Nine Canton athletes earn All-State honors; Giancola is All-State for third time

CANTON – Nine Canton High athletes earned All-State honors for their performances on the athletic fields this spring while several more earned All-North Central Connecticut Conference honors.

Dustin Van Kirk earned All-State honors for becoming the first Canton athlete to win the CIAC decathlon. He had top 10 finishes in seven of 10 events and finished second in the javelin with a personal-best throw. He was fourth in the 110 hurdles and fifth in the discus.

Freshman Chelsea Mitchell earned All-State honors for finishing second in the 100 and 200 meters at the Class S championships. Mitchell and teammates Sofia Langou, Maddie Archangelo and Emily Mitchell earned All-State honors for taking second in the 4×100 relay at the Class S championships.

Canton’s senior Grace Giancola earned All-State honors for the third consecutive season.

Jane Frawley earned All-State honors for her fifth place finish in the 2,000 meter steeplechase. Canton won a share of their first NCCC championship this spring in girls track and field.

Three players from the NCCC champion Canton girls lacrosse team earned All-State honors – senior Grace Giancola, Alexa Huff and freshman Abby Charron. Giancola scored a school-record 112 goals for the Warriors (17-3) while Charron scored 62 goals in her first varsity campaign.

It was Giancola’s third straight year to earn All-State honors.

Baseball
Sportsmanship Award: Sam Beadle
Coach’s Award: Ethan Burke
Coach’s Award: Nate Fulham
All-NCCC: Ryan Enns, Nate Fulham

Softball
MVP: Ainsley Hill
Coach’s Award: Alexa Szczepanski
Coach’s Award: Brooke Dotson
All-NCCC: none

Boys Lacrosse
MVP: Charlie Parchen
Sportsmanship Award: Connor Treadwell 
Coach’s Award: Chayce Lucca
All-NCCC: none

Girls Lacrosse
MVP: Grace Giancola
Sportsmanship Award: Alexa Huff 
Coach’s Award: Leah Eschenbrenner
All-State: Abigail Charron, Grace Giancola, Alexa Huff; Leah Eschenbrenner (2nd team)
All-NCCC: Abigail Charron, Leah Eschenbrenner, Grace Giancola, Alexa Huff, Ashley Potter, Katahdin Whitney

Boys Track and Field
MVP: Max Sparks
MVP: Dustin Van Kirk
Coach’s Award: Patrick Lagonigro
All-State: Dustin Van Kirk (decathlon)
All-NCCC: Max Sparks; Dustin Van Kirk

Girls Track and Field
MVP: Amber Harraden
MVP: Chelsea Mitchell
Coach’s Award: Sofia Langou
All-State: Chelsea Mitchell (100, 200, 4×100), Jane Frawley (2,000 steeplechase); Maddie Archangelo (4×100), Sofia Langou (4×100), Emily Mitchell (4×100)
All-NCCC: Jane Frawley, Amber Harraden, Sofia Langou, Chelsea Mitchell, Emily Mitchell

Boys Tennis
MVP: Joe Bowman
Sportsmanship Award: Brian Barger
Coach’s Award: Liam Connolly
All-NCCC: Joe Bowman, Liam Connolly

Girls Tennis
MVP: Kate Hynes
Sportsmanship Award: Lindsay LaClair 
Coach’s Award: Belle Magna
All-NCCC: Kate Hynes

Boys Golf
MVP: Ian Witzgall
Sportsmanship Award: Seth Biega
Coach’s Award: Tristan Witzgall
All-State: Ian Witzgall
All-NCCC: Ian Witzgall

Girls Golf
Coach’s Award: Meagan Laudenslager
Coach’s Award: Abby Treacy
Sportsmanship Award: Ariana Mainville
All-State: none

CIAC Scholar Athlete
Chloe Gucciardi, Bradley Connolly

All-Courant awards
Presented to the top athletes in the Hartford Courant’s 83-town primary circulation area, selected by the paper’s high school staff with officials in the respective sports.

Girls lacrosse: Grace Giancola, midfield

Honorable mention: Dustin Van Kirk (boys track), Ian Witzgall (boys golf), Abby Charron (girls lacrosse)