Cardinal Ready: BHS Field Hockey’s Habelow Commits to Louisville

Photo: AnnMarie Habelow.

From the first time AnnMarie Habelow stepped onto Harris Field in the late summer of 2013, spectators could quickly tell the Belmont High School field hockey player was something special. 

In the past two years, the raising junior has demonstrated a rare set of skills for an underclassman, playing as a forward in her freshman campaign or in the midfield last season in which number 13  helped lead the Marauders into the quarterfinals of the Division 1 North Sectionals. 

Just a junior, Habelow’s talents have brought her to the attention of many at the next level of the sport. And one team already wants her to be part of their future as Habelow signed a letter committing to play field hockey at the University of Louisville, beginning in the fall of 2017. 

Ranked 13th in Division 1 at the end of the 2014 season, the Cardinals play in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the most competitive league in the nation with six teams in the top 13 spots in the final national poll, including number 1 North Carolina and two-time NCAA runner-up Syracuse.

The league also includes Boston College, which will allow family and friends to see Habelow play in the Boston area at least twice in her career.

Belmont High Alum Gibson Rows His Way to National Championship

Photo: Peter Gibson (USRowing)

It’s been 20 years since a Belmont High School alumni – Patty Shea (’80) in field hockey in 1996 – strode behind the Stars and Stripes at the opening ceremony of a Summer Olympics. (Belmont High’s Emily Cook has been a member of four US Winter Olympic teams and competing in three as a freestyle skier.)

But that 20 year drought could come to end next year in Brazil as Peter Gibson, BHS class of 2009, is making his mark as one of the best lightweight sweep rowers in the country.

On Friday, June 26, Gibson joined team mates Andrew Weiland, Matthew O’Donoghue and 2012 Olympian Robin Prendes to finish first in the lightweight fours at the USRowing National Championships held at Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J.

Last month, the team – rowing out of the USRowing Training Center in Oklahoma City – finished first in qualifications to represent the US at the 2015 Pan American Games taking place in mid-July in Toronto.

Taking time away from the fours, Prendes and Gibson won gold in the lightweight pair in the 2015 Under 23 & Senior I World Championships Trials on Wednesday, June 24. They will represent the Stars and Stripes at the 2015 World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Gibson is no stranger to world championships, having participated in the past two as a member of the lightweight eights, winning the bronze in 2013 and finishing fifth in 2014.

The son of Sarah Frisken and Ted Gibson, Gibson began rowing in 2008 at nearby Community Rowing, Inc., in Brighton. After graduating from BHS, Gibson entered Brown University where he rowed and earned a degree in computer science in 2013. 

If he does make next year’s Olympic team, he will upholding family tradition. His father rowed for Canada at the 1984 Olympic Games and his cousin, Duff Gibson, won a gold medal while competing for Canada in skeleton at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games.

Cool and Dark: Belmont High’s New Court Design Unveiled

Photo: The new basketball/volleyball court at Belmont High School will be ready for the volleyball season in September. 

Stone gray and midnight blue will color the new varsity court at the Wenner Field House as Belmont Athletic Director Jim Davis unveiled the new design to the School Committee at the final committee meeting of the school year on Monday, June 22 at the Chenery Middle School.

Replacing the long threadbare 20-year-old vinyl court will be a padded, modern synthetic court displaying the school’s mascot in the center circle and “Belmont” “Marauders” on either end. Construction will begin in late-July and be completed at the end of August.

The darkish color scheme will complement Belmont’s home “white” kits.

Along with the new court, the rims on the varsity court will be repaired or replaced.

The new court – which will be inaugurated with a game by Belmont High’s Volleyball team in September – was financed by a $100,000 appropriation from the Capital Budget Committee and private funds, chiefly from duel $35,000 contributions from the Belmont Savings Bank Foundation and the Belmont Youth Basketball Association. An additional $5,000 was raised at a fundraiser at Hopkinton Country Club.

Originally the focus was just the varsity court but a substantial contribution of $15,000 by the Belmont Boosters will allow the the surface surrounding the court, out to the inner track, to be completed.

