West Hartford Athletes on Campus: Youngstrom Sets Pool Record

Despite the first entry, call this the Bates College Edition (™). … Greg Youngstrom (Conard High ’12), a sophomore and sprinter on the Keene State men’s swimming and diving team, set a pool record with his first-place finish in the 50 free (21.40) at a meet against Bryant College in Burlington, Vt. on Nov. 17. His performance helped the Owls to a 174-121 victory over Bryant. Youngstrom also recently took first place in the 50 yard freestyle (21.21) in a season-opening victory against Roger Williams and Bridgewater State. At that meet, Youngstrom took third place in the 100 yard freestyle (48.31) and was also a member of the 200 free relay team and 200 medley relay team that placed first. It could be a big year for Youngstrom, who earned All-American status in March at the NCAA Division III Championship Meet in Shenandoah, TX. … West Hartford resident Tully Hannan (Avon/Loomis ‘10) is the senior captain of the Bates College men’s cross country team. Hannan is a two-time All-American who is leading Bates to its third-consecutive at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships. The Bobcats are one of just six teams “from the New England region that will compete at the championships on Nov. 23 in Hanover, Ind.,” according to the Bates College website. Hannan has enjoyed a successful season, placing sixth at the NCAA Division III New England Regional Championships on Nov. 16. Hannan completed the 8K course in 24:47.80. Evan Ferguson-Hull (Conard High ‘13) is a first-year member of the team. … Elena Jay (Hall High ‘11), a junior on the Bates College women’s cross country team, ran well at the NCAA Division III New England Regional Championships, placing 28th overall. She earned All-New England honors by finishing in 22:07.18. Jay just missed an invitation to run in the NCAA Division III National Championships, as she was the eighth-fastest among individuals not on teams who received NCAA team bids. Only the first seven are invited. … West Hartford resident Steven Hild (Kingswood Oxford ‘11), a junior linebacker on the Bates College football team, was third on the team with 47 tackles. He played in all 8 games for the Bobcats, including four starts. He had one tackle for a loss and one fumble recovery on the year. … West Hartford resident Kristen Barry (Kingswood Oxford ‘11) is a junior on the Bates College women’s swimming and diving team. … Dominick Spaulding (Conard High ‘12), a sophomore defensive lineman on the Mt. Ida football team, had a stellar game against Husson on Nov. 16, registering nine tackles and three sacks. He also forced a fumble in the 6-0 victory. Spaulding finished the year with a team-leading 6.5 sacks, as Mt. Ida had a 5-5 record. … Sara Binkhorst (Hall High ‘11) scored six points and had four rebounds for the Bowdoin women’s basketball team in a season-opening 66-55 victory over Norwich on Nov. 15. Binkhorst, who started at guard, also had three assists. … West Hartford native Colin Bradley (Avon Old Farms ‘09), a redshirt senior on the UConn men’s soccer team, scored a goal against the University of Central Florida in the American Athletic Conference semifinals on Nov. 15. The goal helped propel the Huskies to a 2-0 victory. Unfortunately, Bradley saw his Huskies fall to the University of Southern Florida on penalties in the AAC championship game on Nov. 17. The No. 11 Huskies will face Quinnipiac in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Nov. 21.