Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield, Mass.

Title

Girls softball, 1983

Description

"During the spring of 1953, several enthusiastic girls tried their hand at softball, forming teams of nine with 'catchy' names. Coached by Miss Katherine Nichols, the girls played tournament style games. The sport caught on quickly at WHS, with 120 girls participating in the weekly games in 1954. After a lapse of several years, WHS started a girls softball team in 1964-1965. By 1966-1967, the team was redeveloped and interscholastic play began. During the early 1980s, under the guidance of Coach Brenda DeNinno, the WHS girls' softball team was a powerhouse, capturing three consecutive Middlesex League titles. The team won the Division I North championship in both 1982 and 1983. In 1983, Coach DeNinno reached her 100th win on May 6th and pitcher Renee Najarian broke the Middlesex League win record with 53 wins with an ERA of .86. It was also the year that the team, the #1 seeded team in Division I North, captured the Eastern Mass Division I state championship over opponent Oliver Ames High School." -- Text from calendar.

The 1983 Eastern Mass State Championship Team (front row, left to right) Barbara Thomas, Linda Callahan, Renee Najarian, Mary Hurton, and Beth Wixted. (Second row, left to right) Athletic Director Frank Charboneau, Fran Doody, Kathy Malonson, Jennifer Martino, and Coach Brenda De Ninno. (Third row, left to right) Patricia Queeney, Paula Kingsbury, Debbie Cronin, Patricia Markley, Maura McCarthy, Manager Krista Ellis and Manager Jody Waldron.

Image from the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department annual calendar, 2002

Photo courtesy of Donald Young and the Daily Times Chronicle.

Contributor

Institution: Lucius Beebe Memorial Library

Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department (Wakefield, Mass.)

D'Onofrio, Jayne M.

Coverage

Massachusetts--Middlesex (county)--Wakefield

Date

1983

Format

image/jpeg

Publisher

[Wakefield, Mass.] : Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department

Subject

Schools

Softball teams

Wakefield High School (Wakefield, Mass.)

Type

still image

Photographs

Original Format

1 picture : b&w

Extent

25 x 18 cm.