THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUnE 6, 2025 Page 11 ~ Saugus High Sachems Spring Sports roundup ~ By Dom Nicastro DIBIASIO WINS STATE TITLE IN JAVELIN The Saugus girls track and field team made a powerful showing at the MIAA Division 4 State Championships, placing 12th out of 32 teams at Merrimack College and coming within just a few points of cracking the top 10. The highlight? A stunning state title in the javelin from Peyton DiBiasio — who came in seeded 19th and left as the Division 4 champion. “She was seeded at No. 19 and with a 20-foot PR she came and won the state championship,” Saugus coach Joe Alba said. Sophomore Destiny Okoye placed sixth in the 100-meter hurdles and took third in the high jump, earning two medals. Freshman Soraya Mathieu also earned two medals, placing fifth in the 100-meter dash and seventh in the 200. “The story is incredible from DiBiasio upsetting so many people to Mathieu and Okoye who are a freshman and sophomore getting two medals in two different events,” Alba said. “This offseason the recruiting is going to be strong. We have a really good core with young athletes, so once we build around them, we have potential to be a great team.” The trio of DiBiasio, Okoye and Mathieu will now shift their focus to this week’s All-State competition at Fitchburg State University. SAUGUS SOFTBALL TEAM FINISHES 12-9 AFTER STATE TOURNAMENT LOSS TO HUDSON The Lady Sachems softball team gave Hudson everything it could handle in the preliminary round of the MIAA Division 3 State Tournament, but a late-inning surge from last year’s state runner-up resulted in a 16-7 defeat. “This game was closer than what the final score would indicate but this just wasn’t our day,” said Head Coach Steve Almquist. “We knew going into this one that we would have to get off to a fast start and pretty much play a clean game for us to have a chance. Unfortunately, neither happened.” After falling behind 4-0 in the first, Saugus fought back to tie the game 5-5 in the fourth on a clutch twoout, two-run single by senior captain Danica Schena. Eighth-grader Layla Demonte launched a tworun homer in the sixth to pull Saugus within 9-7 — her third hit of the game — but Hudson pulled away with a seven-run bottom of the frame. “Despite the outcome, we made Hudson earn it, and we battled to the very end just coming up a bit short,” Almquist said. “Although it was disappointing to lose in the state tournament this was still a great year, and I am extremely proud of all of these kids.” Demonte finished three-for-three with the home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Schena went twofor-four with two RBI and a run, and senior captain Lily Ventre added an RBI double. Saugus wrapped the season with a 12-8 regular season record and reached the tournament for the ninth consecutive season. The team finished strong, winning seven of its last eight regular-season games, including key victories over Division 1 Peabody and rivals Salem and Swampscott. “We were a young team starting two eighth-graders, two freshmen and two sophomores,” Almquist said. “If you had told me at the beginning of the year that we would finish the regular season at 128, I would have questioned whether or not you were dreaming — but that is exactly what these kids did.” The team graduates six seniors: Taylor Deleidi, Hannah Duong, Alexa Morello, Maya Pina, Danica Schena and Lily Ventre. “Their contributions were immeasurable, and I will miss them all tremendously,” Almquist said. “They are all fantastic players but even better individuals.” Three players earned individual honors from the Northeastern Conference: · Lily Ventre (catcher): NEC All-Conference, hitting an “astonishing .690” on the season. · Alexa Morello (first base): NEC All-Star, hit .351. · Danica Schena (Centerfield): NEC All-Star, hit .394. The air monitoring station at the Rumney Marsh should be working by early fall By Mark E. Vogler A state Department of Environmental Protection official has advised the Board of Health that he expects that the air monitoring station planned for Rumney Marsh “will be fully operational by late summer or early fall.” Director of Public Health John R. Fralick III advised the Board of Health at Monday’s meeting that he received confirmation from Sean Dunn, Deputy Division Director of the MassDEP Air Assessment Branch in Lawrence, that the agency is “getting very close” to air monitoring in Saugus. “Since our presentation in June 2024, we’ve made significant progress,” Dunn advised Fralick in an email last week. “We successfully secured funding for the project, identified a mutually agreed-upon location for the monitor at the Rumney Marsh Reservation, procured all necessary materials – including the air monitoring equipment and a climate-controlled cabinet shelter – and contracted an electrician to install the system,” Dunn wrote. “We are currently working with the local utility provider to bring power to the monitoring site. This process began in December 2024 and has involved navigating several logistical challenges. Most recently, the utility accepted our payment for the required work, and we are now awaiting scheduling. Once the work is completed, our electrician can proceed with wiring the station, after which we can begin monitoring air quality,” he said. Fralick read the letter into the record during Monday’s meeting. Pending an emergency over the summer months, the Board of Health will not be meeting again until Monday, Sept. 1. FUN-damental Basketball Camp Open to Boys and Girls in Local Area T he FUN-damental Basketball Camp, open to boys and girls in local area cities and towns, will be held July 21 to July 25, 2025, at the Immaculate Conception Parish Center, located at 59 Summer Street in Everett. The camp will be held between the hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm for boys and girls entering grades 3 through 8 as of September 2025.The cost of the camp is $125. Tony Ferullo, boys’ varsity basketball coach at Mystic Valley Regional Charter School in Malden, will be the Director of the camp. The purpose of the camp is: To provide all campers with the fundamental tools to help them become better basketball players; To create a positive atmosphere where the camper will learn and have fun at the same time; and To instill the spirit of the game into all campers and inspire them to continue playing the game either competitively or just for fun. Each camper, who will receive a T-shirt and certificate, will participate in various drills, scrimmages and individual contests.Special guests will speak and share their personal basketball tips. An awards ceremony will take place on the last day of the camp, and parents and friends are welcome to attend. For more information about the FUN-damental Basketball Camp, please contact Camp Director Tony Ferullo: 857-312-7002 or tferullo@suffolk.edu.
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