Natick well represented at student races during Boston Marathon weekend

April 14, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Update 4/16/23):

BAA Invitational results from the races on 4/15/23
Natick had even more representation from its students during marathon weekend than we first realized. More than a dozen Kennedy and Wilson Middle School students represented Natick for the B.A.A. Relay Challenge in Copley Square, according to Rachel Saks Aronis, who along with Natick Recreation & Parks Director Travis Farley brought back this program that was canceled in recent years due to COVID. Teams of 10 racers competed against each other on an out-and-back course of about 350 meters right on Boylston Street by the Marathon finish line. There were 6 relays total (2 determined by age and all were mixed gender). Natick took home 5^th place – and a great looking trophy – for the All-Star Mile relay in competition with runners from schools in Boston and the metro-Boston area. This free BAA-sponsored program started in the late 1990s. Natick Recreation & Parks has some fun photos from the event on its Facebook page.

One of the great elements of the Boston Marathon weekend is the BAA Invitational race series that takes place on Saturday, April 15, in Copley Square.

The Invitational Mile features scholastic boys and girls from the cities and towns of the Boston Marathon course, as well as a field of professional male and female milers from around the world. In addition to being part of an exciting competition, student-athletes get some great swag.

Here are the bios of Natick’s young runners, provided by the Boston Athletic Association (if any proud moms/dads/guardians read this and want to share pics from the event with us, please do: natickreport@gmail.com):

Margaret Armstrong, Grade 7 at Kennedy Middle School
Personal Best for 2 Miles: 14:14 – Participated in State Championships for high jump

Lily Wheeler, Grade 8 at Wilson Middle School
PB for 1 Mile: 7:30 – Placed 1st in all events at a recent gymnastics tournament

Declan Hava, Grade 8 at Kennedy Middle School
PB for 3K: 11:12 – Medaled in the State Cross Country Championships in 2022

Oliver Jetzer, Grade 8 at Natick-Wilson Middle School
PB for 5K: 21:43 – Finished in the Cambridge Classic 5K in 2022

Madeline David, Grade 12 at Natick High School
PB Mile: 5:59 – Recently celebrated Senior Night basketball gave vs. Wellesley

Zoe Waldron, Grade 12 at Natick High School
PB Mile: 800 – Won Outdoor Divisonals in 2021 in the 4×400 relay

Ben Feldman, Grade 12 at Natick High School
PB Mile: 4:24 – Set the Natick High School 5K record in 2022

Ben Scharr-Weiner, Grade 12 at Natick High School
PB Mile: 4:44 – Broke the 5:00 barrier and PR’d by 7 seconds in his last race of sophomore year

Note: Girls’ 1-mile event record: 5:04.8, Grace Connolly, Natick, 2017

More: Readying for the Boston Marathon in Natick

Subscribe to our Natick Report daily email
Please send tips, photos, ideas to natickreport@gmail.com
Support our independent journalism venture
Partner with us as an advertiser to reach our fast-growing audience

Not Far From Home: Natick High Grad Josh Atwood Strengthens UMass football

April 12, 2023 by Admin Leave a Comment

By Matthew Schultz, sports writer, The Natick Nest

Natick’s storied high school football program has produced some incredibly talented players throughout the years including Brian Dunlap, Troy Flutie, and of course, Doug Flutie. These players got recognition not only at the collegiate level, but also professionally. Even in the past five years, standouts like Jakobi Holiday, Jalyn Aponte, and Will Lederman accepted scholarships to collegiate programs. However, very few have enjoyed the same success and opportunity as Josh Atwood.

Standing at 6’3’’ and weighing just over 330 pounds, Atwood towered over his high school opponents and used his size to his advantage as he wreaked havoc on both offense and defense for Natick. He tallied incredible numbers for an interior lineman in his Junior and Senior years. As a junior in 2018, he racked up 65 tackles, including 17 tackles for loss (TFL), an absurd 11 sacks and three forced fumbles. He finished his varsity career with 179 tackles, 42 TFLs, 12.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles. Despite putting up incredible numbers and having a build that would attract recruiters from high-level Division 1 programs, Atwood was somewhat slept on as he was ranked as a three-star defensive lineman on 247sports.com. Earning interest from schools like Wake Forest, UConn, and Bryant, Atwood eventually committed to the only official offer he received, UMass Amherst.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Josh Atwood (@josh_atwood96)

