ADDISON COUNTY INDEPENDENT
B Section
THURSDAY, Â MAY Â 8, Â 2014
KARL LINDHOLM
SPORTS
ALSO IN THIS SECTION:
t 4DIPPM /FXT t -FHBM /PUJDFT
Hoop  in  Cameroon Part  2:  The  City  Game For  the  past  three  weekends,  Richard,  Valentine,  and  I  have  been  undertaking  a  bit  of  light  hoop  an- thropology,  visiting  the  outdoor  bas- ketball  courts  scattered  about  the  city  here  in  Yaounde. My  goal  is  nothing  on  the  scale  of  Pete  Axthelm’s  “The  City  Gameâ€?  or  Alex  Wolff’s  “Small  World/Big  Game,â€?  classic  studies  in  Hoopolo- gy,  but  rather  to  engage  basketball  as  a  way  of  getting  me  out  of  the  house  and  into  the  world  I  am  inhabiting  this  year,  via  an  enterprise  that  cap- tured  my  spirit  long  ago.  Unsurpris- ingly,  I  have  not  always  found  it  easy  to  be  here  in  West  Africa  —  it’s  quite  different  from,  say,  West  Addison.  As  I  make  my  way  tentatively  around  Yaounde,  I  do  not  see  bas- ketball  being  played,  kids  shooting  hoops.  I  don’t  see  outdoor  courts,  playgrounds,  baskets  mounted  on  poles.  I  do  see  football  (soccer)  in  every  vacant  lot,  intense  games  be- tween  brightly  colored  uniformed  teams.  Basketball  remains  mostly  subterranean. %XW LWÂśV GHÂżQLWHO\ KHUH Valentine  is  a  student  of  Brett,  my  wife,  at  Yaounde  1  University,  who  MIDDLEBURY  UNION  HIGH  School  senior  shortstop  Carsyn  Buxton  tries  for  the  tag  on  Commodore  Kayla  Charron  as  she  slides  into  second  base  declared  to  her  his  basketball  pas- Tuesday  in  Vergennes.  The  Commodores  won  the  game,  5-Â3. Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell VLRQ :KHQ , ÂżUVW PHW KLP KH VDLG KLV favorite  players  were  Lebron  James  and  Kobe  Bryant  (no  surprise  there),  but  Valentine  is  Muggsy  Bogues’  size.  I  suggested  he  check  out  Chris  Tamara  Aunchman  to  the  plate.  &RPPRGRUHV ÂżQDOO\ EURNH WKURXJK Paul  —  and  he  did.  Last  week  he  Aunchman  scorched  a  shot  to  left  against  the  hard-Âthrowing  Buxton,  showed  up  for  one  of  our  forays  to  center,  a  ball  that  probably  never  rose  who  allowed  just  those  four  hits,  the  city’s  basketball  dens  in  a  shirt  more  than  20  feet  off  walked  four  and  struck  with  “Chris  Paulâ€?  carefully  hand- By  ANDY  KIRKALDY the  ground  and  cleared  “We were in the out  12.  Paquette  said  lettered  on  the  back.  VERGENNES  —  After  be- the  fence  easily,  and  dugout. We were the  adjustment  was  in  Valentine  fell  in  love  with  the  ing  held  hitless  for  four  innings  by  the  Commodores  led  attitude  rather  than  me- all standing game  in  grade  school  in  his  village  of  Middlebury  freshman  pitcher  Payton  IRU WKH ÂżUVW WLPH chanics. Akum  (all  Yaoundians  call  “homeâ€?  Buxton,  the  Vergennes  Union  High  The  win  also  im- up. We were all “Payton  is  a  very  the  village  from  whence  they  came  School  softball  team  broke  out  the  proved  VUHS,  the  cheering, we good  pitcher.  