Ava Borruso pumps her fist after winning a point with her doubles partner Matilda Buchin in the finals on Tuesday Sophomore Zoë Grellet-Aumont and eight-grader Gabby Arango Eight-grader Gabby Arango and sophomore Zoë Grellet-Aumont You've read 4 of your 7 free articles this month Please log in or create an account to continue reading Freshman Ava Borruso and senior Matilda Buchen Sophomore Zoë Grellet-Aumont celebrates a point with doubles teammate Gabby Arango Freshman Ava Borruso in the Suffolk County doubles final Senior Matilda Buchen in the Suffolk County doubles final Eight-grader Gabby Arango powers the ball back over the net Senior Matilda Buchen connects with the ball Senior Matilda Buchen sends the ball back over the net Senior Matilda Buchen points to her doubles partner after the freshman earned a point in the Suffolk County semifinals match Senior Matilda Buchen smiles after a point in the semifinal round Sophomore Zoë Grellet-Aumont returns a serve Sophomore Zoë Grellet-Aumont keeps her eyes on the ball DESIRÉE KEEGAN but the page your are looking for was either not found or does not exist we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads may adversely affect certain features and functions Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen locally roasted craft coffee and friendly service Stop by one of their cafes or order online to enjoy a true taste of the Hamptons Sponsoring Patch connects your name to the trusted stories your neighbors love every day Learn more by contacting Lisa Finn at lisa.finn@patch.com or 917-224-2809 NY — Westhampton Beach High School has named the Class of 2025's valedictorian and salutatorian Nicholas Borruso and Matilda Buchen have earned the valedictorian and salutatorian honors The two seniors earned the top spots in their class through their outstanding commitment to academics Borruso and Buchen have achieved several academic accomplishments during their tenure at Westhampton Beach High School Both were named AP Scholars with Distinction by the College Board for their Advanced Placement exam scores earned AP Capstone seals on their diplomas Borruso is a National Merit Commended Student and vice president of his school’s robotics team for which he inaugurated a mentor program for robotics in the middle school He is also co-editor-in-chief of the school’s Seascapes publication a member of the varsity golf team and Key Club He recently placed first in the environmental category in the Junior Sciences and Humanities Symposium semifinals for his research on the effects of forever chemicals on zebrafish His research was conducted during the summer as part of a Simons Summer Research Program at Stony Brook University Howard Sirotkin’s lab in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior he volunteers in a local emergency department he raised $1,800 to 3D-print and donate 1,000 pieces of personal protective equipment to health care facilities Borruso plans to study neuroscience on a pre-med track in the fall Buchen is a recipient of the New York State Scholarship for Academic Excellence and a member of the school’s Interact and Debate clubs She also serves as historian of the National Honor Society She holds numerous awards as a varsity doubles tennis player She is a state and county doubles champion and a five-time All-County and All-Division athlete she earned the New York State Sportsmanship Award twice was named a "Top 30 on Long Island" tennis player and was selected for the Long Island girls tennis team twice In addition to serving as captain of her tennis team she has managed the boys varsity tennis team she serves as a lieutenant of the Westhampton Beach Junior Ambulance and volunteers at a local animal shelter and at East End Hospice She also holds an internship at the Hamptons Dentist Buchen plans to study biology or chemistry in college with the goal of becoming a dentist Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Lucille Catherine Werneke (née Buchen) died peacefully on April 6 MN at the age of 98Lucille is survived by her children 11 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren Robert Werneke II.Lucille was born on December 15 She married Charles Werneke and together they brought 5 children into this world positive mother who encouraged them to pursue their goals and dreams.Lucille was an active volunteer working with many organizations She was a dedicated member of the Lumen Christi Catholic Church and community but found much joy spending time with her grandchildren.A funeral is scheduled for 10 am Thursday April 14th with visitation 1 hour prior to service at Lumen Christi Catholic Church Donations can be mailed to 1121 Jackson Street NE Condolences may be sent to ohalloranmurphy.com The family would like to thank the staff at Keystone Community Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience We're always trying to bring you more amazing hotels But not every hotel can immediately connect their reservation system with ours we provide real-time rates and availability via a partnership with Booking.com You'll still enjoy the full fabulous MICHELIN Guide experience when you book including our legendary service and delightful style Our 20-point scale is based on post-stay ratings from verified MICHELIN Guide guests and plays a role in helping us decide whether or not a hotel should remain in our selection This hotel offers rates & availability on request only Submit a request below and a travel specialist will assist We’re not currently taking reservations for this hotel Please explore other hotels in our selection Non-members can add the privileges at checkout through our 30 day free trial By continuing I accept the Terms & Condition and Privacy Policy. I would like to receive Newsletter from MICHELIN Guide Save lists of your favorite restaurants & hotels reach out to their trusted team today by calling 631-765-5262 NY — Seven Westhampton Beach students have made their hometown proud earning New York State Scholarships for Academic Excellence The students qualified for the scholarships based on their "exceptional GPAs and Regents test scores," the district said The scholarships can be used toward a New York State institution of higher education "The Westhampton Beach School District congratulates students Luke Albert Meghan Pomroy and Zoey Rudolf on this accomplishment," the district said ER Wait Times are approximate and provided for informational purposes only Westhampton Beach senior Julia Stabile and junior Matilda Buchen are the first Hurricanes doubles team to come out on top during the state tournament since 1980 Westhampton Beach senior Julia Stabile and junior Matilda Buchen are the second Westhamtpon beach doubles team to win the state champion title Westhampton Beach head coach Matt Reed with his state championship-winning doubles team of senior Julia Stabile and junior Matilda Buchen Westhampton Beach's doubles team of senior Julia Stabile and junior Matilda Buchen are sate champions Westhampton Beach's doubles team of junior Matilda Buchen and senior Julia Stabile are swarmed by photographers after their state final victory Westhampton Beach's doubles duo of Matilda Buchen and Julia Stabile show off their winning bracket with head coach Matt Reed after their state championship tournament win The doubles team of Julia Stabile and Matilda Buchen will go down as one of the greatest tennis duos in Westhampton Beach history And the pair brought home the hardware to prove it this weekend walking away with the first state championship title a Hurricanes pair has received in 43 years a senior and five-year varsity starter who has made an appearance in the state tournament three straight seasons “I never thought that we would make it this far since the girls at states are unbelievable tennis players — everyone is so skilled — but I am so happy that I got to go through this moment and do it with my best friend.” 1-seeded Scarsdale team of Kay Cottrell and Emma Ha While the set scores make it appear like a near-breeze for the Westhampton Beach duo which didn’t drop a set the entire tournament it wasn’t as straightforward as the score lines appear “Matilda and Julia were able to remain so tough and bold in those game-deciding points every single time It was awesome to watch,” said head coach Matt Reed but they brought their tennis to a new level — the kind needed to win Champions play their best when they have to.” The Hurricanes didn’t have many opportunities to scout their opponents since they were competing at the same time across the tournament but Buchen said they were able to see a couple of points and noticed that their soon-to-be challengers were walls at the net and had a lot of power and consistency “We went into our match with the same attitude we’ve had with any other match We tried to stick to our style and hoped that it worked,” said Buchen “Julia and I tried to keep the ball away from the middle knowing that our opponents were very solid at the net and we tried to mix up our shots with a lot of angles and slices who with her partner both stand at roughly 5 feet 3 inches tall including one when Westhampton Beach was down helping the duo charge back to win that game Ha and Cottrell were 24-0 this season before the doubles final “Matilda and Julia can match the power of their opponents even when the opponent is about six inches taller “They were able to get back almost every big serve they hit volleyed better and could come up with crafty angled shots to take them off their game and play right into their hands.” Stabile said the bond that has formed between the two over the last few seasons has also been a major advantage Their doubles record this season is now 19-0 “We have a great bond off that court that helps a lot with our chemistry communication and movement on the court,” Stabile said “And our willingness to never give up and always give it our best helps us to overcome any challenge we are faced with.” That showed throughout the entire tournament Buchen and Stabile blanked Northeastern Clinton’s Brynn Hite and Sydney Lemieux took down Saratoga Springs’ Clare Dooley and Addison Jones and bested Amherst Central’s Ada Radomski and Anna Wheat in the quarterfinals to make it further than either of them had gone before And that was the goal the girls originally sought to achieve realizing they had what it takes to go all the way when they outlasted Manhasset’s sister pairing of Andrea and Evangelina Vases “The semifinal was an absolute battle of tennis abilities “The doubles team from Manhasset was very good so it was great for us to come through that one victorious and in straight sets They kept elevating their game with each match which is what you have to do in order to win a tournament of this magnitude.” who reached the state tournament last year with Buchen Katelyn — losing both times to a Byram Hills team that ended up state champions in 2022 — said her head coach has also been crucial to her doubles team’s success “Coach Reed has supported us every step of the way and is just an impeccable coach,” the senior said He makes sure that he brings out the best level of tennis in whoever he is coaching A lesson that he has taught me is to keep fighting no matter what “It is clear to Julia and I that we could not have gone as far as we did without him,” Buchen added “Coach Reed puts his entire heart and soul into this He pushes us to our limits and makes us work hard He loves the sport and he loves being our coach But their teacher said credit goes to the duo for being so coachable They also each boast their own strengths that together make them a force The foundation for their complete game is strong first serves consistent baseline returns and varying abilities at the net which helped them take home the first title since Kelly Federico and Brenda Kacke were crowned doubles champions in 1980 “They want the constant feedback of how they’re playing — what they should be doing or not doing — and because of how good they are I’m able to give them strategies and ideas that really only they could pull off,” Reed said “They were able to implement those strategies neutralize their opponents’ strengths and consistently exploit their weaknesses.” Stabile started her high school career clinching Westhampton Beach’s second-straight Suffolk County championship she found herself winning a three-set match that lasted over three hours to help the Hurricanes edge rival Half Hollow Hills East The team had won 17 straight matches that season before falling to Port