The adjacent junior variety court will be completed in the summer of 2016.

Protest Raises Awareness of METCO Cuts Impacting Belmont Schools

Photo: The protest outside Belmont High School on Wednesday, June 17.

For 12 years, since first coming to the Wellington Elementary School as a first grader, Rashunda Webb has been a young woman on the move.

As a METCO student, she traveled from Dorchester to Belmont initially on a bus for her early years before switching to public transportation. While she attended Belmont High School, it took Webb a good 90 minutes on MBTA buses and subways to get to school and then back home.

Yet she said without benefits of graduating from one of the best open enrollment high schools in the country, “I don’t think I would have had the chance of attending the college I’ve been hoping to,”  said Webb, who is matriculating at New York University this fall as a nursing student.

And while she succeeded in using the opportunity METCO gave her, Webb wants to see others from her neighborhood take the same route she did.

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Rashunda Webb of Dorchester and Belmont High School.

“There are many, many kids who want to come here,” Webb told the Belmontonian. 

But the program Webb took advantage of is battling to maintain it funding level to where it can remain a viable option for other students from Boston.

“The budget cuts are closing the doors to the same opportunity I was privileged enough to experience,” said Webb at an informational protest rally at the entry to Belmont High School at Underwood Street and Concord Avenue on Wednesday, June 17. 

“That is why we are here today, that METCO will no longer open those doors of opportunity if we don’t speak up,” said Webb.

Holding bed sheets with “Protect METCO” and “The fight for equality is your responsibility,” written on them, a small but dedicated group of recent graduates and current students – each taking time away from finals preparation – sought to raise the issue that they believe has not received the attention or coverage it deserves. 

While many cars and students gave curious looks at the group, other beeped their horns and gave a supportive wave. 

“We’re looking to gain support in Belmont with this protest,” said Joe Fitzgerald, a 2014 Belmont High grad who coordinated the protest. Currently, 119 students from Boston attend Belmont schools in the first through twelfth grades. 

METCO – which stands for Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunities – is a voluntary integration program founded in 1966, provides a suburban public school education for African-American, Hispanic, and Asian students from Boston.

The program is currently in a tug of war between Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s budget which attempts to close a $768 million deficit. His budget cuts the METCO line item by $1.2 million to $17.9 million in fiscal 2016 while over in the House of Representatives, they propose to restore METCO funding to $20.14 million, a million dollars greater than last fiscal year’s amount. 

If the cuts are approved and passed, Belmont could see a resulting reduction in METCO of $54,000, a sizable hit for the program, Fitzgerald said. It could result in a drop in the over number of students attending Belmont schools and could result in siblings of current METCO students not provided an easier avenue to follow their brothers or sisters to the same schools. 

“We want to gain the democratic voice we need to bring more people into the debate, so it’s not just a debate between two or three higher ups but of the community which wants this program continue at adequate levels,” said Fitzgerald. 

‘Anything Goes’ Behind the Scenes Stars Honored at Theater Guild Awards

Photo: Belmont High’s Sara Nelson and Nomi Vilvovsky with their “Best Stage Management’ award from the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild. 

They are the unsung heroes back stage at a play or musical; providing actors their cues, oversee the tech crew, assist the director, making sure props are either off or on stage while keeping the show moving.

And for a production with as many moving parts – dancers, singers, actors, musicians – as this spring’s Belmont High School Performing Arts Company production of the Cole Porter musical “Anything Goes,” stage managers Sara Nelson and Nomi Vilvovsky, along with assistant managers Sophia Lubarr, Georgia Sundahl and Eli Dearden, where like jugglers being thrown an ever increasing number of balls to shuffle, with the expectation they would keep all of them in the air.

This past Monday, June 15, Nelson and Vilvovsky were honored for their organization and professional mastery by being awarded “Best Stage Management” in the High School Division at the annual Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild awards ceremony held in Boston. 

More than 70 Middle and High School productions were adjudicated by professional theater artists and educators and awards were given in a number of technical and performance categories.

