Boudreau, Paris Earn Athlete of the Week Recognition

This is the time of year when the best high school student-athletes in Berkshire County start proving themselves against the best high school student-athletes from around the commonwealth ... or, in the case of at least one, some top college talent.

 

This week's iBerkshires.com/Southwestern Vermont Health Care Athetes of the Week are off to a great start in the post-season.

 

Actually, Derek Paris is just starting his "second" season on the baseball diamond, and he made a strong debut on Friday in the season opener for the Pittsfield Suns of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.

 

The Mount Greylock senior went 2-for-5 with a double at the plate and threw out a runner attempting to steal second base from behind the plate in the fourth inning of the Suns' season opener in Nashua, N.H. Paris also stole a couple of bases of his own against Nashua.

 

Earlier in the day, Paris joined his high school classmates celebrating their plans for the fall. His own baseball journey will take him to the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, to play for the Division I Retrievers.

 

Of course, he still has some work to do locally, and that includes Wednesday's Western Massachusetts Class C final at Springfield College. Last week, Paris helped the Mounties reach that final by pitching a perfect game in the quarter-finals and continuing to drive the team's offense, where he is hitting .439 this spring.

 

Hoosac Valley senior Lilly Boudeau has some work to do at the Division 6 Championships at Westfield State Univeristy.

 

On Monday, she is this sixth-seeded runner in the state and the top Berkshire County entrant in the 400 meters.

 

She goes into the event with one D6 title already in her pocket. On Thursday, she hit the tape in the 400 hurdles in 67.70 seconds, more than a second ahead of the rest of the field.

 

Her win gave the Hurricanes 10 team points, which puts them in 10th place going into Day 2 of the divisional championship. It also guaranteed Boudreau another trip to Westfield State on Thursday for the all-state Meet of Champions.

 

Boudreau, who played soccer and was a member of the Hurricanes' state finalist team in basketball, plans to run track and field at Gettysburg College next year.

 

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