From Southern Connecticut State:

Southern Connecticut State University senior running back Rashaad Slowley has been selected as the winner of the Joe Zabilski Award by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston. The accolade is awarded annually to New England’s top players in the Division II and Division III ranks. Slowley will be honored at a dinner on Thursday, January 12 at the Westin Hotel in Waltham, Mass.

 

Slowley, a Harlon Hill Award finalist, given annually to the Division II College Football Player of the Year and the 2011 Northeast-10 Conference Most Valuable Player, currently ranks No. 3 in all of NCAA college football at all levels in scoring (29 touchdowns and 174 total points). He is also currently No. 5 among student-athletes at all levels in rushing yards/game (158.4) and ranks second in Division II in scoring, third in yards/game and sixth in all-purpose yards/game (181.7).

 

Also a First-Team All-Region pick by Daktronics, Slowley set a new school single-season record for touchdowns with 29, and a new SCSU single-game record with six touchdowns in a win over St. Anselm on Sept. 17.

 

He finished the year with 274 carries for 1,584 yards and 27 rushing touchdowns and also hauled in 21 catches for 233 yards and two receiving touchdowns. He reached the 100 yard mark in all nine Division II games this year and rushed for more than 200 yards on three occasions. Slowley led the Northeast-10 Conference in rushing yards, touchdowns and in all-purpose yards this year.

 

In all, Slowley finished his career ranked No. 2 all-time at SCSU in rushing yards (3,460), touchdowns (45) and points (272).

Whalers Sports & Entertainment and Comcast announced the launch of “Whale TV” on Xfinity On Demand, which will be available at no additional cost to Comcast digital cable customers throughout New England. The content will be accessible beginning December 26 under the “Get Local” section of Comcast’s signature Xfinity On Demand service.

 

Through the “Whale TV” Xfinity On Demand offering, Xfinity TV customers will be able to access a wide variety of exclusive and regularly updated Connecticut Whale features, including a weekly “Whale Watch” TV show with game highlights, interviews and other feature material.  Additionally, Comcast Xfinity TV customers will be able to enjoy “CT Whale All Access,” a behind-the-scenes look at life in the AHL.  There will also be an option to view various CT Whale special events throughout the season.

 

A “Whale Game of the Week” re-broadcast will also be a staple of the ”Whale TV” Xfinity On Demand offering.  These games will be edited to 90 minutes in length and will be accessible for one week.

 

The following CT Whale games will be available exclusively on Xfinity On Demand:

 

January 21 vs. Norfolk        (Available beginning Jan. 25)

 

February 7 vs. Syracuse     (Available beginning Feb. 11)

 

February 28 vs. Worcester  (Available beginning March 4)

 

March 17 vs. Springfield      (Available beginning March 21)

 

March 18 vs. Portland          (Available beginning March 22)

 

March 24 vs. Providence     (Available beginning March 29)

 

April 1 vs. Providence          (Available beginning April 5)

Gift cards for the 2012 New Haven Open at Yale presented by First Niagara, a WTA event that is part of the US Open Series to be held August 17-25, 2012 at the Connecticut Tennis Center, are on sale for a limited time through Friday, January 6.

New Haven Open gift cards will be available for purchase and can be redeemed for tickets to watch some of the best female tennis players in the world and to enjoy a host of other off-court activitiesat the 2012 tournament. In addition, the first 100 people to purchase at least $100 in gift cards will receive a special gift featuring exclusive New Haven Open merchandise.

In addition, the tournament is holding a 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway on its Facebook pagewhere fans have an opportunity to win great prizes including ticket gift cards, autographed tennis memorabilia and New Haven Open merchandise. Each day, a new fact about the tournament will be revealed to fans of the New Haven Open Facebook page, who can then answer a trivia question pertaining to that fact for a chance to take
home one of these great prizes.

The contest will have a  new fact and trivia question appearing at 10 a.m. EST every day through Monday,
December 19. One fan who comments on each post with the correct answer will be randomly selected to win that day’s prize.

Log on to www.newhavenopen.com or call 1-855-464-8366 for more information.

The Connecticut  Sports Writers’ Alliance will accept applications during the next 10 weeks from high school seniors seeking the 2012 Bohdan “Bo” Kolinsky Memorial Journalism Scholarship.

Named for a scholastic sports editor of the Hartford Courant who died in 2003, the scholarship provides $1,000 for the first year of college study leading to a career in sports journalism.  The scholarship can be renewed at higher amounts for the final three undergraduate years if the student meets specified standards of progress.  The program currently is assisting students at Syracuse, Fordham and Boston universities.

Applications and all supporting materials must reach the Alliance at PO Box 70, Unionville, CT 06085 by Feb. 6, 2012.  Details and forms are available at www.ctsportswriters.org.

