Jan. 31, 2012 The Byram Hills hockey team scored a trip to play at Nassau Coliseum on January 12, 2012. Plagued by injuries and illness the team put on a great show, but ultimately lost to Nyack/Tappan Zee for a final score of 8-4. Frankie Gaudio scored two of the goals, and Joe Brigante and Rob Grande scored the other two.
This past week the team split games, beating JFK 1-0 and losing to Horace Greeley 7-2. Eric Appel, assisted by Frankie Gaudio, scored the wining goal against JFK. Nick Dominguez and Jake Kaiser scored the Bobcat goals against Greeley.
Bobcats Defeat Rye Bea Williams scores 1000 By Dave Riggs
January 18, 2012 In a dramatic moment late in the fourth quarter with 29 seconds remaining, the contest tied between Rye and BHHS, Lauren Riggs hit a 3 point shot to put BHHS ahead by 3. Rye tried to come back, but missed a field goal attempt. After a series of fouls by Rye while attempting to regain possession, Bea Williams was fouled with .3 seconds left on the clock – then the real drama began. After a timeout was called by Rye, Bea calmly made the first of two fouls shots and the game was stopped: Bea Williams had just scored her 1000th career point and BHHS defeated Rye 33 to 29. Tonight’s match was filled with anticipation and hopes of a championship moment, as Bea Williams went into today’s game needing 12 points to reach the 1000 point mark.
Among those in attendance were family, friends, former coaches and former BHHS players who had scored 1000 points in their careers. Despite a tension-filled atmosphere and a solid Rye team, the game began favorably for BHHS.
Bea Williams scored the first 7 points for BHHS, and by halftime they led 20 to 11, with Bea’s 9 points. Just prior to the end of the first half, a Bea Williams side 3 point attempt went in and out to the collective sigh of the crowd. The second half was slow for BHHS. With a tenacious Rye defense and cold BHHS shooting, Rye went ahead by 2 late in the 4th quarter. Bea Williams had been held to 2 more points until this time. With some timely offense provided by Lucy Bancone, BHHS remained close. This set the stage for the last-minute excitement as BHHS tightened their defense and set the stage for the go-ahead Riggs 3 point shot, and later, Bea Williams' 12th point of the game and 1000th career point.
A fourth-year starter, Bea Williams has amassed her points through an inside/outside game consisting of long range shooting, short jumpshots and slashing drives. Upon reaching the milestone, the game was stopped, the crowd cheered enthusiastically and flowers, balloons and cupcakes were presented. Nearly everyone in attendance offered their enthusiastic congratulations to Bea Williams, which she humbly accepted. Humility is typical of her demeanor. In a classy gesture, the Rye team presented Bea with flowers and their own congratulations. The evening was special, the victory was exciting and hard fought and fans remained long after the game, savoring the experience. Bea excitedly said, “It felt really good!”
Both Basketball Teams' Records are 12-5
Feb. 8, 2012 Byram Hills boys, sectional Class A 2011 champions, are ranked number 2 this year behind the undefeated Tappan Zee (17- 0). Tappan Zee beat the Bobcats by four points at the match up this past weekend at New Rochelle's Classic Tournament.
The Bobcats' last game of the season is senior day, against Rye on Feb. 10 at 7:00p.m. at Byram Hills High School.
The boys' season record is 12-5 which will land them in the sectional tournament starting Friday, February 17th. If Byram's top scorer Jeff Lynch's foot injury is under control by then, the odds would be more in our favor if and when they meet up with Tappan Zee again.
Girls Basketball
The Girls Basketball Team played Ossining High School with a record of 17-0 in Class AA. Byram Hills scored the highest point tally of the season, scoring 71 points against one of New York State's best teams, whom scored 94 points. The Bobcats played with confidence as many of the players have played together since 4th grade and their game was not rattled against the taller and more talented Ossining players. Our girls played well and kept up with the fast pace and forced Ossining to earn every point.
Bobcats played back-to-back games against Harrison and won that game 49-39. Athletic Director Mike Guilino said the back-to-back games are good preparation for the league championship that the girls are poised for. The girls team is ranked number 6 with a 12-5 record in Class A. The last game of their regular season is on Thursday at 4:30p.m. against Rye, who are ranked number 11 in Class A
Wrestling, the Thinking Man's Sport, Returns to Armonk
Updated Dec. 27, 2011 In the 1920's, wrestling had a hold on Armonk. James Hopkins wrote in the North Castle Historical Society's 1987 pamphlet that he attended a wrestling match at the Mechanics Hall on Maple Avenue with his father in the early 1920's.
