The Staples High School varsity cheerleading team today was first runner-up in the co-ed division at the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) championships in New Haven. As one of the top three teams in their division, Staples heads to the regionals in Manchester, New Hampshire March 16-17. Pictured (l-r, front row) Julieanne McGrath, Jenna Doran (Captain), Aliza Dodge (captain), Emily Putman, and Daniella Gat; (mddle row) Lily Kane, Cate Casparius, and Harley Bonn; (top row) Sophia Butriago (assistant coach),Paige Lundquist, Maddy Crouch, Lili Tucker, Nicole Shapiro, Nevin Gordon, Odin Barten, Sophie Tricarico, Louis Pinto, and Dayne Blackwood (coach.) (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Julia Marino, Westport’s Olympic snowboarding star, was honored today at an open house hosted by the Daly Method, a sports rehabilitation and wellness center at 272 Post Road East. First Selectman Jim Marpe and Second Selectwoman Jen Tooker presented a proclamation recognizing her many accomplishments. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Staples senior William Landowne took first place today in the mile at the New England High School Indoor Track Championships in Boston. Landowne ran a time of 4:12.49, the ninth fastest high school time this year. Junior Chet Ellis placed third in the high jump with a jump of 6-feet-5-inches. Additionally, Staples 4x800m relay team, Luke Lorenz, Sunil Green, Christian Meyers, and Ben Seiple, placed seventh in a time of 8:08.33. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Baystaterunning.com photo

It was a disappointing end tonight for Westport’s Julia Marino at the Winter Olympics in South Korea.

Westport’s Julia Marino greets longtime Westport best friend, Chai Hyun Kim, a native of South Korea, on Marino’s arrival at the Olympics. CLICK TO ENLARGE) NBCOlympics.com photo

She finished 10th overall in the Big Air snowboarding event.

She had a rough landing on her first run, failing to land the trick successfully.

Needing a strong second run, she earned a 74.50, which put her in ninth place overall.

UPDATE Westport’s Julia Marino was in ninth place tonight after two qualifying runs in the snowboard big air at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics. Marino scored an 83.75 on her opening run, which put her in second place after the first round of runs. An 85.25 in her second run secured Marino the No. 9 spot in the top 12, meaning she qualifies for the final competition on Thursday. Click HERE for a primer on the big air event from NBC Olympics. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Photo from NBCOlympics.com

NBC Olympics tonight tweeted this composite picture of Westport’s Julia Marino during the big air qualifying rounds at the Winter Olympics. Marino placed ninth after two qualifying rounds and moves on to the finals on Thursday. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) NBC Olympics tweet

NBC Olympics tonight sent out this tweet about Westport’s Julia Marino after her first qualifying round of the big air snowboard event at the Winter Olympics. NBC Olympics tweet

Westport’s Julia Marino made her Olympic debut in snowboard slopestyle today but fell on her first run amid challenging weather conditions. In the end, American Jamie Anderson won a second consecutive gold medal, while Canada’s Laurie Blouin took silver and Finland’s Enni Rukajarvi got bronze. Many questioned whether the finals should have been held in the strong cross-winds. Four out of every five Olympians crash-landed during the event. Said a BBC commentator: “You wouldn’t land an airplane in this.” NBC Sports photo

Westport’s Julia Moreno was among 41 women riders in 50 runs who fell victim today to stiff winds in the snowboard slopestyle event at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics. Moreno came in sixth with fellow American Jamie Anderson taking the gold, a repeat of her Sochi Olympics win. Marino still has a chance at the podium—she is set to compete in the Big Air event on Sunday. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) NBC Sports photo