Category Archives: Sports

Sports news from Vermont.

MSJ knocks Wasps from ranks of unbeaten

msj

Anthony Edwards / Staff Photo
MSJ pitcher Collin Gilbert delivers to the plate during Monday’s game against Woodstock. MSJ earned a dramatic 11-10 victory in eight innings.

By John Shramek
Staff Writer

Mount St. Joseph’s Josh Wasilewski had plenty of highs and lows during his team’s game against Division II powerhouse Woodstock on Monday. But his day sure finished on a high — a high fly ball to the left center field gap that gave his team a thrilling 11-10 win in eight innings at St. Peters field.
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Castleton students — including All-American football player — charged with retail theft in Rutland Town

Staff Report 

Vermont State Police said a group of Castleton State College students worked together to steal merchandise from Dick’s Sporting Goods in Rutland.

Two students - 21-year-old Brandon Boyle and 19-year-old George Busharis - were cited Tuesday for retail theft and police said several other Castleton students were involved but had yet to be identified.

Police said Boyle was working at the store Tuesday and helped Busharis get out with roughly $300 in merchandise. Busharis allegedly told police they had done this two or three times in recent weeks. Police said the store estimated its total losses at around $3,000.

Busharis and Boyle are both football players at Castleton. Castleton State College spokesman Jeff Weld issued a prepared statement Wednesday saying they had been suspended indefinitely from the football program.

“This matter is under investigation in cooperation with law enforcement,” Weld wrote. “Obviously the alleged behavior is unacceptable for any student, whether or not he or she has the privilege of intercollegiate athletic participation. We are very surprised and saddened by this situation.”

Boyle, a Springfield High School graduate, was named to several preseason All-American teams, after catching 96 passes, 18 for touchdowns, in 2012.

Busharis of Mansfield, Mass., is the starting quarterback and passed for 463 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-31 victory at Plymouth State University in the season opener Saturday.

VIDEO: Sports Talk with Anna Grearson

Sports Talk with Anna Grearson

Big tri-state snowmobile weekend on tap

AUGUSTA, Maine — Snowmobilers from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont will get a chance to ride on some new terrain.
Reciprocal Snowmobile Weekend this coming Friday to Sunday allows all legally registered Maine snowmobiles to be operated in New Hampshire and Vermont without being registered in those states.
At the same time, snowmobiles legally registered in New Hampshire and Vermont can be operated in Maine without a current Maine registration. In Maine alone, snowmobilers can explore more than 13,000 miles of interconnected, groomed and marked trails.
The Maine Warden Service reminds snowmobilers to ride with caution at all times. Maine Warden Col. Joel Wilkinson also advises riders to pay close attention to ice conditions on all Maine waterways, especially when traveling at night.

They won the title in Vermont, now they’re in the college game

 

You may have heard about the four young men from the Bronx who were key to the Mt. Saint Joseph Academy high school basketball state title earlier this year. They were written up in the New York Times, in an article that wasn’t always so flattering to Rutland or to Vermont, as it portrayed the resentment of local parents who thought their kids should get the playing time over the transplants. Sportswriter Tom Haley caught up with three of them, who have gone on to the same college and are on the varsity team there. The experience in Vermont was not only a positive one overall, it made them stronger, they say:

HENNIKER, N.H. — Shannon Murray, Rob Cassell and Jaskin Melendez reached the apex of the Vermont high school basketball world in March, celebrating a state championship with their Mount St. Joseph Academy teammates on the floor of the Barre Auditorium.

That was a special time for these players who came from the Bronx to attend MSJ. They thought, at the time, it was the last time they would play the game together. It was a grand exit.

But the story goes on. Murray, Cassell and Melendez are teammates again. They wear the uniform of the New England College Pilgrims and if anything can equal that state championship game triumph over Vergennes, it just might be a victory over Castleton State College on Jan. 10, 2013 before a packed house in Castleton that figures to include friends and fans from MSJ.
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Towns deciding fate of hockey arena

SWANTON — Officials in the Vermont town of Swanton have chosen to enter into a lease for a tri-town hockey arena.
The selectboard also agreed to recommend that the towns pursue a $5 million project for a facility upgrade. That would bring the 185-foot rink to 200-foot regulation size.
Hopes of renovating the current Highgate Arena have been the talk of Swanton, Highgate and Franklin, which would share ownership.
The St. Albans Messenger reports Highgate has formally agreed to enter into the contract. Franklin hasn’t decided.
Two ballots items would be needed in each town to make decisions about the rink. Voters would decide whether to support a bond to pay for their town’s percentage of the project and whether to allow their select boards to enter in the inter-local contract.

VPA announces postponements

The Vermont Principals Association has announced the following postponements, as of 9:40 a.m. today.

Field Hockey
Division 1
South Burlington/Rutland to 4 p.m. Wednesday
CVU/Mount Anthony to 6 p.m. Wednesday
Division 2
Harwood/Windsor to 3:30 p.m. Thursday
Girls Soccer
Division 1
Rice/Essex to 3 p.m. Wednesday
Division 2
Hartford/Springfield site TBD
Division 4
W. Rutland/Black River to 3 p.m. Wednesday
Boys Soccer
Division 1
Burlington/Middlebury to 3 p.m. Wednesday
Essex/CVU to 3 p.m. Thursday
Division 2
Mt. Abraham/Montpelier to 3 p.m. Thursday
Division3
Stowe/Rivendell to 3 p.m. Wednesday
Division 4
Cabot/Twin Valley to 3 p.m. Wednesday
Sharon Academy/Procter to 3 p.m. Thursday

CSC students use race to reach kids

One of the founders of the Spartan Race, an internationally known outdoor obstacle challenge, is reconfiguring some of the race obstacles for his own college students and elementary school kids.
Andy Weinberg is leading a pack of Castleton State College sports administration majors to a unique community service project Oct. 18.
Weinberg is a professor at the college and one of the creators of the race, founded in Pittsfield.
Student Ashley Billings said her classmates plan to introduce themselves to children in fourth and fifth grades and mentor them as part of their service learning. To break the ice, they will run a “circuit race,” she said.
“We are planning on doing a mini Spartan Race in the new pavilion where the students will answer questions to get to know their mentors, do five pushups and other activities,” she said.
The race will be held from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. in the pavilion.

Ibanez hits two homers to lead Yanks over Orioles

NEW YORK (AP) — The highest-paid player in baseball could only sit and watch when Raul Ibanez pinch hit for him and tied the game with a bottom-of-the-ninth home run.
Alex Rodriguez had another good view from the dugout three innings later when Ibanez homered to win it.
Saved by manager Joe Girardi’s gutsy move — and Ibanez’s big swings — the New York Yankees rallied for a stunning 3-2 win in the 12th over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night for a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five AL division series.
“You’re going to be asked a lot of questions if it doesn’t work,” Girardi said.
The slumping Rodriguez, among the greatest power hitters in history, offered no complaint, telling Girardi: “Joe, you gotta do exactly what you gotta do.” Continue reading

Valentine out in Boston

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox fired manager Bobby Valentine on Thursday after one season in which he failed to bring order to a clubhouse that disintegrated during the 2011 pennant race.
Valentine finished with a record of 69-93 on a team that was beset by injuries before management gave up on this season and traded some of its best players — and biggest salaries. Without Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett, the Red Sox will save $250 million in future salaries and have a chance to rebuild over the winter.
But that will be too late for Valentine. Continue reading