CVU Sports
by Edd Merritt
June 17 2010, pages 18 and 19.....

Women’s tennis brings the state cup to Hinesburg.
CVU women’s tennis team blended power with finesse to earn the Division I state tennis title with a 5-2 win over Burlington at Davis Park in Shelburne. Charlotte’s Kylie deGroot playing number one singles set the tone with her Williams sisters’ power game sending her opponent, Madison Hartley, one of the few players to defeat Kylie earlier this year, running from one end of the base line to the other. A second Charlotte product, Colleen McCarthy playing in the number three singles position, kept her opponent at bay by placing shots just beyond reach and by returning nearly everything hit her way. She faced and overcame a momentous task as she was extended to gain a three-set 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 win. Kristen Donaldson and her doubles partner Christine Parker followed suit forcing their match into a three-set tie-breaker before going down 7-6 in the third. The title came under the talented direction of first-year coach from Charlotte, Amy deGroot.

LAX men run into a determined swarm of Hornets.
The stands at Burlington High School’s Buck Hard Field were colorful on Friday with red and white at one end, blue and gold at the other. CVU’s Redhawk mascot led the first cheer as Taylor Gingras scored four minutes into the opening period. Unfortunately, the lead was short-lived. Essex captured it and never let go. They played faster, stronger and with greater finesse than CVU. The Redhawks allowed Essex attackers to stand unattended in front of the net too often, and the Hornets took advantage of the opportunity. CVU mishandled the ball several times simply moving it up the field. They were beaten to ground balls – a telling statistic. They even failed to rally after Jake Marston’s goal opened the second half. Once Essex took a decisive lead, the Redhawks seemed to lose confidence in themselves and did not play with the cool reserve they demonstrated in the victories that carried them to the championship game. Goalie Eric Palmer made a number of excellent saves among his 17 overall, keeping the score closer than it could have been. A Charlotte trio of Lawrence Dee, Nathaniel Wells and Marston added goals to Gingras’ for the Redhawks.

Division I track and field championships decided.
Shelburne’s Sumner Spillane ran three races and pole vaulted to lead CVU to a sixth place team finish in the state’s top division of women’s track and field. The Redhawks placed both individuals and relay teams among the top ten in eight events. Triple jumper Haleigh Smith was the highest ranking individual as she took a second place, and Charlotte’s Maya Grevatt was a member of the 4X400 and 4X800 meter relay teams that both finished sixth.
The men gained seventh place overall despite runner James Pieper-Lococo’s injury following his victory in the 110-meter hurdles. Running the 300-meter event, Pieper-Lococo injured his arm falling to the track and was finished for the day. Charlotte contributed heavily to the relay teams with Brent Carreiro, Daniel Hebert and Chris Sulva helping gain a fourth place at 4X800 meters and Sulva ran in the 4X100 race as well.

Golfers replace divots at Middlebury.
It is different strokes for different folks, and the course itself often comes into play. CVU golfers found that to be true for the last two tournaments. After finishing runners up to North Country in the sectionals at the Champlain Country Club, the Redhawks dropped to sixth in the Division I state championships at Ralph Myhre Course in Middlebury. Williston’s Jack Tomashot was the low-scoring Redhawk in each instance, stroking 73 shots at Champlain and 77 at Myhre.

SportShorts

Far Post Soccer kicks in the big time.
Chittenden County’s Far Post soccer teams have been playing in the prestigious Needham (Massachusetts) Memorial Day tournament for 15 years. This year three of their teams won in the top division of their respective age groups. The Under-13 Boys Premier team with Charlotters Nathan Comai, Oscar Kelly, Scott Schibli and Kurt Weidman won via a 2-0 victory over Valeo Futbol Academy of Boston. Ezra Mount-Finette, Sam Raszka and Ben Comai represented Charlotte on the Under-16 Boys team that went undefeated and un-tied over the weekend. Kate Raszka and her mates on the Under-15 Girls Premier team won the College Showcase bracket, taking a close final match from the Explosion FC 1-0.