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Burning rubber in the snow
"Pirelli" Gorgone
hopes to snowboard
to gold in Torino
By David Curran
dcurran@barnstablepatnot.com
TURNING TOWARD TORINO-Michelle
Gorgone of Dennis - and sometimes,
though not lately, the Home Depot in
Hyannis - hopes to be on the U.S.
Olympic Snowboarding Team inTorino,
Italy next month.
PIRELLI" - Michelle Gorgone of Dennis, nicknamed for the racing tire, speeds
down the slope at the 2005 World Cup snowboarding competition in Sapporo ,
Japan , where she finished second. She hopes to be on the U.S. Olympic
Snowboarding Team in Torino, Italy, next month.
Michelle Gorgone 's nickname
is well earned.
"I don't do alpine."said the U.S.
Olympic snowboarding hopeful.
"I'm a racer. I just like speed."
So they call her "Pirelli," after
the racing tire.
Gorgone. who grew up in Sud-
bury, moved to Dennis about a
year ago, but she hasn't spent
a lot of time on the Cape since
before Thanksgiving. She's been
busy training and racing, hoping
to earn a spot on the team that
will represent the United States
at the Winter Olympics in Torino
next month.
The Ladies' Parallel Giant Sla-
lom - Gorgone 's event , the one
that's all about speed , no tricks,
no jumps,just who's fastest -will
be won and lost in the space of 4
1/2 short hours on Feb. 23. The
qualifying runs start at 11 a.m.
local time, with the finals set for
3:14 p.m.
Gorgone won't know for sure
whether she'smade the team until
a few days before the Games'Feb.
10 opening ceremonies.
But ifshe is, the Patriot will have
some small connection. Former
Patriot advertising sales represen-
tative Loryn Traversi introduced
Gorgone , now 22, to the sport nine
years ago, when the cousins were
teenagers.
"We used to goto Nashoba Valley
every day after school,just kicking
around," Gorgone said.
She started competing almost
right away. She competed "as
much as you can when you're in
high school," attending an acad-
emy where students spend half
the day on the slopes.
The spring following her high
school graduation, she made
the national team and faced her
moment of truth. She became a
full-time snowboarder.
"I kind of just made a choice
there," she said.
She recognizes the sport is dan-
gerous - though slalom is not as
perilous as the half-pipe and the
snowboard cross - but injuries
happen. Gorgone has avoided seri-
ous injury, calling herself "pretty
lucky," but adding, "I drink a lot
of milk. I don't break bones."
But she knows competitive
snowboarding is a career with
limited longevity. So she has been
taking a couple of on-line courses a
year, "just to keep my brain going,"
she said, and envisions eventually
goinginto marketing and advertis-
ing in the ski industry.
Gorgone is a professional snow-
boarder, OK under today 's Olym-
pic rules, but the purses don't
exactly rival the PGA's. She esti-
mated she'searned about $30,000
since 2002.
Of course , training for the
Olympics is not inexpensive ,
and Gorgone has gotten help,
like more than 500 Olympic ath-
letes since 1992 , from The Home
Depot's participation in the U.S.
Olympic Committee 's Olympic
Job Opportunities Program.
Under the program , athletes
approved by the USOC are em-
ployed by The Home Depot 20
hours a week but receive full-time
pay and benefits , helping them
accommodate their training and
competition schedules while
earning money to pay for training,
travel and living expenses.
Gorgone works in the paint
department at The Home Depot
in Hyannis - though given her
sport's training and competition
schedule , she hasn't been there
a lot lately.
If she makes it to Torino, she and
her family will benefit from Bank
of America'sHometown Hopefuls
program , which provides families
and friends of qualified Olympic
athletes with access to discount
accommodations,making it easier
for them to do their rooting in
person.
In Torino, the program will pro-
vide afamily center with free meals
for athletes and their families,
complimentary tickets to events
for up to four family members, an
Internet lounge to stay in touch
with friends and family in the U.S.,
and other benefits.
Gorgone was among the first to
register for the program.
