Blue Devil Athlete Spotlight: Victoria Miele (Girls' Tennis)

Junior Victoria Miele started playing tennis her freshman year of high school and has been driven to improve each and every time she steps on the court.  In fact, that drive to improve is what she likes the most about the sport of tennis.  

“My favorite thing about playing tennis is how everyday I can see my improvement and I always leave practice feeling like I accomplished something,” Victoria said.

As a sophomore, Victoria was named a Mid-Wach B All-Star along with her doubles partner, Isabella Nevard.  That doubles team posted a 12-3 record in the regular season and advanced to play Danvers in the Massachusetts State Playoffs.  

LHS girls’ tennis coach Daryl Robichaud said Victoria has an infectious spirit both on and off the tennis court.

“Her teammates gravitate toward her while looking to her for her guidance, insight and expertise,” Robichaud said.  

Robichaud also praised Victoria’s leadership and her ability to be flexible.  

"Victoria is the epitome of what a leader should be,” Robichaud said.  “Not only does she hold herself accountable, she holds her teammates accountable as well."

"With her partner from last year going through the rehabilitation process for a knee injury, Victoria has made a seamless transition to a new partner and will once again look to lock down the first doubles position during the 2023 campaign,” Robichaud added.

For Victoria, being a part of the LHS girls’ tennis team is a place she loves to be.  

“The tennis team is my absolute favorite group of people,” Victoria said.  “Everyone is kind and it is such a safe, encouraging place to be.  My favorite part about being on the tennis team is getting to see the most encouraging people everyday.”

She also has taken a lot away from Robichaud, with particular attention to maintaining a mental edge when out on the court.   

“Something Roby has taught me to remain calm and reset when I am getting too hard on myself,” Victoria said. 

Victoria hopes to attend Providence College where she wants to study English and pursue a career in editing.  

At LHS, Victoria also plays varsity volleyball, and is a member of a number of clubs and school organizations including STUMP, student government, National Honor Society, Best Buddies, and the BDN Cultural Committee.  

Victoria’s favorite class at LHS to date has been A.P. Language with Mr. Oxford.  

Outside of school, Victoria plays club volleyball and enjoys snowboarding.

Blue Devil Athlete Spotlight: Casey Carlin (Boys' Tennis)

Casey Carlin has only been playing tennis for two years, but in that short time, he has already accomplished quite a bit.

It was fall of Casey’s junior year when the idea of playing tennis was planted in Casey’s mind, ironically, by LHS golf coach Daryl Robichaud.  

“During a ride to a golf match, coach Robichaud mentioned that we should all try tennis, so I tried it out junior year,” Casey said.

Casey made the tennis squad as a junior and proved to be a quick study, a player who always works hard to improve his skills on a daily basis according to boys’ tennis coach Mark Moge. 

“Casey always practices good sportsmanship and carries himself with pride whether he wins or loses a match, because he always puts in his best effort,” Moge said.  

Casey is currently playing at the top singles position for the Blue Devils and was selected by Moge to be a team captain this season.  

“He's the type of guy any coach would love to have on their team and I'm happy he's on mine,” Moge said.

Casey said he has focused on improving his tennis game each day.

“In order to get better you have to have an open mind and want it,” Casey said.

Casey also said he really enjoys the sport of tennis and being a part of the LHS team.  

“I enjoy the challenge of facing harder opponents throughout the season,” Casey said.  “I enjoy how my teammates push me to be a better player every practice and game.”

Casey hopes to continue playing tennis in college, whether that be intramural or club while studying Business Management with an intent to get his Master’s Degree within five years.  

Here at LHS, Casey was a four-year member of the Blue Devil golf team.  His favorite class was A.P. Statistics during his junior year and his favorite teacher was Mr. Noviello.  

Outside of school, Casey enjoys golfing, working out, working and hanging out with friends.

Blue Devil Athlete Spotlight: Cameron Cote (Cheer)

Senior Cameron Cote is just in his first year with the LHS cheer team, but he is already making a tremendous impact.  Cameron took part in the mock cheer portion of the Thanksgiving Pep Rally late last year, giving coach Tracey Hartman a preview of just what Cameron could bring to the table for her Blue Devil squad.  

“We got a sneak peak at his gymnastics background and knew he had potential to really help our team make a state title run for the winter season,” Hartman said.  “Some of the fall members put the idea out to Cam and tried to convince him to join for winter season.  

Despite the late start, Cameron hit the ground running.  

“Since day one of tryouts through this point, Cam has brought a natural leadership and work ethic that has really helped the culture and daily habits of our team,” Hartman said.  “Cam enters the gym ready to work and is uncomfortable with down time.  He takes advantage of maximizing repetitions and detailed feedback with regard to stunting.  His physical strength allows him to learn elite skills quickly.”

“At our first competition, he was able to debut elite level coed stunting that would take others years of training to master,” Hartman added.  “Beyond the athleticism he brings, he helps our team bring it in and focus on our common goals.”

Cameron likes how being a part of the LHS cheer team connects with his past athletic endeavors.

