by Adam Aucoin
Hudson High School has a long history of extraordinary athletes, but the current crop of athletes has certainly made their mark. Athletes Jake Loewen, Jurnee Ware, and Vinny Bonina are all a part of this group. The work and dedication they put in year round is why they have been able to accomplish great things. Each one of them has recently reached a milestone that deserves to be recognized.
Jake Loewen
Boys basketball player Jake Loewen has been one of Hudson’s best athletes for a long time. On varsity since he was a freshman, Loewen has a lot of experience playing at the high school’s highest level. He’s been a Mid-Wach league all-star, he’s led the league in scoring, and he’s been a captain for two years. All of these accomplishments are great, but they don’t stand up to his biggest accomplishment of scoring his 1000th point.
“I was so excited,” Loewen said about getting the point. “It felt great because the other team was trying to stop me from getting it.”
With this accomplishment, he becomes only the third male in Hudson High history to have 1000 points. The first two athletes were Jason Blackburn and Nick DiBlasi. In the game against Marlboro on January 15, Loewen became the all-time leading scorer for boys at Hudson High. With about another 200 or so points, he can pass Ali Peters to become Hudson High’s all-time leading scorer.
For Loewen, this was the culmination of years of hard work. He has been playing since he was four. Loewen’s dad, Landis, was also a star basketball player in his day, so the interest Jake has in the game is no surprise.
Loewen’s coach, Mike Mercuri, has seen the hard work that Jake has put in. “Jake is a very self motivated individual and has always had the desire and drive to be the best basketball player he can be,” Mercuri said. “He has put in countless hours working on his game and playing basketball 12 months a year. Many players say they want to be great, but only a select few do anything about it. Jake is one of those individuals to put actions behind his dreams.”
Loewen has played in AAU basketball leagues in the spring and fall, and he’s attended many summer camps.
“We have had some great basketball players come through the boys program but at the end of the day, I think Jake is the very best to have ever worn the Hudson uniform,” Mercuri said. “Jake and I both came to the Varsity team at the same time 4 years ago, so I have been able to see every point he has scored and it was a really special moment. I’m glad I was a small part of it.”
As for next year, Loewen plans to play at either Wentworth or RPI. This season isn’t over though, and his goals for the rest of the season are to make the Clark Tournament, win the league and to make districts.
Jurnee Ware
Another athlete who has had great success in their time at Hudson High is softball player Jurnee Ware. Like Loewen, Ware has been on the varsity team since she was a freshman. She has been a major contributor to the team ever since joining.
She finished last season with a 13-2 record and a 1.22 ERA. She has also pitched multiple no-hitters in her career. Last year, she also had a huge accomplishment, getting her 500th strikeout.
“I was awestruck. I had no idea I had that many strikeouts,” Ware said.
This accomplishment was the result of all the hard work she has put in over the years. “It’s been ten years of dedication. I have had countless lessons and clinics and year-round practices plus summer travel leagues to help me improve.”
Despite the success Ware has had, she has had many struggles along the way. She has had injury troubles with her shoulder throughout the years.
“It’s painful and emotionally stressful,” Ware said. “I’ve been working on fixing my shoulder with lifting and massage therapy.”
Next year, Ware signed to play at Assumption College. She was given a $37,000 scholarship for 4 years to play.
As for this year, her main goals are to do well in the tournament, and she wants to surpass the school record for strikeouts for softball, which is 610 strikeouts.
Vinny Bonina
Bonina has been a top wrestler at Hudson High School since he came here in eighth grade. He has won at least twenty matches, the past three years. Bonina recently reached a great milestone, the 100 win mark.
“Getting my 100th win was a goal for my high school career.”
Like the others mentioned in this article, Bonina has been working at his sport for many years. He’s been wrestling since he was 6 years old. His older brothers wrestled in high school, so his dad signed him up. He thought it would be fun, so he stuck with it.
Bonina has gone through many struggles throughout the years. There have been many times when he has been the underdog at large tournaments, but that hasn’t stopped him.
“Every match has its struggles, but you have to learn to push through it,” Bonina said. “Whether it’s a tough kid or you’re injured in a way. It always has its struggles.”
Wrestling might not get the attention that other sports get, but that doesn’t lessen the accomplishment of getting 100 wins. At year’s end, only eight wrestlers would have accomplished this feat.
“If you get 100 wins in wrestling, it deserves to be mentioned,” Bonina said. “It’s equivalent to scoring 1000 points in basketball and not many people have done it.”
With the season in full swing, Bonina has some important goals. He’s currently dealing with an injury, but that hasn’t changed his goals. He wants to be a state and sectional champion. He wants to place at All-States, and he wants to become a New England place finisher.
All these athletes should be applauded for their accomplishments. They have given up everything for the sport they love, and that deserves some recognition.
