Roy wins sportsmanship award

Region - Congratulations go to Shrewsbury High junior Megan Roy, who won the top prize in the Seventh Annual Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Student Sportsmanship Essay/Multimedia contest. Entries attempt to answer this question, "what does sportsmanship mean to me?"

Roy was presented her award, $500 and a recognition plaque, at ceremonies last month at the MIAA Sportsmanship Summit held at Gillette Stadium.

Tougher schedule

Perhaps it will work for Westborough High's girls basketball team like it did for the school's girls volleyball team. A season ago the Rangers' hoop team non-league schedule was not so strong. After rolling through the regular season, and into the D1 finals, Holy Name pretty much controlled play in a Nap victory. After not playing Holy Name until last year's final, this year's schedule features two regular season games with the Worcester school: Jan. 3 on the road, and a late-season Feb. 12 game in Westborough that could provide a real insight to the playoff picture. Playing a beefed-up regular season schedule is definitely the way to go for teams with championship aspirations, even if it means an extra regular season loss or two.

Let's play winter

softball

It's getting cold outside and the snow is flying. So think softball? Absolutely, if one group of Marlborough seniors has its way.

The Marlborough Senior Softball association comes off a 40-game season, a team managed by Steve Goldstein, that finished up with a five-game sweep in the fifth Annual BSA Senior Tournament in Wayland. League director Fred Scerra said the excitement of that finish has everyone looking forward to next season.

But there is little rest for those who love the game. Plans are underway for the winter softball program that starts the first week in January. The winter program will be based in Sudbury on Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to noon.

"This is a good program for current players and new recruits who might be interested in playing next year, but haven't played in a while," Scerra said.

The program is open to anyone 55 and over by Dec. 31, 2008. Contact Scerra at marlsrsoftball@verizon.net or 774-249-0143.

Highland City Striders have been

busy

Members of the Marlborough based road running club have been busy hitting the roads. The club held their award

third Annual Tough Ten Mile Turkey Trot at Ghiloni Park Thanksgiving weekend. More than 70 runners hit the rolling hills of Marlborough and Hudson.

Craig Blum (18th overall, 1:16.47) and Lisa deMars (21st overall, 1:18.38) were the first Marlborough male and female finishers.

Andrew Wommick, Brighton, won the race in 56:41. Westborough's Thomas McDonaugh finished third.

Sumner Fletcher from Uxbridge shattered the women's course record, finishing fourth overall, in 1:04.10. Shrewsbury's Lisa Danielson finished third in the division.

The event has become a Marlborough holiday tradition. Runners' entry fee is 10 canned goods. This year's race provided more than 1,000 cans for the Marlborough Food Pantry.

Club President Mark Vital is quick to give credit to the Marlborough Recreation Department. Department head David Grasso said recently, "We like to get involved in the greater Marlborough community, especially with events that promote fitness and benefit the less fortunate."

Highland City Striders were out in force the following weekend, too, bringing medals home from the Special Olympics Jolly Jaunt 5K in Worcester. Marlborough's Kenneth Hutton won by three seconds, running 19:26, into a strong headwind the last mile. Other Strider medalists were Hudson's Elizabeth Masterjohn (17-29 female group), Marlborough's Lynne Hanko (30-42 female), Marlborough's Chuck Hanko

34-40 male), and Mark Vital (34-40 male). Marlborough's Sandra Fillios also ran well getting a personal best in the race.

Send mail and sports ideas to ron_woodcock@charter.net.