Sports Highlights

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Vineyard boys clinch playoff bye in travel hoops

The Martha’s Vineyard eighth grade boys’ travel basketball team clinched a first round bye and the fifth seed in the upcoming Cape League playoffs, with a pair of victories last Saturday.

M.V. defeated Nauset 55-24 in the first game, behind 16 points from Alex GordonBeck. Tim Roberts added 9 more.

The second game of the day against Middleboro was much tougher.

Tim Roberts sank a pair of clutch free throws in the dying seconds as M.V. held on for a 51-50 win.

Alex GordonBeck again had 16 points. Colin Cameron scored 9 and Roberts finished with 7.

The Vineyard finished the regular season with a 9-5 record.

M.V. girls’ travel hoops teams earn top two seeds

The Vineyard fifth grade girls’ travel team finished the regular season with a perfect 12-0 record and earned the top seed in the playoffs.

M.V. rolled over second place Falmouth and third place Dartmouth last weekend.

In the Falmouth game, Molly deBettencourt scored 23 of M.V.’s 27 points. The Clippers managed only eight as a team.

Dartmouth fared no better, falling to the Vineyard 35-18. Molly led the way with 25 points.

The seventh grade girls also won twice over the weekend and finished in a three-way tie for second place. M.V. claimed the number two seed in the playoffs, which begin on Sunday in Falmouth.

The Vineyard started off with a 28-11 win Saturday at the Oak Bluffs School over visiting Lakeville.

Emily Turney and Erin Hill led M.V. with six points apiece.

The girls travelled to Falmouth on Sunday and toughed out a 29-25 victory. The Islanders got a true team effort at both ends of the floor. Whitney Schroeder, Erin Hill, and Olivia Smith each scored six points.

Island teenager wins Rhody tennis tourney

Samantha Potter, an Oak Bluffs eighth grader, fought off three set points and rolled to a 7-5, 6-1 win over Lena Rich of Rhode Island to win the under-14 Rhode Island Tennis Championships last weekend.

Samantha trains with Scott Smith at Vineyard Youth Tennis and will likely be ranked in the top 40 in New England following her win.

Vineyarder places first in equestrian competition

Robyn Hanover, 26, daughter of Marc Hanover of Oak Bluffs and Linda Hanover of West Tisbury, concluded her 2010 season at preliminary level in equestrian eventing by placing first in the amateur class in Area I (New York and New England) and fourth in the nation, comprising a total of 10 areas.

Island gymnast shines at Westwood meet

Caroline Woodard, a member of the Island Gymnastics Training School team, competed in the Boston Classics gymnastics meet hosted by the New England Sports Academy in Westwood on January 22.

Caroline placed third with a 9.2 score in both the uneven parallel bars and the balance beam events.

Vineyard Youth Tennis hosts round robin tournament

Vineyard Youth Tennis (VYT) will host a round robin tennis tournament Thursday, February 10 to benefit the VYT Scholarship Fund, which enables children that qualify to attend off-Island tennis camps.

Divisions are men’s and ladies’ doubles with A, B and C Divisions. Entry fee is $100 for adult teams and $80 for high school age players. Play will be in a round robin format with finals scheduled for Sunday.

At 5:30 pm, Sunday, Islander Samantha Potter will take on Rhode Island’s Natalia Pezucco in an exhibition match. Events will include a players’ cocktail party and silent auction. For more information please call 508-693-7762 or go to vineyardyouthtennis.org.

Sharks hire Gary Simmons

The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL) announced that Gary Simmons will be the club’s assistant coach for the 2011 season.

Mr. Simmons has been the varsity baseball coach at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School for the previous five seasons. He is also the founder and president of Vineyard Baseball, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving baseball on Martha’s Vineyard.

The Sharks begin their inaugural 2011 FCBL season in early June and are scheduled to play 22 regular-season games at the Vineyard Baseball Park in Oak Bluffs.

Islanders score wins in table tennis

Two Martha’s Vineyard Table Tennis Club players won trophies at the Quincy Table Tennis Club open held at the YMCA in Quincy, January 30.

Albert Lau of Oak Bluffs took first place in the Under 1000 division, winning the championship three-of-five games match 11-7, 11-5, 11-9. Rod Backus of Vineyard Haven won the second place trophy in the under 1200 division, winning six matches to reach the final, before losing 3-1.

The club plays Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 pm to 8 pm at the West Tisbury School, and 4 pm to 6 pm, Saturdays and Sundays at the Martha’s Vineyard YMCA. For more information call 508-627-7902.