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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
Thanks to the always-growing and popular youth program, many boys and girls grow up in Wellesley with lacrosse in their blood. In past years, the hard work and training that goes on for years in the youth program has translated into players such as Matt Dziama (Virginia) going on to play at the Division I level while guys like TJ Noonan (Connecticut College), Tim Rahill (Skidmore), and Kerry Lyne (Union) have gone on to showcase their lax skills in Division III.
In 2016-2017, five Wellesley Youth Lacrosse alums made commitments to play at the Division I and Division III levels. Now, during these four or five years, these five athletes will earn a college education while playing the sport that has become ever so popular in Wellesley.
Wellesley High School saw three of its players commit to play in college in 2016-2017, with now-graduated midfielder and team point-leader Grant Chryssicas, graduated attack-man Brennan Conroy, as well as rising senior and starting goaltender Teddy Darcey all signing on to play at the next level.
Chryssicas, a multi-sport star in both lacrosse and football, where he played running back on Wellesley’s Bay State Conference champion team in 2016, will take his talents out to Amherst College in the fall, while Conroy will make the trek to upstate New York to play for Skidmore. Along with teammate Michael Bomes, Chryssicas was awarded the honors of Bay State Conference All-Star by the Boston Globe.
Darcey, meanwhile, will finish out his senior season as the starting Raider goaltender in 2017-2018 before departing for Happy Valley to play for Penn State in August of next year. The trio of Chryssicas, Conroy, and Darcey helped guide Wellesley to a 13-5 regular season, and a 10-9 win over Mansfield in the first round of the Division I South Sectional playoffs.
Pictured against Walpole, Wellesley’s Michael Bomes (10) took home Bay State Conference All-Star honors last week and will look to keep excelling during his senior season for WHS in 2018. Photos by Michael Flanagan
Churchill, meanwhile, manned the pipes for Rivers in 2017 as a junior and helped lead the Red Wings to a 14-4 season (11-3 ISL). Churchill and the gang handed St. Sebastian’s their lone conference defeat of the season via a 12-11 win on May 5. Following his senior season and graduation next spring, Churchill will play at Princeton.
On the girls’ side, rising senior at Wellesley High School Caitlin Chicoski took home honors of Boston Globe All-Scholastic in 2017 while leading the lady-Raiders to a 13-5 season and South Sectional quarterfinal appearance. Chicoski was named High School All-American following her 61-goal, 23-assist, 73-draw control, 39-groundball, and 17 forced turnover effort. Chicoski is verbally committed to play at Stanford following her senior season in 2018.
For funny and incisive sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter at @fLAno0, or read his blog at www.flannylive.wordpress.com.
