Frontier School Committee declines to dedicate volleyball court to longtime coach Sean MacDonald

By CHRIS LARABEE

SOUTH DEERFIELD – Citing precedent set last year, the Frontier School Committee declined to dedicate its volleyball court to longtime coach Sean MacDonald, who retired after the 2023-24 school year, capping off 21 years and a whole slew of sectional...

On The Ridge with Joe Judd: Odds and ends as summer winds into fall

A recent conversation with my daughter Olivia, a teacher at Hillcrest Elementary School in Montague, and my 6 year old granddaughter, Vivian Charlotte Baron, a student at the same school, brought back memories of what we so often hear from teachers...

Bulletin board: Montague Elks advance in Greenfield Coed Softball playoffs

Cam Woodward smacked three hits, including two doubles, and drove in three runs to help the Montague Elks get their postseason off to a strong start Tuesday night.The Elks edged the Liberty Tax Sharks, 14-11, in a first round Greenfield Coed Softball...

UMass athletics: What to expect from fall sports season 2024

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — The start of the fall season officially marks the beginning of UMass’ athletic programs’ farewell campaign through the Atlantic 10, as the Minutemen and Minutewomen are set to join the Mid-American Conference (MAC) following the conclusion...

Greenfield’s Gillis MacDougall captures Westy Open Weekend disc golf title

A monster second round propelled Gillis MacDougall to a hometown disc golf victory over the weekend.The Greenfield resident posted an 8-under-par 54 in his second of two rounds, ultimately holding onto a one-shot victory in the Mixed Professional Open...

Bulletin board: Montague Elks soccer shoot set for Aug. 24

The Montague Elks Lodge 2521 will host a youth soccer shoot on Aug. 24 at Franklin County Technical School in Turners Falls (82 Industrial Blvd.).The event is open to boys and girls in two separate categories: ages 7 and under, and ages 8-15. Winners...

UMass football: Minutemen continue to embrace head coach Don Brown's “Thunderstruck” tradition

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — It doesn’t feel like UMass football practice has truly started until ACDC’s “Thunderstruck” begins blasting through McGuirk Alumni Stadium’s speakers. And it definitely doesn’t feel like a Don Brown practice without the classic hit,...

Florence’s Gabby Thomas closes out Paris Olympics with perfect 3-for-3 gold medal record

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

Five years ago, when Florence’s Gabby Thomas moved down to Austin, Texas to begin her professional running career, her new coach Tonja Buford-Bailey decided to test her out. Thomas moved to Austin a few weeks ahead of the rest of Buford-Bailey’s...

Greenfield's MacKenzie Paulin commits to play Division I softball at Merrimack College

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

Greenfield's MacKenzie Paulin grew up dreaming of playing softball at the Division I level. This month, she made that dream a reality. Paulin committed to continue her softball career at Merrimack College, as the rising senior at Greenfield High...

The Olympic Report with Jim Johnson: Olympic Bodies

The last time Paris hosted the Summer Olympics was 100 years ago. If you were to walk into one of the dining halls at that time you would not be able to predict which sport an athlete participated. Swimmers looked like discus throwers and distance...

Florence’s Gabby Thomas wins 3rd gold medal, U.S. dominates in 4x400 relay victory

By JEFF LAJOIE

Two was nice, but three is better.In a surprise twist, Florence’s Gabby Thomas did not close out her Olympic Games with a gold in the 4x100 meter relay.That’s because Thomas still had one more event left in the tank on Saturday – the 4x400...

44th Bridge of Flowers Classic: Agawam’s Ezra Mutai, Shelburne Falls’ Kayla Lampe capture 8K titles (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

SHELBURNE FALLS — After hearing about the Bridge of Flowers Race from former AIC teammate Amos Sang — the winner of the 2018 event — Agawam’s Ezra Mutai decided to compete on Saturday. You would never know it was his first time completing the...

UMass football: Experienced offensive line expected to be a strength for Minutemen

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — Most of the UMass football transfer offensive linemen made their way to Amherst in the winter, right around the end of January according to Minutemen associate head coach/offensive line coach Alex Miller.Now less than seven full months...

Bulletin board: Westy Open Weekend disc golf tournament on tap this weekend

Over 100 disc golfers will embark on Greenfield this weekend for Westy Open Weekend ’24, a two-day, two-round event which attracts professional and amateur players.The event, to be held at Westy Acres Disc Golf Course on Raymond Road, begins Saturday...

“We push each other to be better. That’s what the summer is all about:” Local teams competing, improving in Pioneer Valley Juniors Summer League

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

SOUTH DEERFIELD — Some of the top high school volleyball teams in western Mass. have been getting together on Wednesdays at Springfield’s American International College to compete in the Pioneer Valley Juniors Volleyball Summer League. On Wednesday,...

A Saratoga Adventure with Chip Ainsworth, Part 2: Back to run the race

By CHIP AINSWORTH

(Note: This is the second of two parts. Part one ran in last weekend’s Recorder.)SARATOGA, N.Y. — More apt words were never spoken than by Jennifer Durenberger after the A.P. Smithwick Memorial steeplechase was postponed.“Steeplechase and thunder are...

Double gold! Florence’s Gabby Thomas wins 2nd gold medal at Paris Olympics thanks to 4x100 meter relay victory

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

In the 200 meters on Tuesday, Gabby Thomas turned her Tokyo bronze into a Paris gold. And on Friday in the 4x100 relay, Thomas turned her Tokyo silver into another gold, as the Americans won with a time of 41.78 seconds under a steady rain at the...

‘UMass is like my second home now’: Healthy again, 2nd-year QB Taisun Phommachanh feeling comfortable with Minutemen

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

AMHERST – Last year must have felt like a whirlwind for UMass quarterback Taisun Phommachanh.On his third school in three seasons but in his first starting job, Phommachanh injured his knee against Auburn just six quarters into the campaign on Sept....

Local roundup: Conway’s Gunnar Moore sees run end in semifinals at 106th Massachusetts Junior Amateur Championship

It was a quite a week for Conway’s Gunnar Moore.The Country Club of Greenfield product reached the semifinal round of the 106th Massachusetts Junior Amateur Golf Championship in Yarmouth, ultimately falling in a 20-hole marathon match against Boston...

Florence’s Gabby Thomas helps U.S. punch spot in 4x100-meter relay final

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

Less than 48 hours removed from her gold medal in the 200 meters on Tuesday, Florence’s Gabby Thomas and the U.S. women’s 4x100 relay team advanced to the finals by winning their heat in 41.94 seconds on Thursday.Thomas will look for her second gold...