“The award is a recognition not just of our strong team of student stage managers, but also the level of cohesion in all elements of the production: scenery and set changes, lighting, props, costumes, sound, actors and musicians,” noted Ezra Flam, “Anything Goes” producer and director.

In addition to the Stage Management Award, BHS PAC received nominations – which went to the top five schools in each category – for Best Dance Ensemble, Best Specialty Ensemble (the Sailors in the show) and Best Supporting Actor, Henry Dalby, as Moonface Martin.

Wagging Tails, Good Food Hoped to Lessen Anxiety of Belmont High Finals

Photo: Dog BONES recently at MIT.

“Finals.”

That single word creates more anxiety for high school students around the world than just about any other.

And it’s no different for students at Belmont High School, as high expectations from home and school added to being an adolescent while taking one test after another can, at times, seem overwhelming.

“Students noted that stress at Belmont High is a large issue and wanted to address this,” said Becca Tananbaum, a Belmont High junior who is a member of the school’s Student Leadership Team, a group made up of approximately 74 students who are given the opportunity to take charge of certain aspects of student activities on campus.

At the beginning of the year, Belmont High School Asst. Principal John Muldoon asked the Leadership Team to propose ideas for activities that would enhance the school environment. And what better place then the culmination of the a year’s worth of study.

With a general idea of attempting to improve the general atmosphere surrounding a week’s worth of cramming and worrying, the team focused on giving themselves and their peers a chance to ease up on the academic accelerator.

The result is the school’s inaugural “Stress-Free Brunch” taking place on Wednesday, June 17.

“We have worked closely with Mr. Muldoon and [Belmont High School Principal Dan] Richards to get approval and coordinate our plans,” said Tananbaum.

Team members Erin Cantor and Solvay Metelmann proposed having food available to students between exam periods to alleviate stress. The result will be a brunch with bacon, eggs and hash browns served specially for the event by the cafeteria staff. They are organizing donations as well as working with cafeteria staff and other clubs to provide the food. In addition, student volunteers are baking various foods for the brunch. 

Along with nourishment will be a treat in the auditorium: cute dogs.

“I suggested bringing in therapy dogs during finals week, as spending time with animals has been proven to reduce stress,” said Tananbaum, noting that many universities including Tufts and MIT have found them to be effective in reducing anxiety during exam season.

Partnering with Dog B.O.N.E.S., a Scituate-based organization that provides trained, certified therapy dogs to individuals, medical settings and at elementary, middle and high schools in towns such as Hingham and Ashland.

If successful, the Stress-Free Finals could become a tradition at the High School, noted Richards at a recent School Committee meeting. 

Final Senior Project for Silverfine: Run Fast at New Englands

Photo: Ari Silverfine is competing in the New England Regional Track Championships.

Ari Silverfine’s final day in class at Belmont High School was back in mid-May while his senior finals and projects are now memories. And this past Sunday, Silverfine received his High School diploma at graduation.

But the resident as one final test to take before he finishes his Belmont High obligations: run really fast.

The three-sport standout will compete in final time in the maroon and white when he toes the line running the 800 meter finals at the New England High School Outdoor Championships being held Saturday, June 13, in Saco, Maine.

Silverfine earned the invitation to race against the region’s best runners by running two laps in a personal best of one-minute, 56.73 seconds at the Middlesex Conference meet on May 19, making him one of the best in the state and New England. 

In addition to his PR, Silverfine ran a 1:57.12 in the Massachusetts All-State Championships on June 6.

At graduation, a day after the All-State meet, Silverfine stated he would be looking to drop his best by a significant amount.

“I can and hope to go faster,” he said. 

Bartels One-Hitter Not Enough for Belmont as Season Ends at Danvers

Photo: Junior pitcher Cole Bartels.

A throwing miscue with two outs in the bottom of the fourth allowed a pair of unearned runs to cross the plate and ended the 2015 season for Belmont High School Baseball, as the Marauders came out on the short end of a 3-1 loss to host and number-one seed Danvers in the Division 2 North sectional tournament on Monday, June 8.

