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The Westfield 4×400 meter relay team is comprised of seniors Amy Wardner, Alex Lehman, Michelle Morgan, and Delaney Thomson. (Submitted photo)

CHICOPEE – The Westfield High School girls’ track and field team completed a 6-0 regular season this past week with a 98.5-45.5 win over Chicopee Comp Tuesday. The Bombers, who are Valley Wheel League champs, are one of several area teams who will participate in this weekend’s divisionals in anticipation of the upcoming Western Massachusetts championships.
The final meet of the season produced several highlights, including: Kiany Roman’s dominance in the sprints with victories in the 100 meter dash (season best time of 13.2) and 200 meter dash (27.8); and, senior captains’ Alex Lehman and Michelle Morgan’s first-place finishes in the 400 meters (64.9) and 800 meters (2:40.6), respectively – the two also paired up with captain Amy Wardner and Delaney Thomson for a winning 4×400 relay time (4:51.8).

Westfield girls’ track and field seniors Jaymie White, Amy Wardner, Michelle Morgan, Julianna Ceccarini, Delaney Thomson, Alex Lehman, Jen Gresty and Lauren Kidrick are pictured during one of the season’s final days. (Submitted photo)

Westfield’s Keri Paton and Jenna Rothermel also continued to show why they are two of the top-ranked throwers in all of Western Mass.
Paton remained undefeated with her sixth straight win in the javelin (95-2), and Rothermel threw a career best 103-0 in the discus for her fifth victory of the season.
Other first-place winners included senior captain Jaymie White (high jump, 4-10), Emilia Lun (400 hurdles, 1:17.7), Caleigh Rockwal (mile, 6:14.6), Emily Ann Andrews (long jump, 14-3.75), and 4×100 relay team (Rothermel, Nicole Chartier, Andrews, Karly Diltz), who ran a season-best of 54.4.
Senior captain Julianna Ceccarini capped off her four-year career with a career-best time of 1:19.8 in the 400 meter hurdles, just behind teammate Lund.

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Westfield High School softball players celebrate a 3-2 win over Agawam Friday. (Photo by Chris Putz)

AGAWAM – Three down, two to go.
The Westfield High School softball team won the first game of a three-game road trip to end the regular season, escaping Agawam with a 3-2 win over the Brownies Friday. The tournament-bound Bombers have two games remaining – at Minnechaug (May 21) and at Amherst (May 23).
Westfield took an early 3-0 lead and leaned on junior pitcher Sarah McNerney, who held off Agawam with an effective outing on the mound. McNerney scattered six hits, struck out six batters, and walked one.
Westfield’s Kate Menard had the team’s big hit, scoring Jess Pratt and Maddy Atkocaitis (both reached on an error) with a first-inning double. The Bombers tacked on another run in the third when McNerney doubled. A run scored on Jules Sharon’s sacrifice.
Agawam manufactured a run in the bottom of the second inning, and pulled within one on Alexa Smith’s solo home run in the sixth.
Both teams had opportunities to tack on another run, but both pitchers – McNerney and Agawam freshman Allison Wheeler – escaped unscathed. Bombers’ second baseman Syd Ezold recorded all three putouts to end the game.
“It was a really close game with a lot of intensity,” McNerney said. “It’s hard playing on this field with no fence.”
When Smith’s line drive blast to left field hit the grass, the ball kept rolling, and rolling, and rolling. But the Bombers did not cave.
“We kept the intensity going and made plays,” McNerney said. “We have really good chemistry. The rest just falls into place. We have a lot of strong players. We just really work well together. We just want to win. We knew we could pull through.”
Said Westfield coach Joe Stella. “We hung on. When we come here, you can always bet on us having a one-run game. We knew it was going to be tough. …The kids came through. They did what they had to.”

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SOFTBALL
Westfield 16-1
Southwick 11-4*
Westfield Voc-Tech 11-3
Gateway 8-6

BOYS’ TRACK & FIELD
Southwick 6-1
Westfield 2-1*

GIRLS’ TRACK & FIELD
Westfield 5-0
Southwick 0-0*

BOYS’ TENNIS
Westfield 7-7
St. Mary 6-4

GIRLS’ TENNIS
St. Mary 2-3*
Westfield 3-9

BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL
Westfield 14-3

BOYS’ LACROSSE
Westfield 12-4
St. Mary 2-10

GIRLS’ LACROSSE
Westfield 8-9
St. Mary 1-12

*Incomplete
Thursday’s Results
BOYS’ LACROSSE
Westfield 6, Northampton 1
BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL
Westfield 3, Putnam 0
BASEBALL
Southwick 14, Holyoke Catholic 0
Westfield Voc-Tech 9, Commerce 2
SOFTBALL
Westfield Voc-Tech 17, Sci-Tech 5

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Jim Sabatino, one of the spinning instructors at Expert Fitness

WESTFIELD – Upon setting foot in Expert Fitness’ East Main Street location, one will now come across a new arsenal of state -of-the-art equipment aimed at improving the health and fitness of all Whip City residents, athlete and average Joe alike.
Through an exclusive deal with Performance IQ, a fitness software company based out of Chicago, Expert Fitness has implemented PIQ programing into several recently purchased Schwinn AC Sport Performance bicycles, a move which has employees and clients of the club’s spinning classes excited.
“The bikes are a lot smoother and use magnetic resistance rather than brake pads,” said Jim Sabatino, one of seven spinning instructors on the Expert Fitness roster, “(the software) is better to monitor progress and target improvement.”
According to the Performance IQ website, the software is capable of using several display modes, including an individual mode that enables riders to compete against one another based on total energy output, a sprint mode modeled after the individual mode where riders compete for a shorter amount of time, and a heart rate mode which tracks heart rate based on the rider’s maximum heart rate.

