Wilton High ski teams find success on the slopes this season, among other community highlights

The Wilton High Ski Teams are soaring with another successful season on the slopes. After four races, the Wilton girls team is undefeated, and the boys team is ranked in the top three.

With one final race to go in the regular season of the Connecticut Interscholastic Ski League, the Wilton High Ski Team is making a strong showing at its Mount Southington competitions against 13 other Class S teams. The Wilton girls team, the Class S State Champions for the past two years, is undefeated after four races, and the Wilton boys team has achieved two second-place and two third-place finishes.

The Wilton girls are led by sophomores Paige Leung and Gabby O’Meara, who consistently placed in the top seven of more than 130 skiers. Leung has achieved two third place and two fourth place finishes, and O’Meara has scored third, fourth, sixth and seventh placements.

The team is also bolstered by senior captains Samantha Mims and Sloane Sullivan and sophomore Georgia Polito, all of whom placed in the Top 20 for the four races.  Consistent top 40 finishers include freshmen Charlotte DiNapoli, Polina Popova and Lyla Theoharides. Frequent top 40 finishers include sophomores Kellogg Pettibone and Sarah Morris.

“I’m very proud of this team,” said Bill Howard, coach of the Wilton girls team. “They show great sportsmanship and support for each other, both on and off the mountain. Despite facing challenging conditions and tough competition, the girls are training hard, persevering and showing determination and passion for the sport.”

Leading the Warrior boys is junior Daniel Zoubarev with fourth, ninth, 10th and 12th place finishes out of more than 130 skiers. Sophomore Connor Buchichio also contributed by locking in second and third place in two of the four races, and freshman Cooper Buchichio finished in the Top 20 for all four.

Frequent Top 20 finishers also include sophomore Hudson Hagmann and senior captain Harry Polito. Frequent top 40 finishers include juniors Jack Kelly and Max Mirota, and senior Jack Michael. 

“To podium all four races under such adverse course conditions is a great accomplishment for this team. Heading into our final race, our focus is to take all the training and skills that we’ve worked on this season and hopefully turn it into a win,” said Mike Krudwig, coach of the Wilton boys team.

The Warriors final regular season race is set for Feb. 9. They then head to the State Open on March 1. For complete team results, visit cislracing.org.

Students invited to enter recycling billboard contest

Wilton Go Green is inviting all local students to enter the recycling billboard contest for the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority.

The theme is “Recycle Outside the Bin!” This will highlight materials that can be recycled but does not go in your mixed recycling bin. 

Students are invited to create artwork that encourages residents to recycle the material they choose. Students can visit HRRA's website at https://hrra.org/ for information on materials that can be recycled outside the mixed recycling bin.

Regional third place winners for each grade will receive $25, second place winners will get $50 and first place winners will earn $75.

The regional grand prize winner will receive $500, and their artwork will be displayed on a roadside or HARTransit Bus Billboard this spring.

Original artwork should be submitted by Feb. 27 in a collection box in each schools' lobby or in the vestibule at Town Hall.

For a complete list of rules and to obtain a template, visit https://hrra.org/annual-billboard-contest-2/

In 2022, six students from Wilton in grades K-7 earned placements regionally in the contest.

Wilton's first place winners for 2023 will be displayed at the Comstock Community Center in the spring.

For more information or questions, email the local coordinator, Tammy Thornton, at tammy@wiltongogreen.org. 

The HRRA is a governmental waste management and recycling authority that serves 14 municipalities in western Connecticut, including Wilton, and a population of over 258,098 residents.

High school hosts bottle and can drive

Members of the community are invited to support the Wilton High School band through its bottle and can drive.  

Bring in redeemable bottles and cans marked with the 5-cent deposit for the state of Connecticut at the event from 1 to 4 p.m. Feb. 26, at Wilton High School.   

Local students earn academic honors 

Matthew Cunningham of Wilton was named to the Dean's List at Endicott College in Beverly, Mass., for the fall 2022 semester. Cunningham is majoring in sports management. To qualify for the Dean's List, a student must obtain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 for the semester.
 
Alessia Scaturchio of Wilton was named to the Dean's List for the Fall 2022 semester at Quinnipiac University in Hamden. To qualify for the dean's list, students must earn a grade point average of at least 3.5.  

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has recognized two local students for academic achievement for the fall semester. Ryan Leung of Wilton, a student in the College of Engineering, was named to the Dean's Honor List. Allisandra Passaniti of Wilton, a student in the College of Letters and Science, was named to the Dean's List.

The University of Rhode Island in Kington is honoring Wilton students who were named to the Fall 2022 Dean's List. The students — Joey Bohacs, David Cox, Rhys Evershed, Jon Kabler, Tatum Kelly, Lina Lombardi, Caroline Luciano, Hailey Smith, Hannah Stoddard  and Ryan Wood — achieved at least a 3.30 quality point average.

Two Wilton students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts were named to the Fall 2022 Dean's List. WPI defines the Dean's List by the amount of work completed at the A level in courses and projects. The honored students are Ryan Biberon, a member of the Class of 2023 majoring in business; and Emily Johnson, a member of the Class of 2026 majoring in aerospace engineering. 

New Canaan 

Tree tapping to make maple syrup starts at nature center

Want maple syrup straight from the source? Families gathered in the frigid cold Feb. 4 to pick out their tree to tap for sap at the New Canaan Nature Center.

For the next two months, each family will return several times a week to "their" tree to collect the sap and boil it down into maple syrup. At the end of the season, each family will have their very own bottle of maple syrup to show for their efforts. 

The $90 program is an annual favorite and regularly sells out. But area residents can still sign up to attend the end-of-the-season "Syrup Saturday" pancakes-and-pj party on March 11. Tickets start at $10 per person.

For more information, visit newcanaannature.org/