She’s  got  (See  Lindholm,  Page  3B) ELJ EDWV LQ WKH ÂżIWK LQQLQJ WR VFRUH 2013  Division  II  run- were all yelling. I nice  movement,  and  IRXU WLPHV DQG UDOO\ IURP D GHÂż- ners-Âup,  to  4-Â1  and  al- think that has a we  haven’t  seen  that  a  cit  and  claim  a  5-Â3  victory. lowed  them  to  bounce  lot to do with the lot  lately,  and  it  took  us  Leadoff  hitter  Kayla  Charron  back  from  their  only  a  little  bit  to  get  used  to  started  the  rally  with  a  double  to  loss,  a  17-Â2  setback  to  game, the power it.  But  we’re  a  strong  center,  and  winning  pitcher  Taylor  Essex  last  week  when  of the team.â€? enough  team  where  — Taylor Paquette even  if  we’re  down  Paquette’s  one-Âout  double  to  left- they  played  without  center  made  it  3-Â2.  Clean-Âup  hitter  three  starters  off  on  a  we’re  able  to  work  and  VERGENNES  UNION  HIGH  DQG ÂżUVW EDVHPDQ 'DQL %URZQ OLQHG school  trip.  The  Tigers  fell  to  1-Â4,  get  out  of  it,â€?  Paquette  said.  “We  School  pitcher  Taylor  Paquette  DQ RSSRVLWH ÂżHOG VLQJOH GRZQ WKH with  their  four  losses  coming  by  a  were  in  the  dugout.  We  were  all  struck  out  nine  Middlebury  batters  standing  up.  We  were  all  cheering,  to  earn  the  win  Tuesday  afternoon. ULJKW ÂżHOG OLQH WR SODWH 3DTXHWWH DQG total  of  seven  runs.  tie  the  game,  bringing  third  baseman  Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell Paquette  was  asked  how  the  (See  Softball,  Page  4B)
VUHS  softball  tops  Tigers Fifth-Âinning  power  sparks  comeback
t $MBTTJĂŤFET t 3FBM &TUBUF
Women’s lax to host NCAA game on Saturday By  ANDY  KIRKALDY MIDDLEBURY  —  Despite  an  April  26  loss  in  a  NESCAC  quarter- ¿QDO WKH 0LGGOHEXU\ &ROOHJH women’s  lacrosse  team  on  Sunday  night  was  not  only  awarded  an  at- large  bid  to  the  NCAA  Division  III  WRXUQDPHQW EXW ZLOO DOVR KRVW D ÂżUVW round  game. The  Panthers,  ranked  No.  9  after  ORVLQJ WKHLU ÂżYH JDPHV E\ D WRWDO RI eight  goals,  all  to  NCAA  tournament  teams,  will  host  Endicott  (14-Â3)  at  1  p.m.  on  Saturday.  The  teams  have  three  common  foes:  Endicott  lost  to  Tufts,  15-Â10;Íž  lost  to  Bowdoin,  15-Â7,  and  defeated  Bates,  11-Â10.  Middlebury  defeated  all  three:  Tufts,  12-Â8;Íž  Bowdoin,  14- 6;Íž  and  Bates,  7-Â6. (See  Panthers,  Page  2B)
Sports BRIEFS
Sodbusters  club  to  open  next  week
BRISTOL  —  The  Sodbusters  Horseshoe  Club,  which  hosts  a  sea- son  of  fun  competition  at  its  courts  QHDU WKH %ULVWRO UHFUHDWLRQ ÂżHOGV EH- hind  the  American  Legion,  will  be- gin  its  2014  season  next  week.  The  club’s  summer  singles  league  will  be  starting  on  Tuesday,  May  13,  at  6:30  p.m.  The   doubles  league  will  kick  off  on  Thursday,  May  15,  at  6:30  p.m.;Íž  anyone  who  wants  to  take  part  but  doesn’t  have  a  partner  may  just  show  up  and  draw  partners. If  interested  on  playing  in  either  league  call  Deb  Brown  at  453-Â2219.  7KH 6RGEXVWHUVÂś ÂżUVW WRXUQDPHQW LV the  Glen  Norris  Memorial  on  May  17-Â18.   The  deadline  doe  entering  is  this  coming  Sunday,  May  11.  If  in- terested  in  playing  in  this  tournament  call  Mike  Brown  at  453-Â2219.
