The Winthrop High softball team, under the direction of coach Dave Guffey, and the Winthrop High tennis team, led by coach Marie Finn, saw their seasons come to an end this week in the MIAA Tournament. Guffey’s teams are always fundamentally sound and with his expertise in instructing pitcher, Winthrop always seems to have an ace or two or the mound. Guffey, a former football and track standout, took over a program that had enjoyed success under former coach Ron Spinney — who will ever forget Lisa Monteleone, Lisa Gill, and Company shutting out East Longmeadow to win the state championship in faraway Whitinsville? — and he has been able to turn out competitive teams each year with several of his players going on to compete in collegiate softball.
Marie Finn had one of her finest seasons as a head coach with this year’s team, made up of a dedicated group of seniors who had been with the program for four years. The fact that the players returned each season to the team showed the high esteem in which they hold coach Finn and that they wanted to be a part of a special season and that’s what the 2016 campaign was. Coach Finn saw so much success in the WHS girls basketball program when her two daughters, Kristen and Courtney starred for the Lady Vikings, and now as a coach she is enjoying the results of her hard work and exceptional leadership of the boys tennis program.
Athletic director Matt Serino is proud that he has two of the best coaches in the Northeastern Conference in Dave Guffey and Marie Finn.