Ed Deal was the referee. Ed Deal had been a professional wrestler known as Ed Dean. Deal was a local blacksmith who had a shop on Route 22, just east of where the Armonk Lumber yard had been located on Bedford Road. Hopkins wrote that Dean held the title of light heavyweight champion at that time. Dean trained, taught and competed at Mechanics Hall, the building that is now the home of the interior design shop, Cocobolo, at 37 Maple Avenue in Armonk.
Wrestling at that time was known as a sport of skill and stamina, nothing of the Hulk Hogan Era that we see on TV today, but more like the wrestling form of college and Olympic competitions.
A group of well-known North Castle families was involved in the wrestling ring of yesterday. William Husted was the promoter of the wrestling bouts. Local contestants included Joseph Wago, Jr., who later became a professional in the 165 lb. class. Other Mechanics Hall contenders were Harry Hunter, the North Castle Superintendent of Highways at the time, and Robert Hart, the Receiver of Taxes at another time.
Today, Byram Hills High School Earth and Science Teacher and Wrestling Coach Bill Twardy has been coaching the Byram Hills Wrestling Team for four years. Twardy wrestled for Carmel High School. He's a big guy and the kids love him. His goal for the Byram Hills High School Wrestling Program is instilling confidence, camaraderie, sportsmanship, and mental toughness. Twardy expects his wrestlers to exercise these values on and off the mats. Team members develop technical and tactical wrestling skills in a safe environment that is conducive to healthy competition and learning.
Twardy’s message is "To have every wrestler compete at their individual best. Participants will build physical strength and cardiovascular fitness in an effort to reach and maintain optimal physical conditioning." Byram Hills' first annual wrestling tournament will be held January 14, 2012, 9AM to 4PM.
“How do you have a high school program without a youth program?” asked Vito Errico when he moved to Armonk and noticed that the High School Wrestling program had just started.
Errico started the Armonk Youth Wrestling group two years ago. The program, now in its third year, has four coaches: Errico wrestled in middle school and was a district and regional champion in New Jersey three years in a row during high school. He made it to the third out of five state rounds every year, and then continued to wrestle in college. Todd Kosakowski and John Fortugno are also coaches that wrestled in high school. The fourth Coach, Mike Quaglio, was a state champion for Fishkill High School and competed in Division 1 at Wisconsin. Errico believes that a great coach is someone whose students become better then the coach himself. Some of the coaches have kids in the program. Errico's oldest son is now a freshman on the high school varsity wrestling team for his second year.
The youth wrestling team is for boys from second to sixth grade. They also allow kids from the modified middle school team in seventh and eighth grade to join. The team meets twice a week at the high school, where they work on wrestling fundamentals drills. During every practice they go over the same moves, and by the end of the season, they know the basic moves. Errico said, "That's all they need to know: single legs, double legs, cradles and half nelson. The basics win; they don't need fancy moves.
"The more we drill, the more it becomes second nature. Errico explained a drill: "The wrestlers stand in a neutral period with the goal to take one another down. We'll start with a single leg move, a tackle. We'll break it down real easy, step by step, five steps in a row, until we take them down to the mat. And then we might drill that move ten times.
“The kids don't want to stop. Boys love to climb on top of each other and pin each other to the mat. The coaches teach the boys a few moves to make it easier, and then they can't get enough of it.”
What's in it for the coaches? Errico answered, "Watching the kids excel within their own bodies. As one parent of a fifth grade boy said, 'He came to you as boy, and by the end of the season, he came out like a man.' His body was put at thresholds that it was never put at before. If you have children that love football and lacrosse, wrestling teaches them where their bodies are at all times and makes them better players."
At home, kids push the coffee tables out of the way and make a ring to get better at the moves. Errico added, "We start with conditioning, teaching them how to role forward, backward, sideways and learning how to handle themselves on the mat. We'll work with the kids on push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups and some dips, which all utilizes their own body weight. We'll do planks to see who lasts the longest."
