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VSSA Names Athletes of the Month for May

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Created on Sunday, 15 July 2012 17:31

Written by George Commo

Cunningham, Ploof and Ritter Honored

Courtesy Vermont Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association

VERMONT — A Montpelier High School track standout who went undefeated in the month and two all-star Middlebury lacrosse players have been chosen as the Vermont Sportswriters and Sportscasters May Athletes of the Month.

Montpelier senior Colby Cunningham was named the May VSSA Male High School Athlete of the Month, Middlebury Union High School senior lacrosse goalie Maria Ploof is the VSSA Female High School Athlete of the Month, and Middlebury College freshman Katie Ritter was the pick for the VSSA Open Division Athlete of the Month.

Athletes are nominated by VSSA members for their efforts in a particular month, and then the entire VSSA membership chooses the winners. The VSSA award year will end in August, after which VSSA members will pick the organization’s athletes of the year.

Cunningham, who competes as an individual, won every event he entered in the month of May, most by substantial margins. At the Essex Invitational, he won the long jump by three inches (22-3) and the triple jump by almost a foot (43-01.5). At the Monster Meet, he won the 100-meter dash in 12.00 by almost a full second, the high jump by almost four inches, the long jump by 3.5 inches, and the triple jump by more than four feet.

At the Burlington Invitational, he won the high jump by more than five inches, the long jump by almost two feet and the triple jump with a monster leap of 46-6.75. In a meet at U-32 on May 1, he won the high jump by eight inches, won the long jump, and won the triple jump by about three feet.

Cunningham outpolled Champlain Valley senior baseball player Curt Echo and two senior golfers, Lake Region’s Matt Morin and Mount Anthony’s Jack Ralbovsky.

Ploof showed in May why she was the best girls’ lacrosse goalie in Vermont this season as she backboned the Tigers to a 9-1 record and stopped 61.7 percent of the shots on her (84 out of 136) in a sport where a 50 percent rate is considered good.

Ploof, a first-team all-state player, saved at least half of opponents’ shots on goal in every game except one, including 12 out of 20 in the Tigers’ 14-8 win over CVU on May 25 in which MUHS clinched the No. 2 seed in D-I. Other stellar efforts included 15 saves, three goals against vs. Mt. Mansfield; 15 saves, six goals against in an earlier game vs. CVU; and 16 saves, five goals against vs. Essex.

Ploof outpolled three other lacrosse players, Oxbow senior Reilly Johnson, Burr & Burton senior Brooke Sabol and Mount Anthony sophomore Emily Cross; and three track standouts, Richford junior Elle Purrier, South Burlington senior Mollie Gribbin and Essex sophomore Maraih Neverett.

Ritter’s work at defensive midfield was key as the Panther women’s lacrosse team reached the NESCAC final and then the NCAA Division III semifinals with an overall record of 4-2. Middlebury’s two losses came in the NESCAC final to eventual NCAA champion Trinity by one goal, and in an NCAA semifinal to then undefeated Salisbury.

Ritter contributed six goals and three assists at the other end of the field. This season she finished fourth on the Panthers with 32 goals and 10 assists and first in shooting percentage. In May, Ritter was named a third-team NCAA D-III all-American, a second-team all-NESCAC pick, and the NESCAC Rookie of the Year.