LOOKING BACK | BY GEORGE ALBANO

10 YEARS AGO

In her final high school track meet, Shellyann Lindo stamped an exclamation mark on an outstanding scholastic career as the Brien McMahon senior sprinter won a pair of New England championships by sweeping the 100 and 200 meters at Thornton Academy in Saco, Maine. In addition, Lindo’s winning time in both events set school records and they also represented new FCIAC marks since the conference record book recognizes times at state, regional and national meets.

The Norwalk Junior American Legion baseball team is off to a 2-0 start after beating Westport 4-2 and routing Darien/New Canaan 10-0. Sixteen-year-old Mark Ballard pitched a four-hitter with five strikeouts while his defense played errorless ball in the season-opening win against Westport at Malmquist Field. Post 12 had eight hits, all singles, including two each by Andrew Seiden and Jonah Singer. Seiden singled in the second inning and scored the tying run on a single by Matt Downey. Then after Mike Carter singled in the go-ahead run in the third, Seiden drove in two more runs with another single to make it 4-1 ... Seiden had three more hits the next day in the win over visiting Darien/New Canaan, including a double and a triple. Norwalk broke the game open with a seven-run third, highlighted by backto-back two-run doubles by James Stumpf and Tommy Henderson, while Alex Valenzano singled in two more runs. Henderson also pitched six innings of four-hit shutout ball with seven strikeouts.

Meanwhile, Norwalk’s Senior Legion team improved to 3-2 after posting a 1-0 victory against Trumbull at Malmquist Field. James Welch fired a six-hit shutout while Post 12 scored the game’s only run in the last of the second. Leon Fleming doubled leading off and went to third when Kevin Lawrence ,ina nine-pitch at-bat, singled up the middle. That set the stage for Danny Diaz, who delivered a clutch RBI single.

25 YEARS AGO

Graduating seniors Dan Walsh, Jocelyn Smith and Katie Reichle were named Brien McMahon’s 1997 “Career Athletes” after concluding outstanding four-year careers in their respective sports. Walsh was a captain and two-time FCIAC champion in wrestling as well as MVP of the crew team. Smith served as a two-year captain in volleyball and was a track and field medalist in the shot put, while Reichle was a three-sport athlete and captain of the Senators’ field hockey and softball teams. Photo of all three athletes will be displayed alongside past BMHS career athletes in the hallway adjacent to the gymnasium.

Luke Paterna went 3-for-3 with two doubles and four RBIs to lead the Norwalk American Legion baseball team to an 11-7 victory against Shelton. Dan Santorella also had three hits while Matt O’Brien added two hits, two RBIs and three runs scored. Bobby Wong and Chris DeRoma joined the hit parade with two apiece as Post 12 upped its record to 6-4.

In a showdown between unbeaten Norwalk Rec softball teams tied for first in the Eastern Division, Smitty’s Shell outslugged Partners’ Café 14-12 at Calf Pasture. Steve Rastocky went 4-for-4 with three doubles and drove in three runs to lead a 19-hit attack by Smitty’s, which built an early 11-0 lead and then held off a furious rally by Partners. Steve Derivan had three hits including a home run for Partners.

50 YEARS AGO

It was a perfect ending to an outstanding high school athletic career for Brien McMahon’s Tim Wagner, who claimed the CIAC State Open championship in the javelin. It was the second state title in a week for the BMHS senior, who also captured the Class L championship. Wagner, who also played football and wrestled for the Senators, was a three-sport captain and AllFCIAC first-team selection in all three sports.

Sammy Miller, who led the Norwalk High basketball team to the FCIAC championship this winter, announced his decision to continue his career at Washington State University. The AllFCIAC and all-state standout, who averaged a team-high 21.6 points, elected not to follow his older brothers, Calvin Murphy, now in the NBA, and Bobby Miller, who both played at Niagara University. Washington State is a member of the highly touted Pacific-8 Conference, which includes perennial power UCLA, winner of six straight and eight of the last nine NCAA titles.

A pair of Central Catholic baseball players were named to the 1972 All-Western Connecticut Conference team as shortstop John Palladino and catcher Don Herring were both first-team picks. A third Cavalier senior, pitcher/outfielder Tim Eagen, received All-WCC honorable mention.

A packed house attended the Norwalk Jewish Center 31st annual Sports Award Dinner at the Center in East Norwalk. This year’s honorees were Judge Robert Callahan, the former Norwalk High and Boston College star who helped start the Pop Warner Football program in town, and Brien McMahon High School head football coach Leroy Vaughn. They were recognized for their “outstanding contributions to the fostering of sports in Norwalk.” Mel Allen, a Westport resident and the popular “Voice of the Yankees,” served as the event’s emcee, while New York Mets stars Ed Kranepool and Tug McGraw were among the celebrities in attendance.