Tech and Stratford in its first two games of the Class L State Tournament before losing to Watertown in the quarterfinals. The Hornets finished with a record of 18-7 on the year.
Branford began states as the No. 5 seed and posted an 11-0 home win over 28th-seeded Cheney Tech on May 30. Zane Kmietek pitched 4.2 innings and allowed just one hit with five strikeouts to get the win. TJ Beaudin fanned three in his 1.2 innings, after which Devon Lawson tossed a scoreless seventh. Alphonse Suppa went 3-for-3 with three RBI, Damien Maniscalco and Jordan Botte both had two hits, while Zach Withington and Trevor Brown each went 1-for-3 and had five RBI between them.
The following afternoon, the Hornets hosted No. 21 seed Stratford and won 15-5. Suppa earned the win by throwing 5.2 innings in which he allowed three runs and six hits. Carson Mendoza and Jack Spencer pitched in relief to finish off the victory. The Hornets pounded out 16 hits, led by Withington, who went 4-for-5 with four RBI. Nikko Liguori, Botte, and DJ Caron all had multi-hit games. Caron added three RBI, while Liguori and Robbie Barbash had two RBI apiece.
Golf
Branford earned a wild card berth into the SCC Championship that was held at the par-71 course at Racebrook Country Club in Orange on May 30. The Hornets shot a collective score of 355 to finish in eighth place.
Ryan Sember recorded a score of 77 for his 18-hole round to finish in sixth place overall at the SCC Championship. Liam Deane shot an 80, while Jason Brennan had a score of 92, and Max Bunton and Minsok Lee both shot a 106.
Branford is competing at the Division II State Championship at Tallwood Country Club in Hebron at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 5.
Girls’ Outdoor Track
Liante Claude and Bridget Wirtz both posted second-place finishes for Branford at the Class MM State Championship at Willow Brook Park in New Britain on May 31. Claude finished second in the 400-meter dash, while Wirtz was runner-up in the pole vault to help the Hornets finish in 12th place.
Claude, a sophomore, ran a time of 58.71 seconds in the 400 to finish right behind Hillhouse’s Jada Boyd (58.51). Wirtz, who’s a junior, cleared 10 feet-6 inches to place second for the pole vault, with Tolland’s AmyErin Zadroga winning the event at 11 feet. Wirtz had won the pole vault at the SCC West Sectional Championship and the SCC Championship, setting meet and school records with a height of 11-9 at the latter competition.
Two other athletes contributed to Branford’s point total at the state meet. Sophomore Taylor Brown reached 8-6 in the pole vault to finish sixth, while freshman Diana Karosas took eighth place for the high jump with a 4-8.
Additionally, Claude finished ninth (26.97) in the 200-meter dash, with sophomore MaryBeth Nwagboli in 11th (27.11). Karosas and junior Leah Pendl-Robinson tied for ninth in the pole vault at 8 feet. Branford’s 4x100 relay of Acquarulo, Nwagboli, Claude, and Wirtz took ninth place in 51.89. Acquarulo also finished 12th in the high jump by reaching 4-6.
Senior Keira Integlia finished 15th for the javelin with a throw of 110-4 to go with a 22nd-place showing in the shot put (28-11.25). Pendl-Robinson placed 15th for the preliminaries of the 100 hurdles (18.69), senior Courtney Cosgrove finished 20th in the 3,200-meter run (13:26.94), Nwagboli came in 23rd for the prelims in the 100-meter dash (13.63), and senior Kiersten Bjork finished 30th in both the discus (67-4) and the javelin (79-10).
Boys’ Outdoor Track
Marzio Mastroianni finished second in the 800-meter run, while fellow sophomore Matt Alexander took third place in the long jump for the Hornets at last week’s Class MM State Championship.
Mastrioanni ran a time of 1:56.87 in the 800 and was just a quarter of a second behind Ben Ruffing of Barlow (1:56.62). Alexander reached 20 feet-9.5 inches for his third-place showing in the long jump. The performances of Mastroianni and Alexander resulted in 14 points for the Hornets that put them in 16th place.
Sophomore Aidan Kropiwnicki finished 10th in the pole vault for Branford by clearing 11 feet-6 inches. Sophomore Derek Tratnyek finished 13th for the 3,200-meter run by running 10:22.09. Kostas Gionteris placed 25th in the long jump (17-0), sophomore Carlos McCaay finished 30th for the preliminaries of the 100-meter dash (11.93 seconds), and Alexander finished 33rd in the 200-meter dash at 24.36.
Branford’s 4x400 relay of Alexander, McCaay, Kropiwnicki, and Mastroianni took 15th place (3:39.13), and the 4x800 relay of Gionteries, Kropiwnicki, McCaay, and Tratnyek finished 17th with an 8:49.03.
Boys’ Tennis
The Hornets sent their entire varsity lineup to last week’s Class M State Championship and saw Praneeth Ganedi win two matches to advance to the third round of the singles bracket.
Ganedi was the 14th seed and started off by beating Watertown’s Sagan Butwell 6-4, 6-1 in the first round. After that, Ganedi faced Jared Goldstein of Brookfield and won 6-3, 6-4. That sent Ganedi to the third round for a match against 3rd-seeded Jonathon Trevethan from Berlin, who won 6-1, 6-1.
Also in singles play, Aedan Spaar won his first round match over Torrington’s Will Elmendorf, 7-6 (7-4), 6-0. Spaar then lost 6-1, 6-1 against No. 4 seed Matthew Sydney of Weston. Bradley Stutzman was the No. 9 seed and advanced by default to the second round, where he dropped a 6-2, 4-6, 10-3 decision.
Over in the doubles bracket, Branford’s tandem of Christopher DeLise and Charles Hall defeated East Haven’s Doug Comesanas and Seth Proto 6-1, 6-3 in the first round. After that, DeLise and Hall lost 6-4, 6-2 against the 11th-seeded team of Justin Kemmling and Benjamin Kennure of Berlin. Will Benni and Justin Veilleux took a 1-6, 7-5, 10-5 loss in their first round contest, while Eli Hanlon and Paul Riccio lost 6-3, 6-2 in first round action.