WHS Sports Roundup

Boys tennis shoots for school record for wins

The Winthrop High boys tennis team will be aiming to set a new school record for victories in a season in the final two matches of the year this week.

The Vikings improved to 11-3, placing themselves in position to achieve a record -setting 13 victories, with a dramatic triumph in the second half of a doubleheader with Peabody/Danvaers on Tuesday.

In order to play both matches, which had been necessitated by rainouts, the teams agreed to a pro sets format in which the first player to win eight games, by two, is the winner.

Winthrop dropped the first match, 3-2, and was tied in the second contest, 2-2. The Winthrop doubles tandems of Russell Nichols and Kevin Dorr at first doubles and Augie Cherico and Alessio Narco at second doubles both had won their matches.

With Peabody having won the first and second singles slots, the outcome of the match came down to the battle at third singles between Sam Yarrow, who ordinarily plays with Dorr at first doubles (and who was playing his first-ever singles match) and his Peabody/Danvers opponent.

With the score tied at 6-6, Sam and his counterpart battled furiously to get to 7-7 and then 8-8.

However, with sunset approaching at 7:30 p.m. — after a 4 p.m. start — Yarrow gutted out the next two games to win the set, 10-8, and give the match to Winthrop.

“Sam was amazing,” said WHS head coach Marie Finn. “All of the players were watching the match, but he stood up to the pressure and came through for us.”

Finn and her crew were set to host Beverly today (Thursday) and Salem tomorrow. If they win both matches, they will conclude their 2019 regular season with a mark of 13-3, the best-ever in WHS boys tennis annals.

The Vikings then will await word of their seeding and first-round pairing in the upcoming MIAA state tennis tournament.

Young WHS sailing team records victories

The young Winthrop High saying team earned its first victory of the season last Wednesday with a 3-0 triumph over Beverly on the Vikings’ home course out of the Cottage Park Yacht Club.

The Winthrop sailors achieved individual race ranks of 1-2-4, 1-2-3, and 1-2-3. in the three races. Antea Schlichting (skipper) and Freddie Poor (crew) took first place in race 1; John Cataldo (skipper) and Ben Prew (crew) took first place in race 2; and Elizabeth Collins (skipper) and Shane Fitzpatrick (crew)  took first place in race 3 to lead the Vikings to victory.

The next day the Winthrop crews made it two wins in a row with a 2-1 triumph over the Landmark School.

Winthrop recorded individual race ranks of 1-3-4 in the first race (win), 1-3-6 (loss) in the second race, and then 1-3-4 (win) in the third race to win the regatta.

John Cataldo (skipper) and Ben Prew (crew) took first place in the first and third races. Although the Vikings lost the second race, the tandem of Elizabeth Collin (skipper) and Shane Fitzpatrick (crew) took the first place spot.

“The team has made great improvements from the beginning of the season to now,” said WHS head coach Catherine Domina, whose squad stands in fourth place in the B North Division of the Massachusetts Bay League with a record of 3-3. “This is an improvement from the previous two years, when we had records of 2-4.”

Domina and her crews took part in the Mass. Bay League championships on the Charles River this past weekend and will compete in the state championships that are scheduled for today (Thursday) and tomorrow.

WHS girls lacrosse tops Gloucester, 17-8; clinches tourney berth

The Winthrop High girls lacrosse team punched its ticket for a Journey to the Tourney with a 17-8 triumph over Gloucester this past Friday on the turf at Miller Field.

The victory raises the Lady Vikings’ record to 10-6, assuring them of the .500 record that is needed to clinch a spot in the MIAA post-season state tournament.

Maura Dorr netted her 100th career goal, which marks an amazing achievement for Maura, who is only a sophomore.

“This was a huge win for our program,” said WHS head coach Ben Cimmino. “Our last three games with Gloucester were decided by less than two goals, so  this was a big step forward for us.”

In addition to Maura Dorr, Cimmino had words of praise for other members of his squad. “Jenna Dorr and Carolyn Kinsella played great at midfield and Gemma DiMento and the defense had their best game of the season,” noted Cimmino.

The Lady Vikings will host Northeast Regional today (Thursday) and will travel to Peabody tomorrow (Friday). Next Thursday’s contest with Mystic Valley will be highlighted by Senior Night festivities.

Holzbach takes third in 400 hurdles at NEC

Winthrop star track performer Beatriz Holzbach was the top performer for the Winthrop High girls and boys outdoor track teams at the Northeastern Conference Meet that was held this past Saturday at Peabody High School.

