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12/26/2021 11:00 PMAfter the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the sports scene in 2020, things started to get back to normal as 2021 unfolded. While there were some twists and turns along the way, the winter, spring, and fall high school seasons were all completed this year and featured plenty of success stories at the local level. Let’s take a look back at the highlights of 2021 in Madison sports.
Winter
The 2020-’21 winter season was an abbreviated one that featured no state tournaments or state championship meets. Instead, conference competitions served as the culmination of the season. There were no wrestling or cheerleading seasons held, and indoor track teams competed on a limited basis, if at all. Several teams around the state missed portions of their seasons after going into quarantine due to exposure to COVID-19.
The Hand girls’ basketball team posted a record of 12-2 for the winter season. Head Coach Tim Tredwell’s squad earned a 72-48 win over Hillhouse in the SCC Division I quarterfinals to advance to the semis, where the Tigers lost to Wilbur Cross 38-37. Juniors Brooke Salutari and Sophia Coppola earned spots on the All-SCC East Division Team.
The Hand boys’ basketball team finished with a record of 8-6 and made it to the SCC Division II semifinals. Hand claimed a 69-54 victory versus Cheshire in the SCC quarterfinals before taking a 44-41 loss to East Haven in the semis. The Tigers were led by senior captains Scott Testori and Mike Travisano. Junior Tyler Favre and freshman Kyle Hoffman made the All-SCC East Division Team.
The Hand girls’ fencing team finished with a record of 10-0 and then won its conference championship. Senior Cameryn Brown went undefeated with a record of 24-0 on the year.
The Hand boys’ fencing team netted a 9-1 record and claimed its conference crown this winter. Senior captain Daniel Ginsburg was the only fencer in the conference to go undefeated during the postseason.
The Hand boys’ ice hockey team saw most of the games on its schedule get canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tigers finished at 4-1 overall, but didn’t get a chance to play in the SCC/SWC Division II Tournament. Hand was led by senior captains Eric Dillner, Tatum Fitzmaurice, John Gagliardi, and Teddy Licari.
The Hand/Coginchaug/Valley/H-K girls’ ice hockey team went 2-6 during a shortened season. The team was captained by senior Mia Rice and junior Megan Hart.
The Hand gymnastics team competed virtually for most of its 2021 season and wound up taking second place at the SCC Virtual Championship. Freshman Hadley Reiss claimed first place on the floor exercise at the SCC meet, while sophomore Morgan McMahon finished third in the event. Junior Paige Dean finished sixth for the all-around.
The Hand boys’ swimming and diving team finished in seventh place at the SCC Virtual Championship. The Tigers were led by seniors John Beiner, Rowan O’Connor, Christopher Pellegrino, and Kyle Wisialowski.
Spring
Following the cancellation of the 2020 season, spring sports came back to play in Connecticut this year. Teams played full seasons, and state tournaments were completed for the first time since the fall of 2019.
The Hand baseball squad had its best season in program history in 2021, capping it off with the team’s first state championship. The Tigers earned wins against Bunnell (13-2), Bristol Central (9-3), Bethel (5-1), Avon (2-1), and Berlin (3-0) to win the Class L State Tournament and finish the year with a record of 21-2.
Senior captain Anthony DePino earned All-SCC First Team honors for the Tigers. Senior Danny Weinstein also made the All-SCC First Team. Seniors Eli Davies and Matt Carone garnered All-SCC Second Team honors for Head Coach Travis LaPointe’s squad. Junior David Antonetti tossed a one-hit shutout for Hand in the state final.
The Hand boys’ golf team captured its second-straight state crown this spring. The Tigers also went 15-0 for the regular season and took second place at SCCs.
Senior captain Matt Doyle earned medalist honors with first-place performances at both the SCC Championship and the Division II State Championship. Sophomore Reece Scott was also an All-SCC honoree for Head Coach Jim Holleran’s team.
