Spring Sports Highlights 4.17.17

 

 

 

With extremely limited play on an actual golf course this season, Second Boys’ Golf took its game to Connecticut National Golf Club in Putnam to compete against the host, Rectory School and Williston Northampton. Playing match play (not medal play) for the first time in recent memory, and with four Martlets playing in their very first high school match, the coach and team didn't know what to expect. With four of six groups finished, Westminster was down slightly in both matches, but Spencer Rellinger '17 and Darion Benchich '20, playing at #5 and #6 respectively, both went 2-0 to seal the victory for the Black and Gold. Benchich played the final three holes in two under par. Other Westminster players were Ian Broadbent '18 (1-1), Alex Biedron '18 (0-2), Brendan Jacobs ’17 (tied both) and Carson Roth ’19 (1-1). As it turned out, Westminster beat both Rectory and Williston by identical scores: 3.5 to 2 points. Williston's #1 and #2 players both shot 39, the best individual rounds of the afternoon. Although the quality of play was ragged at times for Westminster, this was a good win by a very inexperienced team.

 

 

   

 

Down 4-1 at halftime, the Martlets exhibited a little gumption and perseverance at Avon on April 14. The second half was a different contest than the first, and with a few more consistent passes and stable clears, the outcome may have been very different. Westminster executed on a few man up situations, and capitalized on some unsettled transitions. Avon was tough at the face off, though the defense was able to hold Avon off in transition in many cases. Defense was much improved in this game, and goaltending was stellar. Alex Londal ‘17 and Kyle Forsyth ‘17 have been excellent so far this season. Scoring came from a variety of players, and the team approach worked to the Martlets benefit.

April 15: Softball-First Girls’ 20 vs Kent School 5
Ally Marenco '18 pitched a strong game and Westminster batters had a productive day at the plate as the Martlets won at home. Kent jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. However, Mackenzie Griffith '17, Emily Samar '18 and Katie Neilsen '18 responded with hits in the bottom of the frame to make it a 3-2 contest. In the second inning, Westminster broke through. Gabby Nemarich '20, Gabby Brown '17, Hannah Stone '18, Ashlee White '18, Griffith, Neilsen and Samar had consecutive hits and the Martlets scored seven runs. White had a big day at the plate with four hits and five runs batted in, and Brown had two doubles and four RBIs. Monroe and Samar contributed three hits apiece. It was also a successful day in the field for the Black and Gold. Samar, Stone and Brown were involved in a number of fine defensive plays. 

First Boys’ Tennis traveled to Salisbury on a wet afternoon and came up short, losing 4-3 in a lengthy match that didn't conclude until late in the day.  The boys started strong with Ethan Na '19 winning at the #2 slot 6-1, 6-2 and Stone Brown '17 prevailing 6-1, 6-2 at #6. Carl Ekholm '19 fell by a 3-6, 3-6 score at #4, which resulted in a 2-1 Westminster advantage after the first round of matches. Azat Mukhametkulov '19 finished next in the #1 slot, defeating his opponent 6-2, 6-2. Nikola Kostic '18 lost at the #3 position 2-6, 5-7 and Chris Whipple '18 split sets 5-7, 7-5 at the #5 slot before losing the super-tiebreaker 8-10. That meant that the doubles point would decide the match. Na and Ekholm won at the #2 spot by an 8-1 margin, however Connor Seeley '18 and Brown lost at #3 by a 5-8 score while Mukhametkulov and Kostic fell 6-8 at #1 doubles.

 

 

Dylan Foster ‘20, Liz Murphy ‘19, Adena Ajike ‘19 and Chloe Sealy ’18 led the Martlets on the road to victory as they won the 4x100m relay in a time of 56.9 seconds. In the discus three more Westminster women scored points as Sophie Tawney ‘17, Anissa Joseph ‘17 and Maya Ruffin ’19 placed first, second and fourth respectively. First-time pole-vaulters Amanda Liu ’18 and Sealy earned eight points for the team. Natalie Rubin ‘19, Caroline Percival ‘19 and Morgan Peirce ’17 took places two through four in the 1500m. Percival and Peirce would go on to place in the 3000m run as well. Martlets swept the shot put thanks to efforts from Tawney, Joseph, Ruffin and Nathali Madrid ‘17. Joseph and Madrid also earned the team points in the javelin. Katherine Eckerson ’17 won the triple jump and finished second in the 200m. Liu and Sealy also placed first and second in the high jump. In the 100m three runners placed: Paige Phillips ’20 took first, Lauren Nam ’18 took second and Alexa Green ’17 finished fourth.

The Martlets lost to a strong team from Choate. Sophie Tawney ’17 won the discus with a throw of 96’ 6.5” and Maya Ruffin ’19 placed third (67’ 2”). Tawney and Ruffin would go 1-2 in the shot put with throws of 35’ 5” and 28’ 3”, a personal record for Ruffin. Amanda Liu ’18 and Chloe Sealy ’18 placed second and third in the pole vault. Liu’s jump of 7’ was a new personal record in the event. Katherine Eckerson ’17 won three events (200- 27.28, long jump- 15’ 3”, triple jump- 33’ 5”) and was part of a second place 4x100m relay team that ran an impressive 52.97 seconds. Morgan Peirce ’17 placed second in the 3000m (13:14).