The local high school basketball teams will be well-represented tonight, as several area schools will send players to compete in the Western Massachusetts Senior High School All-Star Games at The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield.
The three tilts will be held on the Jerry Colangelo Court of Dreams at the Hall of Fame, with 60 players from across all four divisions in WMass taking part. The action begins at 5:30, when the Division III and IV boys’ teams set the table with the opener that will feature the Recorder-area players. The girls’ game follows at 7, with the Division I and II boys’ teams playing the nightcap at 8:30. Only graduating seniors were eligible to be selected.
“Each year, we look forward to hosting the Western Massachusetts Senior All-Star Games, which allows us to celebrate the many talented players in our region,” said President and CEO of the Hall of fame John Doleva in a release. “These outstanding student-athletes deserve to be recognized for their dedication to the game we love and we wish them well as they transition to the next level of basketball and academics upon graduation.”
Six area players will compete in the first game of the night. On Team 1, Franklin County Technical School senior Colin Gould will team with Greenfield High School’s Kevin Mendez and Pioneer Valley Regional School’s Tucker Llewelyn on what should be an explosive offensive squad. Team 2 features Mahar Regional School seniors Issak Reinikainen and Bryce Cleveland, along with Turners Falls High School’s Tionne Brown. That squad will also include Hopkins Academy star Sam’i Roe, who was tabbed by the Hall of Fame as its Western Mass. Player of the Year on the boys’ side. South Hadley High School’s Sophie Gatzounas was the girls’ POY, and both will be honored during the festivities this evening.
Tickets for the All-Star games cost $10 for adults and $5 for students. They will be available at the Hall of Fame box office tonight and will be good for all three games.
Spring show Saturday
The Collins/Moylan Arena will present its annual spring figure skating show: “ART, The expression of Human Creative Skill and Imagination,” Saturday at Collins/Moylan rink in Greenfield.
The show will feature over 25 soloist/duet performers from throughout the Pioneer Valley and tri-state region (Vt., Mass., N.H.). Featured performances will include the Stoneleigh-Burnham School synchronized skating team; two Learn to Skate performances, as well as featured adult performers .
The show begins at 4 and tickets can be purchased at the door beginning at 3. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students/seniors.
Bridge Race fund drive
The Bridge of Flowers Classic Races is looking for local charities to collaborate with for the Aug. 12 event to be held in Shelburne Falls. Charities who work with the race will receive a portion of the net proceeds from the event and use the race’s resources to collect pledges and develop volunteers. The race’s 10K Classic and the Steve Lewis Subaru 3K Charity Run/Walk attract over 1,000-plus runners a year and over 3,000-plus to Shelburne Falls for the day.
“The Bridge of Flowers Races has a tradition of working with several charities over the years,” said Carole Appleton, 2017 Race Director. “It is a win-win for the both, as the charity can do fundraising without the stress of putting an event together and the race gets additional volunteers to assist with the community event.”
Charities can find out more information and an application by logging onto www.shelburnefalls.com and clicking on the Charities tab on the right menu. Deadline to register is April 15. Early Bird registration for the event is OPEN and can be found at www.runreg.com/bridgeofflowersrace