The spring of 2011 saw the Guilford softball team build a solid foundation and the golf and the boys' lacrosse teams make runs in the postseason.

Softball

Guilford went 13-10 in 2011, earning a berth in the Class L State Tournament. The No. 19-seeded Indians knocked off Torrington (No. 14 seed) in the opening round by a final of 3-1 before they were eliminated by Southern Connecticut Conference foe Foran, the eventual state champion.

Guilford was led by captains Tory Brinkley and Leah Torre.

Brinkley, a senior, has been a four-year starter at shortstop for the Indians, amassing a 58-35 record over her reign of the middle infield. Brinkley was awarded with the team's Sportsmanship Award, hit .365 with 14 RBIs, and led the team with 15 runs.

Torre was a junior and led the team from the mound and the plate. She was the Indians' starting pitcher and No. 4 hitter, batting .313 with four home runs and 12 RBI, plus throwing 146 innings with 188 strikeouts, earning Most Valuable Player honors.

Ashlee Munk joins Brinkley as the only other graduating senior. Munk was an outfielder who anchored the bottom of the Indians' lineup with a .250 average.

Mahoney was given the Coaches' Award, while Sperry was named the team's Most Improved Player. Brinkley, Torre, and catcher Brittney Maio were all named to the All-Division Team.

Baseball

It wasn't the season coach Pete Civitello had hoped for as the Guilford baseball team was unable to qualify for postseason play, amassing a 6-14 record in 2011.

Captains Mike Juliano, Chris Stockman, and Jake Battipaglia led the squad, with Will Stitilis, Hart, Braumann, Justin Felix, and Chris Minatti also playing pivotal roles.

Boys' Lacrosse

The Indians showed they had heart this year, overcoming numerous obstacles to post a 10-10 record and berths in both the SCC and Class M tournaments.

The Indians started the year 0-4 before winning seven of the next nine to put themselves back in playoff contention. Guilford won a game in each of the postseason tournaments, beating Branford 13-5 in the SCC Tournament before being eliminated by Cheshire, 9-4. The Indians then knocked off No. 4 RHAM 18-11 before losing to the eventual state champion Wilton, 13-1, in the state tournament.

Leading the Indians all season was senior captain and defenseman Christian Cattaruzza. Cattaruzza was named the team's Most Valuable Player and was honored with an All-SCC First Team Defensive selection.

Seniors Jordan Drake, Rob Potter, Nick Petrowski, Kevin Fogarty, Troy Raccuia, Grady Deacon, and Jake Slade also contributed. Drake was named the team's Defensive Most Valuable Player for his efforts in goal during the season.

Girls' Lacrosse

In 2010, the Guilford girls' lacrosse team made an improbable run in the state tournament. That, paired with a strong returning class, meant there were lofty expectations for the 2011 Indians. Guilford didn't disappoint, winning 15 games and advancing deep in both the SCC and Class M tournaments.

The Indians posted a 13-3 regular season record while winning two games in the postseason, improving their record to 15-5. Guilford stormed out of the gates by winning eight of it first ten games.

The Indians' body of work throughout the regular season showed they belonged in the same conversation as SCC powerhouses Hand and Cheshire. The Indians entered the SCC Tournament as the No. 4 seed, knocking off Hamden in the quarterfinals 17-16. Guilford's reward: a date with Hand with a trip to the SCC finals on the line. The Indians were beat for the second time by their cross-town rival, 15-14 in overtime.

Guilford got back on track in the opening round of the Class M Tournament, easily knocking off Pomperaug 22-14 in the first round. That would be the final win for this group as Guilford was eliminated from the tournament on its home turf by Darien, the eventual state champion, by the final of 22-2 on June 6.

Leading the Indians all season long on the field was a trio of captains in Dara Davis, Abby Sullivan, and Ellen Kebabian. Davis led the offense, often commanding double and triple teams by opposing defenses. She scored 50 goals and had 45 assists on the season and was named to the All-SCC and All-State first teams, as well as being recognized as a scholar athlete. Kebabian paced Davis on the attack while also posting big goal-scoring numbers, totalling 30 goals and 12 assists on the year, while Sullivan anchored the Guilford defense. Kebabian was honored as a member of the All-SCC and All-State second teams.

Seniors Kayla Tyska, Jessica Penman, Nicole Pietrosimone, and Oliva Simpliciano also contributed.

