MANCHESTER, NH – Spring means many things to many people. Universally, spring signifies longer days, warmer weather and new growth. For athletes throughout the Queen City, this spring carries added significance. After all, this is the first spring season since 2019, a reality not missed by coaches and athletes at Manchester Memorial High School.
Baseball
Head Coach:
Justin Sumner
Returning Athletes:
- Colin Brodeur
- Jeffrey Josefik,
- Noah Wolgamott
Promising Newcomers:
- Alexis Rivera
- Alex Rivera
Biggest Challenge:
“We have to develop more consistent pitching and defensive play,” said Sumner.
Expectations:
“I expect us to continue to develop and grow more consistently as the season progresses,” said Sumner.
First 3 Games:
- Monday, April 12, 4 p.m. – Home vs. Goffstown
- Wednesday, April 14, 4:30 p.m. – Away vs. Goffstown
- Monday, April 19, 4 p.m. – Home vs. Nashua North
Softball
Head Coach:
Meredith Doyle (1st year)
Top Returning Athletes:
- Emma Chandler (Senior)
- Rylie Hastings (Senior)
- Rachel Barry (Junior)
Promising Newcomers:
- Brooklynn Flinkfelt (Freshman)
- Jaime Webster(Freshman)
Biggest Challenge:
“We are a very young team and because we did not have a season last year everyone is very new to playing together,” said Doyle. “We are working hard to grow together to become a solid unit on the field.”
Expectations:
“My expectations are that we play hard every game and give 100 percent until the last inning,” said Doyle. “The girls are ecstatic to be back on the field this season.”
First 3 Games:
- Monday, April 12, 4:30 p.m. – Away vs. Goffstown
- Wednesday, April 14, 4:30 p.m. – Home vs. Goffstown
- Monday, April 19, 4 p.m. – Away vs. Nashua North
Boys Tennis
Head Coach:
Shannon Moloney (3 years)
Returning Athletes:
- Todd Tran (Senior)
- Ryan Deary (Senior)
- Hunter Chambers (Senior)
- Huy Hoang
“Todd, Ryan, and Hunter are all seniors and will be representing the team in our top-6 matches for their last year at Memorial with the goal of improving the team’s record from previous years,” said Moloney
Captains:
“Ryan Deary and Todd Tran are our co-captains for the season and are both committed to helping improve the team’s skills while keeping morale high, no matter the challenges they may face,” said Moloney.
Promising Newcomers:
- Tiago Mendes
- Cameron Brown
- Sean McCarthy
- George Delmar
“Even after the cancellation of the spring season last year, the team is seeing a revival in the number of athletes,” said Moloney. “The next generation of Memorial tennis players is looking bright and competitive in their future seasons.”
Biggest Challenge:
“The biggest challenge for the team this season will most probably their back-to-back games against Bedford and Concord in the latter half of the season,” said Moloney. “The Bedford and Concord teams have been formidable opponents in past, however, the team this season is determined to put up a fight and give them a run for their money.”
Expectations:
“I think that this year’s team lineup has the potential to outperform compared to many of the previous years and I am excited to see these boys grow to be fine tennis players,” said Moloney. “Overall, the team this year has a good mix of returning players that are ready to guide their team and newcomers that are willing to learn and improve. I am excited to see how these boys will compare to the other teams and hope the other teams were able to recover as nicely as ours after the gap year.”
First 3 Games:
- Monday, April 12, 4 p.m. – Away vs. Goffstown
- Wednesday, April 14, 4 p.m. – Home vs. Londonderry
- Monday, April 19, 4 p.m. – Home vs. Nashua North
Boys Track
Head Coach:
Tom Lynch (27 years)
Top returning athletes:
- Bryce Foster- High jump, hurdles
- Dennis Kotee – Long jump, hurdles
- Joshua Rivers – 1600 meters, 3200 meters
- Sebastian Ruge – 400 meters
- Tyler Telge – 400 meters, 1600 meters
- Ryan Wood – Discus and javelin
- Justin Discua – Middle-distance running
Promising newcomers:
- Steven Elezi – Sprints
- Kenray Emadamerho – Sprints
- Taylor Laporte- Throws
- AJ Sebastian – Sprints
Biggest challenge:
“We face two challenges,” said Lynch. “The first is getting kids back involved in track after a year off and our second is our track will be closed on May 1 as construction will begin on a new track and playing field. We will be practicing at West the second half of the season.”
Expectations:
“My expectations are to get kids interested in track and use this season to build into next year,” said Lynch.
First 3 Meets:
- Friday, April 16, 4 p.m. – Home vs. Goffstown
- Tuesday, April 20, 4 p.m. – Away vs. Nashua North
- Tuesday, April 27 4 p.m. – Away vs. Keene
Boys Lacrosse
Head Coach:
Jordan D’Onofrio (1st year)
Top Returning Athletes:
- Sebastian Botelho (Senior goalie – Memorial)
- Braden Hafeman (Junior attack – Memorial)
- Kenny McIntyre (Senior attack – Memorial)
- Ryan Hines (Senior middie – Memorial)
- August Connors (Junior long-stick middie – Memorial)
Top Newcomers:
- Justin Russell (Senior middie – Memorial)
- Ben Mikus (Senior long-stick middie – Central)
- Gavin Lins (Junior attack – Central)
- Carter Beland (Sophomore defense – Memorial)
Captains:
Russell, Hines, & Hafeman
Biggest Challenge:
“The biggest challenge for our team this year is combining the Memorial and Central athletes and developing a winning culture,” said D’Onofrio. “So far, we have excelled at this, the kids have bought into playing for each other and becoming one team, they all have a tremendous competitive attitude and give great effort everyday. I am looking forward to seeing them compete this season. We are also a very young team in terms of lacrosse playing experience, which has provided its own set of challenges. In the face of this our experienced guys have led the way working with the less experienced guys to get them up to speed and able to contribute.”
Expectations:
“We aim to compete, we are not focused on how many wins, making playoffs etc.,” said D’Onofrio. “Our goal is to play hard every game and show that we can compete with the best of the best in the state. If we can do that over the course of 15 games, I feel our season will be a success.
“I’m happy to see the kids out and playing,” he added. “In such uncertain times, getting the kids back to normal has been tremendous.”
First 3 Games:
- Tuesday, April 13, 5:30 p.m. – Home vs. Goffstown
- Thursday, April 15, 4 p.m. – Away vs. Goffstown
- Tuesday, April 20, 4:30 p.m. – Away vs. Alvirne
