Unity's Joshua Sharron stands atop the podium after winning the 133-pound Cadet division title at the Gene Mills Eastern National Wrestling Championships at SRC Arena in Syracuse, N.Y., on Saturday.
Unity's Joshua Sharron stands atop the podium after winning the 133-pound Cadet division title at the Gene Mills Eastern National Wrestling Championships at SRC Arena in Syracuse, N.Y., on Saturday. Credit: Courtesy photograph

Buffalo, n.y. — Lebanon’s Jane Higgins, a member of the Carter Community Building Association-based Thor’s Stone Athletic Club, set two national records on her way to an age-group victory at the USA Masters Weightlifting national championships last Thursday.

Higgins, 70, competed in the 53-kilogram weight class for women ages 70-74. She picked up victories with a 66-pound lift in the snatch and an 86-pound effort in the clean and jerk, both of which are new national records.

Higgins also left with the oustanding lifter award for her division.

On the Mat

Unity’s Sharron Wins Eastern Title

Syracuse, n.y. — Unity’s Joshua Sharron swept through four matches to win the 133-pound Cadet division title at the Gene Mills Eastern National Wrestling Championship at SRC Arena on Saturday.

Competing for the Bow, N.H.-based Steel Mat Club, Sharron opened with an 8-1 decision over Otselic Valley (N.Y.) Wrestling’s Dakota Hacket, then pinned Liam Kaine of Connecticut’s FishEye Wrestling at 1:03 of the first period.

Sharron battled his way to a 6-5 defeat of independent competitor Christophe Sperin in the semifinals. He claimed the division championship with a pin of Jacob Gonzalez, from New Jersey’s Red Nose Wrestling, at 3:55.

Sharron, a freshman at Newport High School, won an NHIAA Division III state championship at 126 pounds for the Tigers in February. He followed that up by placing sixth in his weight class at the NHIAA Meet of Champions one week later. Sharron also competed at last year’s Gene Mills tournament, finishing fourth in the Schoolboy 115-pound division.

In the Gym

Northern Lights PostsThree State Champions

Bellows Falls, Vt. — Northern Lights Gymnastics athletes produced three state all-around championships at the Vermont state meet held on March 17-18.

Etna’s Samantha Simmons swept to the Level 7-8 crown for 12-year-olds with 36.600 points, winning the balance beam (9.200) and placing second in the vault and bars. Hanover’s Ella Zinman took the claimed Xcel Bronze honors among 13- and 14-year-olds with 34.850 points, a championship backed by wins in the bars (8.875), balance beam (8.350) and floor exercise (8.450). Sharon’s Nicole Herrington won the vault (8.700), bars (9.000) and floor (8.750) en route to taking the Xcel Silver division with 35.075 points.

The Wilder-based gymnastics club also had divisional runner-up efforts from Norwich’s Shaylee McBride (Level 9, ages 16 and older), Enfield’s Meghan Clough (XCel Bronze, ages 13 and 14) and Norwich’s Dina Hertog-Raz (Xcel Silver, ages 15-18). Hanover’s Janini Li took third all-around in Level 5 for ages 13 and older.

On the Ice

Area Girls CompeteAt USA Hockey Nationals

Marlborough, Mass. — Ten girls with ties to the Hanover High and Kimball Union girls hockey programs participated in last week’s USA Hockey national championships at the New England Sports Center.

The Vermont Shamrocks, based in Waterbury, Vt., reached the final of the U16 Tier II tournament with five area players on the roster: Hanover High’s Emma Tysinger, Clara Boland and Meredith Morhun along with KUA’s Bella Parento and Lexi Bartlett. The Shamrocks swept through group play, bracketing 6-0 shutouts of the Anchorage (Alaska) North Stars and Steel City (Pa.) Selects around a 6-2 win over the Wisconsin Black Cats.

Vermont added knockout defeats of two Massachusetts teams (Middlesex Islanders, 2-1; East Coast Wizards, 3-2 in overtime) before falling in Monday’s championship game to Connecticut’s Shoreline Sharks, 1-0. Bartlett had a team-high four goals in the tournament for the Shamrocks, and Parento’s five assists shared the team lead.

The Concord Capitals skated in the U19 Tier II tournament with a roster that included five KUA skaters: Madeline Long, Rose Sperry (Norwich), Colleen Donoghue (Plainfield), Molly Flanagan and Mikah Baptiste. The Capitals were knocked out of the tourney in group play, losing to East Coast, 3-1, and the St. Lawrence (N.Y.) Steel, 7-3, before closing play with a 7-2 defeat of the Arizona Lady Coyotes.

Baptiste was Concord’s only multiple goal scorer with four. The KUA junior also had a team-best seven points.

UVHA Annual Meeting

White River Junction — The Upper Valley Hockey Association will hold its annual membership meeting on April 25.

The meeting starts at 6 p.m. and will be held at the Kinney Pike Insurance Agency in White River Junction. The public is invited to attend. For more information, contact UVHA secretary Sarah Morlock at secretary@uvha.org.

In the Dojo

Hartford Hosts Nihon Aikijujutsu

White River Junction — Holistic Healthcare on Holiday Drive is hosting this traditional martial arts program combining Aikido and Nihon jujutsu.

The class will focus on movement, balance, locks, holds, takedowns and Japanese yoga.

Open for boys and girls ages 14 and older, it will take place Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-7 p.m. from April 23-May 23.

Fees are $45 for residents and $60 for nonresidents.

Register prior to first session at www.hartfordrec.com.

Off The Tee

First Tee Junior Golf

West Lebanon — The Fore-U Golf Center is hosting spring junior golf lessons for youths ages 8-11.

The program blends golf fundamentals with life-building skills such as character, injury, sportsmanship and perseverance.

The four-week course runs on Wednesdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m., beginning May 2.

The fee is $75. Register at lebanonnh.gov/246/Recreation-Parks.

With a Grunt

USA Weightlifting at CCBA

Lebanon — The Thor’s Stone Athletic Club will host an Olympic-style weightlifting meet on May 19 at 2:30 p.m. at the CCBA’s Witherell Recreation Center.

The official USA Weightlifting-sanctioned meet will consist of two lifts: the snatch and the clean and jerk. Competitors, both male and female, range in age from around 20 to 78.

The event is open to the public and admission is free.

On the Board

Spring Break Chess Camp

Hanover — The Black Center and chess coach Prathiba Yuarajan will host three days of three-hour sessions as kids learn to master tactics and strategies of chess.

The camp will have an hour of lesson time and an hour of tactics and puzzle time before introductions to other fun ways to play chess, including monster chess, bug house, three-way and four-way chess.

Kids will also be encouraged to play competitively in tournaments.

The class runs from 12:30-3:30 p.m. on April 17, 18 and 19. It is open for kids ages 5-14 and costs $175 for residents and $185 for nonresidents.

Register at www.hanoverrec.com/info/activities/.