For most incoming collegiate athletes, the transition from high school to college level preparation is a shock. While high school teams spend an hour or two watching film together (with individual watching sprinkled in), the main focus of preparation is in practice due to focusses directed towards academics. However, Atwood had the pleasure of being coached by former Assumption Football linebacker Nick DiAntonio. While known for his “meathead” and hard hitting attitude, in my recent interview Atwood mentions that Coach DiAntonio gave him a glimpse of college football “in terms of watching film and applying that to practice and games”. Even so, Atwood says the transition from high school to college, in terms of film, was difficult as he “spends hours daily just to keep up.” Since very few players from Natick High play college ball, the film aspect of football may not be emphasized compared to private school programs where athletics may take precedence over academics.

Atwood’s first two years at UMass didn’t make the transition any easier as COVID-19 altered his experiences with the new program heavily. In the 2020 season, UMass only scheduled four total games and despite being a true freshman, Atwood appeared in all four. Playing defensive tackle, he notched 6 total tackles through four games and was a bright spot for the struggling UMass defense. Despite giving up over 40 points per game, the rush defense stood out with Atwood clogging the middle, especially against Florida Atlantic where UMass held them to under 150 rushing yards, a season low and Atwood’s best game totaling 3 stops.

With the NCAA allowing an extra year of eligibility, Atwood gladly accepted and entered his second season as a freshman. Despite their defense once again ranking at the bottom of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), going 1-11, and enduring a change at the head coach position, Atwood continued to stand out on the subpar Minuteman defense. Totaling 27 tackles through 11 starts, Atwood once again put up respectable numbers as a run stopper, a position meant to take up space rather than get tackles. Yet, the UMass coaching staff knew they weren’t getting everything they could out of the Natick native.

Making the switch

Going into the 2022 season, Atwood made the switch from defense to offense and attempted to anchor the UMass offensive line by playing center. While he never played center in high school, the O-Line was a familiar place for Atwood. Due to his sheer size, Atwood excelled at offensive tackle for the Redhawks, protecting his former quarterback Will Lederman’s blindside. Even so, the center position takes on much more responsibility and is widely regarded as one of the hardest positions in football. The switch seemed risky, but Atwood handled it just fine. When asked what helped him adapt to playing the O-line in college, Atwood explained that having collegiate experience as a defensive lineman and “knowing all the defensive assignments” allowed him to think faster and mesh well with the offense. Atwood also mentioned that having defensive experience helped him “reduce the amount of overthinking” by “ruling out certain tendencies” of a defensive lineman which made the game “a whole lot easier.”

By working hard throughout the offseason and applying his defensive knowledge to the other side of the ball, Atwood successfully made the switch from offense to defense. He started in all 12 games in 2022, helping propel UMass’s increasingly successful and reliable run game. While there weren’t many wins, Atwood and the O-line anchored small victories including an average of just under 148 rushing yards per game, good for 67th in the FBS and up 5 spots from 72nd in 2021. After having a few months to digest the season, I asked Atwood whether offense or defense was more difficult. Instead of picking sides, he acknowledged the difficulties of both, mentioning that offense is much more “technical” and “focus” based while defense is a “different animal” requiring better instincts and physicality. As he has had a noticeable impact on the offense, Atwood hopes to continue his success there and improve his pass blocking, his favorite aspect of the O-line.

Despite being a massive state school and having a decently large recruiting program, many analysts argue that UMass shouldn’t play at the FBS level and should at the very least be moved down to the Football Conference Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I – AA. However, the incredible competition that UMass faces has helped develop its players substantially, especially those with dreams of the NFL, including Atwood. He explains that the goal of reaching professional football “pushes [him] to try and be perfect everyday”, leading to “better practices” and “better games”. Atwood also says he has begun to develop traits of “acting like a pro” and improving his routine as well as discipline.

Players like Daymond Williams of UBuffalo have contributed to Atwood’s development. With outstanding “strength and athleticism,” Atwood mentions Williams was one of the best players he faced all year. Atwood also had the chance to face the former number one recruit in the United States in Texas A&M defensive tackle Walter Nolen. What seemed like a complete mismatch between Texas A&M (which had the top recruiting class of 2021) and UMass ended up being a relatively close game. Atwood contained Nolen’s violent hands and pass rush arsenal to 0 sacks. High-level competition like Nolen (a predicted first round pick) helps prospects like Atwood polish his skills and get better each week in pursuit of the pros.

