The road to the state championship ended one run short — and 3 innings extra — yesterday for the Staples High School baseball team.
The Wreckers’ Hiro Wyatt and Fairfield Warde’s Griffin Polley dueled brilliantly — and scorelessly — for much of the game. In the end — the 10th inning — Polley drove home the Mustangs’ winning run, in a 2-1 contest at Palmer Field in Middletown that was even closer than the score. It was the 2nd straight state title for the Fairfielders.
Congratulations to the Wreckers, and coach Jack McFarland, on their great run to the ultimate game of the season.
Hiro Wyatt — the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year — had a heroic season on the mound for Staples. (Photo courtesy of Staples Baseball)
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Congratulations too to Staples’ number 1 doubles team. Karenna Birns and Audrey Kercher won the State invitational championship Friday, at the Milford Indoor Tennis Club.
The #3-ranked pair defeated Fairfield Ludlowe’s top seed 6-4, 6-3. They also won the semifinals in straight sets, over #3 Amity-Woodbridge.
Karenna heads to Georgetown University in the fall, and Audrey to the University of Florida. Congratulations to both — and to coach Jena Wider.
Audrey Kircher and Karenna Birns: state champs!
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Speaking still of Staples: Westport photographer Tom Kretsch just returned from a tour/workshop in Washington state.
Walking around Pullman, he spotted pictures in many stores of the high school graduates, in windows and on signs.
He wonders if it’s something we could replicate in Westport.
Sounds like something to investigate. And it sure would be less intrusive than the epidemic of signs that sprawls all along the entrances to Staples, for every team and activity imaginable, which no one can even read.
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And speaking again of baseball: The Westport Winners Challenger team, for players with disabilities, ended their 10th season yesterday with a special event.
A big party included player announcements and personalized trophies, plus free ice cream gift cards from The Porch at Christie’s.
Scenes from yesterday’s Westport Winners party. Coach Mike Connors (top left) has been with the program since it began in 2013.
The Little League Challenger division is one of the best sports programs in Westport. Congratulations to all who participate — and all who make it happen!
The Challenger crew. (Photo and hat tip/Beth Cody)
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Today is the open house at Prospect Gardens.
The public is invited to the magnificent Greens Farms property (Sunday, June 11, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; GPS either 13 or 25 Prospect Road).
Besides 9 acres of beauty and joy, Prospect Gardens offers something else.
Last year, the Greens Farms Garden Club has assumed responsibility for the 3-tiered vegetable garden, for their Growing For Good program.
Owners John and Melissa Ceriale turned over the space for their effort. All produce is donated to the Mercy Center in Bridgeport, at time serving as the only source of fresh produce for some of families.
Last year, the Greens Farms Garden Club donated over 1,600 pounds of vegetables. It’s a win-win-win: for the Ceriales, the Club, and Mercy Learning Center.
A small part of Prospect Gardens.
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The Westport Rotary Club is one of our town’s true jewels. Members never stop giving.
Earthplace director Tony McDowell (with trash bag) and other Rotarians hard at work, at the Gillespie Center. (Photo and hat tip/Dave Matlow)
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Registration is open for the Westport Weston Family YMCA’s annual Point to Point Compo Beach swim (July 16, 7:30 a.m.).
The annual open water race raises funds to benefit aquatics safety at the Y, through swim lessons for children and adults.
There are prizes for top finishers — and a kids race too.
Pre-registration is $60; day of registration, $75. Click here for details.
The start of the Point-to-Point swim.
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America celebrates Groundhog Day on February 2.
Except here on “06880,” where today — June 11 — it’s “Westport … Naturally Groundhog Day.”
(Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)
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And finally … on this day in 2002, “American Idol” premiered on the Fox network.
This became the best-selling song to come out of the show:
And this song has been covered the most:
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