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By HANNAH BEVIS

Kacey Schmitt never meant to coach the Amherst Regional High School volleyball team for longer than a season. Frankly, she thought she’d be done after a couple weeks. She was talked into the job by then-athletic director and friend Tom Cullen, and...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

The Frontier Regional boys volleyball program wouldn’t exist without Jesse Kurkulonis.Inspired by the success of his friends on the Redhawks girls team, which has won 11 state championships including last fall, he began inquiring with newly minted...

By HANNAH BEVIS

With just seconds left in her final high school lacrosse game, Granby’s Ella Laliberte was one tally away from hitting 300 career goals. Everyone on her team knew, including Laliberte, and they quickly came up with a simple but effective plan of...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

Greg Vreeland called his older brother, Hopkins Academy baseball coach Dan Vreeland, over to the hitting tunnel set up near the field. The mesh cage allowed the Golden Hawks’ junior varsity call ups and bench players to take batting practice swings...

By HANNAH BEVIS

In the summer of 2022, after his freshman season, Amherst’s Logan Alfandari carefully poured a throwing circle in his backyard with his dad’s help. He decided that he wanted to have a place to get some extra practice after making a splash in throws...

By HANNAH BEVIS

Belchertown junior Ava Shea came into this tennis season with clear goals and a laser focus. Athletically, Shea was already a formidable opponent, with a serve that makes her opponents quake in their sneakers and the experience of playing No. 2...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

WORCESTER — Bourne’s bats built a bridge too far for Hopkins Academy.The No. 9 seed Golden Hawks rallied in nearly every game of the state tournament but couldn’t make it all the way back against the No. 2 Canalmen in the MIAA Division 5 championship...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

GREENFIELD — The Rooster hummed a song of victory in his head while staring defeat in the eyes.Frontier Regional junior Wyatt Edes, nicknamed after the barnyard crower for his flowing red locks and crimson goatee, stood in the Veterans Field batter’s...

By HANNAH BEVIS 

Before this track season, Williston Northampton School’s Catie Spence had never competed in the 800 meter run before. By the end of the year, she held the school record in the event. The Amherst native set the school record during the Division II New...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

NORTHAMPTON — Amherst’s casket never closed.Lexington celebrated like it won the boys ultimate state title Sunday at Oxbow Marina. The Fooligans ran off the sideline into the end zone to scream and hug then lined up. They thought they slayed the...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Teddy Scott noticed the dust in the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School trophy case.The runner up trophy from last season’s Western Massachusetts Class C boys tennis final loss against Lee also caught his eye. Scott...

By HANNAH BEVIS

Winning a state title isn’t just about talent and hard work — though that certainly plays a large part of it.For Amherst junior David Pinero-Jacome and his coach Bob Rosen, it was also about planning.The two spent the season experimenting with...

By HANNAH BEVIS

Tessa Kawall has always been a supremely talented basketball player — Amherst head coach Ralph Loos often calls her a “freak” when talking about her athletic ability. But until somewhat recently, Kawall could sometimes let her emotions get the best of...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

A special waiver allowed Lucy Smith to join the Amherst Regional high school swim team as a seventh grader.The Hurricanes couldn’t have fielded the squad without adding middle schoolers for the 2017-18 season.“It was definitely a little intimidating....

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

WESTFIELD — Blood pooled in the cut on Audrey Bowen’s lower lip.She and the Amherst Regional girls basketball team took a punch against Springfield Central in the Western Massachusetts Class A championship game Saturday.The defending champion Golden...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

CAMBRIDGE — Lucy Smith placed one hand on fellow Amherst Regional senior Deborah Wells’ back, said, “I’ve got something for you.”She handed over the MIAA Division 2 Girls Swimming state finalist trophy she’d held since the Hurricanes received it to...

By HANNAH BEVIS

Amherst’s cross country program has a long and storied history. Its one of the schools in the area that has been able to cultivate sustained success, with many impressive athletes leaving their mark.Even so, it’s rare that athletes like Tamar...

By HANNAH BEVIS

Before he ever laced up a pair of cross country spikes, David Pinero-Jacome was a soccer player.It seemed like an inevitability that he’d keep playing the game – soccer was the ‘sport of the house,’ with David playing striker and his twin brother...