As Atwood approaches his final years of college football, he has the entire town of Natick rooting for him. Even though he graduated in 2020, coaches from the Natick Redhawks still recall the pure domination of Josh throughout his high school years and positional coaches teach techniques that Atwood perfected himself. No matter what Atwood’s future holds, his influence over the future generation of Natick football players holds strong.

Natick Report has begun working with The Natick Nest, Natick High School’s official student-run school newspaper, to help bring the students’ work to a larger audience. We’ll be republishing some of their articles, and plan to coordinate with their staff on additional pieces.

Reach our growing Natick Report audience by sponsoring our site.

Natick’s 2023 Boston Marathon charity runners

Many Natick residents are registered to take part in the 2023 Boston Marathon on April 18. Some have qualified by posting fast times in previous races, while others are participating to raise funds for charities in Natick and beyond.

Here’s a form you can fill out if you’d like us to include your Boston Marathon profile (including a link to your fundraising site) on this page. Please, only those who either live in Natick, or who are taking part in the race for a Natick charity, should fill this out. We’ll try to get entries added to this page within a day or two of receiving them.

Runner: Aaron Stevens

Charity & fundraising page: Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge

Why you’re running for this cause: In December of 2014, my father Michael Stevens was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He was lucky, in that the tumors were very early stage and were removed successfully. Nonetheless, there were several medical complications from his extended hospitalization, and in January of 2015, I thought we were going to lose him. My dad recovered from his initial hospitalization, and for the past year he has been undergoing immunotherapy treatment at the University of Chicago. Things are looking good, and I’m very hopeful that this cancer will not return. In March of 2017, my dad’s brother Elliot Stevens was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Elliot’s cancer was fast moving, and he survived only 3 months after diagnosis. I am heartbroken for my cousins who lost their father, my cousins kids who will never know their grandfather. I am passionate about running, and I want to use my running effort to help others. I can’t think of any better way to do this than to run the Boston Marathon to raise money for cancer research through the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge.

How many Boston Marathons have you run? 8

Fun fact about your running: I am a collaborative runner, and I love helping other runners reach their running goals. I am a regular marathon pacer. (A pacer runs at a predictable pace to help others achieve their goal times). I have paced 22 marathons in 17 states, and aspire to pace marathons in all 50 states.

Runner: Michele Grieves

Charity & fundraising page: Spark Kindness

Why you’re running for this cause: From the moment I first talked with Michele Marotta I knew this would be an opportunity to be part of something positive. Her passion and enthusiasm for the programs Spark Kindness provide were evident in every sincere & heartfelt word. It’s a privilege to be fundraising for this exceptional nonprofit and making a difference to the community.

How many Boston Marathons have you run? 14 consecutive

Fun fact about your running: Oh my! I’m not sure. Maybe that I got this crazy idea in my head that I want 60 marathons by age 60. I’m currently at #56 and have until November to reach my goal. Fingers crossed! Lol

Runner: Cait Siebenmorgen

Charity & fundraising page: Natick Redhawk Foundation

Why you’re running for this cause: I want to give back to the community that has brought my family so much joy these past 10 years!

How many Boston Marathons have you run? This will be my 2nd Boston Marathon. First time was virtual do I can’t wait to run through Natick Center with the crowd!!

Fun fact about your running: I have an amazing tribe by my side in Natick. Gianna and Jeff at Rebound for injury prevention, Cynthia Frongillo at D’Arcy Wellness for monthly recovery massages, Eli’s for a weekly Little Eli post long run, and my family and friends who have cheered me on along the route each week!

Runner: Brian Bushard

Charity & fundraising page: Natick Community Organic Farm

Why you’re running for this cause: The Natick Community Organic Farm has been a landmark in the community for decades, teaching kids about the importance of sustainable agriculture and providing delicious locally-grown produce to the town. I learned about sustainability at the farm, and it’s their commitment to local farming that’s helped spread the message about why local food, from local farmers, is so important.