If she can win a medal, maybe
she can get a sponsorship deal
with a racing tire company.
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BARNSTA BLE GIRLS
AGES 5 - 14 !!!
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When: Wednesday January 11, 2006
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Centerville's Eagle to be a Hoya
B.C. High's Cape-
less will play base-
ball at Georgetown
By David Curran
dcurran@barnstablepatriot.com
DIAMOND DAN - Dan Capeless of Centerville signs his
letter of commitment to Georgetown University flanked by
his parents, Paul and Ann Capeless.
His final high school season
is a long winter away, but Dan
Capeless already knows he'll be
playing his college baseball in
Washington, D.C.
Capeless. of Centerville and
Boston College High School, has
signed an early commitment let-
ter to attend Georgetown Univer-
sity,accepting one of the school's
first baseball scholarships.
"Dan Capeless is a polished
first baseman who can flat out
hit ," Hoyas coach Pete Wilk
stated in a press release. "He's
a classic left-handed hitter with
power and plays well around the
bag and he alsobrings those great
intangibles to the program. "
Wilk, who is entering his sev-
enth season with the Hoyas ,
added , "Dan, with his phenom-
enal high school record , should
contribute right away and help
us make strides towards our
success."
Capeless, for his part , sees a
program on the rise, with base-
ball scholarships being awarded
for the first time to his Class of
2010.
"I really want to be a part of
that," he said this week, later
adding, "My signing class is re-
ally going to be the foundation
for years to come."
He's excited about the seven
other players who have accepted
Georgetown scholarships, some
of whom come from the nation's
baseball hotbeds.
"We got some Texas boys, Geor-
gia, North Carolina, a couple New
York."he said. "We got some good
arms. We needed arms big-time."
The 2005 Hoyas went 25-31
overall, finishing last in the Big
East with a conference record
of 7-18.
Capeless said his decision came
down to four schools: Georgetown,
Maryland. Richmond and Notre
Dame.Alot offactors helped make
up hismind,he said,not least Wilk,
who he said was "very open" and
promised to support whatever
decision he made.
"When I went down there for
my official visit, the guys on the
team were awesome," he said.
But he isn't going to George-
town just to play baseball.
"The academics are un-
matched," he
said. "That's
Plan A. aca-
demics. Plan
B is always
baseball."
So far .
both plans
are working.
He 's a four-
timeB.C. High
Scholar-Ath-
lete,an honors
student , and a
member of the
National Hon-
or Society and
Key Society,
according to
the school.
He'sathree-
year starter
at first base
- and a four-
year starter
in football
- who 's also
done a little
pitching and
hopes to do more this spring
before turning his attention
exclusively to first base and the
batter 's box at Georgetown.
Baseball America ranked him
among the top 300 high school
players in the nation , and the
top three in Massachusetts. The
list of other national accolades
is lengthy.
As a sophomore , he helped
lead the Eagles to the Catholic
Conference and Massachusetts
South Sectional championships,
hitting .500 in the cleanup slot in
the state tournament.
And he was on coach Dan
Proto 's 2005 Cape Cod Senior
Babe Ruth team that won the
state title and finished second
in the New England Regional
Tournament.
But last year 's B.C. High was
eliminated from the state high
school tournament by none other
than Barnstable High School, a
loss that still rankles - that was
clear in his voice - even though
it came at the hands of BHS star
pitcher Matt Costello - "one of
my best friends ," Capeless said
- who is now looking forward to
his freshman season at Division
1 Iona College.
"I'm going to meet him tonight ,
do alittle throwing at the Dugout
(Baseball and Softball Club in
Hyannis), " Capeless said.
He also seemed a bit rankled
that Costello had almost three
weeks left in his winter break.
Classes were to resume at B.C.
High Tuesday, but snow put that
off a day.
Capeless said B.C. High coach
Norm Walsh was enormously
helpful as he was weighing what
college to swing the bat for, and
when spring comes, he would
like to reward the mentor - to
say nothing of himself and his
teammates - with a state title.