Washington in the Long Island title game she came back to help the team across a 14-2 campaign that ended on the losing side of a 4-3 match to Hills East in the county final she and her sister won the Division IV and Suffolk County championships to earn her first state berth where the Stabiles made it through the first round the pair also claimed both crowns before making it to the state quarterfinals they repeated as Division IV and Suffolk County tournament winners before securing that elusive state title “Julia’s resume speaks for itself,” Reed said “Having Julia on the team is such a tone-setter — 100 percent effort all the time They have a pure love of the game with such a diversified skillset to pretty much be able to do anything on the court Having these two girls on the team for my first three years as head coach of this program has been a blessing and something I’ve cherished every day since taking over.” Buchen said she’s honored not only to have met Stabile competing and learning with her at SPORTIME Quogue from a young age but being able to win it all with her closest ally and I’m so lucky to have met her,” the junior said “I’m still in disbelief that this happened This is a feeling that is very difficult to describe but coming so far with Julia is more than I could ever ask for I am so thrilled and I wish we could keep going.” Stabile said she wouldn’t want to end her high school career any other way This just feels unbelievable,” the senior said “We put in a lot of hard work during and after the season and it just goes to show that hard work really does pay off Tennis has given me a lifelong friend and someone who I know I can always count on I am so thankful that we get to experience this together and I am glad that we finished on such a high note.” East Hampton junior Caleigh Barletta readies for the ball East Hampton junior Caleigh Barletta and Pierson senior Samantha Pillco celebrate a point East Hampton sophomore Colleen McKee powers the ball back over the net East Hampton sophomore Hailey Rigby reaches for the ball East Hampton sophomore Hailey Rigby serves East Hampton sophomore Hailey Rigby rallies East Hampton senior Lyla Wilson keeps her eyes on the ball East Hampton senior Lyla Wilson races for a return Pierson sophomore Audrey Monaco makes contact with the ball Pierson senior Samantha Pillco runs in for a return East Hampton sophomore Colleen McKee returns a serve Southampton's Katherine Blackmore keeps the point alive Southampton's Katherine Blackmore returns a serve Southampton's Katherine Blackmore sends the ball back over the net Southampton's Katherine Blackmore makes contact with the ball Southampton's Katherine Blackmore reaches for a return Southampton senior London Bess returns the ball Southampton senior London Bess reaches for a return Westhampton Beach sophomore Ana Way sends the ball back over the net Westhampton Beach sophomore Ana Way connects with the ball Westhampton Beach senior Ana-maria Bichinashvilli slams the ball back over the net Westhampton Beach senior Ana-maria Bichinashvilli serves Westhampton Beach senior Ana-maria Bichinashvilli returns a serve Westhampton Beach eighth-grader Ava Borruso powers a serve back over the net Westhampton Beach eighth-grader Ava Borruso serves Westhampton Beach eighth-grader Ava Borruso rallies Westhampton Beach eighth-grader Ava Borruso slices the ball Westhampton Beach eighth-grader Ava Borruso keeps her eyes on the ball Westhampton Beach eighth-grader Ava Borruso keeps the volley going Westhampton Beach senior Julia Stabile poaches Westhampton Beach senior Julia Stabile serves Westhampton Beach senior Julia Stabile waits for the ball Westhampton Beach senior Julia Stabile reaches for a return Westhampton Beach senior Julia Stabile and junior Matilda Buchen celebrate a point before switching sides Westhampton Beach senior Julia Stabile and junior Matilda Buchen are advancing to the Division IV finals Westhampton Beach senior Kylie Way lunges for the ball Westhampton Beach junior Matilda Buchen returns a serve Westhampton Beach junior Matilda Buchen serves Westhampton Beach junior Matilda Buchen keeps her eyes on the ball Westhampton Beach junior Matilda Buchen rallies Westhampton Beach junior Matilda Buchen and senior Julia Stabile celebrate a point Westhampton Beach senior Melina Pinonzek steadies for a return Westhampton Beach senior Melina Pinonzek sends the ball back in transition Westhampton Beach senior Melina Pinonzek serves Westhampton Beach senior Melina Pinonzek reaches for the ball Westhampton Beach senior Taylor Lagattolla volleys at the net Westhampton Beach senior Taylor Lagattolla poaches Westhampton Beach freshman Zoe Grellet-Aumont races to the ball East Hampton senior Lyla Wilson keeps the rally going Westhampton Beach freshman Zoe Grellet-Aumont powers the ball back over the net The Westhampton Beach tennis team doubles duo of Julia Stabile and Matilda Buchen has once again breezed through the Division IV doubles bracket to make it back to the final and earn a spot in the Suffolk County tournament “I’m excited to see how it goes,” said Stabile “It’s fun being able to play with your best friend every day took out Mattituck’s Julia Dacharu and Riley Corrigan before blanking East Hampton sophomores Colleen McKee and Hailey Rigby Southold’s Nyla Olsen and Reagan Trehome took the first set from the All-State returners all tournament and the next to do so were their own teammates seniors Taylor Lagattolla and Ana-maria Bichinashvili Stabile and Buchen faced William Floyd’s Lydia Van Cott and Gianna Martin in the finals Tuesday afternoon but results were not available by press time It’ll be a good match,” Buchen said after the semifinal win “It’s such a good feeling making it back to this point It’s kind of frustrating to face your own team but we treat them like friends off the court and opponents on the court.” Head coach Matt Reed said he’s thrilled to see the improvements his pair has made in just the last year alone “Their net play has taken a huge step up,” he said “They were always consistent at the baseline and now they’re poaching a lot and being a lot more aggressive and shortening up the points They’re making every aspect of their game a strength they’re becoming really well-rounded players and they get better with each match that they play.” But the coach added he’s been happy with the way all of his girls have been playing the Hurricanes sent Stabile and Buchen and Melina Pinonzek to the individual tournament three doubles teams and two singles players earned a spot making for a total of eight girls qualifying the most from any school in the tournament Pinonzek knocked out William Floyd’s Corrine Neidig with a 6-1 6-1 win before dropping a close match to teammate Zoë Grellet-Aumont The freshman took down Southold’s Olivia Misiukiewicz before being outdone by Ross’s Olivia Caruso in the quarterfinals Grellet-Aumont is competing for seventh place in the division on Tuesday Westhampton Beach’s Ava Borruso also made it to the quarterfinals The eighth-grader shut down Ross’s Daniella De la Vega and Hampton Bays junior Iris Fernandes 6-4 loss to William Floyd’s Anabel Van Cott They’re both very good from the baseline.” While Grellet-Aumont lost her outbracket match to Riverhead’s Christina Pagnozzi Borruso was able to best Shoreham-Wading River’s Nina Nelson She played Pagnozzi for fifth or sixth place Tuesday afternoon especially being so young,” Reed said of Borruso beating Nelson Also earning a spot in the county tournament were Lagattolla and Bichinashvili who faced William Floyd’s Drew Wiegand and Olivia Phillips in the consolation finals Tuesday and the Westhampton Beach sister pairing of Kylie and Ana Way topped William Floyd’s Alexa LaValle and Christina Dyakiv and the Colonials’ Nadia Da Gama Paes and Tatiana Sanchez where they lost to Lagattolla and Bichinashvili Reed said the Way sisters did not know the top six doubles teams earn All-County status but informed them after they’d dropped their first set to Southold’s Olsen and Trehome “It’s not easy competing against and losing to your teammates but they came back really strong in the second and third sets,” the coach said “It’s good to see so many getting far into these tournaments Also competing in the doubles bracket was Pierson senior Samantha Pillco and East Hampton junior Caleigh Barletta who beat Riverhead’s Victoria Arant and Olivia Esposito and Shoreham-Wading River’s Chloe Jaeger and Emily Martinez where William Floyd’s pair of Wiegand and Phillips won the pair fell to Shoreham-Wading River’s Hannah Rafuse and Mia Wentz who the Way sisters faced Tuesday for fifth or sixth place Pierson sophomore Audrey Monaco and Southampton’s Katherine Blackmore and London Bess also competed in the singles draw along with Hampton Bays’s doubles teams of Natalie Moranchal and Sarah Ren and Charlotte Summar and Melody Arabejo The Hurricanes well send eight while the Colonials will send six of Division IV’s best to the Suffolk County tournament “There’s going to be a lot of black and green at Smithtown East,” Reed said and I’m very excited to see what they can do.” Junior Julia Stabile and sophomore Matilda Buchen won the state sportsmanship award The Westhampton Beach doubles team of sophomore Matilda Buchen and junior Julia Stabile made it to the state quarterfinals Julia Stabile and Matilda Buchen shocked themselves by going where they’ve never been before: the state quarterfinals The Westhampton Beach doubles duo breezed through the first two rounds of the individual tennis tournament in Schenectady before ultimately falling to the eventual state-winners in Byram Hills’s Chloe Bernstein and Jenna Kleynerman “It exceeded all of our expectations and goals,” said Stabile but I am happy to come away with placing at states and having a good experience with Matilda.” The pair first blanked senior Katya Quinn and freshman Lina Limam out of Fayetteville-Manlius Senior High School before besting Norwich High School seniors Emma Brooks and Willow Swingle “We felt that we played well during the first two matches,” said Buchen but also intimidating to be there because we were versing some of the best players in the state Stabile said her communication with her teammate and their perseverance drove them to a spot in Friday’s Round of 8 “All the players had fine-tuned skills at the net and great groundstrokes,” she said Stabile and Buchen took one game from their Byram Hills opponents “Everything was working for us,” Stabile said “Our opponents were just always on the move and great attackers at the net Their second serves were just as hard as their first.” they did formations and they poached on almost every single ball,” the sophomore said But head coach Matt Reed gave his girls more credit than they gave themselves when the girls met at the net to shake hands the eventual champions from Byram Hills immediately complimented Matilda and Julia on how good they are and how well they played,” Reed said so that speaks to how good Matilda and Julia really are and how impressive of a season they had this year Their groundstrokes and movement cannot be highlighted enough They hit the ball so cleanly and with a ton of power Their consistency from the baseline is right up there with other top teams at the state level.” but also earned a chance to continue playing when their original goal was to reach the quarterfinals Stabile and Buchen defeated Brighton senior Elizabeth Norris and junior Kylie Mariano “Any time you lose only one or two games through two rounds at the state level so the girls have so much to be proud of.” Stabile said she couldn’t have made it as far as she did without her partner which is why they’d set out to make it one round further this year “Matilda has a strong backhand and a positive attitude on the court,” Stabile said because she is very supportive and always has my back.” Buchen was competing at the state level for her first time “Julia and I understand each other very well and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses The pair also pointed to Reed for his time and dedication to training them Both athletes have competed in singles slots through much of their time on the Westhampton Beach team which they have both been on since they were in eighth grade “Coach Reed led a lot of drills for us in the preseason which really helped us for later on,” Buchen added “He also always gives very helpful advice on the court the coach pointed to his players for putting in all the work coachability and just flat