Blue Devil Sports News
James Beck, a member of Huntington High School’s Class of 2008, has been named to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) All-Academic team after turning in a sensational year on the Iona College baseball team.
Beck led the Gaels in hitting with a .341 average. The former Blue Devil star broke into Iona’s starting line-up during the season and banged out 44 hits, including 10 doubles and five homeruns, scored 23 runs, had 34 RBIs and compiled a slugging percentage of .535.
On the last weekend of the season, Beck picked up five hits against Rider College. He played in 39 games, starting 32 mostly at catcher.
Marascia Grinds Away at UMASS
Maria Marascia, a member of Huntington High School’s Class of 2009, is fast becoming an indispensable part of the University of Massachusetts women’s track program.
The feisty freshman took 20th in the 400m run at the prestigious Atlantic 10 Championships that featured a powerhouse field. She set a personal best time in the event at the Valentine Invitational when she crossed the line in 1:02.38.
Marascia, who recently turned 19 years old, has been a key member of the 4 x 400m relay during both the winter and spring seasons and been solid in the 400m hurdles, too.
Cotter Runs at Quinnipiac
Brian Cotter, a member of Huntington High School’s Class of 2009, enjoyed a nice cross country season at Quinnipiac University where the former Blue Devil track star recently wrapped up his freshman year.
Cotter, who plans to major in finance, more than held his own in a number of invitational contests, beginning with one at Stony Brook University where he finished 14th in a field of 35 in a 6200m race. The Huntington alum swept past the finish line in 21:21.00, for an average mile pace of 5:32.6.
During invitational meets at Dartmouth, Central Connecticut, Lehigh and Quinnipiac, Cotter showed he more than belonged among the college runners. That didn’t surprise his Huntington coach, Ron Wilson, who called the Blue Devil alum “a fine athlete and an even better young man.”
It’s a Wrap for JV Softball
The Huntington High School junior varsity softball team closed out its season with a 5-11record under head coach Todd Jamison. The 16-member Blue Devil squad was captained by freshman Rebecca Alligood, sophomore Brittany Oliva and junior Jaclyn Beatty.
Sophomore outfielder Ali Ortiz and Alligood, who starred at shortstop, each enjoyed a stand-out year. “Ali has developed into one of the best outfielders in the program,” Jamison said.
Alligood’s “leadership and knowledge of the game has helped her develop into a great prospect for the varsity,” Jamison said.
Daves Solid at Cortland
Former Huntington track and field star Josh Daves put together a solid year in the sport at SUNY College at Cortland. The 2009 Blue Devil alum made his presence felt during both the indoor and outdoor seasons, running sprints and competing in the long jump.
A sampling of results shows that Daves’ ceiling in the sport is high. At the Marc Denault Invitational at Cornell University, which drew 900 entries from 20 college teams, Daves finished third in the long jump with a leap of 21’1.5. At the SUNYAC Championships at SUNY Brockport, Daves was seventh in the long jump after soaring 20’5.25.
Huntington head coach Ron Wilson said that Daves was one of the hardest working Blue Devil athletes and with his determination and willingness to sacrifice “the sky is really the limit for him at Cortland.”
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