The Eagles have the talent to
do it, he said. He is one of four
seniors committed to Division 1
colleges, and a fifth is expected
to join them shortly.
"I've gotten really lucky with
a lot of the coaches I've had ,"
he said.
He especially credited the staff
at the South Shore Baseball Club
in Hingham. With the Seadogs
- Rick DelVecchio is the head
coach; the full staff numbers
more than a dozen - Capeless
played against AAU teams all
over the country.
"Those guys have been like
second parents to me," he said,
later adding, "They really helped
me develop my skills, playing that
competition. "
He'll be back playing Senior
Babe Ruth on the Cape this sum-
mer under Proto.
"He's a great guy as well ,"
Capeless said.
Then it's off to Washington
for fall ball at Georgetown in
late August, and classes shortly
thereafter.
"I really feel like I made the
right decision ," Capeless said.
"I'm gonna have a great time
down there. It's great stuff."
FRIDAY, JAN. 6
'Boys Basketball vs Cape Cod Academy 3:30 p.m.
"Girls Basketball vs. Cape Cod Academy 5 p.m.
TUESDAY, JAN. 10
"Girls Basketball vs. New Testament 3:30 p.m.
"Boys Basketball vs. New Testament 5 p.m.
THURSDAY, JAN. 12
Girls Basketball at Provincetown 4 p.m.
Boys Basketball at Provincetown 5:30 p.m.
FRIDAY, JAN. 13
Girls Basketball at Nantucket 3:30 p.m.
' at Cape Cod Community College, Rte. 132. West Barnstable
HMMB^^^HHBHI^B^^H^HH^^HH^^BHB^MiMMaMi^JMMMMl^HMBHMaMaKMi
FRIDAY, JAN. 6
Boys Basketball at Sturgis Charter School 330 p.m.
Girls Basketball . at Sturgis Charter School 5 p.m.
SATURDAY. JAN. 7
Boys Basketball at St. Andrews 1 p.m.
MONDAY, JAN. 9
Girls Basketball at Chatham 3:30 p.m.
TUESDAY, JAN. 10
Boys Basketball vs. Provincetown 3:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball vs Provincetown 5 p.m.
THURSDAY, JAN. 12
Girls Basketball at Nantucket 3:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball at Nantucket 5 p.m.
Check out our website...www.bamstablep atriot.com
Know the Market. Know the Town.
Onix m Zty IBarnstablc patriot
396 Main Street, Suite 15. Hyannis, MA 0260I • Mix 771-1427'Fa*508/790-3997
1 mail barnpal " c,i|x- com • www barnstablepatriot.com
SPORTS
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FRIDAY, JAN. 6
Wrestling at North Quincy Tournament 9:15 a.m.
'Boys Swimming vs. Nantucket 4 p.m.
'Girls Swimming vs. Nantucket 4 p.m.
Boys Basketball vs. Bridgewater-Raynham 6:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball at Bridgewater-Raynham 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, JAN. 7
Gymnastics vs. Plymouth South & Nantucket 1 p.m.
at Gymport , Med-Tech Drive. West Yarmouth
+Girls Hockey vs. Sandwich 6:30 p.m.
+Boys Hockey vs. Bridgewater-Raynham 7:45 p.m.
MONDAY, JAN. 9
+Boys Hockey vs. North Quincy 7:15 p.m.
TUESDAY, JAN. 10
"Boys Swimming vs. Coyle-Cassidy 7 p.m.
"Girls Swimming vs. Coyle-Cassidy 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 11
Wrestling at Marshfield 7 p.m.
FRIDAY. JAN. 13
'Boys Swimming vs.Taunton 4 p.m.
"Girls Swimming vs.Taunton 4 p.m.
#Boys Track vs.Taunton 5 p.m.
#Girls Track vs.Taunton 5 p.m.
Boys Basketball at Marshlield 6:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball vs. Marshlield 6:30 p.m.
" YMCA Cape Cod, Rte. 132,West Barnstable
+ Kennedy Memorial Rink. Bassett Lane. Hyannis
# Reggie Lewis Center. Boston