Beatriz brought home a third-place medal in the 400 meter low hurdles with a clocking of 1:11.04.

Teammate Camilla Miranda-Llovera also performed well at the NEC Meet, finishing 11th among the large field in the two-mile run with a time of 13:39.32.

WHS softball team defeats Swampscott

The Winthrop High softball team put it all together to earn an 18-5 victory over Swampscott last Wednesday.

The Lady Vikings asserted control of the contest from the outset, scoring six runs in the opening inning. Winthrop continued to add to its advantage with three runs in the second, six in the third. and three in the fourth, which caused the game to be halted after five innings because of the mercy rule.

Winthrop lead-off hitter Summer Tallent was among the offensive stars for the Lady Vikings. Summer was on base throughout the game via a walk, a hit-batter, and an error and scored three runs.

Brooke Costin was a force at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a single, a double, two walks, three runs scored, and two RBI.  Katie Gagnon delivered a two-run double and Nelly Carter drove in a run with a two-bagger of her own.

Rachel Farley, Bella Perrotti, and Steph Strangie also joined in on the Lady Viking hit parade.

Sofia Vitale pitched all five innings, allowing four earned runs on four hits, striking out five opponents and walking three.

In a doubleheader with Gloucester on Saturday, WHS head coach Dave Duffey was pleased with his team’s effort despite dropping both contests.

“We played well in the first game at Gloucester, but we only had three hits,” said Guffey of the 5-1 loss to the Lady Fishermen, the first-place team in the South Division of the Northeastern Conference.

Winthrop’s lone tally came in the sixth when Farley and Carter singled and Izzy Mahoney laid down a suicide squeeze that brought Farley racing home.

Vitale went all the way in the pitcher’s circle, yielding eight hits and four earned runs.

In the second game of the day, in which Gloucester prevailed 11-5, Strangie swung the big bat, going 2-for-4, scoring a run, and driving in a run. Gagnon, Cali Peterson, and Perrotti all delivered singles that produced runs.

“Stephanie Strangie pitched well,” said Guffey. “We turned two double plays to keep it close. If we can play like this for the rest of the season, we can play with anyone and it will make for an exciting second half of the year.”

Guffey and his crew took on Saugus this past Tuesday and were set to celebrate Senior Night against Weston yesterday (Wednesday). They will trek to Salem today (Thursday) and to Danvers tomorrow. 

MacPhail wins two-mile run in Beverly meet

Cormac MacPahil earned first-place honors for the Winthrop High boys outdoor track & field team in their recent meet with Beverly last Thursday.

Cormac blazed around the WHS track in a clocking of 10:53.1 to capture the two-mile run.

Although MacPhail was the only first-place finisher for the Vikings, a number of his teammates added three points to the WHS side of the scoresheet with second-place finishes:

Pat Haskell accounted for nine points with a trio of second-place performances: the triple jump with a final landing of 35’; the 100 dash in a sprint of 12.2; and the 400 dash in 58.2.

Chris Cappuccio captured second spot in the long jump with a leap of 17’-2” and grabbed third places in the 200 dash in 24.5 and the high jump with a leap of 5’-0”.

Dillon Riley finished second in the javelin with a throw of 109’; Mark Amatucci grabbed second in the 400 hurdles in 66.9 and third in the long jump with a leap of 16’-8”; Pat Teixiera took second in the shot put with a throw of 34’; William Hubert added a third in the shot with his toss of 333’-5”; Michelangelo Marcoccio finished third in the 400 dash in 60.3; ad Nate Evangelista took third in the javelin with his throw of 104’; and Sion grabbed second in the discus with his toss of 93’.

Pote triumphs in two events vs. Beverly

Mary Kate Pote recorded two first-place victories for the Winthrop High girls outdoor track & field team in the Lady Vikings’ meet last Thursday at Winthrop High School.

Mary Kate topped the field in the shot put with a throw of 31’-5” and outdistanced the competition in the discus with a toss of 72’-11”.

Two Lady Vikings earned second-place honors in their events. Tess Ferrandi grabbed second in the triple jump with a final landing of 37’ and Camila Miranda Llovera was runner-up in the mile run with a clocking of 6:22.

Four Winthrop girls added single points to the WHS scoresheet with third-place finishes: Clare Nargi in the 100 hurdles in 19.6; Madalin Deertan in the 400 hurdles in 90.7; Olivia Skomro in the 200 dash in 32.8; and Fiona MacPhail in the 400 dash in 69.4.