Scenes from today’s Staples 5-3 FCIAC victory over Danbury at Bridgeport’s Harbor Yard. WestportNow.com photos

The Staples High School boys tennis team celebrates today after defeating New Canaan to advance to the FCIAC finals and a chance for the school’s first title since 2001. The top-seeded and undefeated Wreckers go up against Greenwich on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. at Wilton. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Tickets are still available for Tuesday’s 50th annual Sportsmen of Westport Dinner of Champions which will honor seven Westporters for their service to the community.
Al Fiore: among honorees. Contributed photo

The dinner will be held at Continental Manor, 112 Main St., Norwalk, at 6 p.m. and proceeds will go to awarding scholarships to five students at Staples High School in conjunction with the Staples Tuition Grants Committee. Tickets are available at the door.

Among the honorees for this year are: Sportsmen Award winners: Stephen Doig (Staples ‘66), Mary Gail Horelick-Gristina (Staples ‘66), Carmen Arciola (Staples ‘56), Nell Mullen (Staples ‘53), Mark Brockwell (Staples’80), and Nikki Zeoli-Porzio (Staples ‘80).

Al Fiore (Westport Chief of Police) will receive the PAL Award, Jack McFarland (Staples High School baseball coach) the Coaching Award, and Jay Paretzky (Westport VEMS) the William A. Krause, Jr. Humanitarian Award, in memory of the club’s longtime president, Bill Krause.

Two Westporters are among those who will be inducted next month into the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame’s University of Connecticut wing.
Sean Mulcahy (l) and Ken Murphy. Contributed photos

Sean Mulcahy (football) and Ken Murphy (soccer) will be inducted on June 2 at 5:30 p.m. at UConn’s Stamford campus.

The UConn wing, which pays tribute to athletes from the county who went on to stellar careers at the state university, is sponsored by People’s United Bank.

Mulcahy was a four-year starter (2000-03) on the defensive line and was a captain for the 2003 team. Despite nagging injuries, he played in 37 consecutive games.

Legends of the Game, a sports memorabilia shop, reopened today in Westport at 1765 Post Road East, across from Stop & Shop. It had been at 381 Post Road East in the Compo Shopping Center until it closed in June 2010. The first customers in the new location were Westporter Will McDonald (r), 14, a freshman at Staples High School, who recently assumed the position of sports editor of Inklings, and his father, Bill (c). Their purchase from owner Michael Riccio, Jr. (l) was a framed photo of the New York Giants center fielder Willie Mays making his legendary Polo Grounds catch of a long fly ball by Vic Wertz of the Cleveland Indians in the 1954 World Series.“This catch is one of the three greatest sports achievements in my lifetime, and I wanted Will to have it hang in his bedroom,” he said. Riccio said today was a “soft opening” and the store will be open for business again beginning on Tuesday.  (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Golfers gathered at Westport’s Longshore Club Park today in support of the Westport Fire Department’s 15th annual golf tournament to raise funds for the Connecticut Burn Care Foundation. Tom Mapes of Newtown tees off on the 3-par, 177-yard No. 15 hole with the incentive of winning a 2011 Volvo with a hole in one. He did not make it. Assistant Fire Chief Robert Kepchar, tri-chairman of the event, said the tournament attracted 20 foursomes. Firefighter Jeff Gootman and Inspector Nate Gibbons also served as tri-chairmen of the event. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Westporter Robert LaPenta had high hopes for his horse Dialed In in the 137th Kentucky Derby today, hopes that were dashed by Animal Kingdom, Nehro, Mucho Macho Man and four others before Dialed In came in eighth.
Robert LaPenta: fifth Derby entry since 2001. kentuckyderby.com photo

Dialed In was LaPenta’s fifth Derby entry since he began raising horses in 2001.

Ridden by Julien Leparoux, the horse had been a favorite of handicappers, enough of a favorite for LaPenta to bring 35 family members and friends from Westport to Churchill Downs which was bathed in sunlight and cool breezes.

“No question, this is the best horse we’ve brought,” LaPenta told the Hartford Courant. Dialed In bested 11 other entries in the 19 horse lineup.