A one-on-one sport is more mentally difficult than a team sport. "It's the same as tennis: Your opponent wants to beat you as much as you want to beat him." They work on muscle composition and conditioning, and technique and strategy. Errico emphasized, "Wrestling is a thinking man's sport. For every move, there is a defensive move. It is a match of who can make his mind think fast enough for the next move. You have to predetermine what you might have to do. You have to have a strategy and say to yourself that if I go in, he does that, but if he does that, I'm going to do that."
To get the feel of wrestling with teams they don't know, Armonk Youth Wrestling has scrimmages throughout December. Their first meet is January 7 at John Jay Cross River with eight teams, and each team member gets four matches. All of the matches are determined by weight. There are 14 weight levels of Madison weights of 45, 50, 55 pounds and up. So the boys will never wrestle kids more than five pounds heavier or more than one year older. The group wrestles through the April spring break. For more information on the program, visit armonkyouthwrestling.com.
Girls Basketball Team Make it Through to the Quarterfinals Feb. 19, 2012
At section 1 first round play, Byram Hills girls had a nail biter that turned around in the last minute. Byram trailed Rye and played catch up the entire game. Byram turned over possession after possession and Rye capitalized on the turnovers with breakaways and dominated possession time to control the boards.
During the first quarter, the taller Rye players were able to grab more rebounds and turn them into points. Rye lead 12-9.
With 40 seconds left in the first half, Byram's senior Christina Sardo hit a jumper and Byram trailed 22-20. With 17 seconds remaining, Rye had a clock-shot violation that Byram Hills could not convert into points, losing the chance to tie. Instead, Rye rebounded and closed the half ahead 24-20.
Half time in the stands, a parent, Arthur Colon, said, "Rye has always been a tough matchup for us. They are well coached and we've been scouted. They have been beating us on the glass with multiple possessions." He added our girls have to come out, play hard and crash the boards.
The first minute and a half of the second half, Rye scored three baskets. Byram fought hard defensively, led by senior Sarah Goldring who fought for a jump ball. At 6:19 senior Bea Williams was fouled and made both points, contributing to her 19 points total. At 4:16 Rye led by three 30-27 and freshman Lucy Bancone came off the bench to add to Byram's defense.
At 2:24 in the third quarter, Rye was ahead 32-27 and they remained quicker to the ball, continuing to cut off Byram's passes. But then Williams provided three defense blocks at the basket to slow Rye down. Byram Hills was still not passing well or shooting sharp.
At 6:53 in the fourth quarter, senior Lauren Riggs landed a three-pointer keeping the game from getting away at 34-30.The momentum was starting to swing in Byram's favor as junior Kim Franco made a layup at 6:32, keeping the game close at 36-32.
At 3:19, Bea Williams hit one of her 3 pointers, all of which she made in the second half, to tie the game at 42. Senior Marla Milone said, "When we were tied, we all came together as a team, pulled ourselves together and pulled ahead. We played our game and didn't let them get ahead of us."
At 2:34, Franco shot a layup to bring the Bobcats the lead for the first time in the game at 44-42. Franco says with 10 seniors on the team she struggles for playing time, but her contribution at that point is something she was waiting for the whole season. "It's the icing on the cake."
At 2:18, Rye tied it from the foul line at 44-44. At 1:54, Riggs hits another huge three pointer to seal the lead 47-44. Riggs said. "I felt I hadn't had my head in the game all night, everyone encouraged me to keep shooting, I went for it and it worked." Goldring continued to play hard defense, which led her to foul out. That brought Rye to the line with two shots to close the gap to 47-46.
Rye's seventh foul put Sardo at the line with 33.9 remaining. Sardo added the last point of the game to finish it at 48-46. Bobcat's end of game aggressive defense and hitting the boards has lead them into the quarterfinal round on Wednesday night against Tappan Zee, number 2 seeded.
Kettlebells 101
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Kettlebell 101
By Dr. Robert Silverman
Dec. 31, 2011
There is a lot of excitement and “buzz” about kettlebells in the athletic
performance and rehab world these days. Kettlebell workouts are intended
to increase strength, endurance, agility, and balance – challenging both the muscular
and cardiovascular systems with dynamic, total body movements. Of Russian
origin, a kettlebell is a cast iron weight that looks like a cannonball with a
handle attached to it.