“I used to do gymnastics for about seven years, so when I’m doing tumbling and all the other skills I used to do, it really brings me back to when I used to be in my main sport I did for half my life,” Cameron said.  

Cameron said he really enjoys being a part of the LHS cheer team as well.  

“I like the spirit everyone has about being part of the Blue Devils,” Cameron said.

He also learned a lot in the short time under the direction of coach Hartman.

“I’ve learned that almost everything in cheer is new to me, so getting frustrated over things I have trouble doing that I’ve never done before is not the way to go, but to keep practicing and being patient is key,” Cameron explained.  

At LHS, Cameron’s favorite class was precalculus with Mrs.Latarte.

Outside of school, CameronI works at Dunkin’ and enjoys hanging out with his friends.

After high school, Cameron plans to attend Worcester State University where he will major in Business.  

Blue Devil Athlete Spotlight: Carissima Heinis (Girls' Ice Hockey)

Senior hockey player Carissima Heinis’ path to hockey started on the ice, just not with a stick and a puck.  Carissima’s first on on-ice experience came in the form of figure skating, although that admittedly didn’t go so well.  

“I started figure skating when I was eight, I was horrible at it,” Carissima said.  “The stiff posture and the long blades did not work for me.”

When she was nine, Carissima turned to hockey and the experience was much better.  

“It was a whole different experience,” Carissima said.  “Hockey skates are so much easier to skate in and the hockey stance felt so much more natural to me.  Plus, the padding and helmets made it a lot more fun when you fell.”

For Carissima, the inspiration for trying hockey came from being around the rink, something her entire family lives and breathes daily.  

“I was introduced to this sport by my brother,” Carissima said.   “I was a rink rat that ran around the rink with the other player’s siblings but more and more I would stop playing to watch what was going on out on the ice.  My mom was coaching my brother’s team and I just wanted to be out there too. The next year I tried ‘learn to play’ hockey.  It was so cool to go from being a watcher to a player. Everyone in my family plays on a hockey team so pretty much every night of the week someone always has a game.”

Carissima is now a standout senior for coach Nancy LeBlanc’s 12-4-1 team.  

“Carissima is a hardworking and dedicated player that drives to be competitive every time she steps on the ice,” LeBlanc said.  “This year Carissima’s hard work has helped the team improve and has contributed to our success with six goals and one assist.  Carissima’s dedication and hard work will certainly help her achieve her goal of playing ice hockey at the collegiate level next year.”

“I definitely want to continue playing ice hockey in college, no matter what school I go to,” Carissima said.  “I am in discussions with D3 and club level coaches.  I have been visiting some of the colleges multiple times and watching the team’s practices and games.  I want to go to a school that will challenge me academically and where I feel like I fit on the hockey team.”

Carissima also wants to find a college where she can study to enter a career in the medical field. 

“My plan is to start with a biology degree program and then attend graduate school in a medical field,” Carissima said.  “I have been accepted everywhere that I applied but I have still not made my final choice.”

Here on the LHS hockey team, Carissima said she has learned a lot from coach LeBlanc.  

“Coach Nancy LeBlanc wants to make all of us better players,” Carissima said.  “She has definitely shown us how passionate she is about the sport.  Coaching the team is not just a ‘job’ for her.  A few teammates and I made it to (club) state playoffs in the fall.  She came to the games and cheered us on.  She wants us to all play the game the best we can.”

Carissima also enjoys being part of the Blue Devil team, one that has players from a variety of schools from the region.  

“I really like all of the girls on the team,” Carissima said.  “We are a huge Co-Op team so in some situations that could be a bad thing, to have girls from so many different schools.  Not only are my teammates that are from Leominster very supportive and friendly in school but everyone from the other schools are great also.  We all are working very hard and we all get along.  Some teams do not have that friendly dynamic.  I love team sports where everyone is working towards a common goal.”

Carissima’s success and enjoyment comes after a setback earlier in her high school career.

“When I was born we lived in Oakham, Mass, a small rural town,” Carissima said.  “We moved to Harvard, Mass when I was in preschool.  Harvard had a Co-Op girls hockey team with Acton-Boxborough.  I was on their team starting in seventh grade.  I took ninth grade off from hockey to have my ACL reconstructed from a piece of my hamstring. I was back on the ice with them in 10th grade.  We moved and I started school here last year and joined Leominster’s team.”

Battling back from that injury made Carissima realize just how much she loved the sport of hockey.

“I love everything about ice hockey,” Carissima said.  “I love putting on my equipment and getting those first few strides on the ice.  It doesn’t matter what happened during the day or what will happen tomorrow, it all goes away on the ice.”

“Ice hockey is a very fast sport,” Carissima continued.  “You don’t have time to think about anything else when you are out there.  You are fully in the moment.  I could go on for pages and pages about what I love about ice hockey: the smell of the ice, a smooth dry sheet with no blade marks yet, power skating drills where your legs are on fire but you feel so strong, the ping of the puck when you hit a bar-down shot, always knowing that your teammates have your back in any situation, the camaraderie, summer hockey in a cold rink on a hot humid night, back-checking and beating your opponent to the puck, icing it on purpose during a penalty kill…. I just love everything about hockey.”

