Connecticut
Cheshire Student Wins Whitey Piurek ‘No ‘I’ In Team’ Award
CHESHIRE, CT — Cheshire’s Christopher Kobylanski will be one of 31 honorees to receive the John “Whitey” Piurek “There’s No ‘I’ in Team” Award at the Southern Connecticut Diamond Club’s upcoming banquet.
The Southern Connecticut Diamond Club, Inc., will hold its 19th Annual “No ‘I’ in Team” High School Awards Banquet on Sunday, June 9, at 11 a.m. at The Woodwinds in Branford.
Tickets to the 2024 SCDC “No ‘I’ in Team” luncheon are $45 per person and will only be sold in advance. Tickets can be purchased online here or by contacting Rose V. Mentone, Executive Director, at RMentone@comcast.net.
Find out what’s happening in Cheshirewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The SCDC, a non-profit, volunteer-run organization whose stated mission is to foster and promote the game of baseball in greater New Haven, will bestow upon a player from each of 31 area high schools the John “Whitey” Piurek “There’s No ‘I’ in Team” Award.
The honor is named for Piurek, the longtime West Haven High School coach, Seattle Mariners scout, and Greater New Haven Baseball Umpires Association commissioner, and is tagged with one of his favorite phrases.
Find out what’s happening in Cheshirewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Honorees were selected jointly by their coaches and directors of athletics. While it was recommended schools choose a senior, they were free to recognize any player they felt gave most unselfishly to their team.
Winners represent the Southern Connecticut Conference (18), Shoreline Conference (4), Naugatuck Valley League (3), New England Private Schools Athletics Council (3), Central Connecticut Conference (2), and Connecticut Technical Conference (1)
The SCDC will also honor its George Klivak Team of the Year and Samuel A. Burrell Jr. Coach of the Year. Both awards, as chosen by area coaches and the SCDC Executive Board, will have co-winners in 2024. The Team of the Year award will be shared by SCC champion Daniel Hand High School and Shoreline winner North Branford High School.
Southington High’s Stan Switala and East Haven High’s Raymond “Butch” Johnson are the Co-Coaches of the Year. Southington, the inaugural CCC Tournament champion, entered the CIAC Class LL Tournament with a 22-0 record and ranked No. 1 in the GameTimeCT state poll. East Haven (12-8-1 entering Class L Tournament) enjoyed its first winning season since 2019.
The 2024 winners of the Southern Connecticut Diamond Club John “Whitey” Piurek “There’s No ‘I’ in Team” Award are:
Amity Regional – Johnny Aldi
Ansonia – Brendan Lynch
Branford – Giuseppe Piscitelli
Canterbury – Seth Schullery
Cheshire – Christopher Kobylanski
Derby – Kobe Marroquin
East Haven – Dominick Perillo
Fairfield Prep – Griffin Fisher
Foran – Kasen Lanese
Guilford – Joe Tafro
Hamden – Tristan Manganiello
Hamden Hall – Ryan Lynch
Hand – Johnny Reh
Hopkins – Jaan Desai
Hillhouse/Career – Henry Rugemer
Law – Alex Bludevich
Morgan – Ryan Donadio
North Branford – Victor Castillo
Notre Dame (West Haven) – Matthew Cinque
North Haven – Jordan Higgins
Old Saybrook – Nick Denovellis
Platt HS – Aiden McCarty
Sheehan – Paul Gorry
Shelton – Jake Duda
Southington – Carson Lentini
Westbrook – Kyle Litevich
West Haven – Haygen Axelrod
Wilbur Cross – Andrez Garcia
Wilcox Tech – Noah Zamorano
Woodland Regional – Ethan Stepputtis
Xavier – Luciano Frezza
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Connecticut
5 Connecticut towns to receive $2M each for infrastructure upgrades
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Five Connecticut towns will collectively receive $10 million in grants for infrastructure upgrades, according to a Monday announcement by Gov. Ned Lamont.
The Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH) is awarding $10.7 million to Coventry, Guilford, Ledyard, Mansfield and Thomaston to modernize and rehabilitate housing for low- and moderate-income residents, the announcement said.
The funds are being released through the DOH’s Community Development Block Grant’s small cities program, with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. To be eligible, a municipality must have fewer than 50,000 residents.
Cost Breakdown
Coventry: $2 million
Town of Coventry plans to use funds to upgrade, with a focus on making Orchard Hill Estates compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Guilford: $2 million
The Town of Guilford plans to use funds to design and build future affordable housing projects, consisting of up to 16 rental units and 8 homes.
Ledyard: $2 million
The Town of Canton requested funding for the first phase of affordable housing for people in Ledyard and the surrounding area. Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Connecticut is in the pre-development phase of the Colby Drive and plans to create 38 units.
Mansfield: $2.2 million
Funding will be used for upgrades to Wright’s Village, including roof replacements and sidewalk repairs.
Thomaston: $2.5 million
Funds will be used to make Green Manor ADA-compliant, including the installation of a new emergency call aid system.
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Connecticut
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Connecticut
Florida High School State Bronze Medalist Dajah German Verbals To Connecticut For Fall 2027
Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Florida high school state bronze medalist Dajah German has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Connecticut beginning in the fall of 2027. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Connecticut! I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported me throughout this journey, my family, coaches, teammates, and friends who have pushed me to be my best throughout the years. And a very special thank you to Coach Chris and Coach Nicole for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’m so excited for what’s ahead. GO HUSKIES!
A rising senior at Fort Lauderdale High School in Florida, German trains year-round with Swim Fort Lauderdale and primarily specializes in the sprint and middle-distance freestyle events.
German has improved each year of her high school career, most recently dropping from 23.78, 51.39, and 1:50.56 in the 50/100/200 free to 23.54, 51.35, and 1:49.69 during the 2025-26 short course season.
German’s top meet of the season was the Florida Senior Championships in March, where she recorded her current PBs in both the 50 and 200 free. She finished second in the 500 free (4:55.94) and 1650 free (17:02.78), third in both the 50 free and 200 free, and fifth in the 100 free (51.43). She set her current 100 free PB at a smaller holiday meet in December. In the 500 free, she clocked a season-best 4:55.21 at the Speedo Cup in January, with her lifetime best of 4:53.19 coming at the 2025 Florida Senior Championships.
German has qualified for the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) State Championships for the past three years, with her top performance coming at the 2025 iteration in November. She placed third in the 50 free (23.96), fifth in the 500 free (5:01.12), and helped Fort Lauderdale to fourth place in both the 200 free relay (24.64 leadoff) and 400 free relay (53.08 anchor).
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 23.54
- 100 Freestyle: 51.35
- 200 Freestyle: 1:49.69
- 500 Freestyle: 4:53.19
A Division I Mid-Major program, Connecticut competes in the Big East, with the women’s team placing second out of seven teams at this past season’s conference championships. German’s current lifetime bests would have placed third in the 200 free, fourth in the 500 free, eighth in the 50 free, and ninth in the 100 free, setting her up as an immediate contributor with two full seasons of training still ahead before her first conference meet.
German joins Anna Mumford, Lyla Devlin, Lena Brown, and Louisa Holda in committing to the Huskies’ class of 2031 so far.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
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