After losing to Amity in the SCC final, the Hand girls’ tennis team won all four of its matches in the Class L State Tournament to take the title. The Tigers finished their season with an overall record of 19-3.
Hand notched victories over St. Joseph (4-3), Pomperaug (7-0), and Maloney (7-0) to reach the Class L state final, where the Tigers blanked Avon 7-0 to win the championship. Senior captain Lindsay Riordan earned All-SCC Division I honors for Hand.
On the heels of a 16-0 regular season, the Hand boys’ tennis team earned its third-straight conference crown by winning the SCC Division I Tournament. The Tigers claimed a 6-1 semifinal victory versus Fairfield Prep and then defeated Cheshire 5-2 to attain the three-peat.
In the Class L State Tournament, Hand earned a 7-0 win against Farmington and then lost to Wilton 4-3 in the semifinals. Senior captain Josh Israel and junior Sebastien Lowy earned All-SCC First Team honors for singles players, while senior Reilly Vejar and junior Will DeChabert made the All-SCC First Team for doubles.
The Hand boys’ lacrosse team advanced to the SCC final and the Class M state final this spring. The Tigers finished with a record of 15-6 on the year.
Hand earned a 9-6 win versus Cheshire in the SCC semifinals and then took an 8-5 loss against Fairfield Prep in the final. Hand claimed victories against Lyman Hall (21-1), Barlow (7-6), Masuk (14-3) in the Class M State Tournament to reach the title game, where the Tigers took a 5-4 overtime loss versus Wilton.
Senior Ryan Bordiere, senior Braeden Kosiewicz, senior John Gagliardi, and junior Seth Sweitzer earned All-SCC First Team accolades for the Tigers. Senior Tatum Fitzmaurice, senior Ryan Collins, and junior Patch Flanagan made the All-SCC Second Team.
The Hand boys’ outdoor track team finished its campaign with a record of 5-0 and then placed first at the SCC East Sectional Championship, second at the SCC Championship, and second at the Class MM State Championship.
Seniors Connor Parthasarthy, Carson Hines, Max Genther, Dante Zucconi, and Bryce Myers were All-SCC First Team honorees for the Tigers, as were juniors Paul Odyniec, Jack O’Keefe, and Morgan Veth, along with freshman Kyle Hoffman.
At the state meet, senior Josh Stewart finished first in the 100. Hand’s 4x400 relay of Odyniec, Hoffman, Parthasarthy, and Hines also finished first.
The Hand girls’ lacrosse team made it to the championship game of the SCC Division I Tournament. The Tigers earned wins against Mercy (26-13) and Cheshire (17-9) to advance to the SCC Division I final, where they took a 13-6 loss to Guilford to finish at 7-10 overall. Junior Kacie Wines and sophomore Lydia Doraz earned All-SCC First Team honors for the Tigers, while juniors Karleigh Kokoruda and Reilly Dolan were named to the All-SCC Second Team.
The Hand boys’ volleyball team went 7-9 and earned a win in the SCC Tournament this spring. The Tigers claimed a 3-0 home win against Xavier in the SCC quarterfinals before losing to Cheshire 3-0 in the semis. Hand went on to take a first-round loss to Rockville in the Class M State Tournament. Senior Adam Laffargue earned All-SCC honors.
The Hand girls’ outdoor track team finished eighth at the SCC East Sectional Championship and the SCC Championship, followed by a seventh-place finish at the Class MM State Championship. Senior Anna Steffen took first place in the 1,600 and the 3,200 for the Tigers at states. Steffen also finished first in the 3,200 at both the SCC East Sectional Championship and the SCC Championship.
The Hand girls’ golf team went 4-9 and then finished fourth at the SCC Championship and 14th in the Division II State Championship. Junior Lila Sullivan finished in 22nd place for the Tigers at states.
The Hand softball team finished with a record of 3-14. Senior Grace Hartmann was an All-SCC First Team selection for the Tigers, while Megan Hart made the All-SCC Second Team.
