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VSSA Names Athletes of the Month

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Created on Thursday, 26 April 2012 15:07

Written by George Commo

Morin, Derda, Hartman, Hamlin all honored

Courtesy VSSA

VERMONT — The Vermont Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association chose BFA-St. Albans junior hockey goalie Andrew Morin as the March Male High School Athlete of the Month, Rice Memorial junior Cassidy Derda and Enosburg senior Charlotte Hartman as co-winners of the March Female Athlete of the Month honor, and Lehigh University junior wrestler Rob Hamlin as the March Open Division Athlete of the Month.

VSSA President George Commo said the statewide winners were chosen in a vote of all the organization’s members after being nominated for the honors by a VSSA member.

Morin was recognized for his heroics in the postseason, during which he helped the third-seeded Bobwhites to the Division I title. BFA entered the season with goaltending as its only question mark, and Morin struggled for much of the winter. But with BFA missing a key player from each of its first two lines, Morin stepped up his game in March and allowed just three goals on 53 shots in three playoff games. In the final, Morin stopped 20 shots as Colchester had far more good scoring chances and became an unlikely hero in the Bobwhites’ 16th title-game victory. Morin outpolled an opponent in the championship game, Colchester sophomore Ryan Francis.

Derda helped Rice claim the D-I girls’ basketball title in March. Derda averaged a team-high 18.8 points per game in four postseason contests. She scored 23 points in Rice’s semifinal win over Colchester, and tallied 14 points to go along with 12 rebounds in the final vs. Champlain Valley.

Hartman was recognized for her gritty performance in Enosburg’s 52-50 win over Windsor in the D-III semifinal in Barre. Playing with a broken left wrist, Hartman was the best player on the court. With just a light wrap covering the injury, Hartman scored 24 points and grabbed a dozen rebounds. Her scoring total included the winning points: two pressure-packed free throws to break a 50-50 tie with six seconds left. Also nominated for the female high school award was Essex freshman hockey goalie Victoria Gibson.

Hamlin, a Jonesville resident and former Mount Mansfield Union standout wrestler, finished fourth at 184 pounds at the NCAA D-1 wrestling championships. Hamlin wrapped up his season with a record of 31-3 and was named an All-American for the second straight year. His record is 81-18 in three seasons at Lehigh. Hamlin outpolled St. Michael’s College baseball pitcher Austin Ziske.