Martha's Vineyard Sports Highlights
Island Gymnastics is gold
Thirty-two competitors from three gymnastics training centers competed in the 15th annual Sandcastle Invitational, Sunday, at the Island Gymnastics training center in West Tisbury, in vault, uneven bars, beam and floor exercise.
Island Gymnastics won the team prize, outscoring Westwood NE Sports Academy and Lakeville's Gymhutt. Four Island girls took home best all around medals for their training levels.
The Martha's Vineyard team of girls took first place with 108.1 points to Westwood's 106.7 and Gymhutt's 106.25.
At level 3/rookies, Rose Herman was second all-around and first on beam. Diana Tackabury was second in bars and vault. Astoria Hall was fourth overall.
At level 4/rookies, Sophie Devanski was third overall.
At level 6/prep-intermediate, Emily Roberts was third overall, first on vault. Caroline Woodard was first all around, first in floor and bars, second on beam and vault.
At level 7/prep advanced, Macayah Goodell was first all around and first in every event except vault.
Of the 15 Sandcastle meets, this was only Martha's Vineyard's second win.
Sailors win silver in Big Easy
Having won the Arnold Brown Regatta in October, the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School sailing team: Becker Aqwatty, Emmie Schreck, Julie Pringle, Solvig Sayre, and Conor Lodge, was one of 28 teams entered in the Great Oaks Regatta, New Orleans last weekend.
An abnormally strong cold front swept through the region Friday night and sailors were greeted by 30 knot winds and a six to eight foot chop on Lake Pontchartrain, Saturday morning.
Racing was first postponed to the afternoon, then cancelled for the day which changed the structure of the regatta. Instead of dividing into gold and silver fleets, all 28 boats sailed simultaneously Sunday.
The choppy seas and muddy waters made it difficult to find a groove. Even so, the Martha's Vineyard team sailed well against some exceptional national talent. The Vineyarders finished 15th of 28 teams earning them a first place finish in the silver fleet.
The Martha's Vineyard Regional High School varsity sailing schedule begins in March.
The team is grateful to Dan Wolf and Cape Air for flights to and from Boston and to all supporters of the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School team who made the New Orleans trip possible.
The Mark & Megan show
Senior Mark Reppert and sophomore Megan Dreyer
were the only Martha's Vineyard Regional High School cross-country runners qualified to run in the MIAA All State Division 2 Cross Country championship meet at Franklin Park, Boston, Saturday.
Mark placed 59th of 150 boys completing the 5K run in 17:50.2. Mike Moverman of Oliver Ames was first to reach the finish line in 16:04.
Bishop Feehan High won team honors with 104 points, three better than Oliver Ames.
Megan Dreyer's time was 20:12.9, good enough for 30th place. The winning time of Bromfield's Emily Jones was 17:50.
Hamilton-Wenham won girls team honors with a score of 66. The Bishop Feehan girls were second at 69.
Jeremy on a tear
Twelve-year-old Jeremy Alley Tarter finished first in the New England Junior Olympics Cross Country championships at Burillville, Rhode Island, Sunday. Jeremy led the Nitehawks of Acton to the team title in the Midget Division. Five of the first six midgets were Nitehawks.
Jeremy's winning time for the 3K was 11:07.71, some four seconds ahead of his teammate Max LaChance.
Two hundred ninety-nine boys competed in five divisions at Burrillville.
Two hundred thirty-one girls competed, none from the Vineyard.
Jeremy's next challenge will be the Regional Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships at Van Cortland Park, New York, on Sunday, November 23.
The shortest month
The Vineyard Youth Tennis Foundation will host its annual Adult Round Robin Extravaganza from Sunday to Tuesday, February 8-10, 2009. The event will feature men's and ladies' doubles in A, B, C, and Novice Divisions.
Entry fee is $100 per team. All proceeds will go toward the VYT Scholarship Fund, which helps pay off-Island tournament expenses and sends Island youngsters to tennis camps in Florida.
A cocktail party, tennis exhibition, and a Fischer Prize and Demo Day is included in the entrance fee. Call Scott Smith at 508-693-7762 with questions.
