Hallisey reflects on the Olympics
First Nagano, Japan. Then Salt Lake City, Utah. And most recently Turin, Italy.
This has been the 12-year Olympic journey of Natick native Caroline Hallisey, a longtime member of the US women's speed skating team. Now, the question is if Vancouver -- site of the 2010 Winter Olympics -- is in her future.
''It's possible," said the 25-year-old Hallisey from her Colorado residence. ''Right now, my main plan is to bow out of elite-level competitions and finish my [college] education over the next two years. Then that would give me two years to possibly train [for Vancouver]."
Hallisey would be 29 by the 2010 Olympic Games, which she said is considered old for a short-track skater. But if short-track skating isn't part of her future, she said one possibility is switching to the long track, which could prolong her career.
In Italy last month, Hallisey was part of the 3,000-meter US relay team that just missed earning a bronze model, finishing in fourth place. While the finish was somewhat disappointing, Hallisey said one highlight was watching her fiancé, US short-track skater J.P. Kepka, earn bronze in the 5,000-meter relay.
Overall, Hallisey said Turin was following a tough act in hosting the Olympics after Salt Lake City.
''Anyone would have had to amp it up, because Salt Lake was special. The atmosphere [in Salt Lake] was awesome, so I'd have to give the Salt Lake Games the better vote. But it's still the Olympic Games. You still have that intensity. That part doesn't change."
Normally, Hallisey would continue competing at this time, focusing on the upcoming US Championships in Minnesota. But she's elected to take a step back this year, and will compete at a lower level while also focusing on promoting the sport she's developed a great passion for. She plans to return to Massachusetts over the summer to help run speed skating camps.
Pavasaris in line for 2 scholarships
Chris Pavasaris, a junior punter on the University of Connecticut football team, has made the first cut in hopes of earning a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship or Marshall Scholarship.
UConn has nominated him for both of the scholarships, meaning he is now part of a national group of about 1,000 applicants. Of those 1,000, about 100 will be selected for interviews. Thirty-two students will ultimately be chosen for the Rhodes Scholarship, and would then study at Oxford University in London. In addition, about 40 will be selected for the Marshall Scholarship, which offers students the chance to study at other universities in the United Kingdom.
''I've always prided myself on doing the best that I can in the classroom," said Pavasaris, who has a 3.9 grade-point average. ''To be formally nominated is a great honor."
Pavasaris is a political science major, with an emphasis on law and government. On the field, he punted 26 times during the 2005 season, for a 36.5-yard average. Nine punts pinned the opposition inside the 20-yard line.
Head coach Randy Edsall said Pavasaris is deserving of the scholarship nomination.
''Chris is an outstanding young man who displays all of the discipline and talent that it takes to receive such an honor. He is a hard working, conscientious student who epitomizes what the phrase student-athlete is truly about."
Shrewsbury skiers make it 2 straight
The Shrewsbury High School girls downhill ski program, which started competing in 2000, capped off an impressive two-year stretch by winning its second straight championship this winter.
Head coach Ann Early said the team, comprising 10 skiers, has benefited from skiing at Ski Ward in Shrewsbury. Because a handful of students had participated in a program at Ski Ward, they arrived at the high school with refined skills. Other students were part of a similar program at Wachusett Mountain in Princeton
''There's definitely an interest in the sport in town," she said. ''I think the timing was right. These kids came along at the right time."
As for winning the state title two years in a row, Early added: ''The pressure was on this year. Nobody had heard about us before and last year was a spectacular win. This time, people were looking for us, and the girls pulled through beautifully. I'm proud of them for the team spirit and composure they showed during the day."
The team is made up of seniors Kelly McKinley, Amy DeLuca, Caitlin Early, and Kate Palitsch; juniors Stacey Meader, Sarah Thompson, Miranda Jonswold, and Meaghan McLean; and freshmen Noreen McDonnell and Julianne Edwards.
Shrewsbury topped 22 other teams in the state championship. Individually, top performances were turned in by McKinley, who was fourth in the slalom and eighth in the giant slalom, and Meader, who was seventh in the giant slalom.
Coach Early is assisted by Brian Nelligan.
Weston football turns to Desauliers
Bob Desaulniers has been hired as Weston High's varsity football coach, capping an off-season in which three public schools in Boston's western suburbs named new gridiron mentors.
''We're thrilled," said Weston athletic director Pete Foley. ''Any time you can get a Hall of Fame coach on board who is also a Hall of Fame person, it's a good thing."
The 57-year-old Desaulniers was previously inducted into the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. His coaching career started in 1970 at Christopher Columbus High School in Boston, and included stops at Woburn (assistant), Bourne (head coach), Middleborough (head coach) and Plymouth (head coach). Desaulniers also coached as an assistant at Weston High from 1995 to 1998, before taking the reins as Weston's head coach for 1999. He left coaching in 2000 when he became a principal in Lexington.