From the guru of state running, John Bysiewicz:

Abilities Without Boundaries, Best Buddies CT, Cheshire Lions Club and the Town of Cheshire Parks and Recreation Department  are teaming up to organize the inaugural Cheshire Half Marathon & 5K.  The event takes place on April 29, 2012 at Cheshire High School and features a Half Marathon, 5K and Little Buddies Kids Run and exhibitor opportunities through a Healthy & Active Living Festival. The Half Marathon and 5K races are fairly flat and feature significant stretches on the Farmington Canal Trail.  The Little Buddies Kids Run takes place on the Cheshire High School track.  JB Sports, coordinator of the Stratton Faxon New Haven Road Race and many of New England’s largest running events, is helping produce the event.

 

Race proceeds beneficiaries include Abilities Without Boundaries and Best Buddies CT, non profit organizations dedicated to helping children and adults with developmental and physical disabilities.  Charlie Conway, Executive Director of Abilities Without Boundaries states, “We are excited to present “Team Special Needs,” nonprofit organizations working together to raise money and awareness, while also promoting a healthy lifestyle for the community.”  Nikki Besitko, State Director for Best Buddies CT says “Best Buddies Connecticut is so proud to be a part of this amazing event to help raise awareness about the many abilities of people with intellectual disabilities in Cheshire and across the state.”  All funds raised through Team Special Needs will go toward helping children and adults with special needs.

 

The Cheshire Half Marathon & 5K committee is comprised of a dedicated group of people from surrounding Cheshire communities: John Bysiewicz, Race Director; Charlie Conway, Executive Director of Abilities Without Boundaries; Ashley Yalof, Marketing Director of Abilities Without Boundaries; Nikki Besitko, State Director for Best Buddies CT says “Best Buddies Connecticut; Peg Anthony, Cheshire Best Buddies Parent Coordinator; Cathy Morway, Director of Development for the First Tee of CT; Luann LeClerc, Development Coordinator of Best Buddies CT; Andy Anderson, Colette Anderson and Bill Manthey - all members of the Cheshire Lions Club; Bill Costello and Lloyd Saberski, both Cheshire fathers with special needs children.

 

To learn more about Abilities Without Boundaries and Best Buddies CT, please visit abilitieswithoutboundaries.org and bestbuddiesct.org  To get involved in the event or for more information on the race visit www.jbsports.com, www.cheshirehalfmarathon.org  or call (203) 481-5933.

The Connecticut Sports Writers’ Alliance will again host the Bo Kolinsky Scholarship Golf Tournament on June 28, 2012 at Lyman Orchards Golf Club in Middlefield.

The tournament, which will have a noon shotgun start and a shamble format, is named for the longtime high school sports editor of the Hartford Courant and past president of the Alliance who died Dec. 14, 2003 at the age of 49.

Entry fee of $170 includes a box lunch on the course, buffet dinner, prizes and silent and live auctions. Entry is on a first-come, first-serve basis as the first 132 entries will play the Robert Trent Jones Course and the other entries will play the Gary Player Course. Dinner only is $50. Entries should include names, handicaps and a contact phone number or email address and sent to: Bruce Berlet, 202 Carriage Drive, Glastonbury, Ct. 06033.

 Those wanting to attend only the dinner should send a check to Berlet. Checks should be made payable to the Bo Kolinsky Scholarship Fund, the tournament beneficiary.

The Bo Kolinsky Scholarship is given to a Connecticut high school senior planning to attend a four-year college in pursuit of a career in sports journalism and is renewable. It has already provided $24,000 to eight students, three of whom are still receiving funds.

The new title sponsor of the tournament is Integrated Benefit Partners. Corporate sponsors are Ahead, the Connecticut Section PGA, Connecticut State Golf Association, Connecticut Whale, Elkinson and Sloves, Hartford Courant, May, Bonee and Walsh, SignPro, Travelers and the Travelers Championship.

Anyone wishing to become a sponsor, purchase a tee sign or donate an auction item should contact Berlet at the above address, 860-633-8733 or golfwrtr@aol.com, Alliance president George Albano at 203-434-2320 or truckin114@aol.com, Bob Mayer at 860-234-4380 or Robert.mayer@patch.com or Courant sports editor Jeff Otterbein at 860-241-6434 or jotterbein@courant.com. A title sponsorship of $5,000 includes three foursomes in the tournament, a tee sign, a company spokesperson addressing the players at the pretournament instructions and awards dinner and inclusion in our press releases, the tournament and Gold Key Dinner programs and on the tournament sponsors banner. A corporate sponsorship of $1,300 includes one foursome in the tournament and inclusion in press releases, the tournament and Gold Key Awards programs and tournament sponsors banner. Tee signs are $150. For more information and an entry form, visit www.ctsportswriters.org