How many Boston Marathons have you run? First timer

Fun fact about your running: I also ran on the Natick High cross country team and grew up watching the marathon, but I’m not a runner, exactly.

Runner: Judy Dixon

Charity & fundraising page: PATH for Inclusion

Why you’re running for this cause: PATH for Inclusion (Parents’ Association for the Handicapped) supports recreational programs for children and adults with disabilities in the Natick area. PATH helps to fund training, staffing, and equipment needs at Camp Arrowhead, the oldest camp of its kind for people with special needs in the United States. It also supports Big Res, a week of residential camp provided in Durham, New Hampshire, as well as Skyline, a year round menu of activities designed to keep clients active and engaged with their peers and our community. PATH provides financial assistance to campers and clients to remove obstacles to participation for families whose budgets may already be stretched by the costs for child/adult care, transportation, therapies, medications, and devices. I believe that people, regardless of their needs and strengths, have a right to engaging and appropriate recreation. Recreation provides us with growth, connection, adventure, and FUN. My path to recreation is as simple as lacing up my sneakers and hitting the roads. I run for PATH to pave the way for continued access to recreation for people with special needs and wondrous abilities. Fun is not just for some. Fun is for everyone.

How many Boston Marathons have you run? One (2018)

Fun fact about your running: I listen to music or murder podcasts while I train. Music makes me dance at the stoplights. Murder podcasts tend to make me run faster.

Runner: Michelle Barbin

3A083BF0-9E73-4C5A-9BB8-B8139D23ECD7 - Michelle Barbin — Michelle Barbin, in center of 2 teammates

Charity & fundraising page: Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge

Why you’re running for this cause: This is my second time with the Dana-Farber team and I applied when my mom was being treated by Dana-Farber for brain cancer in 2021. Being on the team for the 2022 marathon gave me a focus of something I could do that was positive during some really hard times. We had lost my father-in-law to throat cancer in 2019 and I wanted to help fund vital research. My mom passed away not even a year from her diagnosis so I’m running again to fund even more research. The Claudia Adams Barr program receives the funds and that program has made advancements in brain cancer treatments.

How many Boston Marathons have you run? This will be my third. My first was the fall 2021 marathon for Natick Service Council

Fun fact about your running: I always feel like garbage the first two miles, but then I get warmed up and into a groove enjoying music or chatting with friends. I always wonder if people who say they hate running stay with it past those first few miles because they might be missing out if they stop too soon.

Runner: Tara Bharadwaj

Charity & fundraising page: Family Promise Metrowest

Why you’re running for this cause: To afford an apartment in Natick- it requires working weekly 120 hours at a minimum wage job. This is simply unrealistic (time-wise). I value Family Promise Metrowest’s commitment to support nuclear families with at least one child under 18. This program has 100% success rate and gives parents the tools and resources to be permanently stable.

How many Boston Marathons have you run? 1 in 2022. This will be my 2nd. I also ran for this same organization, Family Promise Metrowest, last year.

Fun fact about your running: I ran Natick Girls XC from 2013-2017. I was a Junior Coach at Strivers Running Club for Girls throughout high school. I have completed 5 official half marathons – more unofficially.

Runner: Lexi Fahey

Charity & fundraising page: Natick Education Foundation

Why you’re running for this cause: I am a Natick Teacher

How many Boston Marathons have you run? 1

Runner: Courtney Harris

Charity & fundraising page: Kids Connect

Why you’re running for this cause: I moved to Natick in 2021 and witnessed two marathons in the town within 6 months (Oct 2021 and April 2022) and felt the magic of it. Having been a runner most of my life, I knew I wanted to run it for a town charity. I am running the 2023 Boston Marathon to support local Natick charity Kids Connect. I would be so grateful if you would support my fundraising. Kids Connect is a non-profit tutoring project supporting students in Natick. Services are provided on a sliding scale basis and are available in a range of subjects for kids in grades 1 through 12. Since it was founded in 1999, the program has supported thousands of schoolchildren in Natick and aims to turn no student away. I’m proud to be running this year to support Kids Connect and Natick, my hometown!

How many Boston Marathons have you run? 0! This is my first one.

Fun fact about your running: I’m going to end up having done my training in 5 different countries over the course of the build up to this marathon!

