County's Top Athletes, Coaches Honored at Sports Caravan Awards
 Wahconah girls' soccer coach Jessie Kovacs was voted the Coach of the Year in a Female Sport. |
She never knew that one day she'd have to fill his shoes.
On Tuesday night, Kovacs was given an award named in Powell's honor; she was recognized as the Coach of the Year in a Female Sport at the 48th WBEC/TD Bank Sports Caravan Awards ceremony at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Jeanne Teasdale, the cross country and track and field coach at Lenox, won Coach of the Year in a Male Sport.
Drury's Nik Andrews won a Robert "Boog" Powell Award for Male Athlete of the Year, while Lee's Julia Warner took home Female Athlete of the Year.
When Powell, the longtime coach of the girls' soccer team at Wahconah Regional High School, died unexpectedly last October, Kovacs faced the immensely difficult task of becoming the Warriors' head coach. Besides having to lead a group of grief-stricken girls, Kovacs was taking over a position that had been Powell's for the previous 22 years.
Under Kovacs' guidance, the Warriors did what most teams under Powell had done: win. Wahconah captured the Division II Western Massachusetts championship and advanced to the state title game, where they lost a 2-1, double-overtime classic to Cardinal Spellman.
The four top awards were previously named after Richard S. Jackson Sr., one of the founders of WBEC radio, but they were renamed this year after the passing of a Wahconah legend, who in his tenure also served as the athletic director, girls' basketball coach and a teacher.
"I don't know if words can really describe who he was to me and who he was to the community," Kovacs said in her acceptance speech. "The team really came together like a big family. I think Boog was up there watching over us."
The four recipients of the major awards were each presented $500 scholarships. For the athletes, the checks provided by TD Bank will be used toward a college of their choice. For the coaches, the money goes to their school of employment.
Before the "Boog" bowls were handed out, 24 Most Valuable Player medals were awarded to the top athletes in every varsity sport — voted on by county ADs and members of the local media. Lenox led all schools with six athletes selected, followed by Mount Greylock with five.
 Nik Andrews |
"This is the perfect way to end my high school career," Andrews said. "I feel like I'm ready to move on from Berkshire County to the Big East."
Warner is no stranger to the Caravan Awards banquet; she was awarded the MVP medal in volleyball last year and repeated as the top vote-getter in 2010. She has been an All-Berkshire County selection in volleyball for the last four years. In her senior season, she was captain of the volleyball, basketball and track teams. Academically, she's a member of the National Honor Society and she'll graduate with the fourth highest grade-point average in her class.
 Julia Warner |
Andrews and Warner each gave credit and thanks to their families, coaches and teammates.
Teasdale has been the Millionaires' cross-country coach since 2002 and the track and field coach since 2004. In her six years as the track coach, the team's roster has grown from 20 to 95 athletes. This past fall, the boys' and girls' cross-country teams both won Berkshire County South Division titles. The boys were undefeated en route to a Western Massachusetts crown.
"There was something really extra special about the fall of 2009," she said. "It wasn't just about top five or seven runners who scored; every kid on the team, even the youngest kids, had a lot of pride. They gave 100 percent of what they could give. I'm a strong believer that if you're really committed to something, things will fall into place.
"That's what happened. There was something magical."
Here is the complete list of winners:
 Jeanne Teasdale |
David Graziani (Pittsfield)
Alpine Skiing - Girls
Nicole Sonzogni (Lenox)
Baseball
Dan Fuore (Lenox)
Basketball - Boys
Robbie Burke (Hoosac Valley)
Basketball - Girls
Darcey Sullivan (Wahconah)
Cross Country - Boys
Scott Carpenter (Lenox)
Cross Country - Girls
Mackenzie Hitchcock (Mount Greylock)
Football
Austin Alibozek (Hoosac)
Golf
Barrett Ramsay (Monument Mountain)
Hockey
Andrew Budz (Greylock)
Lacrosse
Jeremy Johnson (St. Joe's)
Soccer - Boys
Taylor Foehl (Greylock)
Soccer - Girls
Bailey Robinson (Taconic)
Softball
Brittany Breault (Wahconah)
Swimming - Boys
John Erdeski (Drury)
Swimming - Girls
Maggie Rosenbaum (Monument)
Tennis - Boys
Sean O’Brien (Lenox)
Tennis - Girls
Sara Plager (Lenox)
Track & Field - Boys
Zach Ziemba (Hoosac)
Track & Field - Girls
Madeline Allen (Lenox)
Volleyball
Julia Warner (Lee)
Wrestling
Eli Coniglio (Drury)
X-Country Skiing - Boys
Jordan Tuboly (Greylock)
X-Country Skiing - Girls
Mackenzie Hitchcock (Greylock)
