Two local teams win MIAA sportsmanship awards

The Swampscott boys hockey team and the Revere boys gymnastic team are among the high school squads that received MIAA sportsmanship awards.”You have to submit an application,” said Swampscott coach Gino Faia, whose team won an award for Division 3. “They look at penalties through the year – minor penalties, majors ? I think we averaged under three a game, which is good ? We had no majors, no misconducts, no DQs. We also did some community service with the Swampscott Senior Center as a team. It’s how your team conducts themselves, and we kind of follow through with our motto, ‘Big Blue Hockey: Class and Discipline.'”Swampscott finished 12-4-4, winning its first-ever division title. The Big Blue lost to Marblehead in overtime in the first round of the state tournament.”It’s a great honor to get the award,” Faia said. “This is the second time we’ve gotten it (2001). One of our goals was to qualify and win the award.”Awards were presented in boys and girls basketball, boys and girls hockey, track and field, swimming and diving, gymnastics, skiing, and MSSAA cheerleading.”It’s very nice,” Revere boys gymnastics coach Dave Montani said. “I’ve been doing this a long time. A lot of people (got) hurt early ? The kids I have, they persevered. People came back and someone else got hurt.”However, the Patriots ultimately finished third in the state, and Veasna Dethchan won All-Scholastic honors. Dethchan was also Senior Gymnast of the Year in Massachusetts, and finished third in all-around in the state meet on Feb. 15 at Burlington. The Patriots won their sportsmanship award that night.”They’ve accomplished so much,” Montani said.”It was a great overall season,” Faia said, “and to cap it off with an award like this is a big thing for the team.”