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Worcester Poly rower Fox earns prestigious honor

Worcester Poly Tech sophomore Brandon Fox of Hollis earned a spectacular honor recently.

The Engineers’ rower was named a prestigious NERC All-Scholar Award winner.

The NERC All-Scholar award recognizes the student-athlete from each program that holds the highest cumulative grade point

average.

Fox was a stalwart for WPI’s varsity fours boat this spring.

Cavaliers football

adjusts on the fly

I wondered how and why a school like Hollis Brookline High School would be successful on the football field. I mean, Chris Lones took over a program that had struggled a bit. And then you watch Lones in action, not on the sidelines, but when it matters most, in the offseason.

July is a huge month for high school football players as they lift and work out preparing for the long grind of the fall.

The Cavaliers, because of work being done at the high school, found themselves locked out of their weight room this month.

Credit Lones and crew for adapting on the fly. FitLab stepped up to help the athletes with a reduced rate on summer memberships, according to Lones. And then the coach tried his best to adapt, adjust and overcome with a makeshift outdoor workout area, which includes heavy truck tires and heavy ropes.

Success is no accident.

Pan-Mass Challenge

for six Hollis riders

Six Hollis residents are set to compete in the Pan-Mass. Challenge bicycle event that benefits cancer research and patient care at the Dana Farber Institute.

Mark Burke, Thomas Dufresne, Katherine Jansen, Charles Musson, Steve Piper and Steve Roche will all compete in the event, which will be held on August 4 and 5 with a goal of raising more than last year’s amazing $52 million total.

During PMC weekend, over 6,200 cyclists from more than 40 states and seven countries will gather in Massachusetts to participate in the PMC. Riders include everyone from seasoned triathletes to weekend warriors and range in age from 15 to 84. Many ride to honor a family member or friend lost to, or being treated for cancer, and more than 850 riders and volunteers are cancer survivors or current patients themselves, and considered Living Proof® of the PMC mission.

Designed to cater to all levels of cycling and fundraising ability, the PMC offers 12 different routes, varying in mileage and difficulty, that pass through 46 towns across the Commonwealth, with starting lines in Sturbridge, Wellesley and Bourne. Cyclists are required to raise between $600 and $8,000, depending on the chosen route, though the average cyclist raises more than $7,000, which exemplifies the spirit of the PMC and its riders. Volunteers, spectators, donors and sponsors are also part of the camaraderie on ride weekend.After surpassing our goal and raising $51 million for Dana-Farber last year, we are excited to keep the momentum going as we approach our 39th PMC ride weekend,” said Billy Starr, founder and executive director of the PMC. “We are continuously humbled by the dedication and generosity of our riders, volunteers, donors, sponsors and community members – it’s thanks to them that the PMC is able to make such an immense impact on the fight against cancer. We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable ride weekend and can’t wait to see you all out on the road.”