Kettlebells come in several sizes/weights – ranging from 5 lbs. up to 106
lbs. You can do standard weight-training exercises with kettlebells,
including bench presses, overhead presses, curls, squats, rows, etc…
However, a unique value of kettlebells is derived from ballistic (fast
exercise) work, such as snatches, swings, cleans, and jerks.
The All-In-One Workout Tool
The kettlebell develops all-around fitness and teaches kinetic linking.
It gets you connected to the ground, drawing energy from the ground up and
transferring the energy through the shoulders. The kettlebell enhances
awareness of your posture, position, breath, and grip. I especially like
the cardio benefits that kettlebells can provide. It is also easy to
perform interval training principles (slow, fast, repeat) with
them.
So, why choose kettlebells instead of dumbbells?
The primary benefits of kettlebell training lie in the philosophy of the
movements allow functional human patterns. Kettlebell drills have historically
focused on working many muscle groups in unison, while dumbbells are more
commonly used for isolation drills (curls, lateral raises, etc…) in traditional
western weight-training techniques. Kettlebells are actually more
challenging than using dumbbells. The kettlebell handles are much
thicker, therefore will train you to have a vice grip in no time. Also, the
off-centered weight of a kettlebell will force you to use more stabilizer
muscles, and work the targeted muscles, through a longer range of motion.
Dr. Rob’s Super 6 Kettlebell Exercises *
I) Turkish Get-Up
1) Lying on your back, bend your right knee, put the kettlebell in your right
hand (extended towards the ceiling). Fig. A.
2) Using your abs, punch the kettlebell towards the ceiling and raise yourself
up onto your left elbow. Fig. B.
3) Raise up onto your left hand while keeping your right hand vertical.
4) Raise your body up so you are supporting yourself up by your left hand and
right foot. Fig. C.
5) Send your left foot back behind you and rest on your knee. Fig. D.
6) Come off your left hand into a “lunge” position. Fig. E.
7) Pushing off your back foot, lunge forward and stand up. Fig. F.
8) Reverse the steps to get back to start-position. Switch hands.
For more information contact: Dr. Robert Silverman 280 Dobbs Ferry Road White Plains, NY (914) 287-6464 or click NYChiroCare.com.
* Check with a physician before doing strenuous exercise.
Track & Field At the Millrose trials, Marc Violone ran the 4th fastest time in school history for 1600 meters (4:22.92). The top three performances along with the school record (4:20.15) are held by Max Kasak.
The Suffern Invitational the list of medallists were
Varsity Events
Chris Ramsey 1st Place - Triple Jump (42' 03") Marc Violone 2nd Place - 1600 meters (4:28.8) James Schuler 3rd Place - Pole Vault (11' 06")
Marc Violone, Evan Skloot, TJ Williams & Nick Giordano ran the 4 x 800 meter relay that placed 3rd (8:37.0)
In the Freshman - Sophomore events, the medallists were
Nick Giordano 1st Place - 600 yards (1:22.7) Sam Cawkwell 2nd Place - 3200 meters (10:38.4)
Dec. 12, 2011 On Sunday December 11, The Byram Hills High School Track team had a successful Section 1 Kickoff meet with 34 Bobcats qualifying to compete in the Westchester County Championships. Section 1 is comprised of teams from schools in all of Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties and most of Dutchess County. Top finishers at the 168th Street Armory included: James Schuler -1st Pole Vault Chris Ramsey – 1st Triple Jump: 41’04.5 Chris Ramsey 2nd –Long Jump: 19'01" Renata Leone 3rd - 1500m walk: 8:00.4 Marc Violone 3rd – 1600 meter run: 4:33.4 Marc Violone 3rd - 3200 meter run: 9:50.9 Jenny Winkler 1000 meter run: 3:12.4 The 4 X 400 relay team of Evan Skloot, Ben A, Greg Fishberger and Nick Giordano placed 6th.
Coach Govan's outstanding performers for the day’s meet were Rebecca Cawkwell, Noelle Love, TJ Williams, Chris Gladstein, Greg Fishberger, Nick Giordano and Jenny Winkler.