out tennis playing ability have all contributed to their success this year,” Reed said “Matilda lost one match the entire year at singles and Julia was undefeated in singles — again This provides me with the ability to focus on other aspects of the lineup to get two more points to win a match When coaches ask me what grade Matilda and Julia are in it is pretty funny seeing the look on their faces when they realize how young they are and that they’ll have to verse them both again next year.” always try their best and are really good at tennis,” the coach added “They’re perfect role models for my younger players between their dedication passion for tennis and how well they listen to my instructions during practices and matches I’m so thankful to have them both together for one more year.” the duo was also honored to receive the state Sportsmanship Award for their kindness and positive attitudes across the tournament “I am so proud of the success that Matilda and I have achieved,” Stabile said I am so thankful to have shared these memories with Matilda and I can’t wait to make new ones next season We had a great run this year — our hard work during the offseason really paid off — and we are motivated more than ever to keep training hard.” Westhampton Beach junior Max Buchen swims the 100-yard breaststroke Westhampton Beach junior Max Buchen looks at the clock and celebrates his time in the 100-yard breaststroke Westhampton Beach junior Max Buchen dives into the pool at Stony Brook University Westhampton Beach junior Max Buchen earned gold for his first-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke at the Suffolk County Championships Max Buchen traded in his tennis racket for a pair of swim goggles and the decision to do so is already paying off The Westhampton Beach junior earned gold at the Suffolk County Championships at Stony Brook University on February 11 with his first-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke and completed the race in a personal-best 56.54 seconds The time also earned him All-American consideration and a spot in the New York State Swimming and Diving Championships at Ithaca College March 3-4 “I looked at the board and was shocked by the time I got,” Buchen said but I was very surprised to see I dropped over a second from my previous best time I was stuck at 58 seconds for a couple of months.” His Three Village Swim Club coach wasn’t surprised I got to watch that race,” said Mark Anderson who added that Buchen earned his last personal record at a club meet back in December but I didn’t quite know how fast he was going to swim whose time was over three seconds quicker than the second-place finisher has been a member of the Setauket-based swim club since he was in sixth grade because the district does not have a swim program but has decided to make a permanent switch back and I also like the idea of beating myself rather than an opponent “Having the honor of being a county champion reassures me that I’m on the right path.” Anderson said he’s seen the track Buchen could be on all along The junior broke records with the club as a 12-year-old in the 50 100 and 200-yard breaststroke — times that still stand in the record books But Anderson admits he was surprised to see how quickly Buchen reacclimated himself to the pool because people who take three or four years off and decide to come back don’t do very well,” the coach said “Swimming is like running — you have to do it very regularly to stay in shape That feel for the water kind of disappears even after taking a week off so for him to take off that much time to focus on a completely different sport and come back and basically have it be like he never left is really incredible.” He said part of the ease in transition has to do with Buchen’s natural talents “The really good swimmers have a feel for the water and understand how their body can move through the water better than the average person and Max just has that understanding about how his body works,” Anderson said I even take some things away that he does really well and try to show them to other swimmers let’s try to emulate what Max is doing here.’” I had to ask Mark how long he was away from swimming because his stroke looked awesome,” Brandenberger said “It’s special working with Max because he’s extremely talented but also one of the hardest workers — he’s pretty quiet but is always asking questions and trying to figure out how to get better When you have that combination in any athlete The interesting thing about the breaststroke is it’s the slowest of the four competitive strokes and it’s also the most difficult to master “There’s a lot going on while it not being a very efficient stroke to swim those that are able to do it at a high level have a really high swimming IQ “It’s been really fun to watch him get right back to his old form and start swimming really well again for us He said it’s also been astonishing to see the changes in the swimmer who has grown over a foot-and-a-half taller leaned out and bulked up since the coach last saw him “It’s even been pretty incredible how his times have improved just over the last few months,” Brandenberger said “We’ve seen him do some workouts out of the pool and you can see he's very athletic — and he’s been able to quickly translate that athleticism into his training at practice and racing in competitions.” The junior set another club record — 56.98 seconds — for 16-year-olds this past weekend as part of the open 400 medley relay team at the Senior Metropolitan Championship Qualifiers That relay also broke a club record for the event Buchen said being part of the Three Village team has helped him “There are so many fast kids my age who I can compete with,” he said “The coaches have also been very helpful and push me to the limits.” Buchen takes part in six varsity meets over the course of the high school swim season while simultaneously competing in club events the governing body for athletics in Suffolk County runs separate meets for independent swimmers whose schools do not have a team The junior attends the events with Westhampton Beach languages other than English (LOTE) teacher Lisa Lagattolla who acts as his chaperon so he can qualify for competition Buchen is the only male swimmer from the area and Lagattolla has daughters who swim in the fall “Max is a driven and dedicated young man that strives for success,” said Jason Cohen health and athletics for Westhampton Beach School District he is a humble athlete that is grateful for his success.” The junior also touched the wall in 22.85 seconds in the 50 freestyle at the county championships Sixth through 11th place finished inside the 22-second mark with the bottom five slots ending the race within tenths of a second apart from each other “The energy at counties was unlike any other meet I’ve been to,” Buchen said “I think that gave me the extra boost of adrenaline I needed to get those times.” He said he’s proud to be a Hurricane and represent his school and happy representing my school because it sheds a light on a sport that’s not very relevant in Westhampton,” Buchen said “With the work he puts into swimming his results were well-deserved,” Brandenberger said and a sign of greater things to come at the state championship meet in March.” Anderson said he sees Buchen placing in the Top 3 next week finish in the Top 8 at the 2023 Region 1 (North) Speedo Sectionals in Ithaca at the end of March Buchen even qualified for the National Club Swimming Association Junior National Qualifiers at Rosen Aquatic and Fitness Center in Orlando in mid-March “His time is very competitive,” Anderson said “He brings a really high level of breaststroke to the club and we joke with him that maybe he should take some more time off before his next big meets because it’s worked so well for him in the past.” Buchen said he doesn’t see that happening any time soon adding swimming will remain the focus as he looks to be competitive enough to receive college offers next year and it gives me the confidence and the drive to swim faster,” Buchen said the more excited and motivated I am to keep on improving.” CHARLESTON (WCIV) — A former Mount Pleasant karate instructor accused of sexually assaulting female students has accepted a plea deal in lieu of a trial more than three years after his arrests James Buchen pleaded guilty in Charleston County general sessions court Wednesday to a charge of first-degree assault and battery with non-consensual touching of a victim’s private parts for sexual gratification Circuit Judge Bentley Price sentenced Buchen to five years in prison This means Buchen will not serve prison time unless he violates his probation Debbie Herring-Lash prosecuted Buchen for the 9th Circuit Solicitor’s Office She says Judge Price also ordered Buchen must undergo sex offender treatment and meet other requirements in order to avoid prison Herring-Lash said she asked Judge Price for Buchen to be deemed a sex offender Herring-Lash says Buchen has been added to South Carolina’s Central Registry of Child Abuse a database of abusers kept by the Department of Social Services That means Buchen’s history of assault on a minor will be discoverable on background checks should he ever again attempt to work or volunteer in a role that would place him in contact with children Mount Pleasant Police charged Buchen a month later with third-degree assault and battery after a third former karate student came forward to say Buchen also inappropriately touched her Herring-Lash says she was not able to go forward with prosecution of the assault and battery charge by Mount Pleasant Police after it was determined the encounter was consensual and the victim was not a minor Herring-Lash says prosecution also could not move forward on the third-degree sexual assault charge by Charleston Police but said she could not elaborate on the circumstances The second-degree sexual assault charge would’ve carried up to a 20-year sentence if convicted The lesser felony of first-degree assault and battery to which Buchen pleaded guilty carried only a 10-year maximum prison sentence was formerly affiliated with Buchen Martial Arts Buchen also hosted instructional camps offsite throughout the Lowcountry ABC News 4 reached out to Buchen’s attorney for comment regarding this story but had not heard back at the time of publishing Former Illinois State Fair manager Patrick Buchen blasted Gov saying that he and former Department of Agriculture Director Philip Nelson were forced to resign because of cronyism and interference Buchen and Nelson announced their resignations late Thursday afternoon Rauner's office issued a statement immediately following the announcement saying the governor appreciated Nelson's "commitment to agriculture and his service to the people of Illinois." insisted on Friday that he and Nelson did not resign willingly He said that it was either they resign or wait until they were fired "The politicos downtown never wanted me here," he said "Philip Nelson fought for me very forcefully for my employment." Rauner spokesman Lance Trover said Buchen "is continuing to demonstrate the same type of erratic behavior he exhibited as a state employee." Buchen sometimes had a difficult time appropriately communicating with other state employees and often failed to treat fellow state workers with respect," Trover said in a written statement "He damaged morale within the agency and was beginning to create a toxic atmosphere among those who had to work with him." Buchen said he believes the biggest reason he was being pushed out was because he didn't want to go along with what he believed were unfair practices One dispute centered on naming the grand marshals of the fair's annual Twilight Parade Buchen said he and Nelson wanted the Brandt family owners of Brandt Agricultural Products in Springfield to be the grand marshals as a way to bring agriculture back to the forefront of the state fair Jessie Porter and Darin Hess of the USS Illinois Rauner's policy adviser for environment and energy Buchen said Messina acted as liaison between the administration and the Ag Department "Alec Messina doesn't know the difference between a boar and a barrow Trover released an email exchange between Buchen and Messina from July 10 regarding the fair parade grand marshal Messina said he learned from Nelson that Buchen was "rather upset" with the choice of the parade marshal He said Buchen should feel free to call him directly if there is an issue to discuss Buchen replied that the "gentleman is