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Ronayne Sets Record, Powers Attleboro Past Franklin
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Softball Photos: North Attleboro vs. Stoughton
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Stoughton Rallies But North Attleboro Walks it Off to Stay in First
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Girls Lacrosse Photos: King Philip vs. North Attleboro
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Canton’s Rousseau Reaches Finish Line with Stonehill Records
By Josh Perry || HockomockSports.com Managing Editor
Maddie Rousseau was tired when she walked up to the starting block for the 400-meter hurdle finals at the Northeast Conference (NEC) Outdoor Track Championships at Stonehill’s W.B. Mason Stadium. Admittedly not her favorite race but one that she competes in to help the team accumulate points, the 400 hurdles came at the end of a busy day and Rousseau wasn’t feeling confident as she took off down the track.
“I had run two times prior to that race, so my legs were really sore and really tired,” she explained in a phone call a few days before heading to the season-ending NEICAAA Championships at UMass Amherst. “As I was running, it hurt the entire way and I thought, ‘Wow, this feels really slow.’ When I finished, I was kind of astonished.”
Rousseau crossed the line third, setting a new program record with a time of 1:01.58. It was the second record she set that day, having already broken her previous record with a time of 14.11 in the 100-meter hurdles (finishing second overall). She also helped the 4×100 relay team take third place.
Overall, Rousseau collected 20 points for the Skyhawks, who finished third as a team.
“Usually there’s not much going on in my brain when I finish,” Rousseau admitted when asked if she knew when she crossed the finish line that she was close to a record time. “I’m just kind of focused on breathing again, so most of the time my coach will come over and ask, ‘Do you know what time you just ran?’ and I don’t know, it’s just really getting through the finish line and feeling good about that race.”
“Hearing the time was super exciting. I didn’t expect it at all. An extra cherry on top.”
It has been a successful spring campaign for the former Canton standout. In April, Rousseau was named NEC Track Athlete of the Week after she won all three events at the Merrimack Alumni Classic. All of it was a buildup to the conference meet and another record-setting day.
Rousseau’s track career began in the spring of her freshman year at Canton. She swam during the winter, so didn’t run indoor track until college, but it took Rousseau, a two-time league all-star, time to understand the potential she had on the track. Canton coach Anna Amico convinced Rousseau that she had the ability to run at the next level. “She was the one who was like, ‘You’re good at this. You could run in college and be good,’” Rousseau said.
That proved to be an accurate assessment. Rousseau goes into her final meet holding four records at Stonehill. She has the fastest time in the 100 hurdles (14.11), 400 hurdles (1:02.06), the 4×100 relay (45.57), and the indoor 60-meter hurdles (8.82). All three of the outdoor records were set last weekend, as Rousseau closes her career on a high.
“I feel like when you get stressed then your brain gets scattered and you lose the purpose of what you’re supposed to be doing,” Rousseau explained. “Staying calm has been a big help and also remembering that this is fun and you’re doing this for enjoyment.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I still freak out before my races now, it kind of never goes away, but it’s definitely gotten easier to deal with the pressure and do what you need to do.”
As a captain this season, Rousseau has been able to impart that wisdom on the younger runners. “It’s all new and they don’t know what to expect,” she said. “It’s good to share that I’ve gone through these things as well and it’s okay to be nervous. It’s another thing that brings us together.”
The team aspect can sometimes be overlooked. Everyone focuses on the individual results, but the work that goes on in training and the support of teammates during the meet makes a big difference on performance.
“You bond over that common pain and you know people’s times and people’s goals and you want to see them do well,” Rousseau said. “It’s a balance between being excited for yourself and locking in and getting your team pumped up. It’s how people come together and the community you can build within the team that’s the most important thing.”
Once the season begins, there isn’t a lot of time to reflect on the journey that took Rousseau from that first practice at Canton to being a record-setter for a Div. I college program. Looking ahead to her final meet, Rousseau was able to take a second to acknowledge how far she had come and how the New England championships provide a fun bookend to her time at Stonehill.
“It’s exciting and sad at the same time,” she said.
“My freshman year this was the meet that I broke the 100-meter school record, so this is kind of a nostalgic meet for me that I’m beginning and ending with. This is what I look forward to at the end of the season. NECs are very stressful and my coaches like to say that this meet is just for us to enjoy and have fun.”
Ed. Note – Rousseau finished sixth in the 100 hurdles at the New England meet, clocking a time of 14.15. Also for Stonehill, Milford’s Emma Lawrence finished seventh in the 800 meters with a time of 2:16.38 and was part of the 4×800 relay team that took third in a time of 9:13.87, while Stoughton’s Will Tinkham was seventh in the 110-meter hurdles with a personal best time of 14.47.
Softball Photos: Sharon vs. Canton
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Baseball Photos: Sharon vs. Milford
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Girls Lacrosse Photos: Milford vs. Canton
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Taunton’s White Helping Villanova On Another Big East Run
By Josh Perry || HockomockSports.com Managing Editor
In the second game of the 2021 season, the first softball season after the pandemic, then Taunton senior Kelsey White allowed two runs in a win over Attleboro. It would be the only runs that the Tigers gave up that spring, as they overcame a grueling playoff schedule (which included a title game played over two days because of a mid-game thunderstorm) to win the program’s second Div. 1 title in four years.
