Hampshire Regional’s athletic program recently demonstrated its strength as the department celebrated not one, but three student-athletes who have commited to Division III colleges to further their athletic careers.
Labrie decided her senior year at Hampshire wasn’t the last time she’d spend time on the court, as she has chosen to take her spot on the Westfield State women’s basketball team as a point guard.
“I decided to go to Westfield because I have watched the basketball team for a few years prior and fell in love with their fast pace style of play,” she said.
For Labrie, the campus provided a familiar feeling as she lives just down the street from the university. For the past few seasons, she has watched the team dominate on the court, winning championships and making themselves known nationally.
Labrie has spent the past 12 years of her life carrying the ball down the court. Through a trial and error of different sports, she decided to fully commit to basketball to pursue the sport that made her the happiest. She has now been on the varsity team at Hampshire for five years.
“One of the biggest things about basketball is it brought me closer with my uncle, Dan Labrie,” said Lila of the Hampshire Regional varsity coach. “We both shared the love for the game. We grew together, and from all the years that he coached me, basketball gave us such a unique bond and brought us so much closer than I could ever imagine. I am so grateful for basketball, it has done so much for me my whole life.”
Dan Labrie described Lila’s abilities as an athlete as nothing but impressive and encouraging to watch throughout the years.
“She became a great ball handler and a master of fast breaks,” Dan Labrie said. “When we got the rebound toward our basket, she just made these incredible passes and made some great court decisions. She’s always been a great role model for our team here at Hampshire.”
Westfield State managed to recruit another outstanding basketball player from Hampshire Regional. Maddie Pond starred as a shooting guard for the Raiders, and just as Labrie, she echoed that the Owls’ program had the most to offer at the next level.
“The team’s fast-paced, exciting style of play, the Grinnell System, led by Coach (Andrea) Bertini, combined with the atmosphere at the WSU Woodward Center, made this an easy choice for me,” Pond said.
Pond has also spent time watching the Owls soar to victory as she mentioned following the program when former Hampshire Regional star, Chelsea Moussette, used to lace them up in Westfield.
During Pond’s time in the program, she managed to snag two league championships (2018, 2020), a Western Mass. title, became a state finalist (2018), and this past season joined the 1,000-point club. Hampshire coaches such as Amy Cyr, John Estes, Dan Labrie and Steve Moussette were honorably mentioned by Maddie in recognition of becoming the leader and player that she is today.
“Maddie would catch a pass and it would be out of her hands so fast to somebody that was more open than she was,” Dan Labrie said. “She’s an excellent outside shooter with great range. She could be well outside three-point range and still be very accurate.”
Pond said she looks forward to her freshman year with great anticipation.
“I’m proud to represent WSU,” she continued, “and I know I will need to work hard in order to improve every aspect of my game to be the best player I can be for my future team.”
Basketball isn’t the only sport to present future collegiate athletes from Hampshire Regional. Rubeck committed to Eastern Connecticut State University as a shortstop for the Warriors’ D3 softball program.
“The softball program is a perfect fit for me,” Rubeck said. “The team is very competitive and is ranked the No. 3 Division III team in the country at the moment. They have an amazing coaching staff that I feel like I will work with very well.”
Rubeck is also exceedingly close to reaching the 100-hit mark for her career, with just seven hits to go and her final season approaching. The feat is even more impressive considering the team didn’t get the opportunity to play during the 2020 season due to COVID-19 regulations.
Rubeck’s varsity softball coach, Brian McGan, said he couldn’t agree more with Rubeck’s decision to commit to Eastern Connecticut.
“Maggie is a competitor, that’s for sure,” McGan said. “It’s a nationally ranked school. It’s gonna be tough. It’s not like high school, every year is gonna be different with new recruits. Nonetheless, she’s a great leader with a great attitude. She’s taken control of this team and I can only imagine what she’s got in store for Eastern Connecticut.”
Despite a year hiatus and a broken hand, Rubeck said she’s anticipating a strong final season at Hampshire. The team began practicing this week.
“From winning a Western Mass. championship in eighth grade to being the captain of the team that won a Western Mass. championship in our last season (2019), I have always had an amazing group of coaches and people around me,” Rubeck added. “Playing softball in college will definitely improve my athletic career no matter where I go, but I feel like Eastern’s competitive team and morals will help me to improve my athletic career even more.”