Wrestling
Feb. 8, 2012
The Bobcat wrestling team has been resurrected from the early 1980's and is now in its fourth season. This season they will send three wrestlers to the sectional tournament. Freshman Jon Errico placed first among four wrestlers in the 99 weight class at the February 1st qualifying match. He is seeded third in the section of 50 schools. Jon's father Vito Errico coaches the Youth Armonk Wrestling teams. He says, "Now the competition starts." Jon is the only freshman in the bracket and he'll face older kids. "He has nothing to lose, nothing to gain."
Two seniors: Stephen O'Connell and Brian Gundersen will also compete in the sectional tournament that will be held on Saturday February 11th at Clarkstown South.
Coach Bill Twardy says, the team is working hard and putting forth their best effort. Some of the wrestlers are burdened with injuries. Others don't allow loosing get to them, they view each match as a learning experience.
Winter Sports
The Byram Hills Bobcats' winter season is coming to an end with some impressive accomplishments.
Coach Govan reports that Chris Ramsey placed sixth in the triple jump, going 44' 00 1/2". He surpassed the record he set last year at the state qualifier of 43' 07 1/2 ". Even more important he now has meet the state standard and needs to only finish third at the state qualifier on Friday February 24th to advance to the state championship meet.
The distance medley relay team placed 11th with a time of 10:41.1. The team missed the school record attempt by 8 - tenths of a second.
Bowling League at Grand Prix Spins
January 30, 2012 Grand Prix New York (GPNY) will expand its Spins Bowl offerings at their 19-lane bowling center inside GPNY's 118,000-square-foot indoor kart racing and entertainment facility in Mount Kisco, NY. Beginning this February 2012, GPNY will host a variety of bowling leagues open to adults and kids of all ages.
The first of the bowling leagues to commence on February 7, 2012 will be the Tuesday Night Adult Mixed League, open to all adults of all skill levels. For $17 per week, bowlers will compete in three games each week, and teams will consist of four bowlers of any gender (mixed or same gender teams allowed). Sign up here: SpinsBowl Leagues
Other leagues will follow, including the following. More information to follow at www.SpinsBowl.com once schedules are published.
● Senior Swingers: Starting in May 2012, this league will be open to all seniors age 55+.
● Junior After-School Program: Starting in May 2012, this league will offer fun and educational bowling programs for kids of all ages.
● Junior Bowling League Sunday Mornings: Starts March 4, 2012 and is for ages 6 and up.
● Junior Clinic League: Starting in May 2012, this league will teach proper bowling skills and techniques to kids of all ages.
● Couples League: Starting in July 2012, this league will bring couples of all ages together for a fun and competitive night out.
Spins Bowl's normal hours of operation are from 9am to 11pm, seven days a week, however times and cost of entry will vary by league. Patrons will still have the option of renting out the Family Lanes, the VIP Lanes, or the entire center for activities such as birthday parties, mitzvahs, corporate functions, and other group events.
"We have noticed that our Spins Bowl offerings have been growing in popularity, so we feel it’s important that GPNY expand the program to welcome new bowlers and appeal to those with varied bowling interests," said Nat Mundy, Vice President, Marketing for GPNY and Spins Bowl. "By creating Spins Bowl Leagues, we hope to help bring friends and families closer together with fun and constructive activities that also incorporate a bit of healthy competition – something that GPNY has always structured its racing leagues around as well.”
For more information on Spins Bowl, please visit www.SpinsBowl.com, e-mail info@gpny.com or call Chris Pricola, Competition Director at 914-358-3613.
Grand Prix New York/Spins Bowl is located at 333 North Bedford Road in Mount Kisco, New York.
Grand Prix New York Racing (GPNY) is the only large indoor racing, social entertainment, and corporate event venues in The New York City-metro area. Centrally located in the village of Mount Kisco, New York, GPNY is a unique 118,000-square-foot facility offering a quarter-mile-long, state-of-the-art racetrack for all ages, Spins Bowl: a 19-lane bowling center, special events services, Fuel: restaurant and bar, award-winning catering, an arcade, carnival room, a banquet facility, conference rooms, and more. GPNY is actively involved in community outreach and fundraising efforts. Since its inception in 2008, GPNY has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities by hosting high-profile fundraising events. For more information about GPNY, visit their website at www.gpny.com.
