Rissa Smith slides home for the Brattleboro softball team s lone run during a 2-1 loss to BFA-St. Albans in the Division 1 semfinals on Thursday, June 7. The two-time defending champion Colonels finished up with a 16-3 record. (Jeff Rawson photo)
Thursday June 14, 2012

BRATTLEBORO -- During a season in which the Brattleboro baseball team put up double-digit runs in four consecutive games and Isaiah Ungerleider ran his tennis opponents to death all over the BUHS courts, Jacob Ellis just kept running.

The senior won the 800 and 1500 meter races at the state track meet in Burlington to help the Colonel boys to a fifth place finish in Division 1. Sam Kochinskas also earned gold for the purple and white by clearing 5-10 in the high jump.

Dreams of a three-peat came to an abrupt end for the Brattleboro softball team when it lost to BFA-St. Albans, 2-1, in the semifinals. Kelly Markol's 14-2 club didn't have the smoothest playoff run, either -- rain postponed their first-round game, which they eventually won by forfeit. And after holding off Mount Mansfield in the quarterfinals, their bus broke down on the way to St. Albans.

But pitcher Kayla Wood, who has a remarkable 9-1 record in the circle during the postseason, will have a chance at a third state title. Her school already owns 10 softball crowns, including championships in 1978, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2010 and 2011.

The Brattleboro baseball team, which was looking for its ninth trophy, nearly went perfect during the regular season and was seeded No. 1 in the tournament. But the Colonels eventually ran into Rice ace Will Conroy, who fanned 10 when his Green Knights shocked Groeger's gang in the quarterfinals.

It was South

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Burlington that dominated the Division 1 playoffs in 2012. The Rebels won the title in three of the six varsity sports, including boys tennis, girls lacrosse and boys lacrosse. They continued to control the courts, as their boys tennis team went a perfect 20-0 for the school's 18th state championship.

CVU was crowned twice, as their baseball team topped BFA-St. Albans 5-0 in the finals and their girls tennis team went the whole way without a single blemish. The other state title went to Essex, which outscored BFA-St. Albans 6-3 in the softball finale.

Ungerleider, who made it all the way to the semifinals in the tennis individuals in Burlington, helped his Colonels to the semis in the Division 1 Tournament. Caroline Dinicola-Fawley advanced to the quarterfinals at Leddy Park after helping the BUHS girls tennis team to a 5-8 record during the regular season.

Brattleboro coaches Phil Natowich and Tom Weber are still seeking their first Gatorade baths in school history. The boys tennis team is 0-6 in state finals and the girls reached the championship just once -- losing to South Burlington in 1999.

The BUHS lacrosse teams each had successful seasons. The boys went 12-4 to earn the No. 3 ranking, while "the Maud Squad" went 9-6 and earned the six seed.

Three of Chris Sawyer's players made the Marble Valley League's 1st Team, including Nik Rancourt, Aaron Prue and Romello Lindsay. Phil Perkins, Jon Thomson, Colin Campbell and Conner Elliott-Knaggs were all named to the 2nd Team.

Making the All League Baseball All-Star team for Division A were Brattleboro's Soren Pelz-Walsh, Tommy Heydinger and Sawyer Olson. Jamie Martell earned honorable mention.

There are a trio of Colonels on the All League Softball All-Star team for Division A, including Kayla Wood, Mary Richardson and McKinlie Carpenter.

The tennis and girls lacrosse honors were not received by press time.

Shane Covey can be reached at scovey@reformer.com or by calling 802-254-2311, ext. 163.