Summer
The Madison Senior American Legion team had a great year in its final season with Head Coach Jeff Buck. Post 79 notched an overall record of 18-6 on its way to winning the Zone 2 title and then advancing to the semifinals of the State Tournament this summer.
The Madison 8-10 All-Stars baseball team won the District 9 title and then made it to the championship game of the Section 3 Tournament. Madison went 6-0 in pool play in districts and then swept Middletown in a best-of-3 series to take the title, prevailing by scores of 4-0 and 13-1.
The Madison 8-10 All-Star softball team took home the District 9 championship. Madison defeated Middletown in a best-of-3 series to claim the crown, winning the decisive third game 16-8.
Fall
After no state competitions were held last fall, the 2021 fall season was played in full this year. Football teams also returned to the field to play a season for the first time in two years.
The Hand girls’ swimming and diving team took fourth place at the SCC Championship and then claimed a state title with a first-place finish at the Class M State Championship during the fall season.
Senior Grace Sweeney finished first in the 100 butterfly to help Hand win the state championship. The Tigers’ depth in multiple events also proved huge in the team’s victory. Hand’s senior captains were Abbi Chemacki and Kacie Wines.
The Hand football team enjoyed a successful first season with Head Coach Erik Becker, going 7-4 and qualifying for the Class L State Playoffs. The Tigers took a 21-20 overtime loss to St. Joseph in the quarterfinal round.
Four athletes from the Tigers earned All-SCC Tier 1 accolades. Senior captains Seth Sweitzer (wide receiver), Patch Flanagan (quarterback), and Ethan O’Brien (running back), and fellow senior Brendan Walsh (offensive line) were the All-SCC selections for Hand.
The Hand boys’ cross country team took second place at both the SCC Championship and the Class MM State Championship. Senior Jack O’Keefe finished in third place for the Tigers at the SCC meet. O’Keefe went on to take fourth place for Hand in states. Junior Harrison Grenier, junior Nick Montana, and senior Danny Hilmer were also All-SCC First Team honorees.
The Hand girls’ volleyball squad finished with an overall record of 18-7. The Tigers defeated Foran (3-0) and Branford (3-1) in the SCC Tournament before taking a 3-0 loss to Cheshire in the semifinals. Hand earned a 3-0 win against Waterbury Career in the first round of the Class L State Tournament and then took a 3-0 defeat in a second-round matchup against South Windsor. Senior Lilly Perry earned All-SCC Second Team honors.
The Hand boys’ soccer team went 13-2-3 and advanced to the second round of the Class L State Tournament. Hand defeated Pomperaug 2-0 in the first round of states and then took a 2-1 overtime loss to Notre Dame-West Haven in the second round. Seniors Ben Agerbaek and Aiden MacKay made the All-SCC First Team, while senior Rhett Newton and freshman Sam Wheeler were All-SCC Second Team honorees.
The Hand girls’ soccer team blanked Killingly (5-0) and East Lyme (1-0) in the opening rounds of the Class L State Tournament before losing to Simsbury 1-0 in the quarterfinals to finish at 11-5-3 overall. Hand’s senior captains were Abby Leckey and Ella Skonieczny. Seniors Mia Forti, Maddie Hummel, and Brooke Salutari earned All-SCC First Team honors for the Tigers. Sophomore Rory Parri was an All-SCC Second Team selection.
The Hand field hockey team earned a 3-0 win versus Branford in the first round of the Class M State Tournament and then took a 2-0 loss to Barlow in the quarterfinals. The Tigers finished their season with an overall record of 9-8-1-1. Seniors Megan Hart and Natalia Nolan made the All-SCC First Team. Senior Alanna Fay and sophomore Jordan Kells were selected to the All-SCC Second Team.
The Hand girls’ cross country team finished in fourth place at the SCC Hammonasset Division Championship. Freshman Marla Lafferty turned in the best performance for the Tigers by taking ninth place.