As the FCIAC tournament and state's No. 1 ranked team, the Ridgefield boys lacrosse team aimed for a fast start in its conference quarterfinal Saturday against Fairfield Ludlowe. [...] thanks to their defense and the 1-2 offensive punch of Brett Baker and Simon Mathias, a fast start is exactly what the Tigers got. The top-seeded Tigers scored eight first-half goals en route to a 15-4 win over No. 8 Ludlowe at Lancaster Field. Baker scored five goals and Mathias netted two and assisted on six others as the Tigers (15-2) advanced to Tuesday's conference semifinals against Greenwich. When Ludlowe had the ball, the Tigers' aggressive zone defense pressed the Falcons, limiting them to just three first-half shots. [...] the Tigers scored the frame's final three goals, carrying a 12-1 lead after three.

Each year, the nationally sanctioned Dream Invitational gathers an elite collection of athletes to showcase their talents in one of a handful of events under the best conditions possible. No team scores are kept, each athlete competes in only one event and the cool evening air is perfect for running. All those ingredients make for some exciting races and blistering paces. Fairfield Prep's Christian Alvarado won the mile in 4:11.94, setting his school's record as well as the meet record. East Hampton's Tyler Rubega won the pole vault competition, clearing 13-10.

Fairfield Ludlowe girls tennis ousts rival Warde in FCIAC quarterfinals Keyed by a sweep at singles, the second-seeded Falcons beat No. 7 Fairfield Warde, 5-2 in Thursday's FCIAC quarterfinals at Fairfield Ludlowe High School. Lindsey Evans, Daria Efimov, and Cami and Kyra Adajian each won their matches in straight sets. The Falcons' No. 3 doubles duo, Chelsea Keane and Sarah Jennings, remained unbeaten. The Falcons also advanced to Monday's conference semifinals against Staples High School. Warde's Nos. 1 and 2 doubles teams, Erin Hines-Megan Hines and Mary Ball-Kenzie Hiltz, claimed both of their matches. Efimov, who played a tight match with Warde's Emily Simonds in their first meeting, beat Warde's No. 2 singles player 6-2, 6-1.

Nelson sisters are Ludlowe softball's odd couple Emily's a senior captain, Alice is a 15-year-old freshman. [...] what's very neat for Fairfield Ludlowe is the sibling infielders have helped catapult the Falcons' softball team to its best regular season to date. The Falcons are 14-6 as they enter Friday's regular-season finale at Darien. Emily, a four-year starter who has spent the last three at shortstop, leads Ludlowe in most offensive categories. Emily was a two-year varsity volleyball captain who helped Ludlowe reach the state finals in 2010 and claim a share of the FCIAC championship in 2012. The 15-year-old was the Fairfield Little League softball team's catcher in 2011, helping the club claim the state and New England regional championships. Though they share both athletic prowess and a physical resemblance, Emily and Alice aren't exactly alike. Emily shuttles Alice around to school, practice and, of course, post-practice and after-game game jaunts to local fast-food places. Yet Emily says Alice is more easy-going, saying "She's way less mental than I am," the older sister said. Emily hopes to play club volleyball at Marquette, a Division I, Big East school. Back in Fairfield, Alice will miss her teammate.