Maple  Run  draws  crowd;͞  Masters’  record  is  set KARL  LINDHOLM,  WHO  is  teach- ing  in  Yaounde,  Cameroon,  for  a  year,  poses  with  his  student  Flo- rent  at  a  basketball  tournament.  Our  columnist  has  found  a  great  love  for  basketball  amoung  the  people  in  the  West  African  country.
ScoreBOARD HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS Lacrosse 5/5  MUHS  Boys  at  Essex  ........... Ppd.  to  5/7 5/5  Stowe  vs.  Mt.  Abe  Boys  .....................9-Â4 5/5  Milton  vs.  VUHS  Boys  .....................13-Â4 5/5  Montpelier  vs.  OV  Boys  ...................17-Â2 5/6  MUHS  Boys  vs.  St.  Albans  ..............16-Â3 Softball 5/5  OV  vs.  Rutland  ................................10-Â0 5/6  VUHS  vs.  MUHS  ...............................5-Â3 5/6  Mt.  Abe  vs.  Milton  ............................14-Â4 Baseball 5/5  OV  vs.  Rutland  ............................ 3-Â2  (9) 5/6  Mt.  Abe  vs.  Milton  ..............................7-Â3 COLLEGE SPORTS Baseball 5/4  Tufts  vs.  Midd.  ...................................6-Â0  5/4  Tufts  vs.  Midd.  .................................10-Â1 Â
(See  Schedule,  Page  4B)
By  ANDY  KIRKALDY MIDDLEBURY  —  About  800  runners  participated  as  individuals  or  as  part  of  two-Âmember  teams  in  Sunday’s  sixth  annual  Middlebury  Maple  Run  –  The  Sweetest  Half,  a  popular  half-Âmarathon  that  was  held  this  year  in  cool  and  showery  condi- tions. Montpelier’s  Sue  Hackney,  57,  provided  one  of  the  highlights  on  Sunday,  setting  a  new  masters  women’s  (over  40)  course  record  at  LQ ÂżQLVKLQJ VHFRQG RYHUDOO among  women  behind  West  Wind- sor’s  Phoebe  Novello,  20,  who  won  in  1:31.17. Noah  Brautigam  of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  won  the  overall  men’s  title  in  1:15.05,  exactly  1:01  ahead  of  Alba- ny,  N.Y.,  resident  Peter  Rowell. Prevailing  in  the  men’s  masters  division  was  Carl  Scott  of  Fair  Ha- ven  in  1:32.31.  Organizers  said  that  EHFDXVH +DFNQH\ ÂżQLVKHG LQ WKH WRS three  in  the  open  race,  they  declared  Middlebury’s  Nicole  Wilkerson  the  winner  of  the  female  masters  race  in  1:34.17. COMPETITORS  IN  SUNDAY’S  Middlebury  Maple  Run  half-Âmarathon  cruise  past  the  Scholten  Farm  in  Weybridge  near  the  6-Âmile  mark.  Nearly  800  Other  local  winners  included  Will  participants  enjoyed  the  rural  setting,  great  race  day  support  and  reasonable  climatic  conditions. (See  Run,  Page  2B) Independent  photo/John  S.  McCright
MIDDLEBURY SALE! 20 OFF Everything Middlebury! %
OR MORE
6:($76 ‡ +$76 ‡ 7((6 ‡ 6+2576 ‡ -$&.(76 025( Fri., Sat. & Sun. – May 9th, 10th & 11th
FORTH ‘N GOAL SPORTS
0DLQ 6WUHHW ‡ 0LGGOHEXU\ ‡ 388-Â3444
0RQ )UL ‡ 6DW ‡ 6XQ Enter to win a $50 gift card online at middleburyshop.com
Like Us On