Leave it to the Lowell Spinners to come up with an interestingpromotion. They have announced the engagement of the team's mascotsCanaligator and Allie-Gator and the happy couple will be united inmarriage May 6 in the friendly confines of the Gator Pit at LeLacheurPark. 'We are thrilled for Canaligator and Allie-Gator,' saidSpinners general manager Tim Bawman. 'The entire Spinners frontoffice staff got to know them both on a personal level, and we knowtheir relationship will be meaningful and long-lasting.' The weddingwill be open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. To beadded to the guest list, call Jon Shestakofsky at 978-805-5117. Cakeand entertainment will be available, but tickets are limited to thefirst 150 people who RSVP. Dress is casual and gifts are notrequired. Instead, donations to the Spinners charities will beaccepted. The gators met at Alumni Field in June 1996 and have beenan item ever since. The newlyweds will honeymoon in where else? theFlorida Everglades. Just another day in the wacky world of theSpinners' promotion office.
Volunteers needed
It's just a little more than two months (June 5-11) before theChampions Tour comes to Nashawtuc Country Club in Concord for the26th Bank of America Championship, and tournament officials have putout their annual appeal for volunteers. Help is needed in themerchandising tent, corporate sponsor services, transportation, andother areas. Those interested may call Kristina Kintzer at 978-371-0116 or visit the tournament website atwww.bankofamericachampionship.com. Volunteers pay $60 but in returnreceive merchandise, meals, parking, and tickets and a subscriptionto Golf Magazine. The package is valued at $330. Commitments to playin the tournament have already come from defending champion Mark McNulty , 2005 Player of the Year Dana Quigley, and 2003 championAllen Doyle. Also expected are fan favorites Tom Kite, GaryMcCord, Larry Nelson, Tom Purtzer, , Curtis Strange, Craig Stadler, and Lee Trevino.
Scholastic odds 'n' ends
Tip of the fedora to Medford boys' and girls' cross-country coachLou Ruggiero and Andover boys' and girls' track coach Peter Comeau, who were honored recently at the New England Track and Field Coachesclinic in Framingham. Each was named named state coach of the year.Ruggiero has been at Medford 25 years, and his boys' and girls' teamshave gone 290-88 with 14 Greater Boston league titles. Beforearriving in Medford, Ruggiero spent 17 years at Malden Catholic.Comeau's varsity boys' indoor and outdoor teams have not lost a dualmeet the past two seasons and reigned as Merrimack Valley Conferencechamps. His girls' varsity outdoor team was undefeated last seasonand added conference, state, and All-State titles. The team also wonthe indoor State Relays championship. . . . The Massachusetts StateHockey Coaches Hall of Fame will open its doors to Andover's BillCullen and Stoneham's Dick Burns May 11 at its annual inductionceremonies. And on April 30, the Massachusetts Football Coaches Hallof Fame will do likewise for Greater Lowell's Dennis Murphy. Also onthat date, assistant coaches Bob Cressey of Belmont Hill, BobFitzgerald of Lawrence, and Michael Parent of North Middlesex willbe honored for their years of service. The state football coacheswill also recognize Chelmsford's David Welch with a CourageousPlayer Award. . . . Eight-time state swimming champion Candice Peakeof Andover has accepted a scholarship to swim at the University ofWisconsin next year. . . . Former North Andover assistant (1983-1986) and Andover head coach (1999-2000) Kevin Callagy is one offive finalists for the head football coaching job at Haverhill.Callagy has been a Haverhill assistant since 2001.
Campus corner
Yale senior Joe Zappala of Medford has signed with the TrentonTitans of the East Coast Hockey League. Zappala, 22, just completedhis career at Yale, where he played in 124 games and had 39 goals and44 assists for 83 points. The 6-foot, 205-pound Zappala was theteam's leader in goals scored, with 18, and points, with 30, in hissophomore year of 2003-2004. That year, too, he led the nation ingame-winning goals with nine. . . . Freshman defender Caroline DeMambro of Concord is a member of the Ohio Wesleyan women'slacrosse team. . . . Northeastern's men's and women's varsity crewteams list several local athletes on their rosters: juniors PatrickMahady and Sophie Barkan of Arlington, Sarah Brooks of Acton, andKelly Crawford of Andover; and sophomores Steve Lachance of Salem,N.H., and Ashley Griffeth of Harvard. .
Sports Notebook items or ideas may be sent to vellante@globe.com.
