Sports Highlights
Rain-outs
A much-needed soaking rain caused the cancelation of Monday's planned opening of the Martha's Vineyard Little League and Minor League baseball seasons.
Wet grounds (there was standing water at home plate and first base at Veira) had the same effect on Tuesday.
Wednesday dawned bright under a cloudless sky. Players and fans might have wished for ten or more degrees on the thermometer, but it was a delight to see the teams finally in action.
The schedule called for the Red Sox to take on the A's at Veira and the Mets to host the Tigers at Nunes.
Minor league games at the West Tisbury School and Manter's field pitted the Twins at the Reds, and the Orioles vs. the Blue Jays. Regrettably, all took place after The Times went to press.
Jayvees roll on
The Martha's Vineyard Regional High School junior varsity softball team won is 10th game without a loss, Saturday, defeating Old Rochester here, 10-5. Both Emily Williston and Jenna Lambert were 2-for-3. Crystal Miske was 2-for-2 and walked twice. Olivia Higham was the winning pitcher.
Vineyard fails to qualify
The Martha's Vineyard Regional High School sailing team finished eighth in the Cape Regional regatta at the Hyannis Yacht Club, behind 1. Dartmouth, 2. Tabor Academy, 3. Milton Academy, 4. Dennis Yarmouth, 5. Nauset, 6. Barnstable.
The top three crews raced in the New Englands at Bristol, R.I., Monday.
The Nantucket Whalers also qualified for the New Englands by finishing second to Cheverus of Portland, Maine, in the Winnipesaukee regional hosted by Brewster Academy, Wolfeboro, N.H., St. John's Prep also qualified by finishing third.
Photos by Ralph Stewart
Martha's Vineyard Arena is reboarded
The rink at the Martha's Vineyard Arena is undergoing a major facelift. For the next two weeks Athletica, Inc. of Minneapolis, Minnesota will be installing new dasher boards with National Hockey League specifications. The kickplates at the bottom of the boards are twice as thick and several inches taller than before. The ice surface will be gone until July 3, exposing the sand and refrigeration tubes underneath.
Skippers collaborate
Brock Callen, Sail Martha's Vineyard's program director, and Luis Kahl, president of Interactive Creations (IC), have announced their collaboration for the 2008 Vineyard Cup.
The widely used IC yacht racing event management system is now in place and activated on the Vineyard Cup website (www.
vineyardcup.com). It enables competitors to register, reserve moorings, purchase shoreside event bracelets, update their boat and crew information, check entries and review provisional scratch sheets quickly and efficiently. "We are delighted with the system, impressed by its user friendliness and look forward to its allowing us to do a better job for Vineyard Cup entrants," Mr. Callen said.
Taylor shines
Taylor MacDonald, Martha's Vineyard Regional High School '06, now a sophomore at Eastern Connecticut State College in Willimantic, was named women's Little East Defensive (lacrosse) Player of the Week - for the second time! She received the same recognition and honor the first week of the season.
Ready-Aim-Fire
Debbie Lister of Oak Bluffs launches a missile during the Martha's Vineyard Dart Club's 30th annual tournament jointly sponsored by the Holy Ghost Assn. and Budweiser.
Youthful Lax
Martha's Vineyard Girls Youth Lacrosse hosted Nashoba from central Massachusetts Sunday, and split the two games played. The Vineyard's U-15 girls (7th and 8th graders) won in a walk, 10-1, led by Jennie Lindland who celebrated her birthday with two goals. Also scoring twice were Ambika Datta and Hannah Persson. Other points were posted by Cat Todd, Maggie Lindland, Caroline Fournier, and Hannah Moore. Goalies Shivonne Schofield and April Hargy earned Coach Kira Law-Sullivan's approbation.
The U-13 girls (5th and 6th graders) lost their game, 8-2. Lucy Hackney and Chantal Booker did the Martha's Vineyard scoring.
Coach Sullivan was pleased with the efforts of goalies Sam Hargy (6 saves) and Kayla Geddis.
The girls finish out the season with games on the Island. This Saturday they are home on the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School campus to Wachusett beginning at 1 pm.
Juno down south
The Times has received notice that Juno, a Nat Benjamin schooner, built and home-ported in Vineyard Haven, finished in fourth place in the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, in late April, behind (1) Ticonderoga, a LFH ketch, (2) Galatea, a Nygren yawl, and (3) Eleanora, a Herreshoff schooner.
There were 10 boats in the race.
7 in the 7th
A grand slam home run by Billy Johnson was the main ingredient of the Vineyard's seven run seventh inning at Mattapoisett, that lifted the Vineyard to an 11-11 tie with Old Rochester Regional, Friday.
But in the bottom of the seventh, the Bulldogs manufactured another run to claim the 12-11 win.
The Islanders collected 15 hits in the game, five by Tad Gold. Nick Billingham, Jwann Johnson and Zach Coutinho all hit safely twice.
The tough loss dropped the Vineyarders record to 3-6.
DeLisle de champ
For the second time in the decade, Bob DeLisle of Edgartown has claimed the title of Martha's Vineyard Rod & Gun Club trap shooting champion. At last Sunday's shootout all participants took aim at two rounds of 25 targets. Bob broke more clay pigeons than anyone else.
The last time Mr. DeLisle was club trap champion was 2005.
Tim O'Bryan of Edgartown was the runner-up
