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Massachusetts Maritime's Brody Calvert and MCLA's Elizabeth Brown earned post-season honors for their squads this fall.

Local Athletes Earn League Honors with College Teams

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Lee High School graduate Elizabeth Brown was named to the all-Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference first team this fall.
 
Brown, a sophomore at MCLA, led the Trailblazers in digs, with 3.27 per set, and was third on the team in kills with 2.29 per set.
 
She played in all 26 of MCLA's matches, starting 25, and had a season-high 18 kills in a five-set loss to Westfield State.
 
Brown was named second-team all-league last fall after her first season at MCLA.
 
Her former Lee teammate and current MCLA teammate MaKayla Schuerer appeared in 15 matches for MCLA (21-5) in her first year on the squad. Schuerer finished with 23 digs.
 
For the MCLA men's soccer team this fall, Reynaldo Castro (Taconic), David Kankam (Pittsfield) and Avery Manzolini (Monument Mountain) tied for the team lead with four goals apiece.
 
Benjamin Bonso (Berkshire Arts and Technology) had two assists in 15 games for the Trailblazers (5-7-3). MCLA's squad also included Mount Greylock alum Tyler Canata, Hoosac Valley's Jacob Richardson and McCann Tech's Jack Cooper and Michael Harris.
 
MCLA's women's soccer team got contributions from five local student-athletes.
 
Wahconah graduate and MCLA sophomore Eva Eberwein saw the majority of time in the Trailblazers' goal, stopping 133 shots for an .806 save percentage. Eberwein also finished the year with a goal and an assist.
 
Camryn Belilse (McCann Tech) finished with four goals for MCLA (3-9-3). Hoosac Valley's Tia Kareh and Taconic's Jenna Bateman each played in all 15 MCLA games, starting 13 and 12, respectively. Kareh and Bateman each and assist for the Trailblazers. McCann Tech's Addison Hayer also had an assist; she played eight games this fall, starting three.
 
At Westfield State, Wahconah graduate and Owls senior Michaella Moncecchi made three appearances in goal this fall, compiling a .750 save percentage and helping Westfield State (13-7-1) win the MASCAC Championship. McCann Tech grad Isabella LaCasse appeared in six games this fall at Westfield State.
 
Drury graduate Kayla McGrath scored a team-high eight goals as a sophomore this fall to help the Springfield College women's soccer team go 8-5-6 with a run to the NEWMAC semi-finals.
 
Salem State sophomore Huda Ngoynkulu (Mount Everett) finished with a goal in 15 games this fall for the Vikings (4-12-2). She is joined at Salem State by fellow Eagle Maggie Sarnacki, who saw the field in six contests.
 
Wahconah graduate Brody Calvert was named the MASCAC's co-Rookie of the Year after scoring 11 goals and finishing second in the conference in scoring for Massachusetts Maritime (4-11-2). He also passed out a couple of assists, and his 11 goals is the most ever by a first-year player for the Buccaneers.
 
Caleb Besaw (Drury) appeared in 10 games this fall for the Castleton State men's soccer team, starting twice for the Spartans, who finished with a record of 4-11-3.
 
Pittsfield High graduate Kellie Harrington finished 10t at teh Northeast Conference Championships to lead the Stonehill College women to the first league title in school history. Harrington covered the 5-kilometer course in 19 minutes, 9.1 seconds and was named to the all-NEC team for Stonehill.
 
St. Michael's College senior Abby Kittler (Pittsfield) recorded a personal record in finishing 41st and scoring for the Knights in their sixth-place finish at the NCAA Division II East Regional Championships. It was St. Michael's best finish since 2014 at the 21-team event.
 
Pittsfield High graduate Kieran Coscia played in nine games this fall on the offensive line for the Bucknell University football team (4-7).
 
At Westfield State, Wahconah High graduate Ryan Scott appeared in two games in his first campaign for the Owls. He completed one of his three passes for 14 yards and ran once for three yards.
 
Framingham State senior Gwendolyn Carpenter (Mount Everett) is averaging 11 points per game in five starts for the Rams (5-0).
 
At Springfield College, senior Riley Robinson (Hoosac Valley) has appeared in all six games for the Pride, averaging 19 minutes per game and helping Springfield get off to a 5-1 start this winter.
 
Robinson's fellow former Hurricane, Sharaya Keele is averaging eight minutes per game in four appearances for Albertus Magnus (4-3).
 
In the Division I ranks, former Monument Mountain standout Dion Brown is averaging 14 points per game and a team-best 5.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore in six starts at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (3-3). 
 
At Florida International, Mohamed Sanogo (Taconic) is averaging 5.7 ppg and 4.0 rebounds per game coming off the bench. He also has four blocks for the Panthers (1-6), who host Kennesaw State on Sunday in a game set to be telecast on ESPN-plus.
 
Hoosac Valley graduate Carson Meczywor has started all four games so far at UMass-Boston, averaging 6.8 points per game and passing out five assists for the Beacons, who were 1-3 prior to hosting Tufts on Saturday afternoon.
 
If you know a college student-athlete from a Berkshire County high school who should be included in an upcoming College Collage, please email sports@iberkshires.com
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DiLego Jewelry to Close After Nearly 100 Years in Business

By Daniel MatziBerkshires correspondent

Sisters Pamela Costine, left, and Cynthia Lamore have been operating the store since their aunts retired in 1987. Both started working in the business as teens.  Lamore's decided it's time to retire. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — DiLego Jewelery Store, the family-owned business that has been a staple of North Adams for nearly a century, will be closing this summer. 
 
The closure was announced on the store's Facebook page late Sunday night, where it immediately drew comments of remembrance and well-wishing.
 
Cindy Lamore, whose great uncle Frank DiLego opened the store on Main Street in the late 1930s, said the shop will cease operations following her retirement, slated for June 30. A 20 percent off Mother's Day sale will begin immediately, with increasing discounts leading up to the closing date.
 
It took Lamore "a couple of years" to reach the decision to close. Witnessing the passing of lifelong friends or their struggles with debilitating illness prompted her to reconsider her priorities, especially considering the extensive time devoted to running a small business. 
 
"You really question what you're waiting for," she reflected.
 
While recognizing that changing consumer habits have led to a decrease in jewelry and watch sales in recent years, Lamore stressed that her decision to close was a personal one. She and her business partner and sister, Pamela Costine, wanted "to do it on our terms," she said.
 
Comments on Facebook praised the store's customer service, and friends, family, and customers alike reminisced about buying jewelry for special occasions, stopping in for watch repairs, and the perennial rite of childhood for many: getting ears pierced.
 
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