Staples pitcher Rob Gau winds up on the mound as the No. 1 Wreckers defeated No. 2 Greenwich Cardinals today 2-1 at Staples. Staples (16-1, 14-1 FCIAC), which has won 12 in a row,  officially can clinch the top seed in the league with a win over St. Joseph on Friday. Gau (4-1) tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings. Staples senior standout David Speer got out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh inning to clinch the win. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Pam Moss for WestportNow.com

Staples junior Rafael Ray (l) flies across the finish line in the 300-meter sprint in today’s triple meet with Trumbull, Norwalk, and Westhill High Schools held at Trumbull High School Ray also won the 100-meter relay. The Wreckers remain undefeated for the season 14-0. The individual scores were Staples 99 – Trumbull 57; Staples 111 – Norwalk 39; and Staples 123 – Westhill 27. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Hamilton Laux for WestportNow.com

Staples juniors Jeff Caffery (l) and Jack Roche grin after winning second and first place respectively today in the 800-meter race at the triple meet at Trumbull High School. Both Caffery and Roche finished with their personal best times for the 2010 spring season. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Hamilton Laux for WestportNow.com

By Phyllis Groner

Julie Loparo with Rookie, a Lab and Pointer mix who is eligible for adoption. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com
There will be a special ceremony Saturday at Yankee Stadium with Westporter Julie Loparo having a central role.

To mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Yankees will make Loparo, 48, who is battling breast cancer, an honorary captain.

The honor did not come out of the blue. Loparo’s husband, Mike, is general manager of concessions at the Stadium. But he says he is not sure who arranged it.

Before the first pitch against Minnesota at 1:05 p.m., Loparo and her Norwalk Hospital oncologist, Dr. Richard Zelkowitz, also a Westporter, will be driven on to the field in a golf cart.

The Staples High School Outdoor Track and Field girls team set a record today for the 4 x 800 meter relay at the annual Hartford Public School Invitational with a time of just under 9 minutes and 45 seconds, besting the previous Staples record by four seconds. Pictured (l-r) are Kylie Gould, Kristen Weiler, Georgia Kursten and Emily Hanrahan. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

The Connecticut Association of Schools and the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference have honored two students at Westport’s Staples High School as part of their annual Connecticut Scholar-Athlete Program. The program annually recognizes two high school seniors – one boy and one girl – from each member high school whose academic and athletic careers have been exemplary, whose personal standards and achievements are a model to others, and who possess high levels of integrity, self-discipline and courage. Taylor Ross and Jack Hennessy were this year’s recipients. Pictured at the dinner meeting at Aqua Turf in Plantsville are (l-r) Marty Lisevick, athletic director; Bruce Betts, volleyball coach; Taylor Ross; Principal John Dodig; Jack Hennessy, and Jack McFarland, baseball coach. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

It was a beautiful day today for the Southern Connecticut Women’s Golf Associations’ golf tournament hosted by the Longshore Women’s Golf Association at Longshore. More than 100 women participated, including Westporters Allison Tame, Barbara Fusigna, Chris Lorusso, president of the Longshore Women’s Golf Association, and Patty Kondub. Stronger than ever, today the LWGA celebrated its 50th season as a golf association with its 18-hole league opening and hosting and participating in the SCWGA tournament. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

Spectators today gave both teams a standing ovation after a Westport Little League game involving fifth graders remained tied 1-1 after two hours and five minutes of play. The Marlins and the Royals played six innings of regulation play and three extra innings before the game was called due to time. “I think, no I know, this was the best Little League game I have seen,” said Jeff Mahoney, coach of the Marlins. “There was consistent pitching, good hitting, and great defensive plays. They all should be very proud of themselves.” The game will be completed later this spring. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Mathew Mandell for WestportNow.com

Bill Meyer, active in Westport girls softball for several decades, addresses players today at the re-dedication of the Little League field behind Westport Town Hall prior to a four-way round-robin girls softball series. Meyer, who chairs the Parks and Recreation Committee of the Representative Town Meeting, said the field now sports new fences, a new backstop, a bleacher section, and and an overall field upgrade.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Westport’s Staples High School Boys’ Track team today won all three of its dual track and field meets with Darien High School, Stamford High and Harding, which were held together at Darien High School. The meet ended with a narrow win by the Staples Boys 4 x 400 relay team. Pictured is Staples junior Jack Roche handing off the baton to junior Rafael Ray, the final runner or “anchor” of the track team’s 4 x 400 relay team. The wins leave Staples Boys Track and Field undefeated at 8-0 so far this season. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Hamilton Laux for WestportNow.com