It was a spring season that never happened.
While folks throughout Franklin County have been impacted over the past few months due to the coronavirus pandemic, we here at the Recorder sports department have decided to honor all the senior student-athletes who were unable to participate in spring sports. Practices and games were canceled, championship trophies weren’t able to be chased, but the graduating seniors throughout our coverage area still deserve to have their stories told and be honored.
We will recognize all eight of our MIAA schools over the course of two weeks, with senior rosters, photos and information about them all.
We continue today with Mohawk Trail Regional High School’s seniors. Here are their stories, as told by their coaches:
Seniors: Carli Cusimano, Grace Poplawski, Erika Looman
Another stellar crop of seniors have closed out their track and field careers in Buckland.
The Warriors will say goodbye to a trio of veterans, and all three were key contributors to a program that has remained successful in the Intercounty League and at the Western Mass. level.
“They were always willing to run any event that we needed them in,” lauded Mohawk coach Joe Chadwick of his senior class.
Cusimano is a six-year track veteran, competing since her seventh grade year at Mohawk. She mainly competed in the hurdle events, but has chipped in across the board during her tenure. She has also competed in the long and triple jumps.
Poplawski, who will attend GCC, started out her track career as a thrower and gradually added track events. She ultimately became a good middle distance and long distance runner, and was the top cross country runner on the Mohawk team last fall.
Looman, who will run next year at Westfield State, is another track veteran who competed primarily in distance events. She is a top Nordic skier in the winter, leading the way for the Warriors on the snow in addition to her time on the track.
Seniors: Aidan Duncan, Ryan Cook, Ethan Bower
Like the girls’ team, the boys’ track squad has three seniors on the roster.
Duncan was selected team captain over the winter, and coach Tim Shearer said he’s recorded major improvements in both the shot put and the sprints.
“He has been a tremendous leader on our team for several years now,” Shearer said. “He is also one of the few remaining athletes who goes back to our WMass championship season in 2016. He has been a fixture on many successful 4×100 relays since then, and to my knowledge has never dropped a stick.”
Cook has been a consistent scorer in the jumping events during his tenure with the Warriors.
“Ryan has been a vital addition to our high jumping crew scoring important points for us,” Shearer said. “His infectious competitive spirit has made us a better team.”
Bower, one of the top wrestlers at the school, has been an effective thrower for the track team.
“I’m confident that he was poised for a breakthrough season in the discus and would have emerged as one of the best in the league,” Shearer said.
Shearer said his thoughts are with the trio during this unprecedented situation.
“My heart goes out to these three (and senior athletes everywhere) that they have been deprived of their opportunity to shine as seniors on the track and in the field,” the coach said. “I want to wish them all the best in their future adventures.”
Senior: Sienna Lewis
The girls’ tennis team had just one senior, but Lewis was a huge part of the Warriors during her time on the courts.
“The first word that comes mind about Sienna is determination,” offered Mohawk coach Mia Taylor. “Even when Sienna went up against hard opponents she inevitably finished matches with grit, good sportsmanship and a smile. Her sometimes laid back demeanor downplayed the fact that she took her position on the team and her playtime on the court very seriously. She was also always one of the first to give our girls, especially first year players, a pep talk before a match and a, ‘It’s OK, you’ll get them next time’ talk when things didn’t end with a win.”
Seniors: Reagan Dupree, Isis Moon
Both seniors on the softball team have been in the program since seventh grade at the school, and both have pushed themselves hard to become starters on the varsity club, according to co-coaches Katelyn Gamelli and Sherri Lannon.
Here are the coaches talking about both players:
Dupree: “This year would have been a big rebuilding year for Mohawk and Reagan Dupree would have been a returning captain and key infield player. Ever since seventh grade, Reagan has worked her butt off in the regular season and on travel teams training to be a second baseman. Not only did her drive and determination help guide her to becoming a great player, she also knew and understood what it took to reach the next level and she never gave up.
Both on and off the field, Reagan has shown what a leader she can be. Many underclassmen have said how they have learned so much from her. As sad as we are that Reagan is missing her senior year, we are also sad for all the underclassmen that miss the opportunity to learn from and play with a great captain and team member. Mohawk will surely miss her! Best of luck as you further your education!”
Moon: “Isis Moon would have made her star appearance in the outfield again this year. She would have been joining Reagan as a senior captain. Over the years, Isis has worked hard to prove herself and last year she did just so grabbing the starting position in center field. I remember starting the season unsure where Moon would play, knowing she wanted to play at first base, but after seeing her move in the outfield going all out, it was a no brainer.
“I will surely miss Isis at the plate. She wanted to hit and when she got on base she was the most aggressive kid on the team — whether the coach wanted her to steal or not. What a great asset Isis was to our team. When she got a line on a hard hit, she tracked it with ease. Best wishes with your future.”
“Congratulations to our amazing seniors, we will miss you. Thank you for being a part of Mohawk softball for all these years.”
Seniors: Anthony Moffatt (SS/P), Jared Jacobs (3B/P), Jaden Kitchen-Lipski (1B), Zane Kitchen-Lipski (3B), Logan Platek (OF)
Mohawk skipper Bill Buck said that Moffatt and Jacobs would have started at shortstop and third base when not on the mound. The duo were veteran varsity performers who were primed for big springs.
“I feel bad for both Anthony and Jared the most as they worked the hardest in the offseason of any of my players to get ready for this year,” Buck lauded. “Baseball was their passion. Jared would have been one of the best pitchers and third basemen in our league as he came into his own the last part of 2019.
“Anthony is one of the most reliable shortstops in the league,” he continued. “He has started at shortstop since his sophomore year. It is going to be hard to replace a solid defensive player like Anthony. He also became one of our most solid hitters in our lineup as the season progressed.”