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Traversa, Shade Lead Springfield to Rivalry Game Win

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The local high school sports scene gets under way on Tuesday, but the area’s collegians already are laboring on fields throughout the nation.
 
On Saturday in Springfield, Pittsfield High graduates Dominic Traversa and Chad Shade helped lead the Springfield College football team to a 35-21 win over local rival Western New England. Shade completed three of four passes for 43 yards and ran 11 times for 40 yards. Traversa, a senior captain for the Pride, had five tackles. Springfield’s squad also includes Hoosac Valley graduates Zach Wright, a junior offensive lineman, and Jameson Coughlan, a freshman on the O-line, along with St. Joe graduate Jonny Bianchi, a senior cornerback who had one tackle in Saturday’s win.
 
Mount Greylock’s Jake Benzinger got the start at right tackle on Thursday night in Winston-Salem, N.C., helping the Wake Forest Demon Deacons start the year with a 51-7 thrashing of Presbyterian. The Deacons ran for 248 yards and compiled 487 yards of total offense.
 
Taconic graduate Anthony Whiteley ran the ball three times for 21 yards in his debut at Endicott on Saturday as the Gulls dropped a 41-10 decision to Framingham State.
 
Westfield State’s Evan Garvey (Wahconah) returned two kickoffs for a total of 76 yards in Saturday’s 19-13 road loss at Nichols State.
 
Wahconah graduate Kevin Boino and the UMass men’s soccer team are off to a 2-0-1 start this fall. Boino has started all three games and has six shots for the Minutemen, who are outscoring their opponents by a margin of 6-2.
 
Three alumnae of Wahconah Regional are contributing for the Westfield State women’s soccer team this fall. Sophomore Gianna Moncecchi and freshman Ashley Zink have each started both games for the Owls (0-1-1). Freshman Amelia Daugherty has appeared in one game for Westfield State, which lost in overtime to Springfield College before tying Eastern Connecticut State at the Springfield College Invitational.
 
Pittsfield’s Amanda Wright had a shot on goal for the Pride in that win over Westfield State, and she scored twice in Springfield’s 4-0 win over Roger Williams to give her team a 2-0 start to the season.
 
Allesandra Arace (Lenox) has started two games so far for the Providence College women, who dropped a 1-0 decision at Minnesota on Sunday to fall to 1-4 this year.
 
At the University of Maine, recent Lenox graduate Emma Jourdain started her collegiate running career on Friday in a dual meet against West Point. She finished just outside the top 10 with a time of 19 minutes, 38 seconds as the Black Bears dropped a 17-44 decision to the Cadets. Jourdain will be back in Western Massachusetts on Saturday as Maine competes in the Minuteman Invitational at UMass-Amherst.
 
Drury’s Connor Meehan made his debut with the Xavier men’s cross country team on Saturday at the Queen City Invitational near the school’s Cincinnati campus. Xavier placed fourth out of five teams at the event. Meehan did not score but finished the 5K in 16:57, running a mile pace of 5:27.
 
If you know a graduate of a local high school who should be included in an upcoming edition of College Collage, please email sports@iberkshires.com.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Hinsdale OKs Police Department Audit After Fatal Shooting

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

HINSDALE, Mass. — The town has approved $25,000 for an administrative review of the police department, more than two months after police fatally shot 27-year-old Biagio Kauvil during a mental health crisis. 

Town Administrator Robert Graves said the shooting on Jan. 7 is not the only focus of the audit, and it will be several months before the Select Board receives a final report. 

During a special town meeting on March 11, an article appropriating $25,000 from free cash for an independent consultant to conduct a professional evaluation and audit of the Town's Police Department was approved. The audit includes a review of the department's policies, protocols, operations, and procedures, and concludes with a written report. 

"The Berkshire County District Attorney's Office and Massachusetts State Police are investigating the shooting, and we await their conclusions.  As we look to move forward, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, our insurance company (MIIA/Cabot Risk), and our legal counsel have recommended that the town hire an independent law enforcement consultant or firm to conduct a comprehensive administrative review of our police operation," Graves wrote in an email to iBerkshires on Friday. 

"This event is not their focus; they will assess the overall operation. We want a written assessment of our police operation's strengths and weaknesses to help Hinsdale make future changes and improvements." 

He said after completing the procurement process and signing a contract with a reputable consultant or business, it will most likely be several months before the Select Board receives the final report. 

"Still, it will help the town and police department move forward," Graves wrote. 

Last weekend, family and friends of Kauvil stood in Park Square asking for justice. A flier for the standout reads "Biagio was killed by police while experiencing a mental health crisis. Now, over seven weeks later, authorities have not yet provided any updates.

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