Lindsey Watkins could be the Unsung Hero, MVP or the Coaches Award recipient when it comes time for the Salem State women's basketball program to present its year-end trophies. She truly does it all for the Vikings.
The 6-foot senior from Wareham is probably best known as a rebounder. With seven boards the other night against Westfield State, Watkins has moved up to No. 9 all-time among career rebounders at the college with 600 rebounds in 98 games, an average of 6.1 per contest. She needs just four caroms to pass Kristin Davis (1990-1994) into eighth place.
Watkins has also quietly established some serious numbers as a scorer, and would appear a lock to become the 16th 1,000 point scorer in Vikings' history.
With 921 points in 31/2 seasons, Watkins has a minimum of nine games remaining to score 79 for the milestone achievement.
Watkins stands 22nd in point production in the women's program and could catch the aforementioned Davis (who is 15th with 1,045). Davis was the last Viking to join the club in 1994.
Watkins creates a lot of her own offense and battles hard underneath. She has not taken a single 3-pointer this season while averaging 8.9 points per game.
Two others players, Peabody's Melissa Macchi (No. 22 with 840 points) and Michelle Gosselin (No. 23, 829 points), would seem out of range. Macchi could catch fire and do it, but she's a playmaker. Gosselin netted about 700 high school points at Rice Memorial in Burlington, Vt.
"Me, did I score 1,000 at Peabody High? I averaged about two shots a game," Macchi said, perhaps exaggerating.
Macchi is No. 5 all-time in steals at SSC with 240 and should easily pass Trish O'Brien (244) and Tammie McDowell (249) soon. She could challenge Lauren Dottin for the No. 2 spot, though Dottin had 306 and seems safe.
Macchi is No. 7 in steals with 346; Watkins ranks No. 6 in blocked shots with 114.
"You can say Lindsey, Melissa and Michelle have all been solid basketball players here and a credit to their high schools," Tim Shea, SSC's athletic director and women's hoop coach, said.
He's rallied the Vikings to an 11-3 record, including four wins in a row. They host Framingham State today at the O'Keefe Center (1 p.m.).
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The highly-improved Salem State hockey team (9-6-0) is home to the nationally-ranked Babson Beavers (14th in Division 3 at 10-3-2) today at 3 p.m. The Vikings are fresh from their first weekend road sweep since February 2002. Their 3-1 victory over Amherst in their last start was the Lord Jeffs' first home loss of the season.
Salem's offense has picked up, which was a top priority this winter. Justin Fox has 22 points, Chris MacInnis 21 and Aaron Blades 20.
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Frank and Susan DeFelice described their 8-day trip to Hawaii to attend former Swampscott High shortstop Peter Woodfork's wedding in one word: "fabulous."
DeFelice, who was Woodfork's baseball coach, said that no fewer than seven of Woodfork's Big Blue baseball teammates made the wedding, including Todd McShay, Mike Dudevoir, Traeger DePietro, Matt O'Neill, Todd Kline and Jason Calichman.
Woodfork, the assistant general manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, also had guests from the Diamondbacks and Red Sox front offices.
The DeFelices spent six days in Maui, two more in Honolulu and stopped for three days in Denver to visit son Paul, who is the coin business there.
The DeFelices and Woodforks are neighbors in Swampsott, and close friends.
"Before my wife Susan went to work as an X-ray tech she did day care and took care of Peter, his brother Josh and sister Rebecca," DeFelice said. "Peter's mom was the adoption agent for two of our three children."
Meanwhile, excuse DeFelice if he's inclined to like the Giants in next Sunday's Super Bowl against the Patriots. He was a three-year assistant with Giants head coach Tom Coughlin at Boston College.
DeFelice's closest alliance on the Giants would be Salem native Peter Giunta, the seconday coach who once worked on his Big Blue football staff.
"There's nobody more dedicated in the NFL. Peter paid his dues to get there," DeFelice said. "He also was with St. Louis when the Rams won the Super Bowl (in 2000). He's a man of wonderful character."
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Bentley College appears to have the inside track on landingn record-breaking Bishop Fenwick tailback Bobby Tarr of Byfield.
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Once upon a time, Topsfield native Diona Fulton (a Masconomet and Salem State grad) seemed to have unlimited potential in long distance running. No more.
The 27-year-old Fulton has arrived, having won her first major marathon, the women's division of the 17th Carlsbad, Calif. 26-mile plus plod in 3:07.56. Now a resident of Somerville, she won by almost seven minutes and in the body of the race had a 15-minute lead at one sea-side juncture.
Fulton won $500 - not big money for winning a marathon, especially next door to San Diego - but had the satisfaction of doing it the same day that the Patriots beat the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship Game last Sunday.
Fulton, a self-described Pats fan, cramped in the last eight miles, but still wasn't challenged.
"I was hoping to do a little better. My legs started to go numb at the end. They felt like trash," she told the local media.
The race ended 10:30 a.m. West Coast time. Fulton reportedly told the post-race gathering on the microphone how the Pats would handle the Chargers, then watched the game with her brother on hand for the marathon.
Bill Kipouras is a staff writer at The Salem News. He can be reached at 978-338-2615, or by e-mail:bkipouras@salemnews.com.
