Smith, Swann Snag Weekly Honors
Nobody is perfect -- at least usually.
This week's iBerkshires.com/Southwestern Vermont Health Care Athletes of the Week are doing what they can to prove otherwise.
Mount Greylock senior Katherine Swann appears to be saving her best for last in the cross country season.
Swann finished first just once in six meets during the season while helping the Mounties compile an undefeated dual meet record.
On Saturday at the Berkshire County Invitational, she finished 18 seconds ahead of the field to win the individual title and lead Mount Greylock to a team championship on its home course.
The other two times the entire Berkshire County League got together for a run, Swann finished fourth -- at Monument Mountain on Sept. 9 and at Hoosac Valley three weeks later.
But both times, her fourth-place finishes helped Mount Greylock maintain its perfect dual record.
Now, she and her Mountie teammates hope to carry the momentum into the state qualifying meet on Nov. 13 at Stanley Park in Westfield.
The Wahconah football team has all the momentum in the world -- and likely a No. 1 seeding -- heading into the 16-team Division 7 state tournament that gets underway on Friday.
Senior Jonah Smith has been a big part of his team's success as the top weapon in Wahconah's high-powered running game.
On Friday night against Division 3's West Springfield, Smith also was one of several Wahconah players making big plays in the defensive backfield to hold off the Terriers for a two-point win and an 8-0 regular season.
On offense, Smith ran for 173 yards and the game-winning touchdown in the third quarter.
"We were really, really good on fourth down and especially in short yardage," Wahconah coach Gary Campbell Jr. said of his offense. I thought the kids in the O-line stepped up on that."
Wahconah will be home on Friday against an opponent to be named after the state's regular season ends on Sunday. The likely top seed will translate to up to two home games in Dalton before the action moves to neutral sites in the state semi-finals.
The iBerkshires.com Athlete of the Week is sponsored by Southwestern Vermont Health Care.