Slam Dunk Boys Basketball Challenge at City Center
Dec. 26, 2011 Bobcat Victory over Poughkeepsie
Byram Hills played against Poughkeepsie in the first round of the Slam Dunk Tournament at the City Center. The Bobcats started the game with a strong defense dominating with eight unanswered points. Poughkeepsie started slow but closed the gap by the end of the first quarter to trail 13-12.
In the second quarter Byram Hills outscored Poughkeepsie 22-9. The Bobcats maintained the lead and pulled ahead at the end of the first half with the largest lead of the game at 35-21.
Poughkeepsie showed some grit at the beginning of the third quarter and pulled within six points. But juniors Jeff Lynch and Ryan Golden, and senior Andrew Maloney heated up and the Bobcats maintained a comfortable lead ending the quarter 50-37. In the third quarter Poughkeepsie had a three-person defensive trap on Lynch who broke away and scored one of his four-three pointers. The final score of the game was 66 to 56.
Byram Hills Coach Ted Repa was pleased to see that Golden, Maloney and Lynch each scored double digits. Maloney had 11 points with three-3 pointers, 10 rebounds and five steals. Golden scored 10 points and had 10 rebounds. Lynch was the top scorer of the game with 24 points and five assists. Junior Brian Skelly added eight points while freshman Andrew Groll had five rebounds.
Repa said, "It was a good win for us, but we have a lot of work to do."
Byram Hills plays Albertus Magnus for the championship on Tuesday 8:00PM.
Lady Bobcats Winter Classic
Dec. 10, 2011 The Lady Bobcats were feeling their way around the court quite nicely early on against Fox Lane. Bea Williams puts up the first baskets for Byram and landed a couple of foul shots. With 1:15 on the clock, Byram lead 8-5.
Freshman Lucy Bancone is a great addition to the team, she's fast and knows how to handle the ball adroitly. Her time on the court helped the Lady Bobcats to widen their lead. Bancone came off the bench and put up a successful 3-pointer to end the first quarter at 12-8 with BHHS in the lead.
The second quarter the Bobcats came out even stronger. Bancone put up another 3 pointer followed by a full court dribble and a layup. Senior Lucy Riggs picked up her game and pressed hard on both ends. At 4:14 in the third quarter, Riggs reached in to create a successful jump ball. Afterwards, Bea Williams scored on a 3-pointer and Bobcats had widened the lead to 26-15.
In the fourth quarter, Fox Lane took advantage of too many Bobcat missed shots and at 5:54 Fox Lane was behind by only one point at 42-41. At 4:29 left, Senior Sarah Goldring put up a 3 pointer that reignited Byram Hills and bolstered its lead to 45-41. Williams lined up at the foul line and scored two points to bring it to 47-41. After two missed shots, Williams rebounded a Byram ball and put up two more and drew the foul, which added the three point-play to make it a more comfortable 50-41 margin.
The last two minutes of the game Byram Hills played aggressively and the final score was 53 to 45.
Bea Williams scored 25 points for BHHS and Fox Lane's Alison Lombardi put up 19 points.
Coach Kim Smith was happy to see Senior Lauren Riggs back on the court after an injury. She says Riggs adds to the team and finds the right spot both offensively and defensively. Bea Williams went to the line frequently. The coach says Williams manages to pull players to the outside and then has a quick step towards the basket that draws a foul.
Track & Field
January 8, 2012 At the league championship meet the boys team placed 3rd and the girls team finished in 4th.
Earning all league status from the meet were:
Chris Ramsey Triple Jump Marc Violone 1600 Meter Run 3200 Meter Run James Schuler Pole Vault
Those winning honorable mention were:
Marc Violone 1000 Meter Run Jennifer Winkler 3000 Meter Run Noelle Love 600 Meter Run
TJ Williams 4 x 800 Meter Relay Sean Flanagan 4 x 800 Meter Relay Nick Zaborowsky 4 x 800 Meter Relay Evan Skloot 4 x 800 Meter Relay
Chris Gladstein 4 x 200 Meter Relay Kevin Aronne 4 x 200 Meter Relay Demitri Livanos 4 x 200 Meter Relay AJ Kalmancy 4 x 200 Meter Relay
At the Millrose qualifier, Marc Violone (4:24.45 - 1-mile) posted the number 4 time in school history. The top three times are held by Max Kasak class of 2007.
