Kaley, Firth Earn Athlete of the Week Honors

This week's iBerkshires.com/Southwestern Vermont Health Care Athletes of the Week have helped their teams to a lot of wins over the years.

 

But it was a couple of losses that helped drive each athlete's team to greater heights this fall.

 

Tim Kaley and the Wahconah golf team went undefeated in Berkshire County last fall and would be undefeated again this season but for a narrow loss at Waubeeka Golf Links to Mount Greylock back on Sept. 5.

 

On Wednesday, Wahconah had a chance to avenge that loss, and did so with a 159-170 win over the Mounties at Wahconah Country Club.

 

Tim Kaley carded a 1-over-par round of 36 to earn medalist honors and lead Wahconah to its ninth win in 10 tries this fall.

 

"It definitely motivated us," Kaley said of the loss. "I was just trying to get ready for this match. We definitely wanted to get this one.

 

"And then with the Classic coming up next week, it's definitely a good time with Western Mass and states for my game to start coming back around."

 

After three dual matches this week against Monument Mountain, Lenox and Taconic, Kaley and a couple of his teammates will head to Stockbridge Country Club on Sunday for an individual event, the Berkshire Classic, where last year he won the title with a 4-over 75.

 

Like the Wahconah golfers, the Monument Mountain girls soccer team has but one blemish on its record, a 3-2 loss in the rain at Mount Greylock on Sept. 18.

 

The Spartans have been raining goals ever since, scoring 26 in their next four games to run their record to 9-1.

 

Iris Firth leads Monument Mountain with 23 goals and 10 assists this fall, and she had six goals and four assists in a pair of wins this past week.

 

Afterward, she said that the loss helped Monument refocus on not taking anything for granted after opening the year 5-0.

 

She said passing has been a key to Monument Mountain's high-powered offense.

 

"I think we've been practicing movement a lot," she said. "Simple passes. our coach really makes us. We focus on playing simple and working our hardest and always recovering."

 

On Monday, the Spartans hit the road to face Springfield Central. Then they get a few days to recover and get ready for a rematch against the Mounties in Great Barrington.

 

The iBerkshires.com Athlete of the Week is sponsored by Southwestern Vermont Health Care.