Ana Katz of Newton named to college all-star team
Brandeis University tennis coach Ben Lamanna said the 2005-2006 season didn't start well for Ana Katz of Newton, whose confidence was up and down. But the season ended on a high note.
A sophomore, Katz went undefeated in a year-ending tournament and was named to the All-University Athletic Association all-star team.
''Back in September, she was down on herself a lot," said Lamanna, who was in his first year as coach. ''We talked about her not beating herself up as much when she made a mistake, to instead focus on the positive. She really turned the corner. Making the first team is a testament to her change in attitude."
Katz primarily played No. 5 singles for Brandeis, but because of another player's injury, she was bumped to No. 3 for the University Athletic Association Tournament late last month. Playing at Emory University in Atlanta, Katz won all three of her matches.
She was 11-5 during the regular season, the second-best record on the squad.
''She strikes a real clean ball," Lamanna said. ''I think she also changed her game based on her opponents, mixing in some high-depth balls and rally balls instead of trying to dominate all the time by hitting lines and making the perfect shot. She became more of a cerebral player, and a happier player, too, with more confidence."
New practice field at Framingham High
A new artificial-turf practice field at Framingham High will provide a major boost to many of the Flyers' teams, said athletic director Gary Doherty.
The new field will replace a small grass field that was used for football practices and freshman girls' lacrosse.
''We were close to shutting the field down," Doherty said, citing an increase in injuries and its small size as reasons. ''Now we'll have a safe, level, legal-size field that will be great for the entire program."
Because the field is to be made of artificial grass, it will allow for more teams to use it and won't experience the same wear and tear as a regular grass field. It should also allow spring-season teams a chance to practice outside earlier in the season, when grass fields are usually soggy from winter. The field also will be used for physical-education classes during school hours.
Doherty said the field is expected to be completed in July.
Mitjans makes the move to Brookline, familiar field
Laz Mitjans played college football for Northeastern University at Parsons Field. After resigning as the head coach at Algonquin Regional (Northborough-Southborough) and being hired as Brookline High's coach last week, he'll now pace the sidelines again at Parsons, home turf for both Northeastern and Brookline.
''It's a little bit of a homecoming," Mitjans said.
Mitjans has been a fixture on the high school football scene in Boston's western suburbs. Before he was hired as Algonquin's head coach three years ago, he was an assistant at Natick and Framingham high schools.
Brookline competes in the Bay State Conference, which pleases Mitjans because he's familiar with it from his time at Natick and Framingham.
''I really like the league, and also the stability of knowing the teams you face each season," he said.
At Algonquin, which plays in Central Massachusetts, Mitjans said the Tomahawks' opponents changed every couple of years because of conference realignment. Algonquin will have 19 of its 22 starters return this year, and has a bright future, with the freshman team having posted an 11-0 record in the fall.
Mitjans will take his assistant coaching staff with him to Brookline, which includes Framingham High graduate Jason MacDonald and Natick High graduate Rodney Spinazola. The other assistants are Robert Thorsen and Phil Owens.
''Brookline has always had some very talented, very athletic kids," Mitjans said. ''We hope to get them to buy into our system."
Ouimet-Lowery tournament hits home for local residents
The seventh annual Francis Ouimet and Eddie Lowery Tournament, to be held at Brookline Golf Club at Putterham on June 3 to benefit the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund, will have special meaning for Jack Neville, the club's director of golf, and Brian Bain of Medway, the club's head professional.
Ouimet, with Newton native Lowery by his side as caddie, was an upset winner at the 1913 US Open at The Country Club in Brookline. The fund he started in 1949 awarded $1 million in scholarships in 2005-2006 to 362 students who worked for three years as caddies or helpers in pro shops or course superintendent operations in Massachusetts.
Neville, captain of the 1961 Newton High golf team and golf coach at Newton North High from 1978 to 1985, served on the Ouimet Fund's board of directors. Bain, ranked among the nation's top 50 junior instructors in 2004 and 2005, was a Ouimet Scholar who worked for four years at Walpole Country Club before attending Bryant College.
Since the fund was established, it has paid out more than $15.2 million in scholarships to approximately 4,200 individuals.
Quick hits
Chris McCann of Hopkinton, a graduate of Marian High in Framingham, is a junior shortstop on the Bowdoin College baseball team. He recently was named a coplayer of the week by the New England Small College Athletic Conference after posting a .565 batting average, a team-high nine runs scored, and an on-base percentage of .600 over four games. Bowdoin is enjoying a stellar season at 21-5-1 through 27 games, which includes an 11-game winning streak.
Perry Laberis of Holliston, Max Egan of Hopkinton, and Kenny Baclawski of Waltham are key players for the Roxbury Latin boys' high school tennis team, which was 5-1 through six matches. Laberis is a cocaptain.
Anthony Vitale of Natick, a senior on the Bentley College outdoor track team, took first place in the steeplechase competition last week at the Brown University Spring Invitational. The steeplechase covers 3,000 meters with 28 hurdle jumps and seven water jumps (3.66 meters in length and width). Vitale posted a time of 9 minutes 52.03 seconds.
Jamie O'Connor of Stow placed first in the all-around at the Level 6 Massachusetts gymnastics state championships last weekend on Cape Cod. O'Connor trains at Five Star Gymnastics in Stow.
Several students from high schools in the western suburbs were scheduled to compete in this weekend's Ultimate Frisbee Invitational Tournament in Amherst. According to event organizers, teams from Needham High, Newton North High, and Nipmuc Regional were set to participate. A total of 28 teams from 19 schools were expected to play in the tournament.
Peter Sessa of Newton is a captain of the boys' lacrosse team at the Rivers School in Weston. The team was off to a 5-2 start.
Tim Hughes of Holliston, a junior captain on the Mount Ida College men's volleyball team, was voted to the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association All-New England Division all-star team. A middle hitter, Hughes averaged 5.6 kills per game and 6.9 points per game.
Globe correspondent Marvin Pave contributed to this report. Mike Reiss can be reached at 508-820-4234 or mreiss@globe.com. 