not agriculture the submarine has not been christened and I was most disappointed in the fact that our recommendation was denied." "I am here to promote agriculture for the fair and the state of Illinois," he continued "If that is not the intent of those who made this decision then I need to go elsewhere." He then added: "You need to understand that when my nose gets bloodied I will break those that bloodied mine Buchen said Messina forced him to hire Janet Dobrinsky who used to work at the comptroller's office under Judy Baar Topinka He said it was the first time in years that an assistant fair manager had been appointed and that Dobrinsky — earning $90,000 annually — was "essentially useless" in the position Trover said Dobrinsky was hired before Buchen was appointed fair manager "so it is untrue to claim he was forced to hire her." Buchen also said Dobrinsky spent more money than was necessary including on a ceremony to rename a street on the fairgrounds for Topinka Buchen said the state could have saved money by having the ceremony at the ag tent Dobrinsky instead had the stage and sound system set up at the corner of the new road mostly for the labor to move an existing system there Buchen added that whenever he confronted Dobrinsky about her job performance Dobrinsky would tell Illinois chief operating officer Linda Lingle that he yelled at her in front of the entire staff or that he threatened and strong-armed older employees into retirement He said he was also forced to issue all-access passes to government workers or to issue press passes to people who weren't members of the press Trover denied that excessive numbers of passes were issued "A small number of Department of Natural Resources employees were provided press passes as they had been provided in past years," Trover said "The press passes enabled these employees to fulfill important duties related to the state fair who was only state fair manager for five months received criticism for low attendance numbers at the fair An estimated 850,000 people were recorded at the fair for 2014 But he insisted that numbers from previous years had been inflated and had been for years if the numbers for revenue and parking were any indication He said he and others in the Ag Department were berated for reporting what he called the correct numbers Buchen believes the governor didn't know about the incidents since Rauner has only ever said he and Nelson were doing very well in their jobs Buchen thinks it's the people surrounding Rauner who forced his and Nelson's resignations did we take heat for it because of the cronyism," Buchen said "And we thought this administration wanted to clean all this up." Warren Goetsch will act as the director for the Ag Department until a permanent director is appointed he served as the bureau chief of environmental programs within the department A new state fair manager has not yet been named Nelson could not be reached for comment Friday where Nelson served as president from 2003 to 2013 issued a statement praising Nelson's service as agriculture director "He put his heart and soul into the position," farm bureau president Richard Guebert Jr "He wasn't afraid to make tough decisions to put the Illinois Department of Agriculture in a position to be successful I like the changes he and his staff made to put a renewed focus on youth and agriculture at the Illinois State Fair I don't know anybody more dedicated to improving Illinois agriculture I wish him the best in his next endeavor." — Contact Carla Jimenez: carla.jimenez@sj-r.com, 788-1542, twitter.com/CarlaJimenezSJR. Contact Doug Finke: doug.finke@sj-r.com, 788-1527, twitter.com/dougfinkesjr  We believe there is enormous value for us to embrace the benefits of this transformative technology and we want to be among the health care leaders who are developing best practices and using the power of data for the greatest benefit to our patients AVIA, the nation’s leading market intelligence and advisory services firm advancing digital transformation in health care, has added several additional health systems, including OSF HealthCare, to its national Generative AI Strategic Collaborative OSF is among the new additions which include industry leaders and some of the largest health systems in the country AVIA has rallied nearly 30 health systems, key industry associations, and government leaders—including a recently announced slate of 10 expert advisors—to join its collaborative to identify risks and ethical AI adoption for the health care industry the new additions include:●          Banner Health●          Boston Children’s Hospital●          Children’s Mercy Kansas City●          Cottage Health●          Novant Health●          UVA Health OSF HealthCare has developed large language models to identify unique needs for our patients so we can be proactive in helping diagnose or provide decision support for our medical providers to promote screenings and prevention “Generative AI has the potential to make an enormous impact on health systems and patients We’re proud to be collaborating with such an impressive group of health system leaders as well as industry associations and expert advisors who will help shape this important initiative AVIA has always been on the forefront of what is next in healthcare transformation and we believe this collaborative will help ensure the potential of generative AI in our industry is fulfilled ushering in a transformative era in healthcare delivery,” said Dr EVP and Chief Clinical Officer at AVIA and leader of the collaborative Other health care leaders expanded on the importance of becoming part of a collaborative we have a unique opportunity to shape the future of health care AI ensuring it meets the needs of patients and communities Vice President of Digital Products and Innovation and BJC HealthCare and Executive Director of the Healthcare Innovation Lab at BJC HealthCare and the Washington University School of Medicine we will navigate the challenges and opportunities of responsible and ethical AI adoption revolutionizing the way healthcare is delivered,” In the spirit of Christ and the example of Francis of Assisi the Mission of OSF HealthCare is to serve persons with the greatest care and love in a community that celebrates the Gift of Life About OSF Westhampton Beach senior Max Buchen is all smiles after seeing he repeated as Suffolk County champion in the 100-yard breaststroke at the boys swimming championships at Stony Brook University February 10 Westhampton Beach senior Max Buchen swam the 100-yard breaststroke in a personal best 54.26 seconds for first place at the Suffolk County boys swimming championships at Stony Brook University February 10 Buchen also placed first in the 200 individual medley (1:52.31) Sophomore Matilda Buchen and junior Julia Stabile react to the final point that earned the Westhampton Beach doubles duo the Suffolk County championship crown Junior Julia Stabile sends the ball back over the net Junior Julia Stabile and sophomore Matilda Buchen celebrate their Suffolk County championship win Sophomore Matilda Buchen volleys during a rally Junior Julia Stabile and sophomore Matilda Buchen earned a spot in the state tournament Julia Stabile and Matilda Buchen stared with jaws dropped in utter disbelief before racing across the court to each other — beaming — grinning from ear to ear with fists clenched in celebration That’s because this pair of Westhampton Beach warriors were crowned Suffolk County champions with a 6-3 6-2 win over Bayport-Blue Point’s Romano sisters The duo also earned a spot in the state tournament Winning with your best friend — you couldn’t ask for anything more,” said Stabile a junior who also took home the county doubles title last year with her older sister It was no small feat — especially pulling away in the finals after being down so we didn’t apply too much pressure on ourselves,” said Buchen “But we mounted a pretty strong comeback.” “We needed to keep our confidence high and take it point by point because you never know what could happen,” Stabile added “And Matilda played outstanding today — her backhand The girls moved to the baseline to more easily attack Emilia’s powerful serve and return the Phantoms sisters’ hard-hitting groundstrokes but moving to the baseline helped us make less errors,” Buchen said “I know Emilia competed in the singles draw last year but I didn’t know that she had a sister — they’re both amazing Head coach Matt Reed spoke to his athletes down two games to none and told his Division IV champions to get back to playing their game He said because they’re so close off the court they came together to turn it around quickly “I told them to get back to what they were doing in that first set — don’t change what’s working,” he said their communication is always great and they both have great serves They got the ball back off some tough serves they played it safe and continued the rally until they pulled out a winner or their opponents made an error The coach said coming back to win six straight points showed his girls’ mental strength “They played their best tennis to earn the toughest points in the game,” Reed said “Those [Bayport-Blue Point] girls make a lot of winners so it was about weathering the storm and their power and they remained consistent and kept the ball in play and when they had those opportunities to capitalize against Comsewogue’s Vienna Guzman and Gianna McNulty and Bayport-Blue Point’s Grace Blanchard and Ava Duras They bested sisters Bella and Victoria Frangione out of Harborfields to secure their place in the finals and guarantee a spot in the state tournament To see them be rewarded for all their hard work is a good feeling.” and Ivan Mardones and Alex Soyars of Sportime in East Quogue for getting her doubles team in top shape “He was such a big part of our win,” she said of her head coach “He was with us every step of the way — always believing in us no matter what.” Buchen and her partner have both been on the team since they were in eighth grade and made multiple appearances in the division and county tournaments who said she’s excited for her first time competing in the state tournament Her best friend competed at that level for the first time last year “I just want us to go there and have fun,” Stabile said The Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center, part of OSF HealthCare Jump has grown into a world-class medical simulation and education center Spread across 168,000 square feet on six floors Jump is the largest specially built medical simulation and innovation center in the country located on the campus of OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria Jump was made possible by a $25 million gift from the DiSomma Family Foundation to OSF and the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria That combined with a $25 million match from OSF paved the way for construction of the state-of-the-art center which opened in 2013 OSF HealthCare partnered with Bradley University on a study looking at the impact Jump has had over the last decade The preliminary results of the study show the facility has generated income and spending throughout Illinois by creating jobs and commerce and generating research and grant activity Jump's activities enhanced economic activity by over $103 million and created more than 600 full-time jobs “If we include the original 2012-2013 construction expenditures for the entire physical building into the analysis the total economic impact is $180 million with more than 1,000 jobs created,” said Joshua Lewer Bradley University Economics and Finance Department chair “It is important to note that Jump has not yet approached its long-run full operating capacity So these numbers will only continue to improve We believe Jump has demonstrated its strength as an economic engine for the communities it serves.” Jump was the catalyst for OSF to lead revolutionary change in health care through innovation and faith as we made it our vision to transform health care to improve the lives of those we serve OSF HealthCare launched OSF Innovation within Jump in 2016 The idea was to bring multidisciplinary teams together to generate and adopt solutions to advance health care OSF Innovation is integrated across all 15 hospitals in the OSF HealthCare Ministry “I came to OSF HealthCare for the chance to build a one-of-a-kind center to not just train health workers of the future but to re-create health care as we know it,” said John Vozenilek vice president and chief medical