Here at LHS, Carissima said Early College Academy Academic Counselor Shaunti Phillips has made a major difference in her time as a Blue Devil.  

“She has been there for me since day one on making sure my transfer has gone accordingly,” Carissima said.  “She also had written one of my college recommendation letters.  She was definitely the main teacher I knew I could go to if I needed help with anything and saw the best in me.  But my favorite class is definitely the college writing course through Mount Wachusett that Leominster offered.  I took it my junior year and I definitely liked the structure as well as the scheduling throughout the course.”

Outside of school, Carissima likes working out and going to the gym and getting together with friends when times allows.  She also works as a skating coach in Worcester and enjoys cooking. 

“I used to cook with my mom but recently I have been cooking on my own to find my own cooking style and favorite recipes,” Carissima said.  “My dad restores vehicles so I helped him put an engine in a truck. I am also on my dad’s men’s league team for ice hockey.”

 

Blue Devil Athlete Spotlight: William Parker (Boys' Ice Hockey)

Senior boys’ ice hockey captain William Parker started playing ice hockey when he was in the fifth grade after his father urged him to try out the sport.  Since then, William has been working on his game, evolving into one of the top forwards on coach John Mooney’s team this year.

“He plays a strong two-way game, has good playmaking abilities and a strong shot,” Mooney said.  “As a teammate, he is our captain and always leads by example.  He is a player other guys on our team can look up to and ask for advice.”

William said what he likes most about the game is the feeling of skating around and the tight-knit group of seniors on the team.  William has also learned a lot from Coach Mooney. 

“I have learned to always play with confidence,” William said.  

After graduating from LHS, William plans to attend a four-year college and study Sports Management.  He also plays lacrosse here at LHS and his favorite class was Sociology.  His favorite teacher is Ms. Piragis.  

Outside of school, William enjoys playing dek hockey.  

 

Blue Devil Athlete Spotlight: Anthuan Lino Diego (Wrestling)

Sophomore wrestler Anthuan Lino Diego is enjoying a great first season under coach Matt Schiller, who encouraged Anthuan to try out wrestling after working together during the football season.  Schiller said despite being new to the sport, Anthuan is getting better every week, with a personal record of 12-9.    

“He wrestles in the heavyweight division and started off the season slow with a couple of losses but broke through at the Milford Tournament where he placed fourth overall,” Schiller said.  “He started to win some matches but he surprised a lot of people when he placed second at the Chelmsford Tournament beating the number two and three-seeded wrestlers who both qualified for the State tournament last year.”

Anthuan has really worked hard to improve, learning a lot in a short time from his coach.

“You get better every day as long as you make the time to show up for your team and yourself,” Anthuan said.  

Anthuan also said has quickly embraced playing a new sport.  

“I like the people and the feeling of winning the most,” Anthuan said.  “I enjoy the team, the people, and the energy.”  

Anthuan also isn’t letting his new arrival to the sport limit his goals.

“My plan is to become the number one wrestler in Massachusetts and get a scholarship,” Anthuan said.  

Anthuan is a CTEi student where he is in the electrical program, where he’s learning the trade to become an electrician after high school.  

Not surprisingly, he said electrical teacher Mr. Oppewall is his favorite teacher, along with history teacher Mr. Barrieau.  

Outside of school, Anthuan enjoys running, working out, cooking and reading.   

 

Blue Devil Athlete Spotlight: Francesca Bello (Girls' Basketball)

Sophomore girls’ basketball player Francesca Bello is enjoying another strong season after gaining valuable varsity experience a year ago for head coach Rusty Frederick.  Frederick said Francesca is a hard working basketball player who is always looking to get better while showing tremendous dedication in the classroom.  

“She is a starting center for the second year in row and is showing great promise with her leadership skills on and off the court,” Frederick said.  “We are looking forward to what she can bring to Leominster High in the future.”

Born and raised in Leominster, Francesca started playing basketball when she was seven when both of her parents signed her up for recreational basketball.  By the time she was in the fourth grade, she was playing travel basketball.  

“Basketball has always been an outlet or escape for me,” Francesca said.  

As for her LHS team, Francesca said she has enjoyed her time so far.  

“(I enjoy) having a sense of community and friendship with my teammates and the program,” Francesca said.  

Francesca said she has also learned a great deal from coach Frederick during her time as a Blue Devil.  

“I’ve learned that building a sense of community on and off the court builds a sense of family with my teammates,” Francesca said.  

Francesca hopes to continue her basketball career in college and would like to be a physical therapist in the future.  

“I would go to school for exercise science or kinesiology,” Francesca said.  

At LHS, Francesca also plays volleyball and is a part of Best Buddies and BDN Cultural.  Her favorite class has been art so far and her favorite teacher is Ms. Comeau.

Outside of school, Francesca enjoys going to the gym, shopping, and drawing or reading.