Outdoor Track & Field Boasts Talent, Depth As Bucs Continue Climbing Ladder Of Success
Posted: Mar 16, 2011

Outdoor Track & Field Boasts Talent, Depth As Bucs Continue Climbing Ladder Of Success

The outdoor track & field program at Massachusetts Maritime has experienced great growth and success over the past few seasons, and Co-Head Coaches Chris Barry and Cathy Lohse-Whitelaw are looking for that trend to continue during the 2011 season.  The Buccaneers return a plethora of experienced performers and will look to infuse talented newcomers into a program that produced a pair of MASCAC individual champions last spring.

Leadership has played a key role in the growth and development of the program, and Barry and Lohse-Whitelaw will look to seniors Joseph Choiniere (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield), Meredith Hall (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury), Jason McWhirter (Melvin Village, N.H./Nashua South) and Rory O’Donnell (Somerset, Mass./Somerset), along with junior James Hutchinson (Pembroke, Mass./Pembroke) to provide that leadership in their role as captains this season.  The co-head coaches describe this trio as “committed to the overall success and betterment of this program through their tireless work effort and example to their teammates”.

O’Donnell and junior Chris Sullo (Canton, Mass./Canton) return as the reigning MASCAC champions in the triple jump and high jump, respectively, as Sullo also earned all-New England Division III accolades in the latter event in 2010.  Hall was a standout throughout the year in the javelin for Massachusetts Maritime, and they will look to repeat their conference and regional successes during the coming campaign.

Barry and Lohse-Whitelaw, who welcome 29 letterwinners back to the program this spring, have depth on both sides, as the Buccaneers will be paced in distance events by McWhirter and fellow seniors Brian Reske (Duxbury, Mass./Sacred Heart), Matt Nadell (Whitman, Mass./Whitman-Hanson), Anthony Venterosa (Stoughton, Mass./Stoughton) and Jon White (Lynnfield, Mass./Lynnfield).  Junior Ian Wiltshire (Alexandria, N.H./Newfound Regional), sophomores Rob Bergonzi (Quincy, Mass./Quincy), Gabriel Bermudez (Guaynabo, P.R./Antilles) and Kaitlin Scannell (Gilford, N.H./Gilford), along with freshmen Kevin Griffin (Stoneham, Mass./Stoneham), Spencer Kelly (Melbourne, Fla./Alliance Christian) and Liz Leonardi (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) will provide additional depth in distance events for Massachusetts Maritime this spring.

The Buccaneers have experience back in the sprinting events as well this season, as Choniere (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield) is joined by senior Stephanie Lee (Acton, Mass./Scarsdale), juniors Mike Bois (Lakeville, Mass./Apponequet), Stephen Downs (Marshfield, Mass./Sacred Heart) and Joseph Vitali (Killingworth, Conn./Haddam-Killingworth) as well as sophomores Evan Balderelli (Brimfield, Mass./Tantasqua Regional), Thomas Dindy (Marshfield, Mass./Xaverian), Josh Lamm (North Andover, Mass./North Andover), Aaron Mann (Woodbine, Ga./Camden County), Laura Spalt (Harwichport, Mass./Harwich), Laurence Tagger (Bourne, Mass./Bourne) and Michael Temple (Weymouth, Mass./Weymouth).  Freshmen Rulando Antoine (Newington, Conn./Newington), Michael Gray (North Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames), Ted Mello (Acushnet, Mass./Old Colony Regional) and Joseph Salvatore (Weymouth, Mass./Archbishop Williams) will also look to make an impact as rookies this spring.

The Buccaneers have increased depth in the field events as well this season, as Hall, O’Donnell, Hutchinson and Sullo will be joined in that group by seniors Phil Astone (East Falmouth, Mass./Falmouth), Ryan Buchanio (Plainville, Mass./Bishop Feehan), Jameson Buckley (Middleboro, Mass./Coyle-Cassidy), David Cenedella (Townsend, Mass./North Middlesex), Brian Fuller (Attleboro, Mass./Attleboro) and Doug Proctor (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North); juniors Nicholas Dierlam (Safety Harbor, Fla./Clearwater Central Catholic), Chris Dintino (Mashpee, Mass./Mashpee) and Kevin Quinn (Barrington, R.I./Barrington) and sophomores Ryan Clark (St. Petersburg, Fla./Dixie Hollis), Chris Flynn (Orange, Conn./Amity Regional), Michael Rourke (Stoneham, Mass./Stoneham) and Tom Turner (Westmoreland, N.H./Woodinville).  Freshmen Rich Aylward (Hanover, Mass./Thayer Academy) and Robert Gratzer (Pembroke, Mass./Pembroke) will also be looking to impact Massachusetts Maritime’s fortunes this spring.

Massachusetts Maritime begins the 2011 campaign on Saturday, March 19th when the Buccaneers travel to Dedham, Mass. to compete in the Northeastern Husky Spring Carnival that begins at 11:00 a.m. EDT.