officer for Innovation at OSF HealthCare “Jump was the catalyst for OSF to lead revolutionary change in health care through innovation and faith as we made it our vision to transform health care to improve the lives of those we serve.” Jump and OSF Innovation became one of about a dozen health care sites converting two-dimensional images of the heart into exact 3D printed replicas for surgical planning; partnered with the state of Illinois to create the Pandemic Health Worker program to digitally care for people with COVID-19 across the state This included the launch of the OSF OnCall Digital Hospital; and over the next few years to improve access to health care and address the social needs of those living in underserved areas using digital solutions Jump Simulation was transformed to highlight of the accomplishments of the past decade as well as give a glimpse into what the future of health care might look like “With the foundation we’ve laid this past decade and leadership of The Sisters of the Third Order of St handle new challenges and care for patients in ways we’ve never done before,” explained Becky Buchen “The seeds have already been planted for concepts to become a reality that currently might seem hard to imagine.” You can learn more about the endless possibilities and exciting work taking place at OSF Innovation and Jump Simulation by visiting their websites Sisters Ana and Kylie Way after winning a set Senior Ana-maria Bichinashvilli comes in to keep the rally going Senior Ana-maria Bichinashvilli grabs the ball with her backhand Senior Julia Stabile powers the ball back over the net Senior Julia Stabile and junior Matilda Buchen are all smiles after their second straight Division IV doubles championship victory Junior Matilda Buchen keeps her eyes up as she waits for the ball to drop Senior Taylor Lagattolla sends the ball back over the net Senior Taylor Lagattolla keeps her eyes on the ball For the second straight season Westhampton Beach senior Julia Stabile and junior Matilda Buchen can call themselves Division IV doubles champions The All-State tennis standouts topped William Floyd’s Gianna Martin and Lydia Van Cott 6-2 6-3 Tuesday to claim their second consecutive crown I’m glad we were able to end this tournament on a high note together.” are headed to the Suffolk County championships But there was also a lot in the junior’s game to be wowed about She had a big 40-all get that won the point for the Hurricanes duo to put them up 2-0 in the first set and grabbing two poach attempts to start the second set with a 1-0 lead I might as well keep running,” Buchen said “I just tried to get to every ball I could I didn’t give up when I saw the ball short.” placing the ball in the back-right corner for a 5-2 lead in the first and slamming the ball down the line after Buchen forced her opponent to go coast-to-coast to take a 2-0 lead in the second set “Coach Reed did some drills and went over some strategies with us,” the senior said adding she and Buchen were not fazed by their opponents’ two-back formation used against opponent that are strong serve-and-volleyers “Coach Reed did some drills and went over some strategies with us We knew we had to play our game and do what we do best.” Stabile was also quick to point to her partner’s skillset “I’m always mesmerized by her shots and her movement on the court,” she said “Playing and winning with your best friend is the best thing I could ask for,” Buchen added And they weren’t the only pair to see success Tuesday Seniors Taylor Lagattolla and Ana-maria Bichinashvili bounced back to top William Floyd’s Olivia Phillips and Drew Wiegand in three sets to place third and we almost read each other’s minds,” Lagattolla said “We know each other so well after playing together all season while both had some big wins from the baseline but I love Taylor — she’s the best partner I’ve ever had,” Bichinashvili said but two sets of teammates across the tournament They took down the sister pairing of Kylie and Ana Way “It was the worst thing ever,” Bichinashvili said Lagattolla won the point that helped the Hurricanes duo tie the third set 2-2 before running away with it “Adrenaline was pumping through us and we put it all together,” the senior said The Way sisters also rebounded from their loss to Lagattolla and Bichinashvili first storming back to beat Southold’s Nyla Olsen and Reagan Trehome 3-6 and then topping Shoreham-Wading River’s Hannah Rafuse and Mia Wentz 6-0 Eighth-grader Ava Borruso also took fifth with a 6-0 6-3 win over Riverhead’s Christina Pagnozzi and freshman Zoë Grellet-Aumont dropped a tiebreak set to Shoreham-Wading River’s Nina Nelson to finish eighth but she played great,” said head coach Matt Reed “I was already happy having eight girls advancing to counties but to see almost every girl win is great results.” The rain delays and more in the forecast will make things a little tougher as the divisions were pushed back and county individual tournaments were moved up to get matches in before the team tournament begins Monday “The rain delays made this tennis season very tough We’ve never had just one day of rest,” Reed said Tuesday It’ll be about who can recover the fastest Stabile said regardless of the outcomes she’s excited to see her Hurricanes reaching new heights It shows that hard work pays off,” she said and I can’t wait to see how far we can go.” Get our latest in-depth reporting straight to your inbox © 2021 The Texas Observer. All rights reserved. Site made in collaboration with CMYK Newsday's All-Long Island boys swimming team for 2024 from left: Vincent Vinciguerra of Ward Melville Ethan Placencia-Nazareno of Comsewogue and coach Michael Cipollino of Syosset Buchen had given up on the sport of swimming Buchen decided to step away from swimming in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic left him out of shape But he had a change of heart last year and decided to get back in the pool he immediately blew my mind with what he was able to do after such a long hiatus,” said Mark Anderson Buchen placed first in the public schools and federation in the 100-yard breaststroke with an All-American time of 54.28 seconds He also finished third in the 200-yard individual medley in 1:51.56 “I knew the guys I was going up against had really similar times to me so if I was going to get the win “There’s no better time to get a championship than your last season.” He finished eighth in the 100-yard freestyle (46.62) and eighth in 200-yard free (1:42.16) at the state championship meet He was a member of the fifth-place 200-yard medley relay team (1:35.36) and third-place 200-yard freestyle relay team (1:24.97) at the state championship meet He also finished fourth in the state in the 50-yard freestyle (20.92) He placed fourth in the state in the 100-yard butterfly (50.00) and second in the 100-yard backstroke (49.95) Anthony’s seventh-place 400-yard freestyle relay team (3:12.33) He finished sixth in the state in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:41.85 and 20th in the 100-yard freestyle in 47.37 He finished fourth in the state in the 100-yard freestyle in 45.92 and second in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:40.36 He placed fifth in the state in the 50-yard freestyle (20.96) and was a member of Connetquot’s fifth-place 400-yard freestyle relay (3:08.45) He won the 1-meter diving title at the Nassau County championships with a score of 639.85 he finished second in the public schools and third in the federation He guided Syosset to an undefeated dual-meet season and the Nassau championship The Newsday app makes it easier to access content without having to log in Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months SCHENECTADY – The Westhampton doubles team of Julia Stabile and Matilda Buchen don’t exactly make for an intimidating sight They both stand about 5-3 and neither possesses the kind of serve that makes onlookers gawk But maybe that’s what made them so dangerous this weekend at the NYSPHSAA Girls Tennis Individual Championships quietly dismantled the field over three days at this city’s Central Park tennis courts The Suffolk doubles champions captured the state title on Saturday with a quick takedown of top-seeded Emma Ha and Kay Cottrell of Scarsdale Ha and Cottrell were 24-0 this season before the doubles final “They played the best I’ve ever seen them play – just relentless,” Hurricanes coach Matt Reed said of the No Champions play their best when they have to.” Stabile and Buchen are the second Westhampton entrants to win a state individual title and the first since Kelly Federico and Brenda Kacke took the 1980 doubles title Stabile and Buchen reached the quarterfinals and ended up taking seventh place the pair humbly said they were merely hoping to get one round further this time they almost seemed to have surprised themselves “This was more than we ever could’ve asked for,” Buchen said “Everyone in this tournament is so skilled,” Stabile said “To win the state championship really is a surprise.” The Hurricanes executed a strategy against Ha and Cottrell perfectly They took short angular shots that forced the Raiders off the baseline and made them take shots without time to get their feet planted They placed shots that forced Ha and Cottrell to keep switching sides of the court And they made some hard volleys past the player at the net – with Stabile’s hard forehand and Buchen’s quick backhand – that they placed just inside the sideline “Both of them have the confidence to take that shot and it gives that player at the net another thing to worry about.” “You have to have the opportunity to take a shot like that but when we got one we took it,” Buchen said They won the last five games to take the first set and then broke the Raiders serve twice in the first four games of the second set en route to the win Stabile and Buchen have played together about half the time and played singles half the time Their doubles record this season is now 19-0 including wins in the league Westhampton (16-1) meets Half Hollow Hills East (15-1) for the Suffolk County large school championship Monday morning at Eastern Athletic Club in Bayport with the Long Island title game set for Tuesday and the final two rounds of the state tournament slated for Friday at the National Tennis Center “A feeling like this is amazing,” Stabile said “I hope everyone on our team gets to feel this next week.” Third place was decided in a re-match of the Nassau County doubles championship and bore the same result The fourth-seeded Garden City tandem of Kalya Castellano and Agelina Bravo defeated the sisters Andrea and Lina Vases of Manhasset The Bayport-Blue Point sister duo of Emilia Romano and Evie Romano took seventh place with a 3-6 6-4 over Anna Wheat and Ada Radomski of Amherst Westhampton Beach senior Katelyn Stabile and younger sister Julia topped William Floyd's Amanda Jones and Hailey O’Connor 6-3 to defend their Division IV title October 19 Westhampton Beach freshman Matilda Buchen keeps a volley going against Shoreham-Wading River's Cathering Erb in the Division IV singles final Westhampton Beach senior Katelyn Stabile sends the ball back over the net Westhampton Beach sophomore Julia Stabile serves the ball Westhampton Beach freshman Matilda Buchen returns a serve Westhampton Beach senior Katelyn Stabile returns a serve in Division IV doubles final Westhampton Beach freshman Matilda Buchen serves Westhampton Beach sophomore Julia Stabile reaches for a return in the Division IV doubles final Westhampton Beach senior Katelyn Stabile keeps a rally going Westhampton Beach freshman Matilda Buch slices the ball back over the net Westhampton Beach sophomore Julia Stabile returns a serve Westhampton Beach senior Katelyn Stabile serves Westhampton Beach freshman Matilda Buchen was consistent with her backhand shot Westhampton Beach senior Katelyn Stabile reaches for the ball at the net for the final point in the Division IV doubles final win over William Floyd earned their second straight Division IV title Tuesday After making it to the finals of the Division IV singles tournament for the second straight season Westhampton Beach freshman Matilda Buchen won her first title with a 6-1 6-0 win over Shoreham-Wading River senior Catherine Erb Westhampton Beach senior Katelyn Stabile and younger sister Julia a sophomore ready themselves for a William Floyd serve Spectators had to take a double take Tuesday because for the second straight year the Westhampton Beach sister pair of Katelyn and Julia