Sports Caravan Gives Top Honors to North County Athletes
 Photos by Larry Kratka/Berkshire News Network
 Jackie Lemme of Mount Greylock gives her acceptance speech after being named Female Athlete of the Year; left, Dalton Larabee of Hoosac Valley is Male Athlete of the Year. |
More than half the awards given out at the Crowne Plaza went to students from Drury, Hoosac Valley and Mount Greylock, with the Mounties earning a county-best nine out of the 24 medals given out on the night. Mount Greylock's Jackie Lemme also earned Female Athlete of the Year honors, while Hoosac Valley had two major winners of its own in Male Athlete of the Year Dalton Larabee and Coach of the Year in a Male Sport (baseball) Bob Rivard.
Lenox's Jackie Shea was other the big winner, earning Coach of the Year honors in a Female Sport after leading the Millionaires to an undefeated tennis season and Berkshire County title in only her second year at the helm.
For a complete listing of Tuesday night's winners, see below.
The awards are named for Richard S. Jackson Sr., one of the founders of WBEC radio. The first Athlete of the Year went to Mark Belanger of Pittsfield, who later went on to play professional baseball.
WBEC, with the help of the Berkshire County media and athletic directors, selects MVPs from all of the sports contested on the high school level as well as a Male and Female Athletes of the Year and two Coaches of the Year. Each of the four major winners received $500 scholarships, with the athletes using the money for college and the coaches taking the funding back to their respective schools.
Lemme received her award first, a fitting tribute to an athlete who has been on the scene for several years now. The St. Lawrence University-bound standout in three sports has been an All-Western Mass. performer in cross country since the eighth grade and has won two different sectional titles as a member of the Mounties' track and field team. She's also been a valuable member of Greylock's state champion cross-country ski team, adding even more strength to her endurance sports resume.
Typically, athletes like Lemme don't normally get the credit they deserve at these types of events but after former Mountie Nick Fogel won the Male Athlete of the Year award for excelling in the same sports last year, it seems like people around the county are starting to take notice of the special athletes Mount Greylock has produced in recent years.
"I'm definitely honored that I got this award," Lemme said. "I'm was surprised that I got it because Nick and I did the same three sports, but I'm happy that I got it. It's been a great year, and I think running in college will be a great experience for me."
 Larry Kratka/Berkshire News Network
Hoosac Valley baseball coach Bob Rivard was named Coach of the Year in a Male Sport. |
Other Greylock winners included Dylan Dethier for golf, Matt Vaughan for boys' tennis and Mackenzie Hitchcock for girls' cross country skiing.
Larabee didn't win an MVP in an individual sport, but his complete body of work was more than enough to win him the Male Athlete of the Year award. The Hoosac senior started an amazing run last spring by leading his team to a Western Mass. title in baseball, earning tournament MVP honors in the process. He followed that up by playing quarterback and safety on a Hurricanes' football team that advanced all the way to the county championship and continued it by helping the Hoosac basketball team earn a trip to the state finals.
 Larry Kratka/Berkshire News Network
Jackie Shea of Lenox High is Coach of the Year in a Female Sport. |
"I could only hope it was going to work out that way," Larabee said. "It's just the way it worked out and the way our teams played in clutch situations. I never thought I would win this [award]. Everything I do, I just work hard and do the best I can do."
Larabee's teammates and coaches were also recognized on Tuesday night. Junior Robbie Burke was named boys' basketball MVP after he clearly established himself as one of the best players in the Western Mass. region this year. The last person to accept his award was Rivard, the Hoosac baseball coach for the past 16 years. Although he's made the postseason 12 times in his career, Rivard was quick to point out just how special last year's team was that went 15-9 and won a Western Mass. title, the third time the 'Canes have accomplished that feat since 2001.
While most people said the 2008 team overachieved, Rivard insisted that they simply "maximized their talent and potential at the right time."
"For me, it's a team award," Rivard said. "I certainly went up there to accept the award, but they're the ones that won it. There's a lot of people I played with and coached with who have won this award, so it's nice to be recognized with them. It's a quite an honor."
Drury had three significant award winners, including senior Jake Cantoni, who led the Blue Devils football team its third straight postseason appearance, Taylor DeSanty, who became the all-time leading scorer in Drury basketball history over the winter, and Kelsey Malloy, who's pitching and hitting helped the Devils' softball team to a record of 18-2 and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming WMass tournament.
Sports Caravan Honorees
Female Athlete of the Year
Jackie Lemme/Mount Greylock
Cross Country running and skiing/Track and field
 Photo by Ryan Holmes
Hoosac Valley honorees Dalton Larabee and baseball coach Bob Rivard were presented with engraved silver bowls. |
Dalton Larabee/Hoosac Valley
Baseball/Football/Basketball
Coach of the Year in a Female Sport
Jackie Shea/Lenox girls' tennis
Coach of the Year in a Male Sport
Bob Rivard/Hoosac Valley baseball
Boys' Alpine Skiing
David Graziani/Pittsfield
Girls' Alpine Skiing
Courtney Donovan/St. Joe's
Baseball
Than Finan/Mount Greylock
Boys' Basketball
Robbie Burke/Hoosac Valley
Girls' Basketball
Taylor DeSanty/Drury
Boys' Cross Country
Patrick Joslin/Mount Greylock
 Ryan Holmes
Drury High MVPs Kelsey Malloy, left, Jake Cantoni and Taylor DeSanty. |
Jackie Lemme/Mount Greylock
Football
Jake Cantoni/Drury
Golf
Dylan Dethier/Mount Greylock
Hockey
Chris Bolotin/Taconic
Lacrosse
Chris Herr/Lenox/St. Joe's
Boys' Soccer
Than Finan/Mount Greylock
Girls' Soccer
Mary Sheehan/Wahconah
Softball
Kelsey Malloy/Drury
Boys' Swimming
Joe Krok/Wahconah
Girls' Swimming
Maggie Rosenbaum/Monument Mountain
Boys' Tennis
Matt Vaughan/Mount Greylock
Girls' Tennis
Jess Martin/Taconic
Boys' Track and Field
Nick DeAngelo/Monument Mountain
 Ryan Holmes
Mount Greylock MVPs Than Finan, left, Dylan Dethier and Patrick Joslin. |
Jackie Lemme/Mount Greylock
Volleyball
Julia Warner/Lee
Wrestling
Brian Clay/Mount Everett
Boys' Cross-Country Skiing
Patrick Joslin/Mount Greylock
Girls' Cross-Country Skiing
Mackenzie Hitchcock/Mount Greylock
