Mount Greylock's Gill, Taconic's Sandifer Honored

One of our Athletes of the Week helped lead his team to a big rivalry win on Friday night. The other has been leading the entire county this winter.

 

Mount Greylock sophomore Brandi Gill on Saturday earned her third straight individual title and helped the Mounties to a fourth straight win in the Berkshire County Cross Country Ski League circuit.

 

Racing for the second straight week at Mohawk Trail Regional High School, Gill posted a six-second margin of victory over Lenox’s Emma Jourdain with the racers taking on the two-lap layout in a mass start skate race.

 

Last year, Gill finished in the top 20 in the state as an eighth-grader to help Mount Greylock win the state championship.

 

On the hardwood, the Taconic boys have proven themselves to be one of the toughest outs in Western Massachusetts, and on Friday senior Deonte Sandifer helped put away Pittsfield to give Taconic its 11th win in 12 outings and its fifth straight victory overall.

 

Sandifer scored 20 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, to help his team win by 18 points in the always tough city matchup.

 

“Deonte stepped up, as a senior should,” Taconic coach Bill Heaphy said. “As a guy who’s been here four years, he did what he needed to do.”

 

Taconic will need more of the same on Monday when it plays a major Berkshire County North Division showdown at Drury (11-1).

 

The iBerkshires.com Athlete of the week is sponsored by Jiminy Peak.