Scholastic Roundup: The Lions get a big gift

January 20, 2023 Andy Furman

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The New Year started with a generous donation of lacrosse equipment to Bishop Loughlin High School from ReLax – a non-profit dedicated to lowering the barrier to entry for aspiring lacrosse players.

According to Lions’ coach Nicholas DiLonardo, the package is an outstanding hall of sticks, gloves, socks, elbow pads and more.

This is year three of Loughlin’s relationship with ReLax. DiLonardo began a relationship with them back in 2020 when he partnered with The Premiere Lacrosse League’s Assists program. Scholarships have also been awarded by the organization to the athletes to attend professional lacrosse clinics.

Seniors Morgan Middleton and Tyler Henry are the 2023 recipients of Loughlin’s Leaders of Tomorrow Award. The award was given based on academic excellence and leadership at the 29th Annual Hispanic Games earlier this month.

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In the New York City PSAL recent Division rankings, MaxPreps has Canarsie ranked 11th in the state and Brooklyn Tech at 13th. Transit Tech, with their perfect 12-0 PSAL mark, and 15-1 overall record was not mentioned.

Xaverian High boys’ basketball topped Cardinal Hayes, 67-53 last week with Nasir Muhammad leading the Clippers with 27 points, followed by Aaron Goldstein’s 19. Don Colon-Lewis had 14 points and a team-high 15 rebounds.

The boys’ jayvee unit made in a sweep with their 49-41 win over the Cardinals, with Jaden Cadotte scoring 14 points and Peter Glynn adding 10.

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Jacob Roman, a junior guard for Nazareth Regional High School, won the Msgr. John Brown Tournament MVP award – named for the parish’s late pastor – at this year’s Msgr. King Basketball Tournament at St. Thomas Aquinas, Flatlands during the recent holiday break.

The tournament – started in 1962 – has featured the top boys’ varsity school teams in New York City and beyond. It was on a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

This year’s champions – the Kingsmen of Nazareth High – defeated St. Edmund Prep in the title game – the 52nd playing of the historic tournament.

Nazareth defeated Bedford Academy – coached by by Robert Phelps a former Kingsman basketball performer. The Kingsmen then took care of McKee Tech from Staten Island.

St. Edmund coach Dan Wiatre is a Nazareth grad and Nazareth assistant coach Mike Camacho graduated St. Edmund.

The tournament is named after former St. Thomas Aquinas pastor Msgr. Jeremiah King, who in 1954 oversaw a fundraising campaign to help construct three new parish buildings, one of which was the basketball gymnasium.

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Junior Patrick O’Gorman had a career-high 11 three-pointers for his 38-point effort as Pratt defeated Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham, 80-70 last week. Pratt shot a blistering 59 percent as a team as the Cannoneers won their second straight at home to improve to 5-1.

Five members of St. Joseph University’s fall athletic teams were named to the Skyline Conference All-Sportsmanship teams.

Aaron De Leon, took part in each of the six cross-country meets for the Bears last season. He completed the 8K Skyline Conference Championship course in 36:01.20. Senior Raquel Ramirez was the first Bear to cross the finish line at the Mount Saint Mary Invitational and the NJIT Highlander Challenge. She clocked in her fastest time of the season (26:30) in that meet.

Lorenzo LaRosa, dished out four assists – third-best on the team – in his first season playing soccer for the Bears. He scored his first collegiate goal in a 5-0 win against Old Westbury.

Casey Hobbs started each of the Bears’ 16 women’s soccer matches scoring three goals with three assists. St. Joseph’s was a perfect 4-0 in games when Hobbs registered a point. Sophomore volleyballer Martina Urgo finished her season as the team leader in kills (126) and second in digs (188) and service aces (31).

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Brooklyn College’s men’s swim team swept through a tri-meet, topping York, 41-9 and a non-conference 3922 victory over Bard. The Bulldogs upped their record to 4-3 and 2-0 against CUNYAC competition. Christian Hovek won the 50-yrd freestyle (23.90); he also won the 100-yard freestyle (54.04). Ronaldo Barrios won the 100-yard breaststroke (1:13.75).

