Basketball Player, Golfer Earn Athlete of the Week Recognition

Foul weather and a personal foul intersect at this week's iBerkshires.com/Adams Community Bank Athlete of the Week honors.

 

Mother Nature temporarily* denied Lee High's Thomas Fraser a chance to contend with the county's other top scholastic golfers at the Berkshire Classic.

 

But there is no denying Fraser's consistent excellence on the links this fall.

 

The Berkshire Classic was canceled this weekend because of unplayable conditions at Stockbridge Golf Club.

 

Last year, Fraser finished fourth at the ninth-annual event on his way to winning an individual Western Massachusetts Division 3 title.

 

This fall, Fraser has been on a tear, earning medalist honors at all nine of his team's dual matches and leading Lee to a 6-3 record. He and the Wildcats figure to be among the favorites when this year's sectional tournament is contested on Oct. 23 at Waubeeka Golf Links.

 

The county's newest fall sport is just getting going as the Unified Basketball season began on Friday at Wahconah.

 

Sportsmanship is an essential component of the sport, an intitiative of Special Olympics which allows regular education students and special education students to join forces in athletic competiton.

 

But a personal foul, of all things, exemplified the spirit of Friday's opener, when Mount Greylock senior Clare Sheedy intentionally -- and gently -- fouled a Wahconah player in the act of shooting in order to put him on the line.

 

The county's only two Unified teams - so far - are scheduled to meet two more times this fall, at Mount Greylock on Oct. 24 and Nov. 8. Wahconah also has a home date on Nov. 1. Both teams will compete at a season-ending Western Mass jamboree on a date and in a location to be determined.

 

*UPDATE: Late Sunday, the Berkshire Classic was rescheduled, again, for Saturday, Oct. 20, at the Country Club of Pittsfield at noon.

 

The iBerkshires.com Athlete of the Week is sponsored by Adams Community Bank.