Stabile claimed the No The top four teams also advance to the Suffolk County tournament put a little extra pressure on because we wanted to do it again,” said Katelyn “Our opponents were both very powerful and have a lot of top spin because you could see how much everyone’s been practicing The Stabiles still sped through the bracket not dropping a single set before the semifinals where they only ended up handing one to the Colonials’ other duo 4-seeded Casey Musselman and Isabella Saladin said the strategy heading into the tournament was simple — she and her sister never wanted to look too far ahead “We definitely wanted to take it one match at a time That can sometimes be tricky with a pair of sisters — they know each other’s strengths and weaknesses “We know when each other is getting frustrated — we can pick each other up and cheer each other on,” Katelyn said First-year head coach Matt Reed said he sees the sisters having nothing but fun during practice and added there’s never a moment where they’re not getting along he said they could be silent and still be just as successful because they know so much about each other that even who is going to get a ball is never in question “They’re one of the best doubles teams I’ve seen at their age It’s amazing what they’re doing,” Reed said “Things I see at the collegiate level they’re doing now — the movement and the communication – it’s beautiful to see While heavy gusts of wind along with a bright the Stabiles adjusted their serves and remained solid with their groundstrokes switching up their placements to counter the elements and pull away with a victory in the finals “My sister always picks me up and gives us confidence And being that it’s our last year playing together As an eighth-grader Matilda Buchen made it all the way to the Division IV finals much like her opponent and teammate Rose Hayes had done when she’d broken out onto the high school tennis scene While she was swept last year by the three-time Suffolk County champion with Hayes deciding not to play tennis in her final season The now-freshman made a statement October 19 with her 6-1 “I honestly don’t know how I did it,” Buchen said The two faced off in the semifinals of the Division IV championships last season 1 seed said she remembered Erb liked to go to the net and that she was consistent in her strokes “It was also pretty tough versing a lefty,” Buchen said the young singles standout hit deeper to prevent Erb from being able to get to the net Toward the end of the match she also worked on being more offensive to put it away quickly I guess this year I showed a little bit more of what I’m made of I was also more stressed out not facing a teammate Reed was delighted by Buchen’s game across the tournament but said for her to win in the final away she did against good competition is phenomenal She’s firing on all cylinders right now,” he said “Throughout the whole tournament she was on — she played great Her backhand was solid and her passing shots were on point She’s also been working on that consistency Westhampton Beach had a ton of other players compete in the tournament Senior Emma Way was eliminated in the second round Musselmen and Saladin took them out in a long Seniors Emily D'Alessandro and Alexandra Sielaw also made it to the third round They fell to Natalia Furchel and Kristina Scheludenko out of Eastport-South Manor 6-0 Senior Mia Failla and newcomer Melina Anonzek fell in the second round For all of the Hurricanes the hard work is paying off even down to how the finals competitors kept their composure when the wind and sun and everyday match miscues can be frustrating “They all played so hard every single point and it’s great to see them get these results,” Reed said “To do what they did pretty handily … they played great I think we’re going to do some damage at counties.” By continuing I accept the Terms & Condition and Privacy Policy. Westhampton Beach junior Julia Stabile and sophomore Matilda Buchen celebrate their Division IV championship doubles victory Westhampton Beach junior Julia Stabile serves Westhampton Beach junior Julia Stabile and sophomore Matilda Buchen walk off the court victorious Westhampton Beach sophomore Matilda Buchen keeps her eyes on the ball Westhampton Beach junior Melina Pinonzek placed sixth in the Division IV tournament Westhampton Beach junior Julia Stabile and sophomore Matilda Buchen bested their William Floyd doubles opponents in straight sets Westhampton Beach junior Julia Stabile volleys Westhampton Beach junior Melina Pinonzek serves Westhampton Beach sophomore Matilda Buchen serves Westhampton Beach sophomore Matilda Buchen returns the ball Westhampton Beach sophomore Matilda Buchen comes in for the ball Westhampton Beach junior Melina Pinonzek reaches for the ball Westhampton Beach junior Julia Stabile returns a serve Westhampton Beach junior Julia Stabile and sophomore Matilda Buchen congratulate each other Westhampton Beach seventh-grader Ava Borruso volleys Westhampton Beach seventh-grader Ava Borruso serves Westhampton Beach senior Shannon Killoran returns a serve Westhampton Beach senior Shannon Killoran serves Hampton Bays' Iris Fernandez returns a serve Julia Stabile and Matilda Buchen are standout singles players The Westhampton Beach tennis stars demonstrated that on Monday as they teamed up to take down William Floyd’s Hailey O’Connor and Jackie Sutherland the duo earns a spot in the Suffolk County tournament — along with the other top four doubles and top eight singles players — which begins Friday “We’ve been practicing really hard every single day and I think we deserved this,” Buchen said “There’s nothing better than playing with your best friend.” What made the result that much more impressive was that Buchen earned the top spot on the singles side of the tournament last year “I’m really proud of the way they played,” head coach Matt Reed said “Winning in doubles really shows Matilda’s versatility to win with two different partners is not easy And any time you beat a William Floyd doubles team because coach [Dave] Pia does a great job with his doubles teams.” The finals match started out much closer than the final score makes it appear with a lot of breaks in the Hurricane pair’s serve but they quickly found their rhythm and took off “I knew it was going to be a tough match because our opponents came out super strong — they’re really good players — so it was a competitive match we work even better together,” Stabile said The junior said what helped the duo most was their communication “The adjustment to playing together wasn’t as difficult as we thought it was going to be because we’re basically the same person,” she said O’Connor and Sutherland switched up their game both coming to the net against strong baseline opponents but Stabile and Buchen eventually adjusted to that the sophomore said the pair just kept reminding each other of how far they’d come The girls dropped just six games across the tournament They shut down Southold’s Angelly Avilla and Connie Benson before taking out William Floyd’s Drew Weigand and Nadia Da Gama Paes They had to oust teammates Anna and Kylie Way where they blanked William Floyd’s Gianna Martin and Lydia Van Cott “They know each other’s strengths and weaknesses — though there really aren’t any weaknesses in their game — and it’s just great to see them doing well and having a lot of fun out there,” Reed said of Stabile and Buchen Westhampton Beach’s doubles teams of senior Shannon Killoran and seventh-grader Ava Borruso and junior Taylor Lagattolla and sophomore Nikki Lee also competed with both making it out of the first round Lagattolla and Lee topped Center Moriches’s Climele Browne and Schaeffer Killoran and Borruso took down Hampton Bays’s Natalie Moranchel and Sarah Reh and Shoreham-Wading River’s Kristen Tortora and Hannah Rafuse before being taken out by Martin and Van Cott fell to William Floyd’s Adrianna Filippelli in a close consolation final — 7-6 (8-6) The two-and-a-half-hour contest was the last one remaining in the tournament so she said she was fueled by her coach and teammates to stay in the final set “It’s one of those matches where both players really deserve to win,” Reed said “She obviously didn’t come out on the side we wanted her to What he was impressed with most was her effort especially making the jump from playing No Pinonzek was dancing up and down and all across the court to get to each ball “It’s never a doubt — whether it’s a practice or a match she’s always giving it everything she has.” Hampton Bays’s Iris Fernandez lost to Southold’s Nyla Olsen Westhampton Beach eighth-grader Zoë Grellet-Aumont knocked out Center Moriches’s Savanna Reyes in the first round before being eliminated by Shoreham-Wading River’s Liza Undrus Pinonzek qualified for the county tournament her first time competing in the singles draw I think I’ve come a long way,” Pinonzek said adding she’s excited and confident heading into counties “I think I played really well across the tournament — even the girls I didn’t beat Matilda Buchen & Julia Stabile are the Suffolk County Doubles Champions The Westhampton Beach duo defended their title on Sunday by defeating the Bayport-Blue Point sister pairing of Emilia & Evie Romano 6-1 7-5 at Eastern Athletic Club in Blue Point but Matilda and I were able to keep our momentum going especially in those tough points,” said Stabile “It got really competitive in that second set go point-by-point and just play our game.” Buchen & Stabile were tested by the Romanos in the second set But the pair made sure to get back to being aggressive in order to close out the match in straight sets “They were consistent so we tried to be aggressive and poached when we needed to,” said Buchen “The courts here indoors play pretty fast compared to outside so we used that to our advantage and played aggressively.” A key reason for their success is the chemistry between the two Buchen & Stabile are close off the court and use that to their benefit when times get tough on court They are great friends off the court which helps them on it,” said Westhampton Beach head coach Matt Reed but they raised their level when they needed to They have an extra gear they can get to that a lot of teams can’t match.” The duo will now look to continue that momentum into the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Individual Championships which run from Thursday Joining them there will be the Romanos from Bayport-Blue Point as well as Meredith Albertelli & Kylie Person of Sayville who defeated Aya Deckman & Josie Rudloff in the third-place match Sign up here for a Free Daily E-Mail with the latest New York Tennis News © Copyright 2025 United Sports Publications We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again The new manager for the Illinois State Fair on Wednesday announced his plans to strengthen the event's finances and agricultural roots a Fulton County native with a background in agriculture and event management believes the focus on agriculture at the fair has dwindled in recent years As the new manager settled into his role managing both the Illinois State Fair and Du Quoin State Fair this week he announced his intention to tap into the state's vibrant agriculture industry to boost the fairs' self-sufficiency Both fairs have lost money in recent years and Buchen believes calling on industry giants could help stabilize the struggling tradition and it's a multibillion-dollar industry," Buchen said in his remarks during a news conference at the state fairgrounds in Springfield "There is no industry larger than agriculture and we believe the state fair needs to be that beacon for agriculture." This is the first time since the state acquired the Du Quoin fair in 1986 that the two fairs will have a single manager who most recently served as president and CEO of Adjuvant Expos Inc said he intends to use his experience from the expos in fostering sponsorships to bolster the fair's revenue He said he'd like to see a greater presence from companies like Cargill "Growing Illinois," which was announced during the news conference "It's going to be a big ship to turn around but ultimately it's going to be one of our goals to be more self-sufficient and that's going to take a lot of hard work and some time to do that," Buchen said Losses at the Springfield fair totaled $3.5 million and the Du Quoin fair lost nearly $595,000 in fiscal year 2013 according to a summer 2014 report from the Illinois auditor general's office director for the Illinois