Schwinn AC Sport Performance bicycle

These modes are what Dina Lancour, a fitness coordinator at Expert Fitness, believes will take the club to the next level.
“(The improved technology) will be able to bring in non-members and athletes alike,” the Feeding Hills native said, “People training for the Rugged Maniac and triathlons, or people who are just looking to lose weight and improve their health, this software and these machines are for everyone.”
Lancour also cited increased class sizes as evidence that local fitness enthusiasts are receiving this improved technology quite well.
“We’re getting lots of non-members coming in now,” she said, referencing the club’s client-friendly fee-based policy.
Regarding Expert’s exclusive deal with PIQ, Lancour said that this is a sign of the times in the fitness industry.
“Any health club wants to improve their technology,” she said, “15 years ago, if you wanted a spinning bike, you had to get a Schwinn. Now everyone makes them.”
As a testament to Expert’s faith in the new systems, Lancour mentioned her fellow staff members at the club, including Sabatino, as well as Julie and Nabil Hannoush, the club’s owners, praising their enthusiasm over the PIQ/ Schwinn AC combination.
Sabatino, who estimates he gets between 18-20 people participating in each of his classes, believes that the technology “goes beyond the standard spinning class.”
“Anytime you can give people feedback on their heart rate, calories burned, that’s great.” he said, mentioning local athletic squads who are set to conduct some of their off-season training regimens at Expert Fitness.
However, if one is looking for a fitness club catering to strictly the athletes among us, they won’t find such a facility at Expert, as the club is dedicated to all patrons, said Lancour.
“De-conditioned people are able to use these machines and this program for weight loss and just improving their general health, she said, “Even people who are just looking to get a different work out can find it here. For example, a runner who takes a spinning class will notice an incredible difference, for it’s going to use lots of muscles you don’t use when running.”
If recent increases in spinning class enrollment are any indication, Whip City residents will start running in droves to bike at Expert Fitness.

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BOB HAMEL/Southwick pitcher

CHICOPEE – The Southwick-Tolland Regional High School baseball team has had many photo-worthy performances throughout the 2013 regular season. But the latest achievement was even more picture perfect.
Southwick pitcher Bob Hamel tossed a no-hitter and the Rams blew out the host Holyoke Catholic Gaels 14-0 Thursday. Hamel struck out 12 batters, and walked two.
“Bob threw a fantastic game,” Southwick coach Tim Karetka said. “He pounded the strike zone … and mixed up his pitches. His changeup looked great, his curveball looked great, and obviously his fastball had tons of movement. He was just hitting all his spots.”
Vinni Fortini had an incredible day at the plate for Southwick, going 3-for-3 with a 2-run homer, 2 triples, and 4 RBIs. Rams’ Jake Goodreau finished a homer short of the cycle and had 2 RBIs. Hamel, Ross Lebo, and Cam Felix had two hits apiece.
JV RESULTS
Southwick 21, Holyoke Catholic 2
Dylan Parrow (2 hits, HR, 3 RBIs), Jake Recoulle (2 hits), Brian Mickalay (2 hits), Joey Stratton (2 hits), and Nick Labodycz (hit), Joey Frasco (hit), and Travis Perrillo (hit) provided the bulk of the Southwick offense.
Pitchers Joey Stratton (2 inn., 1 hit allowed, 3 Ks) and John Gonet (3 inn., 0 hits, 8 Ks) combined for a solid outing on the mound for the Rams (12-5).

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Westfield’s Matt Lacroix (11) breaks through the Northampton defense. (Photo by Chris Putz)

WESTFIELD – The Westfield High School boys’ lacrosse team celebrated “senior day” with a half-dozen goals, and a 6-1 win over visiting Northampton Thursday.
It took a little while, but Westfield finally uncorked Northampton’s bottle-neck defense in the second half. The Bombers sprayed the Blue Devils net with five unanswered goals.
Ryan Wilson (2 goals, 1 assist), Sam Scarfo (1 goal, 1 assist), Matt Lacroix (goal), Chris Pray (goal), and Craig Ward (goal) all lent a scoring hand for Westfield.
Westfield goalie Jake Cupak was strong in net, collecting 11 saves.
Cupak was also helped out by his defensive mates, Ethan Nassar, Brian Jensen, Noah Swords, Corey Ward, Jordan Bein, Sam Evans, and Garrett Matthews.
LATE RESULTS
Wed., May 15
Amherst 14, St. Mary 3
Corey Papineau scored all three goals for St. Mary, who returned to action Thursday at home against Monson. No details were reported as of press time Friday.

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Westfield Voc-Tech’s starting pitcher Colin Fecteau delivers to a Commerce batter Thursday at Bullens Field. (Photo by Frederick Gore)

WESTFIELD – Westfield Voc-Tech pitcher Colin Fecteau tossed a one-hitter through six innings, and the Tigers defeated the Commerce Red Raiders 9-2 Thursday in a high school baseball game at Bullens Field.
Jake Parsons closed out the seventh inning for Voc-Tech.
Conner Hebda (2 hits, double), Chris Oberther (2 hits, 2 RBIs), and Tyler French (2 hits, 2 RBIs) led the offense for the Tigers, who are still mathematically alive for the Western Massachusetts Division III tournament.
Voc-Tech (6-9) must win its final three regular season games, including a celebrated matchup with unbeaten St. Mary (15-0) Tuesday at Bullens Field at 4 p.m.
“It’s going to be difficult,” Tigers coach Clem Fucci said, “but not impossible.”

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