LYNN — Players, plaques, and pictures – that can only mean one thing.
Lynn Museum was the place to be Wednesday evening for this spring’s Item All-Star Award Ceremony. Highlighting student-athletes across 12 schools and nine sports, the best of the best were honored for their accomplishments during the spring sports season.
After Item sports reporter Mark Aboyoun welcomed student-athletes, coaches, and loved ones to the event, Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt served as the evening’s guest speaker.
A 1996 graduate of Holy Cross, Bettencourt epitomizes the Patriot League motto of “Today’s Scholar-Athletes, Tomorrow’s Leaders.”
A member of the Peabody High Athletics Hall of Fame, he was a three-sport captain in basketball, baseball, and cross country.
As a senior in basketball, he earned Greater Boston League MVP honors, was a Boston Globe and Herald All-Scholastic All-Star, and the 1992 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year. He then suited up for basketball and baseball at Holy Cross, serving as basketball captain his senior year.
From there, it was time for the stars to shine. Each student-athlete had their name called, received a plaque, and posed for a photo with fellow all-stars in their respective sport.
Players of the Year were announced last, and are as follows:
Baseball – Tommy Falasca (St. Mary’s)
Softball – Abby Bettencourt (Peabody)
Boys lacrosse – Connor Cronin (Marblehead)
Girls lacrosse – Brooke Lomasney (Peabody)
Boys tennis – Mika Garber (Marblehead)
Girls tennis – Paige Martino (Lynnfield)
Volleyball – Callum Brown (St. John’s Prep)
Boys track and field – Nathan Lopez (St. John’s Prep)
Girls track and field – Lindsey Wilson (Peabody)
Falasca hit .288 and sported an ERA of 1.30 for St. Mary’s baseball, while Abby Bettencourt recorded 266 punchouts and batted .550 for Peabody. On the lacrosse field, Cronin registered a Marblehead record of 131 points this season, while Lomansey ripped 84 goals for the Tanners.
In tennis, Marblehead’s Garber went 15-3 and was named MVP of the Northeastern Conference, while Martino went 18-3 for Lynnfield in a deep state tournament run.
On the volleyball court, Brown showed off with a 19-dig match against Haverhill and a 15-kill match against Xaverian.
Prep’s Lopez highlighted the boys track scene after he broke Alberto Salazar’s 2-mile record, and Peabody’s Wilson is now a school record-holder in triple jump.
Coaches of the Year gave speeches to wrap up each sport, and are as follows:
Baseball – Derek Dana (St. Mary’s)
Softball – Ashley Aldred (Lynn English)
Boys lacrosse – John Pynchon (St. John’s Prep)
Girls lacrosse – Al Eaton (Swampscott)
Boys tennis – Mark Metropolis (St. John’s Prep)
Girls tennis – Craig Stone (Lynnfield)
Volleyball – Kara Brown (St. John’s Prep)
Boys track and field – Zach Lankow (St. John’s Prep)
Girls track and field – Fernando Braz (Peabody)
The evening concluded with a group photo on the museum courtyard, followed by additional pictures and conversation for the next 30 minutes.
To the student-athletes and coaches honored on Wednesday, congratulations. You’re all stars.
