Sweren, McLaughlin Have Teams Off to Hot Starts

Two of last fall's most successful Berkshire County teams are picking up where they left off.

 

And this week's iBerkshires.com Athletes of the Week are two big reasons why.

 

The Wahconah golf team last year lost one dual match on the way to a Western Massachusetts Championship.

 

Despite losing one of its top contributors from 2023, Wahconah once again is unbeaten with three matches under its belt -- all wins by 10 strokes or more.

 

Sam McLaughlin has taken medalist in two of the team's three matches -- sharing the honor with Tim Kaley in the opener and finishing at 1-over on Wednesday to lead the team in a 156-168 win over Taconic.

 

Last fall, he tied for sixth place with an 81 at the Western Mass Championships to help Wahconah to a 22-stroke win over the field.

 

This week, McLaughlin and his teammates have two matches: at Hoosac Valley on Monday and home against Mount Everett on Friday.

 

The Mount Greylock volleyball team went undefeated last fall on the way to the school's first state championship.

 

And with several senior stars graduating, some wondered what the Mounties would look like this fall.

 

Turns out, they look very familiar, from a win-loss standpoint.

 

Mount Greylock went 3-0 in the opening week of the season, edging county rivals Lenox and Lee at home before going on the road to sweep Chicopee Comprehensive.

 

Senior setter Kylie Sweren is one of the holdovers from last year's title run. She was able to set a school record for assists giving the ball to all-state hitter Celina Savage and company in 2023.

 

In 2024, Sweren eagerly accepted a new role, as one of the team's top attacker.

 

While remaiming Mount Greylock's primary setter, Sweren also leads the team in kills in the early going, with 41 -- 13.7 per match.

 

Mount Greylock puts its undefeated record on the line on Tuesday when it hosts Pittsfield.