November in Review
November tends to be the culmination of races for the year and this month we have several to celebrate. It is also playoff season for all high school and collegiate athletes that play a Fall sport; as well as the beginning of promising seasons for our Winter athletes.
This review by no means encompasses the extent of accomplishments of our entire community but rather highlights a handful of events and successes from this past month. If you know someone who deserves recognition in future editions, please reach out to me atunifiedhp@gmail.com.
November 4th - New York City Marathon
Two of our members ran the New York marathon. Kaitlyn ran for Boston Children’s Hospital and Robin for Best Buddies; two organizations that are very important to our gym’s mission. This was Robin’s first marathon and Kaitlyn’s second. It is always impressive and motivating to witness the dedication required to train for the 26.2 mile race.
November 4th - Falmouth in the Fall Road Race
After running Falmouth in August while nursing an Achilles issue, Kate returned to run the same course a few weeks ago for the Falmouth in the Fall Road Race. Running pain free, she shaved 20 minutes off her time. Kate’s transformation and growth in all facets of health and performance deserve an entire feature. Hopefully one day she will allow me to do so.
November 4th - Vermont 10 Miler
Shannon Myers was up in Stowe, Vermont for the Vermont 10 Miler with her brother and a couple of local runners. The course is an incredibly hilly route and was accompanied by some light snow flurries. Shannon mentioned that next year she is considering doing the whole New England 10 miler series--Rhode Island, Maine and Vermont. Shannon has been a member at our gym for more than a year
November 17th - Nashoba Field Hockey State Finalists
After completing an undefeated season, on November 10th Nashoba Field Hockey avenged a heartbreaking loss last year in the district finals by beating Wachusett 3-2. This brought them out to Sturbridge for a state semifinal match-up against Longmeadow. After Erica’s goal gave them a 1-0 lead heading into halftime, she tallied two more in the second half as Nashoba pulled away for a decisive 4-0 win.
At WPI on November 17th, the girls faced Somerset-Berkley for the state title. A fast-paced back and forth game took more than the 60 minutes of regulation to decide. The 7 on 7 set-up of overtime led to some quality chances for both teams to put the game away. Unfortunately, Somerset-Berkley capitalized first. Nashoba finished the season 20-1-2; making them one of the most successful teams in school history.
November 17th - Owen Anketell El Tour de Tucson
The Tour de Tucson is one of the largest bike races in the country, attracting close to ten thousand participants. Owen was one of nearly a dozen handcyclists to participate in the race; completing the 25 mile ride.
November 22nd – Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot
Braving historically cold temperatures, more than a dozen of our members ran turkey trots around Massachusetts. On a day where people are reminded of what they’re thankful for; I am reminded of how fortunate I am to have a job that has introduced me to hundreds of people that I otherwise never would have crossed paths with. The community that we’ve created at the gym goes well beyond the workouts.
November 25th – Andrew Snoddy and Justin Peirce Collegiate Basketball
Four years ago I started working with three Nashoba basketball players in the high school’s “weight room”. Andrew (’22) is now playing at Bates, Justin (’22) at Franklin and Marshall, and Trevor (’21) at Framingham State. After leading Bates in scoring coming off the bench in the second game of the season, Andrew found himself in the starting lineup for their third contest against Salem State. Scoring 16 points on 7-12 shooting and grabbing 5 rebounds, Andrew logged the second most minutes on the team, contributing to a second half comeback to give Bates their first win of the season. Justin has worked his way into the lineup, scoring his first collegiate points in Franklin and Marshall’s overtime loss to York College.
November 30th - Nashoba Football Super Bowl Run
One thing that is close to a guarantee for Nashoba football is an annual trip to Gillette; and this year was no different. After narrowly defeating Marlborough 16-13 in the first round of the playoffs, Nashoba moved on to play Tantasqua in the quarterfinals. A more comfortable 28-0 victory over Tantasqua at Foley Field was followed by a dominant second half in the semifinals to beat Gloucester 32-14. A 21-0 win on Thanksgiving against Clinton was the final tune-up prior to a match-up against Dighton-Rehoboth at Gillette.
The first quarter was relatively tame where both teams worked out their Super Bowl jitters. A screen pass that saw Brendan Lee scamper 50 yards down field, followed a couple plays later by a touchdown run shifted the momentum to Nashoba; where it stayed for the next hour. A well balanced attack expanded the lead to 14-0 by halftime. A series of big plays in the third quarter gradually added to the lead before Nashoba essentially spent the entire fourth quarter running down the clock.
A 31-0 win gave Nashoba the Division 4 State championship.