Department of Agriculture said in a prepared statement earlier this week that having a single manager for the two state fairs reflects the fiscal realities The former Springfield and Du Quoin fair managers earned $90,400 and $71,000 "I'm confident that Patrick Buchen can effectively manage both state fair operations," Nelson said we at the Illinois Department of Agriculture are tightening our belts where we can but at the same time preserve the traditions that Illinois residents enjoy at both state fairs." Buchen said his dual role presents the fair staff with a greater opportunity to create collaboration between the two fairs He expects Du Quoin will benefit from Springfield's resources and that the southern Illinois fair can serve as a model for how the Illinois State Fair should center on agriculture He wants to see the staff in Springfield and Du Quoin work to promote both fairs "I think the challenge is to always keep our sister or brother fair is that something that would be applicable in Du Quion and vice versa?" Buchen said he intends to make a weekly trip to Du Quoin and spend one to two days there working on-site He has already spent two nights at the manager's residence on the Illinois State Fairgrounds and he and his wife plan to live there full time "I had a few little four-legged creatures as company but we'll ask them to leave and then go from there." — Contact Maggie Menderski: maggie.menderski@sj-r.com, 788-1526, twitter.com/MaggieSJR Westhampton Beach senior Julia Stabile and junior Matilda Buchen placed seventh in last year's state doubles tournament The Westhampton Beach girls tennis team has made it to the Suffolk County playoffs every season since the Hurricanes won the title — the program’s first in a decade — back in 2018 And while the team made it to the finals again in 2021 With nearly the entirety of last season’s group returning head coach Matt Reed said the expectation is to win another championship experienced and motivated team,” said the third-year head coach so I’m excited to see where we stack up against them but I am very confident about my team this season and what we are going to accomplish.” Both dominated singles matches while also finishing seventh in the state in the individual doubles tournament “Having All-State players like Matilda and Julia returning to the team is such a blessing,” Reed said “The junior and senior returning players have continued to improve each year and have made great strides in their doubles skills which is another reason why our depth will be tough to match this year I’ve been very fortunate to have teams each year that have bonded almost immediately Buchen said she and Stabile practiced together every week this offseason She said she has been focused on her volleys “Practicing together has strengthened our chemistry,” the junior said She is even better at the net than she was last year.” Stabile said the pair has placed an emphasis on their communication and movement on the court while the senior is also working on her strength and conditioning which she feels will bode well for her when faced with tight matches late in the season “Matilda and I are even more motivated than ever to go further than we did last year,” she said Stabile said entering her fifth and final season with the team is bittersweet “I am definitely going to appreciate this year,” the senior said “I am thankful that I am able to play again with Matilda this season She is a skilled tennis player and great friend so I’m going to hold on to that throughout the season.” Her coach said he’s happy this group is where it’s at for Stabile’s final season and hopeful for a successful one for the five-year starter “[Julia] is someone I wish would never leave the team,” Reed said who also qualified for the Suffolk County singles tournament her first time competing in the Division IV draw and has captained the team each of the last two seasons “due to her 100 percent dedication to the team.” She even takes part in offseason fundraising for the Hurricanes along with childhood cancer research through the Key Club Pinonzek is also president of the National Honor Society The epitome of a student-athlete,” Reed said and I am not looking forward to her graduating Ava Borruso and Zoë Grellet-Aumont are also back this year The coach said he has high expectations for Borusso whom he said are already surpassing some of them “They both had very strong seasons last year “I’m excited to see how far they can go with the team New to the group this year is Ana-maria Bichinashvilli a senior who moved to the district last year from the country of Georgia “She’s a great asset to have to our team,” Stabile said “She has good technique and match experience.” “[She] is very solid on the court,” Buchen added “She has very nice form and can really put the ball away.” What is also new this year is that Suffolk County adopted the format already used in Nassau County and the state where lineups consist of three singles and four doubles matchups four singles and three doubles matches took place each meet “I’m excited to see how our new lineup will work out,” Reed said “The new singles/doubles format definitely changes up the strategy.” as the Hurricanes are 5-0 overall and 1-0 in League IV after a dominating 7-0 win over Ward Melville September 8 You can tell they have been putting in work during the offseason and coach Reed has also incorporated all of us into drills and games so it’s nice to play with many different levels and styles of play.” Stabile echoed that Reed has been a motivating factor but he is the epitome of what it means to work hard and be a leader,” she said The senior added this has energized the Hurricanes to forge a path toward a deep run Our team has come together nicely,” Stabile said “Everyone on the team has their own skill sets and eagerness to help each other We motivate each other on and off the court We know that there are other teams with a lot of experience We always expect the unexpected and play match by match but everyone on the team is driven and ready to give it our all.” When hospital patients are sent home and they don’t understand the new medications they’re taking or why … when they don’t know which specialists they’ll need to see and how soon … that confusion can lead to anxiety a trip back to the hospital emergency department – something health care leaders recognize as a problem in need of a real solution Peoria, Illinois-based OSF HealthCare is trying to solve the complex problems plaguing health care. Often, solutions for improving care and reducing costs emerge from the Jump Simulation and Education Center in Peoria. Home to OSF Innovation it houses innovation labs data with scientists project management and process improvement experts believe in creating an innovative culture across the health system to focus on creative problem solving and executing solutions.  One way to encourage that culture is to create hospital-based innovation hubs that encourage collaboration among OSF Mission Partners (employees).Trailblazer Challenges provide an opportunity to crowdsource solutions The first such challenge at the new hospital-level innovation hub in the I-80 region focused on improving the patient hospital discharge process OSF Innovation Senior Vice President Becky Buchen says many Mission Partners don’t see themselves as innovators But when you really start to leverage the ideas that they have they're seeing the challenges that are being faced every day whether it's by our patients or their fellow Mission Partners and then bringing forward those ideas really starts to advance that innovative culture.  “Then they build on each other's ideas and that really supports the transformation of health care.”  OSF Innovation researched and found a platform called Ideawake to solicit and vet possible solutions to pressing issues facing caregivers and patients Buchen says the platform provides a safe space  that’s easy and fun to share ideas “You start out with a problem that you want to solve but then it acts very much like a social media platform Other people can vote up my ideas or add to my ideas It's a very intuitive platform; very easy to use so it’s not intimidating.”   Zack VanKeulen is the director of Emergency Services for OSF HealthCare Saint Paul Medical Center in Mendota VanKeulen was a finalist for the first Trailblazer Challenge. VanKeulen says even if the solution he pitched in a ‘Shark Tank’ style presentation isn’t fully developed He enjoyed the coaching sessions available through Ideawake and gained useful skills along the way “You learn about things outside of health care like software design and coding and the amount of money and resources it takes to create some of these apps so you have to bite off a smaller piece than you originally thought was possible if you can innovate and make a change that positively impacts the patient's experience then it's a win-win situation,” says VanKeulen.  Innovation Hubs can create new technology or efficiencies OSF Saint Paul Medical Center President Dawn Trompeter was an early champion of innovation hubs but efforts were sidelined when COVID-19 hit That gave her and other believers more time to raise money – from Mission Partners and individuals passionate about discovering technology or processes to ease the way for patients and improve care delivery Trompeter says it wasn’t just about creating space but about having innovative resources available for caregivers patients and communities wherever and whenever they need them.Trompeter says the solutions chosen through the Trailblazer Challenge will get support for development and testing “If the pilot is successful and increasing those experiences for our patients then that's something we can spread across our entire market region and then across the Ministry to enhance our patient experience across the entire health system.”  Along with creating a room for pitches and connecting with subject matter experts virtually the innovation hub now has virtual reality headsets that can be transported and used for engaging patients or providing education for care teams or support staff.Trompeter gives an example: a newly-diagnosed patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) could be referred to the innovation hub for a VR session that takes them virtually through the lungs to show the effect the disease is having on the ability of their lungs to function but really engaging our patients in their own health care and helping them understand in layman's terms really what happens and what their diagnosis may be about or how they may be able to help keep themselves healthy through that (seeing the impact).”  A final phase of the innovation hub will engage community partners such as schools VR sessions could help students see the impact of vaping or more immersive “day in the life” VR sessions might help students explore more lesser-known medical related careers. Regional innovation hubs can also solve looming challenges facing all hospitals within the OSF system as well as for hospitals across the country.  Buchen believes ensuring hospital-level care is sustainable requires tapping into new ideas and can require collaborating with academic and community partners she stresses it’s critical to have a system to vet those ideas and to nurture them with support from experts at the Jump Center in Peoria because some problems are extremely complex  “It might be that we need to better understand the data It might be that we take a deeper dive into the process as we transform the ideas they’re bringing forward It may be that the idea they brought forward is something so unique that we need to make sure that we have the intellectual property protected for them.” VanKeulen agrees the best way to transform health care is from the inside out and having support is important because those engaged in it every day care deeply and want to improve patients’ experience  “You hear the general public saying that the health care system is broken So this is members of the health care system trying to make that repair that’s so desperately needed in our country today.”   