The Pinkerton Academy winter sports teams gave their school’s community plenty about which to cheer and celebrate during the recently-completed 2014-15 season. And the Derry academy’s winter sports night on Monday, March 16 was quite a spirited event.
PA winter teams had already won five varsity championships by that evening, with veteran coach Peter Rosinski’s boys’ varsity basketball squad set to play a semifinal-round tournament game the next evening in its own effort to hoist a championship plaque.
The academy’s boys’ swim and track and field teams and the co-ed bowling contingent all snared state titles on the same day – with the boy tracksters and the bowlers repeating as champs – and the Lady Astros’ varsity gymnastics and spirit squads subsequently tallied titles as well, with the gymnasts repeating as Division I champs and coach
Michelle McCarty’s varsity spirit crew bagging its sixth straight crown.
There were plenty of trophies to hand over to Pinkerton administrators and loads of athletes and coaches to be applauded on the evening of March 16, and the academy did just that in its Hackler Gymnasium before the teams adjourned for individual meetings.
“This has been an absolutely terrific winter season,” said dean of students Glenn Ahrens, the man to whom championship trophies were presented. “We had four champions during the fall season, and we’ve already had five during the winter. And somebody tells me there’s some kind of game tomorrow night. Is that true?”
With the boys’ varsity hoop squad subsequently winning its semifinal contest with Nashua North the next evening, there wasn’t any reason for Pinkerton fans to stop their cheering for at least parts of several days.
After congratulating the title-winning varsity teams – as well as the junior varsity spirit champions – the folks gathered at the sports night gave individual event champs from swimming, track and field, and gymnastics the applause they had earned.
Additionally, Pinkerton athletic director Tim Powers announced that the school’s ice hockey program had won the Astro Cup, which is given to the program which shows the most support for other athletic teams at the school.
Varsity coaches awards went to Caleb Eaton (boys’ alpine skiing), Hannah Coulombe (girls’ alpine skiing), Emily LaLibertie (girls’ basketball), Ryan Monte (ice hockey), Jocelyn Hutchinson (girls’ swimming), Aeriela Thornton (girls’ track), Shayne McCann (wrestling), and Zach Merrill (unified basketball).
Awards for the select athletes on the title-winning varsity teams will be handed out during their forthcoming championship banquets, and the boys’ hoop award winner will be recognized at a later time as well because their season hadn’t yet been completed.
Junior varsity coaches awards went to Trystan Brown (boys’ hoop), Amanda Lemire (girls’ hoop), William Rooney (ice hockey), Victoria Williams (spirit), Jacob Minassian (boys’ track), Rebecca Lincoln (girls’ track), and Nathan Barnhart (wrestling).
Freshman coaches awards went to Tyler Behsman (boys’ hoop) and Keeanne Preval (girls’ hoop).
Special annual basketball honors went to Sam Dolan (Gail Carnovale Memorial Award) and Tom Olson (Mark Baldwin Award).
