By Cary Shuman
The Winthrop girls sixth grade basketball team celebrated its three-year run of success at a banner unveiling ceremony Sunday night at the old Middle School gyamnsium
The Parks and Recreation contingent, under the direction of coaches Mark D’Ambrosio, Keith MacDonald, Jimmy Logan, and Matt Boivin, compiled an impressive record of 36-11 in those three seasons.
The Winthrop girls took home the 2024 Cape Ann League fifth grade championship, defeating Danvers, 43-25 in the title game, and finishing as the 2023 league runner-up in the fourth-grade season.
Millie MacDonald, one of the best players in the area, averaged 22 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks in the 2024 playoffs. The backcourt duo of Victoria Connolly (7 ppg) and Lily Bayersdorfer (5 ppg) were other major contributors in the offense.
Defensive specialists Laynie Logan, Elaina D’Ambrosio, and Aubrey Boivin were immense in helping Winthrop hold the opposition to just seven points in the second half of the last two playoff games.-
Winthrop’s basketball future is bright with Laynie Logan, Callie Triant and Sophie Crocker as exciting frontcount prospects for the Lady Vikings and Bayersdorfer, Connolly, Boivin and D’Ambrosio leading the way in the backcourt.
“It was a pleasure coaching these girls with the rest of the staff the last few years,” said Coach Mark D’Ambrosio. “They have all developed so much from a skill and competitiveness standpoint and the results of hard work. These girls are going to be great at whatever they choose to focus on in the future and we’re excited to watch them all flourish.”