Buchen also believes breakthrough health care innovation can also serve as an economic engine in their communities because when good ideas have so much value they require commercialization businesses can be locally based and staffed creating new jobs and expanding the tax base.     a little creative thinking can go a long way Tour pros often get credit for their creativity. But greenkeeper are plenty inventive, too. A reminder came last month before the Presidents Cup, when the PGA Tour posted a video of crews at Quail Hollow using pool noodles attached to bunker rakes to impart a special smoothness to the sand But it doesn’t change the fact that superintendents lean on jury-rigged equipment hacks for all kinds of tasks a retired superintendent and 50-plus-year member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (as well as through some digging of our own) we found 7 other examples of this MacGyver-like approach to upkeep with common items turned into handy course maintenance tools Just as many hands make light work, so do many rakes Witness this cluster of attachments used to scrape up pine needles at the Club at Black Rock the pine needles get sucked up by a large vacuum sweeper machine How do you make sure that your tee markers are lined up straight A plain-old tool helps carry out a task of painstaking precision at Aspetuck Valley Country Club where a threaded rod attachment with a flexible rubber end keeps the mowing width at 30 inches a shaggy cocoa-colored mat plays an active role Attached to the bottom of a mower’s grass catcher it lifts blades up before they’re cut to help control surface grain an asphalt street roller is used to smooth sod during the resurfacing of greens the maintenance staff uses small round pieces of Tupperware to protect the cups during weather delays At the Plantation Course the gun rack on this buggy is not for birdie hunting It’s for the safe transport of a soil moisture reader a device that no one wants to see get damaged as it might if it were bouncing around in the back of the cart Josh Sens has been a GOLF Magazine contributor since 2004 and now contributes across all of GOLF’s platforms His work has been anthologized in The Best American Sportswriting of Are We Having Any Fun Yet: the Cooking and Partying Handbook All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team Santa Fe's only indoor gun range shuts its doors which operated for 24 years on Airport Road and sold guns But Tina Buchen says she doesn't plan to retire just yet The close of the Southside storefront means that Santa Fe no longer has an indoor firing range is more indoors than ever: She tells SFR that she plans to operate a gun dealership headquartered in Santa Fe that will ship weapons and other gear after customers make purchases online Federal law requires that guns purchased over the internet be delivered to licensed dealerships I don't have the mental and physical problems of dealing with that." Buchen says the distributors who've worked with her over the years have committed to continuing their relationship at her new business the dealership will also feature archery equipment transfers and I will still sell; I just won't have an actual store like I did," Buchen says The future of the Tina's Range Gear property is a mystery: Although Buchen says she is no longer paying rent for the building records from the county assessor's office still lists "Tina's Range Gear" as the owner of the property says the closure of Tina's Range Gear hasn't had a significant impact on that store's sales "We didn't really compete with her as far as sales go," says the employee "We might have picked up a little extra here and there T's Just Guns will be located at 5364 Agua Fria St But because it will only operate as a point of transfer for stuff bought on the internet there's not really much of a point in visiting it "There's not going to be any storefronts left in this world," Buchen forecasts "You can sit at home in your underwear and buy whatever you want Aaron was born and raised in the other Rio Grande Valley He was an SFR staff writer from early 2017 through February 2019 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page There’s a lot of talk in golf about the length of courses Tees and greens lose their shape and luster But how long do key course elements endure Terry Buchen, a retired superintendent and 54-year member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), held the top job at such marquee properties as Riviera, Castle Pines and the Golf Club of Oklahoma. Still active as a course consultant (talk about longevity!), Buchen has also published articles on a wide range of superintendent-related matters Though a range of variables influence the answers maintenance budgets and quality of original construction Buchen has crunched the numbers and arrived at estimates Here’s a bird’s-eye look at his actuarial accounting (Note: If you really want to get into the weeds on this subject, check out this chart, which Buchen produced for Golf Course Management the official magazine of the GCSAA; it provides a complete breakdown of lifespan estimates divided into three climatic regions: cool season and that impacts when they need to be rebuilt a throwback method that involves pushing up and shaping the native soil Still others are constructed to USGA specs which have been an industry standard since the 1960s The quality of drainage can have a major impact on the lifespan of a putting surface Throw in climatic variables (in warmer regions where courses are subjected to more year-round wear and tear infrastructure generally doesn’t last as long) and you start to understand why the averages range so widely The same factors that affect greens also influence the lifespan of tee boxes. But because tees are more uniform in construction, with longer turf that can survive more punishment their life expectancies vary less across the board Just as the golden rule of real estate is location It has a huge effect on the life expectancy of a fairway (i.e traffic and air movement also come into the equation here Bunkers lose their shape for a lot of reasons where aggressive grasses like Bermuda and kikuyu grow around their edges bunkers often need to be reshaped more often than they do in cooler regions Ever play a course with rocks or other impurities in the bunkers There is a good chance those bunkers had no liners Liners prevent the native soil from contaminating the bunker sand an especially important barrier when it rains that sand will need to be replaced sooner than later a growing number of courses opt for rustic-looking paths laid with decomposed granite or even hard-packed dirt asphalt and concrete remain the most common cart path materials so those are the categories he accounts for here Irrigation systems have all kinds of components; the ones we just ticked off last an average of 8 to 12 years Then there are pump stations: Buchen pegs their life expectancy at 8 to 15 years With a quick sandblast or a fresh coat of paint course accessories like these can be made to look almost as good as new A lot of courses treat such jobs as “rainy-day projects,” Buchen says How often these items get replaced often boils down to budgets At a high-end private course where Buchen once worked he and his staff installed freshly painted cups once a week Knocked around by golfers and by mother nature are usually good for about a season or two The flags themselves are a different story They often need replacing two to three times a year The latter lasts longer and produce a sweeter sound when the ball drops What usually wears out first is not the cup itself but the hole in the bottom which can get knocked out of round by a flagstick shaking in the wind the cups can no longer keep a flagstick upright If you’re looking for cocktail-party conversation you might like to know that the bottom end of a flagstick is called a ferrule with little gear-like ridges designed to fit snugly into corresponding parts at the bottom of the cup The snug fit helps prevent the flagstick from shaking back and forth Whether or not courses use this type of setup is another variable in the mix Timberlake x Nike shoe collab early access Turns out there’s plenty to talk about Terry Buchen is a retired superintendent and 51-year member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America who remains active in the business as a consultant we asked Buchen to reel off fun facts that we might repeat around the clubhouse bar including a few extra we tracked down on our own It’s hard to say when flagsticks were first put into use. But the first mention of “flagstick” in the Rules of Golf appeared in the R&A code of 1875 references to flagsticks had already popped up in the popular press including in the Fifeshire Journal in 1857 referencing a two-flag-per-green setup at the Old Course in St “To prevent mistakes,” the story read “the out-going hole is supplied with a white flag that being the color of all the return holes.” In Famous Golf Links there is mention of flags being used to indicate not just hole location but also direction on blind shots flagsticks do not have minimum or maximum heights The USGA used to recommend that flagsticks be at least seven-feet tall But that language is no longer in the governing body’s guidelines flagsticks were more likely to tilt or even topple in strong winds That changed with the advent of the ferrule A ferrule is the notched end at the base of the stick which fits securely into a grooved hole in the cup It became an industry standard around the late 1990s Next time you’re watching a tournament broadcast, check out how the fans are attired. Very few will be wearing yellow. “That makes yellow a great color for flagsticks,” Buchen says. “They really stand out against the backdrop of the gallery and the green of trees.” Works nicely at Augusta. And it’s looking good this week at the Presidents Cup Just because there are no rules regarding height doesn’t mean there aren’t customs tournament specs call for eight-foot-tall flagsticks The tallest flagstick he ever came across was a towering 12-footer at especially windy Open Championship venues the R&A has used flagsticks slightly shorter than Ian Woosnam The PGA Tour and the USGA both use fiberglass flagsticks Many flagsticks are also made of wood and plastic There’s nothing in the rules that says a flagstick must have a flag on top There are also no specific strictures on how large a flag can be though the rules do state that they should be a “reasonable” size You don’t want too many shots getting caught up in them the flag is bolted to the top of the flagstick it’s not uncommon for caddies whose players are in contention to carry pliers during the final round the better to remove the flag as a souvenir should their player win Most flags are either fashioned out of nylon or cotton so if a ball catches a cotton flag in wet conditions though their longevity depends a lot on weather they’ll often get swapped out several times a year the maximum diameter is two inches from the top of the stick to a point no less than three inches above the putting green From a point three inches above the green and down the maximum diameter is three-quarters of an inch Lynne Buchen; 5 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren He served in the Navy at Wright Field and taught radar at Navy Pier He received his degree in electrical engineering at Colorado University and was elected to Eta Kappa Nu before coming to Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1949 He participated in Operation Ivy at Eniwetok Atoll in 1952 He then worked mostly at CMB7 and E Division He was named a Los Alamos Living Treasure in 2006 He lived his life with gratitude and always offered his time and talents to better his community Among some of his volunteer activities were his children’s schools He also was active in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church and working with stained glass (He made several panels at IHM) at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos with a memorial Mass to be celebrated immediately after at 11 a.m Donations may be made to the Christian Concern Committee at IHM or to the Los Alamos Visiting Nurses. The family of John Buchen has entrusted their loved one to DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory of the Española Valley. 505.662.2400 – www.devargasfuneral.com Copyright © 2012-2025 The Los Alamos Daily Post is the Official Newspaper of Record in Los Alamos County This Site and all information contained here including graphs and graphics is the property of the Los Alamos Daily Post Permission to reprint in whole or in part is hereby granted provided that the Los Alamos Daily Post and author/photographer are properly cited columnists and other contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Los Alamos Daily Post The Los Alamos Daily Post newspaper was founded Feb