“Unearned runs will do you in all the time,” said long-time Belmont Head Coach Jim Brown.

The anticipated pitching duel between Belmont High School’s Cole Bartels and Danvers High’s Andrew Olszak – their respective league’s MVP – didn’t disappoint as the aces battled from the mound with Bartels throwing a hard-fought one-hitter only to be matched by Olszak’s two-hit gem.

“Coming back on three days rest (after winning the playoff opener in Wilmington this past Thursday) Cole pitched a great game. I think they had a single infield bleeder,” Brown said of his junior ace, who collected six strikeouts in his six-inning stint.

While Bartels battled deep into counts against Danvers, Olszak – who led his team in hits, runs, scoring and set a league record for stolen bases – threw a selection of pitches that Marauders hitters kept pounding into the ground.

“You have to tip your hat to their pitcher,” said Brown, noting that Olszak, 8-0 in the regular season with two saves, surrendered a total of four walks for the entire year.

“He can pitch inside, outside, low, high; he just hit his spots,” said Brown.

Danvers (19-3) took the lead in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly after the Falcon’s second batter went from first to third on a one-out single by Olszak.

Belmont (12-10) came back to even the score in the next half-inning as sophomore catcher Cal Christofori doubled a first pitch offering. He advanced to third on Nick Call’s sacrifice bunt and came home on Robbie Montanaro’s sac fly.

The Marauders defense stuffed out a threat in the bottom of the second when second baseman Trevor Kelly caught an attempted slap hit to double up the runner at first, followed by Christofori catching another Falcon player leaning the wrong way at first, resulting him to be tagged out at second.

But Bartels’ fielders failed him in the fourth as a routine grounder ate up Kelly to put the lead-off batter on first. A sacrifice, a walk and a stolen base placed men at second and third with one out. It appeared Belmont had the Falcon player who was heading home dead to rights on a missed suicide squeeze. But a slip by Call allowed the player to scamper back to the hot corner.

With two outs and a full count, Danvers’ DH drove the ball to shortstop Noah Riley, who rushed the throw just a bit. But that little extra push sent the ball over Montanaro’s reach.

Two scored, and Belmont faced attempting to score against a pitcher they had yet to solve. Kelly came close with a two-out double in the sixth, but he was stranded at second.

While Christofori kept the deficit to a pair coming in relief of Bartels – twice gunning down runners at second – Belmont could only get one runner on the bases with two outs in the ninth before yet another ground ball out from Olszak finished the season.

“I was proud of the way we battled. We always play [Danvers] tough,” said Brown.

“It’s always a close game. You’ve got to play a clean game, or they’ll capitalize on your mistakes,” said Brown.

Belmont Boys, Girls Track In the Top Ten in East Divisional Meet

Photo: Belmont’s girls relay team in action. 

In the best combined day in recent memory, the Belmont High School Boys’ and Girls’ Spring Track teams powered their way to top-ten finishes in the East Division 3 championships held Wednesday, June 3 in Durfee, Mass.

Led by a pair of second-place finishes by sophomore Julia Cella in the 100 (12.73 seconds) and 200 meter (26.36) sprints, Belmont piled up 46.5 points over the day, good for a solid sixth place.

The boys collected 33 points to place 9th, just three points from 7th place.

Belmont’s girls was the only team with two runners in both sprint finals as fellow sophomore Marley Williams joined Cella in the dashes.

After taking seventh in the 100, Williams finished second to the eventual winner, Tatum Pecci of Tewksbury, in the preliminary heats of the 200 meters, making her a favorite in the finals.

But Williams began feeling under the weather and scratched from the final, said Belmont Head Coach Melissa Glotzbecker, whose team won the Middlesex League regular season title and the League meet. 

Belmont’s other multi-event point scorer was freshman standout Anoush Krafian, who finished third in the 100-meter hurdles, tied for seventh in the high jump and 11th in the long jump. She was also on the 4×100-meter relay that came in fourth.