White was the unquestioned star of the team. She went 16-0 as the starter with a minuscule ERA of 0.14 (and yes, four years later, she is still aggravated by the two runs she gave up to the Bombardiers), 207 strikeouts, and an opposing batting average of 0.091.
College softball is different. There are more than double the number of games and every player on every roster was the star of their high school and travel teams. In high school, White got the ball every day and she dominated. Playing at Villanova has required an adjustment. Not only is she not the ace of the staff but she has spent most of her time as an outfielder or designated player.
“You go from playing every game, being a standout in high school, and then you come to college and you’re playing with players who are as good if not better than you, so it’s a great environment to be around,” White explained in a phone call before the Wildcats traveled to Big East leaders St. John’s.
“I love to compete, but it was definitely a huge adjustment just accepting your role on the team.”
White had a stellar freshman season at Villanova. She started 34 games, made 26 appearances in the circle (going 6-7 with a 3.17 ERA in 77.1 innings), and played 22 games in right field. Overall, she batted 0.302 for the season, one of just three hitters in the lineup to bat over 0.300, and she delivered the biggest hit of the season when her single drove in the only runs of a 3-0 win over UConn in the Big East Championship game.
As a sophomore, she went 11-7 in the circle and again delivered in the clutch, allowing only four hits over five innings against UConn in the Big East semifinal. Last year, she had a career-best 0.285 batting average and a career-low ERA of 3.67 (in 23 appearances) while playing four positions. White struck out six over 5.1 innings in another excellent semifinal performance against UConn and earned Villanova’s second NCAA Tournament win by allowing just one run over five innings against Southeast Missouri.
“Last year I was in and out of the lineup, sophomore year I was in and out of the lineup but I didn’t get too down on myself so when I did get that opportunity I just told myself to make the most of it and good things will happen,” White said.
“I want to be in the game, so whether that’s pitching, whether that’s in the outfield, whether that’s at DH, it doesn’t matter. I want to do what’s best for the team and help the team win.”
No matter where she has lined up, one thing remains the same – winning. Villanova has won the Big East title in two of her three seasons and last spring the Wildcats made history by becoming the first team in program history to play in an NCAA Regional final.
Following a loss to Arizona in the Fayetteville Regional opener, White helped the Wildcats stay alive with a great performance in the circle against Southeast Missouri. Later the same day, Villanova recorded just its third-ever win against an SEC team, knocking off No. 16 Arkansas to reach the final and a rematch with Arizona.
“That was probably one of the best memories I’ve ever made,” White said. “We just honestly came together as a team. We wanted to win for our seniors, we wanted to play together for as long as we could, and we just went out there and played loose and had fun. I’ll be reliving that moment forever.”
It is always news when a team from the Northeast upsets one of the traditional powers, but Villanova has long added College Softball World Series contenders to its early-season schedule, both as a boost to the team’s RPI and to be better prepared for postseason play.
As a freshman, White faced Michigan and Central Florida at the start of the season. Those experiences made her more comfortable taking on that challenge as an upperclassman. “Iit was nerve-wracking but now as a senior we’ve been there and done that. We know what we’re capable of and we know that we can do it. It’s honestly about having confidence in ourselves and our team.”
“We get to represent Villanova and get our name out there and have people thinking, ‘Oh watch out for Villanova and don’t take them lightly, they’re a tough team.’”
How does making history in college compare to winning a state title in high school?
“For the state title, we’re representing the City of Taunton and that’s a huge softball city so there are so many fans that come out and follow and that was just such a great feeling,” White reflected. “For Villanova, the only thing that sucked about that was that no one was on campus. School was over so no one was here to celebrate it.”
Of course, that doesn’t change the fact that the Wildcats made history last season. Now, they’re looking to repeat that magical postseason and are trying to find form at the right time.
Villanova entered the final weekend of the season on a four-game losing streak, including three losses against the conference leaders. The Wildcats have responded with a pair of wins over Providence College (and White’s former Taunton teammate Hannah Aldrich). White went 2-for-2 with a homer in the opener.
The Wildcats currently sit fourth in the Big East standings and in position to take part in the conference tournament, which they will host starting next week. It was always going to be difficult to follow up a historic season, but White is confident that the Wildcats have more to achieve this spring.
“I’ve gone through my entire four years here, you’re going to have those lows but it’s about not letting yourself get too low where you’re not able to get out of it,” she explained. “That all comes back to keeping a positive mindset and having confidence in yourself.”
White added, “Not being comfortable and playing Villanova softball the way we can, which is our offense being explosive. Hopefully we can get some momentum heading into the tournament and when that comes it’s going to be extremely competitive and every game is going to be a grind.”
Can the team put it together to make a run at a third conference title in four seasons? White hopes so. She knows how it feels to close a career with a title and wants to repeat that feat in college.
“I can’t think of a better way to end your softball career and my time here at Villanova.”
Ed. Note – Aldrich didn’t play in the first two games against Villanova this weekend. The senior shortstop has batted 0.293 in 46 games this season (0.311 for her career) and has driven in 22 runs. PC goes into the final game of the Big East season tied with Seton Hall (11-12) for sixth and for the final spot in the conference tournament.