Golf

The Guilford golf team finished the year 10-9, going 6-2 in the SCC Hammonasset Division.

Art Fonicello's squad didn't qualify for the SCC Championships as a team, but did qualify two golfers as individuals in Ryan Moore and Mike Murray. Moore shot an 83, while Murray posted an 86 at the Racebrook Country Club in Orange, a par-71 course.

Guilford did, however, qualify as a team of the Division II State Championship on June 6 at Crestbrook Park in Watertown. The Indians shot a 353 as a team, finishing tied for 13th with Wilton and Notre Dame. Moore again was the team's best finisher shooting an 81. He was followed by Murray (88), Trent Kaisen (91), Tyler Quinlivan (93), and Nate Misbach (102).

Murray and Quinlivan are the only two seniors who graduated and Fonicello felt their maturation went a long way in terms of the team's overall accomplishments.

Moore was named the Guilford's Most Valuable Player, while Adam Strilbyckij was given the team's Sportsmanship Award.

Boys' Tennis

The Indians (10-8) won 10 matches, qualifying for the SCC and Class M meets. They were beat in the first round of the SCC Tournament by Cheshire 7-0, but did have a strong showing in the Class M bracket, finishing fifth overall.

Leading the charge for Guilford were captains Spencer Nederhood and David Wagner.

Seniors Nederhood, Ben Kalbfeld, Alec Yang, Logan Gregoire-Wright, and Connor Hoge were also hefty contributors.

Girls' Tennis

The Indians were 8-9 in 2011 earning a berth in the SCC Tournament, just missing out on a chance to play in the state tournament. Guilford, which had lost to rival Hand twice during the regular season, lost to the Tigers in the opening round of the SCC Tournament by the final of 6-1.

The Indians were captained by a pair of seniors in Kristen Keyser and Rebecca Hasenfeld. Also departing from the team will be Sarah DePalma and Danielle Renchy, both of who came up clutch for the Indians this spring.

Hansenfeld was named the team's Most Valuable Player, while Kristen Forscher was given the team Sportsmanship Award. The doubles team of Meg Goodrich and Kelly Sobolewski were named to the All-SCC Division I Team.

Boys' Outdoor Track

The Indians posted a 2-4 record in 2011, finishing in fourth place in its division. Guilford then finished 14th in the Class MM meet.

Senior Jeff Moretti scored four of the team's six points in the SCC meet with a fifth-place finish in the 1,600. The 4x800 relay team of Moretti, Kevin Maguire, Matt Truedson, Matt Brockett, and Chris Burkle scored the other two points for Guilford by finishing seventh.

In the state meet, however, the Indians did perform better, totaling 18 points and finishing 14th. Maguire came in second in the 800 by scoring eight points and Moretti finished the 1,600 in third for six points and was fifth in the 3,200 for four points.

Moretti (MVP Award) and Brian Dinse captained this year's squad. Moretti was a distance runner, while Dinse participated in sprints and the pole vault. Seniors Mike McGowan, Connor Isnard, Sam Moskow, and Rusty Geary also contributed.

Girls' Outdoor Track

The Guilford girls' outdoor track team continued its climb up the ranks in the track and field world in 2011. Looking to add more wins following a 6-5 record in 2010, the Indians' postseason performances proved they could hang with the best of the best.

Guilford finished the regular season with a 9-2 overall record, going 3-1 in the SCC Hammonasset Division. But it was what the Indians did in the postseason meets that defined their season. The team had three top-four finishes by coming in third in the SCC East Sectional meet, fourth in the SCC Championship, and second in the Class MM State Championship.

Guilford was led by a trio of captains in Lindsey Williams, Valerie Williams, and Stephanie Sulkowski. Lindsey Williams was the team's top scorer the past two seasons and was well-established as a three-event specialist in the long, high, and triple jumps. She also qualified for the New England Championships and was named a field co-MVP of the team, leading the team this season with 138 points scored.

Seniors Logan Kozal, Sam McKnight, and Maegan Faitsch also contributed.

Meg Powell and Liz Christensen played large roles in the Indians' success, as both were state champions-Powell in the 1,600 and Christensen in the javelin and both were named team co-MVPs. Powell and Katie Ferrall were named the track MVPs and Christensen joined Williams as a field MVP. Christensen was second on the team with 126 points scored, while Powell was fourth with 85 points.