Desaulniers, who reached full retirement last year, has been Weston's interim principal this year. He won't be serving in that role come the fall.
The other schools in Boston's western suburbs to name new coaches are Newton South (Ted Dalicandro) and Millis (Dale Olmsted).
King Philip's Smith first in record books
Senior Scott Smith will graduate from King Philip Regional High School this year as its all-time leading boys' basketball scorer, having totaled 1,176 points over his four-year career. The feat is especially impressive considering the 6-foot-2-inch Smith has played for three coaches over that time.
''He's gone through a lot of changes, playing different styles," said head coach Mike Coppola, whose first season at the Wrentham-based school was this year's campaign.
''This year, we played a penetrating, fast-break, pressure style and Scott is a tremendous open-court player. I saw him grow from the start of the season to the end."
Coppola said Smith has hopes of playing basketball in college, with Babson College in Wellesley among the schools he's considering.
Bay State's stars on ice
The Bay State Conference has named its 2005-2006 all-star teams in girls' and boys' ice hockey.
Framingham's Whitney Gorovitz; Natick's Caitlin Scannell; Needham's Lindsey Holland, Kyle Mack, Samantha Mack, and Sara Reddington; Newton North's Danielle Doherty, and Katelyn Pohlman; and Wellesley's Lydia Gibson, Danielle Murmes, Laura Stirrat, and Emily Weedon were players from Boston's western suburbs selected to the girls' squad.
For the boys, all-star honors for players from Boston's western suburbs went to Framingham's Jeff Tardiff; Natick's Mike Slattery; Needham's Dan Arnao, Conor Pieri, and Chris Vona; and Newton North's Alex Coletti and Kurt Rooney.
Sudbury athletes make mark at BB&N
Two athletes from Sudbury made their mark for Buckingham, Browne & Nichols basketball teams during the winter season.
For the boys, Andrew McCarthy averaged 18.7 points, 12 rebounds, and six blocked shots per game, helping the squad to a 17-7 record. McCarthy was an all-Independent Schools League selection.
For the girls, freshman Logan Calagaris led the team with an average of 16 points per game and was second on the squad in assists per game. Calagaris netted 41 points in the season finale, breaking Brenna McGuire's school record of 39. Calagaris was also named an ISL all-star.
Other athletes from Boston's western suburbs who played boys' hoop included Newton's Matt Slavin, Mike Gould and Jake Kahane; Watertown's David Stein and Nico Papas; Needham's Matt Kaplan; Weston's Matt Cable; and Dover's Tim Sheble-Hall.
Watertown's Delia Papas also suited up for the girls squad.
Extra points
Derek Anderson of Wrentham continues to rewrite the record books at Northeastern University. On March 5 at the IC4A Championship, Anderson threw a career best 62 feet 6.5 inches in the shot put. That bettered his old Northeastern indoor track record of 61-7, as well as his own Northeastern outdoor track record of 60-0.25. Anderson, who graduated from Xaverian Brothers High School, was set to compete in the NCAA Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., which were scheduled for Friday and yesterday.
Medfield's Matt McCarthy, a senior on the Tufts University hockey squad, became the school's first player to be named an All-New England Small College Athletic Conference first-team all-star. McCarthy finished the season with 18 goals -- second best in the conference -- and 17 assists. Tufts entered the league in 2001.
The Brandeis University women's basketball team won its first-ever NCAA tournament game last week, topping Salem State. Brandeis (20-5) was the first team at the school to qualify for the NCAA Tournament since the baseball squad in 2002-2003.
Waltham's Brian Dudley, a senior forward on the Stonehill College men's ice hockey team, was named to the Northeast-10 Conference second-team all-star squad. Dudley finished the year with 13 goals and 18 assists, and led the team with three game-winning goals.
The Bentley College men's basketball team, coached by Jay Lawson, earned its second straight at-large bid to the NCAA Division 2 tournament. Bentley has 11 NCAA appearances in the history of its program.
The Massachusetts dual meet wrestling state championship finals were scheduled to be held yesterday at Hudson High, and Hudson wrestling coach Aaron Polansky figured to be quite busy. In addition to making sure the tournament went off without a hitch, Polansky was to help present a $10,000 check to the Boston Neighborhood Wrestling League. The $10,000 was raised for the Stance in Motion scholarship, which was created by the USA Wrestling organization. Polansky is the director of USA Wrestling.
The Ashland High cheerleading team was scheduled to compete in today's Division 4 state competition at North Andover High School. The team is coached by Jess Feingold.
Mike Reiss can be reached at 508-820-4234 or mreiss@globe.com. 
