Lindsay Bond off to college--

Lindsay Bond will play hoop at
Anna Maria College--but still bleeds green

Text and photos by Steev Riccardo

WEBSTER – You often hear the expression “hard shoes to fill,” but in the case of Bartlett High School 2012 graduate and three-sport star Lindsay Bond, these words could not be any truer.

Bond had a pretty amazing career at Bartlett, one in which was a team leader in every sport she played and a great example of what hard work and effort stand for. Recently we spoke and she reflected on her career as an Indian and her plans for the future as she prepares to enter Anna Maria College in Paxton this fall and also how she feels her alma mater will fare in sports in the future.

“It feels better to know I will have more freedom than I did before and hopefully I can do more things when I get to college than I could do while I was in high school,” said Bond when asked about her thought process now that her high school career is over and college is right around the corner. 

In a surprising decision, at least in the eyes of some of the people close to her, Bond chose to play basketball over softball in college and make it her top priority.  What may have been surprising about this is that softball had always been her main sport.

If you were close to the situation this spring, it was easy to see that Bond struggled with a 3-15 team on the diamond and it may have played in her decision.  She even said after the season ended, “it was difficult and frustrating but I got through it.”

It may have been ever harder for her to endure a 4-16 hoop season, but still, basketball was on her radar. “For some reason even though the team wasn’t very good my heart changed and the path led me to playing basketball instead of softball in college.”

So this summer she focused on hoops and played in the Worcester woman’s summer league for an Anna Maria team that consisted of both current and former players.

“It felt so good to be playing with other players that could help me play the game and it was fun to play with them too.” One of the girls on the summer league team was current Anna Maria senior point guard and leader Samantha Ashton, who averaged 13 points a game last year and will be around another year to perhaps mentor Bond as the team’s point guard of the future.

“Ashton was playing and was also coaching at the same time. Everything was broken down for us play by play and we ran a lot so now it has me running a lot, which is good,” said Bond, who has always worked out a lot and opted not to be “party type person.”

Bond will be rooming with another incoming freshman basketball player in 6’3” Nina Anatastacio from St. Mary’s Academy in Riverside, RI, whom she has talked to and is excited to play with.

It might not be that easy for her to not play softball in the spring as a couple of her former opponents are already trying to recruit her.  “Sam Miller and Liz Haggerty from Shepherd Hill are both playing for Anna Maria and are trying to get me to play softball with them. Besides that, my parents want me to play softball.”  Stay tuned for more on that continuing saga.

Despite graduating, it’s easy to tell where Bond’s colors still lie, “Anna Maria is a small school so it’s almost going to be like Bartlett in that regard.  The only difference for me will be wearing red and white instead of green and white, but I will always bleed green.”

She also still has a vested interest in the Bartlett girls sports teams and wants to see a struggling program (at least as far as winning goes) turn things around and she sees the girls that can help do that.

Bond calls Junior Dani Stone “the diamond piece” of the Bartlett girl’s soccer team.  “Dani is unbelievable, she could run for days if you told her to.  It’s hard to even describe how great of an athlete that she is. You can put her anywhere on the field and she will go 100%.  If she keeps working hard, I think she could make something of herself in all three sports (soccer, basketball, softball).  She is diehard and has to play sports.” Sounds familiar doesn’t it?

Bond also spoke highly of Tori Mcintyre and Ashtin Morio, who will play key roles on the softball team and, of course, sees a great opportunity for Lucy Orne, who pitched on the varsity as a 12-year old this past season. “If Lucy keeps working hard with her pitching she will definitely be a force on the mound next year and for years to come.”

As far as the hoop court goes, Bond still has her ear to the court as well. “I have heard that sophomores Lindsay Finkel and Catherine Heckler have been working hard in the off-season, with that I am hoping that they bring something to the table this coming season.  If the team works hard and stays dedicated, I think they will get better.”
Bond is not the only one in her extended family to be entering college in the fall.  Her first cousins and 2102 Shepherd Hill graduates Kyle McKissick and Anthony Wilga are both college-sports bound. Wilga is playing football at Nichols, while McKissick will be joining Bond at Anna Maria playing hoop.

Speaking of McKissick, you may recall his earlier comments in The Patriot about being happy that his cousin will be attending the same college as him so she can do his laundry and cook for him, well here is what Bond had to say about those comments.  “Oh, I will do his laundry for him but he has a big price to pay, if I need a ride somewhere he better be my wing man and give me a ride.  Besides he is not the type of person that wears one outfit and changes it in an hour anyway (laughs).”

You get the feeling that Lindsay is going to be the one that benefits from this arrangement; at least, we think so any way.

For more on local sports, please read View From The Sidelines printed and on line every week in The Patriot and contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any feedback and comments.