Lee's Retzel, Mount Greylock's Donati Recognized

Two of the county’s elite winter sports programs produce this week’s Athletes of the Week.

 

Neither the Lee High girls basketball team nor the Mount Greylock cross country ski program are a stranger to state championships, and each continued their winning ways this week. Seniors Karli Retzel and Ric Donati were big factors.

 

Donati, who already has a first-place finish under his belt this season, finished fourth on Saturday at Mohawk Trail Regional High School to lead the Mounties, who took their third straight first-place finish in three outings this winter.

 

The Berkshire County Nordic League is scheduled to come to Williamstown this Saturday, the midway point of a season that culminates on Feb. 28 at Notchview Reservation, where the Mount Greylock boys will go for a seventh straight Massachusetts title.

 

The Lee High girls own seven state crowns — though not in a row. The last came in 2010; this year’s edition of the Wildcats is off to a 9-1 start after wins this week over 2016 Western Mass Division 3 semi-finalist Drury and 2016 Division 4 finalist Mount Everett.

 

Friday’s win over the Eagles avenged Lee’s only loss of the season and saw a matchup of two of the county’s most talented guards: Retzel and the Eagles’ Gwen Carpenter.

 

"They’re both really good players,” Lee coach Jeff Puleri said. “They both play really hard. They make their teammates better. It’s a good matchup.

 

Retzel scored 20 points in each of her team’s wins last week.

 

Jiminy Peak sponsors iBerkshires.com's Athlete of the Week.