Junior Samantha Kelts was one of three athletes who broke the existing point record for the pentathlon to finish the multi-event competition in third. Also capturing a third place medal was junior Meggie MacAulay in the 400 meters.

Sophomore Claudia Tenner led three Marauders in the 400-meter hurdles, coming in 7th followed by senior Kayla Magno and sophomore Guilia Rufo.

In the field events, junior Katrina Rokosz threw the javelin just under 111 feet for 7th place.

Leading the boys was senior captain Ari Silverfine, who broke two minutes to finish fourth in the 800 meters, while anchoring the 4×800 relay that raced stride for stride against Pembroke which eked out the victory over the Marauders by less than a second.

Silverfine’s fellow senior Owen Madden took third in the 400 hurdles while junior Luke Peterson used his long frame to finish fifth in the long jump, and sixth in the triple jump.

The final meet for both girls and boys is the All-State meet taking place on Saturday, June 6, at Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg.

From the girls team, Cella will be running in the 100 and 200 meters, Krafian in the 100 hurdles and high jump, MacAulay the 400, in addition to the 4×100 relay with Cella, Krafian, MacAulay and Williams with Naria Sealy as alternative.

Silverfine will run the 800 and Madden the 400 hurdles with the 4×800 and 4×400 relay teams taking part.

Baseball: Belmont, Bartels Show Their Best Beating Wilmington in Playoff Opener

Photo: Junior Cole Bartels pitching Belmont to first-round victory over Wilmington.

Belmont High School Baseball played its best game of the season at the most opportune time as the Marauders handed hosts Wilmington High School Wildcats an 8-1 loss in a first-round of the Division 3 North Sectional playoffs played under sunny skies on Thursday afternoon, June 4. 

Belmont’s battery, junior right-hander Cole Bartels and sophomore catcher Cal Christofori, led the way as Bartels kept the Wildcats silent for all but the third inning, striking out 10 during his six inning stretch on the mound.

“It was great. I could find my spot and threw hard,” said Bartels after the game.

Christofori went three for four at the plate with an RBI triple in the third to bring in Belmont first run before scoring the Marauders second run on an error. Christofori finished the game in relief of Bartels.

“We did the little things; get your bat on the ball and good things will happen,” said Belmont’s long-time Head Coach Joe Brown, winning a first-round post season game for the third consecutive year. 

“We really were focused since the end of the season and we’ve had some great practices,” said Brown of the error- free effort by his defense behind Bartels.

Next up for Belmont (12-9) is a match up with number one seed Danvers High which sports a 18-3 record, after disposing of Tewksbury, 7-0, on Thursday.

The game will take place at Twi Field in Danvers at 4 p.m., Monday, June 8.

“I’ve coached against [Danvers’] Roger Day six or seven times and he’s gotten the better of me most times,” said Brown. “I expect a lot of small ball and quality baseball on Monday.” 

Belmont broke open the game in the fourth after surrounding a run in the bottom of the third, getting to the Wildcat’s ace, southpaw Jackson Gillis, with Christofori sending home Bartels, then coming home on the error. Third base Nick Call scored the third run on shortstop Nick Riley’s double.

The Marauders’ scraped together a run in the fourth as center fielder Ben Goodwin scampered home on Christofori’s second RBI. 

But the rally ended after Call ripped a Gillis fastball into the left center gap. Since Wilmington High could not use its new baseball field due to the construction of the new school building limited parking, the game was played at a middle school field which does not have an outfield fence. Had a barrier stopped the ball, it would have been unlikely Call would have tried to stretch a double into a triple. An outstanding throw from the outfield caught Call before Christofori crossed home. 

The Marauders provided the knockout punch with three in the fifth inning, highlighted by Goodwin’s two-out, two-run double, scoring juniors Trevor Kelly and Matt Kerans. 

It was then up to Bartels to secure the win, as he made quick work of the heart of the Wildcat lineup in the sixth.

“[Bartels] was phenomenal today. He had his control on,he was mowing guys down. He pitched out of a jam early and then was untouchable,” said Brown.