Subscribe to our Natick Report daily email
Please send tips, photos, ideas to natickreport@gmail.com

Big shoes to fill: A Natick High wrestling preview

December 19, 2022 by Admin Leave a Comment

By Matthew Schultz, sports writer, The Natick Nest

The Natick High School Redhawks wrestling program has become a dynasty over the past 25+ years and last season showed no signs of slowing down. The Hawks went 17-1, winning their 26th Bay State Conference championship since 1994 as well as a Division 1 Sectional Championship in the Central/West division. Some of the more impressive victories included wins at the Athol Invitational, the Willmington Sons of Italy Tournament, and the Merrimack (NH) Duals Tournament. Led by captains Jake Adelmann, David Seiche, and Sammy Popadopolous, the Hawks came in second in the state tournament placing 11 wrestlers, the first Massachusetts team to ever do so. Capping off their season with a 3rd place finish at “All States”, the relatively young Natick squad had lots to celebrate and lots to look forward to.

natick wrestling — Natick High wrestlers stretch it out (Photos by Matthew Schultz)

Despite having 10 returning underclassmen (including juniors) who all wrestled in more than 20 matches each, losing captains is never easy for any team. Louie Linton, a captain of the football and wrestling teams, said that it hurts losing guys “like Jake, Sammy, and the seniors” since he had been with them since his first day on the mats. Linton, who went 33-9 last year and placed 4th in the state tournament, has become a force on the mat ever since he began wrestling in middle school. He didn’t just wrestle in middle school either—Linton completely wiped out the competition at lower weights and has continued to do so in high school with his low center of gravity and ability to maneuver around the mat with speed.

While he wrestled at 106 pounds last year, Linton decided to make the jump to 126 for his senior year. When asked about the process that led him to this decision, he mentioned that “it had a lot to do with [his] position in football” as Linton transitioned from defensive back to outside linebacker for a part of this season, needing more weight/muscle for the position. Linton helped captain the football team to a 3-game winning streak to end the season, including a 49-13 demolition of the Framingham Flyers. He even said that wrestling has helped improve his tackling skills over the years: “How much time we spend taking each other down at wrestling practices, it’s literally tackling drills and it translates perfectly”.

In his first match of the season, Linton placed first at 126 in the Athol Invitational, beating out Kai Ly from Springfield in the final. The early season victory could be a sign of more dominance to come.

Due to the amount of depth that the Redhawks enjoyed last year, many underclassmen didn’t see as much action as they hoped, including Diego Montero, a junior who was buried in the depth chart as a sophomore. Montero said that he wanted to wrestle in the 132-pound weight class but “it didn’t go his way” since many upperclassmen were able to cut and gain weight to find their spot on the varsity roster. The experience and size that Montero lacked left him competing on both the varsity and junior varsity. Pushing the disappointment to the side, Montero was able to polish his skills, work on technique, and gain some experience in varsity tournaments. Winning upwards of 25 matches, coaches saw Montero’s potential on the mat.

One aspect of high school wrestling that has become extremely popular as of late is club wrestling. Since wrestling is a winter sport, many athletes make it a year-round activity by joining “Doughboys” or “Metrowest”, the popular clubs around the area. Montero mentions he “started out at Doughboys” but transitioned to Metrowest this past Spring. These gyms where athletes can spar, drill, and compete against other clubs “make an average kid into a great wrestler,” according to Montero. He says that the instructors “really break everything down” from technique to the mental aspect of the sport.

Throughout the course of last season, Montero struggled with conserving energy throughout the match, starting out hot but struggling to keep up at the end of matches. When asked what he improved on most over the offseason, Montero said he has worked hard to begin “wrestling in bursts” and uses the motto “controlled aggression” to help become more consistent on the mat.

Going 4-1 in the Wilmington “Sons of Italy” tournament, Montero hopes to continue his success throughout the year at 138.

Captains Louie Linton, Tucker Vician, Bennett Sonneborn, Shaun McLaughlin, and Michael Anniballi have led the Redhawks off to a hot start in the 2022-23 season. Taking 2nd place at the Athol Invitational, smoking Walpole 46-6 on the road, and coming in 5th at the Wilmington Tournament, the Redhawks look to continue their success at home on Wednesday vs. Weymouth at 7:30 P.M.