It was the fourth-straight win for the Lady Bulldogs, an 83-75 win over Hunter College, last week. The ladies upped their record to 5-0 in CUNYAC play with the win – 8-7 overall. Gianna Gotti led all scorers with 22 points at intermission, and finished with 25, 10 steals and seven assists. Ericka James added 17 and Dasha Goodman scored 14.

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The St. Francis College men’s swimming and diving team defeated St. Peter’s 192-76 Saturday. The Terriers won the 200-yard medley relay with Paul Melcer, Kamil Goleniec, Maurice Grabowski and Arthur Magno Queiroz in a time of 1:37.36 0- good enough for a win by over two seconds.

Robin Tatar followed that up with a win in the 100-yard freestyle. His time of 10:26.44 won the race by over 18 seconds. Tatar also finished second in the 500-yard freestyle, (5:05.91). Valentin Schnermann won the 200-yard freestyle (1:45.26. He won three total events on the day, taking the 500-yard freestyle and 200-yard IM.

The Terriers took the top three spots in the 100-yard backstroke, led by Paul Melcer (52.59). He was followed by Toni Dragoja (54.08) and Magno Queiroz (55.80) Melcer added a second-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke.

Robert Wagner won both the 200-yard backstroke and butterfly. Wagner and teammate Homer Olivares and Tatar took the top three spots in the butterfly. Grabowski took first in the 50-yard freestyle (22.16). Daniel Matheus Santos won the 10—yard freestyle (47.66). The 200-yard Freestyle Relay squad finished things off with a victory — Goleniec, Dragoja and Matheus Santos teamed-up for a time of 1:28.21.

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The Terrier women swimming and diving team defeated the United States Merchant Marine Academy 157-143, Saturday.

The 20-yard medley relay team of Boel Bergquist, Elayna Pistrin, Kristy Nagtzaam and Raquel Torrez combined for a time of (1:50.63) – winning but just over a second.

Mariajose Lopez won the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:45.67. Laetitia Bouc (11:18.83) and Melie Boulianne (11:23.01) finished third and fourth respectively. Lopez was the only swimmer to crack the 11-minute mark, she also won the 500-yard freestyle (5:18.84) then finished second in the 200-yard freestyle (2:01.06). Abby Scruton won the one-meter dive – 247.72 – a team record. Boel Bergquist was the top finisher in the 20-yard freestyle — s she narrowly edged Lopez (1:59.51). Bergquist finished second in the 200-yard backstroke and first in the 200-yard IM (2:12.24).

Pistrin won the 100-yard backstroke (1:07.39) and 100-yard freestyle (55.09). Bouc and Anapaula Gomez took first and second in the 200-yard butterfly. Bouc finished in (2:13.56) and Gomez in (2:16.51). Bouc was also second in the 100-yard butterfly (59.56).

Nagtzaam won the 50-yard freestyle; and was second in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:31.54).

The Terriers next head to Maryland for a meet with Mount St. Mary’s on the 21st.

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Both LIU’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving team took on NYU Saturday – the men placed first in the 200-yard medley – Benny Karlsson, Giannis Venetos, Ethan Law and Alejandro Pascual del Cid. Del Cid was top finisher in the 50-yrd freestyle (21.25), followed by Porter LeVasseur. Law was first in the 100-yard butterfly (51.34). The men and women return to action, Friday, Feb, 3rd at Wagner College.

Venna Andersen and Ella Johnson were first-place finishers for the LIU women. Anderson’s (2:23.85) earned first in the 20—yard breaststroke while Johnson finished with a time of (57.95) in the 100-yard butterfly.

Freshman goaltender Annie Abramson produced her first career shutout and the LIU women’s hockey team improved to 14-10-2 overall and 13-1-2 in NEWHSA conference play. Megan Bouveur, Abby Latorella, Paula Bergstrom and Mikayla Lantto scored for the Sharks in the 4-0 win over Post at the SportsCenter of Connecticut, Saturday evening.

LIU returns to action when it hosts Saint Michael’s Jan. 27th and Jan. 28th at Northwell Health Ice Center.

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Xaverian High won the AA Brooklyn-Queens championship in girls’ varsity soccer.

Andy Furman is a Fox Sports Radio national talk show host, Previously, he was a scholastic sports columnist for the Brooklyn Eagle. He may be reached at: [email protected] Twitter: @AndyFurmanFSR