After a two-year hiatus, Staples High School Coach Jack McFarland (standing, r.) and his baseball players tonight ran a Little League clinic as a part of a fundraising effort at the Staples Field House in advance of the spring season. Participants ranged in age from 4 to 13. Many of the Staples players got their baseball start in Little League. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Greens Farms Academy Boys Varsity Basketball team won the Class C New England Tournament today for the third year in a row by defeating Winchendon (Mass.) 64-53 at Holy Cross College in Worcester, Mass. The team struggled this season with injuries and “bad breaks,” according to coach Doug Scott. But it ended 13-11 after winning three games in a row in the final tournament. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

A machine clears PJ Romano Field between Saugatuck Elementary and Kings Highway Elementary Schools to get ready for the start of lacrosse practice. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Westport’s Longshore Club Park has a new golf superintendent.

ValleyCrest Golf Maintenance, which maintains the town-owned facility, has appointed Michael Golden to the post, Stuart McCarthy, Parks and Recreation director, announced today.

Prior to joining ValleyCrest, he served as assistant superintendent at The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, an announcement said.

Golden was also assistant superintendent at Edgewood Country Club in River Vale, N.J., Century Country Club in Purchase, N.Y., and Metedeconk National Golf Club in Jackson, N.J. 

The Staples Wreckers Swim Team placed fourth overall at the FCIAC Championship Thursday night at Greenwich High School.

Senior North Woods swims to third place in the 100-yard breaststroke at Greenwich Thursday night. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Greenwich took the overall team title for the 44th time in the past 45 years. Despite the dominance of the Greenwich team, there were multiple strong performances by the Wreckers’ swimmers.

Team co-captain Daniel Williams dominated the field in the 500-yard freestyle winning by over seven seconds in a time of 4:37.29.

Joining Williams on the podium for the 500 race were brothers Sebastian and Nico Ortega who finished fourth (4:51.68) and sixth (4:57.79), respectively. Williams also picked up a second place finish in the 200 IM (1:55.48).

The Westport PAL boys lacrosse will hold its annual parent/player meeting and equipment drive on Sunday from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in the Saugatuck Elementary School auditorium, organizers announced.

Parents of current players should attend as well as those of potential players, an announcement said.

The meeting will allow attendees to meet the program directors and coaches and to learn about Westport’s boys lacrosse programs.

Players in grades 5-8 should attend. Bantams and fourth graders do not need to attend.

Westport Baseball & Softball is getting ready for its new season.

It will hold a parent informational meeting on Sunday, Feb. 8 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Bedford Middle School cafeteria, an announcement said.

The meeting will allow attendees to meet the board of directors, officers, commissioners and program directors to learn about Westport’s baseball and softball programs.

Parents interested in registering their child for a spring baseball or softball program are encouraged to attend, the announcement said. 

For the 12th time in 14 years—and the sixth season in a row—the Staples boys soccer program has been honored with a national award for academic excellence.

The 2013 Staples High School boys varsity soccer team – Academic All-America honorees. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Kim Lake for WestportNow.com

The National Soccer Coaches Association of America gave the Wreckers a Team Academic Award — one of only two boys public high school soccer teams in Connecticut to be so named. The other was Ellington High.

To qualify, a squad must have a 3.25 grade point average of all varsity players. The award is given for the previous academic year. In 2013, Staples’ varsity players had an average GPA of 3.43. Of the Wreckers’ 12 Academic All-America awards, that was by far one of the highest average GPAs.

“I’ve always said that our players are some of the smartest and most creative people at Staples,” said head coach Dan Woog.

The Westport Weston Family Y’s Water Rat Swim Team today hosted the annual Pentathlon Swim Meet. It continues Sunday with 15 youth swim teams from New York City, Long Island and Fairfield County. This is the second and final major home meet hosted by the Water Rats this season. It is the largest swim event to date at the new Strittmatter Family Aquatic Center, according to Family Y Communications Director Scott Smith. Participants competed in a five-event format: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and individual medley. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com