Gabby Hurlbut

Eight deserving individuals will be celebrated as the Class of 2024 at the 24th annual Connecticut Field Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Dinner on Sunday, Sep. 8.

At the start of the day, it looked like the final week of the Deep River Horseshoe League's season would be postponed, but the skies brightened, however, the threat of a thunderstorm lingered. Just as players started their practice, a light rain began to fall, and it became heavier and steadier. Players scurried for cover under a tree, their cars, or umbrellas. The shower lasted for about 15 minutes, and with the thunder and lightning going off in the distance, the decision was made to continue play.

This fall, Madison Hoop Dreams (MHD) will offer its School of Basketball program at Polson Middle School (302 Green Hill Road, Madison). MHD will have two sessions each night. The first session, from 6 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., will be for players in grades three to eight. It is an opportunity for players to develop their ball handling skills and work on pure shooting form. With three nights each week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during September and October), players become more confident in their skills and more dedicated to working on getting better. Mondays will be run by New Haven basketball legend Bobby Moore, Wednesdays will be run by Coach Brett Zanardi, and Fridays will feature Coach Rich Pagliuca. Players can attend as their schedule allows, but the more often they attend, the better the results.

Kirsten Kilburn, a graduate of North Branford High School (NBHS), will be inducted into the Connecticut Field Hockey Hall of Fame on Sunday, Sep. 8. While she had an outstanding career at NBHS (Class of 2011), she is being inducted as a college player.

Following the completion of the regular season for the Deep River Horseshoe League, the top eight teams compete in a single elimination playoff to determine the league's tournament champion. The playoffs were expected to start on Aug. 19, but the heavy weather that blanketed the state during the weekend put the pits under water, and the start of the playoffs was postponed until Aug. 20.

Several Hand track athletes qualified for the State Open, New England, and New Balance National Championships after a successful spring on the track. On the girls' side at State Open, Annecy Vlieks took seventh in the 3200 with a time of 11:15.28. Brooke Anderson took 15th in the high jump (5-00.00), and Alexis Kuszpa took 11th in the pole vault (10-00.00). In the triple jump, Brooke Anderson took 14th place with a school record score of 33-09.00.

As a freshman at Haddam-Killingworth High School (HKHS), Leah Helm was happy to be her team's goalkeeper. When she was ready for varsity the next year, Hall of Fame Head Coach Patsy Kamercia asked her to consider a field position because there were already two senior goalies on the roster. While Kamercia valued Helm's versatility and athleticism, she also recognized what a great goalie she was, and she promptly put her back in the net at the start of her junior year.

The Guilford community will be hosting a special fundraiser at Quattro's Italian Restaurant to support the Gambardella family. The fundraiser will take place on Monday, Sep. 9 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The Guilford Youth Football and Cheerleading (GYFC) board has announced the selection of head coaches for the upcoming 2024 season, a talented group of individuals that has stepped up to help lead the program. Each team will be supported by a group of volunteer assistant coaches committed to guiding players and teams to success on and off the field.

Westbrook High School has been named by the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) as a National Safe Sports School, First Team honoree for the three-year period ending on Aug. 15. The District Health Team, coaches at Westbrook, and the school's nurse Tina Bennett all work diligently to keep student-athletes prepared and safe.