Montgomery Catholic honors 2015-2016 Varsity Athletes

Montgomery Catholic's 9th grade
 Jimmy Hitchcock Nominees

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School honored their varsity athletes for the 2015-2016 year at their annual Varsity Athletic Banquet held at the RSA Activity Center, Wednesday May 11, 2016. Montgomery Catholic fields 16 varsity team sports throughout the year. Mr. Chad Barwick, High School Principal, recognized the four nominees for the Jimmy Hitchcock Award. They were Agnes Armstrong, Emily Barranco, Nadine Moussalli and Patrick O’Mara. Also recognized were Montgomery Catholic's ninth grade nominees, Claire Mills and Amaris Tyynismaa.

Montgomery Catholic has four awards which honor individual team members

Montgomery Catholic's 9th grade
 Jimmy Hitchcock Nominees

for their hard work and dedication to their sport. Three of these distinguished awards honor individuals who had tremendous influence on our athletic program: Father Patrick Delahunty, Mr. Joe Fields, and Coach Jack Kresek.

The Father Pat Delahunty Sportsmanship Award, named for the founder of our athletic program, honors the athlete who demonstrates outstanding sportsmanship. The Fr. Delahunty Sportsmanship Award winners were Ivy Bach and Carrie Belsterling (cheer), Devin Byrts & Michael Collins (football), Leah Taylor (volleyball), Lacy Herbek, Chloe Smith and James Avery(cross country), Jessie Clark and Devin Byrts(basketball), Mel Koontz, Wilson Miles (wrestling), Megan Stembridge and Michael Barber(soccer),
Brian Anderson (golf), Carrie Belsterling (softball), Stevie Price (baseball), Zach Kroeger and Katelyn Stark (indoor track) Lacey Herbek and Josh Seals (outdoor track).

The Coach Jack Kresek Coaches Award, named for a much-beloved football coach who led the Knights (then the "Saints") from 1956 until 1961, recognizes the athlete who exhibits strong determination, team effort, dependability, and a winning attitude. The Jack Kresek Coaches Award winners were Kathleen Beesley and Katie Slear (cheer), Sam Walker (football), Briana Hollinger (volleyball), Isabelle Cochran, Grace Leslie, Hollis Johnson, and Grant Walker(cross country), Aleigha Walden and James Sadie (basketball), Jason Flowers and Christian Friday (wrestling),  Kathleen Beesley and Josh Koch(soccer),
Sam McCracken (golf), Chloe Newell(tennis), Paige Rentfro(softball), James Cleghorn  (baseball), Isabelle Cochran, Grace LesliePatrick O’Mara, and Josh Seals (indoor track), Isabelle Cochran amd Grant Walker
(outdoor track & field).

The Joe Fields Leadership Award, named for an outstanding student-athlete from the 1970s who displayed outstanding leadership while attending Montgomery Catholic, honors the athlete who demonstrate exceptional leadership skills to their teammates. The Joe Fields Leadership Award winners were Tori Barranco and Kathleen Beesley (cheers), Gabe Keating (football), Agnes Armstrong (volleyball)
Madison Searcy, Megan Stembridge, James Cleghorn, and Patrick Gregorius(cross country), Emily Lafreniere and Michael Collins (basketball), Gabe Keating (wrestling), Riley Aaron, Nadine Moussali and Daniel Reeves (soccer), Grant Smith (golf), Audrey Kim (tennis), Tamrah Tucker and Grant Walker (indoor track), Tamrah Tucker and Brandon Thomas (outdoor track).

Each varsity sport names one Most Valuable Player. Montgomery Catholic's MVPs were Eryka Ellington and Lauren Smith (cheer), Blake Johnson (football), Iyana Tate (volleyball), Amaris Tyynismaa and Kevin Leahy (cross country), Michaelyn Foster and Iyana Tate and B.J. Barker(basketball),  Zack Van Alst (wrestling), Ale Vazquez and Ethan Ronan (soccer), Drew Smith (golf), Audrey Kim (tennis), Michaelyn Foster (softball), Blake Johnson and Connor Owens (baseball), Amaris Tyynismaa and Ryan Jansen (indorr track), Amaris Tyynismaa and Patrick O’Mara (outdoor track).

Michaelyn Foster received the Caitlyn Marianne Wiggins '08 Memorial Scholarship presented by
Caitlyn's parents, Jim and Lisa Wiggins. Photo by: Total Image

The 2016 recipients of the Coach Ralph Furlong
Scholarship was Aleigha Walden and Zachary Van Alst.

Montgomery Catholic awarded two scholarships for school tuition. The first was the Coach Ralph Furlong Scholarship, established in 1998. Initiated by a member of his 1946 football team, the intent of this scholarship is to honor one of Catholic's greatest coaches, whose record of 24 straight wins from 1947-1949 remains a school record. The Furlong scholarship is a partial tuition scholarship of $1,000, given to a high school student who demonstrates a commitment to both extra-curricular and his or her studies. The 2016 recipients of the Coach Ralph Furlong Scholarship was Aleigha Walden and Zachary Van Alst. The second scholarship given was the Caitlyn Marianne Wiggins '08 Memorial Scholarship, established in December of 2013. A $3,500 partial tuition scholarship awarded annually in Caitlyn’s honor, a 2008 MCPS graduate and varsity athlete who was killed in an automobile accident in 2013. The scholarship is given for one school year to a female student athlete at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School’s (MCPS) High School Campus.  Caitlyn’s family and friends endowed this scholarship to give another child the opportunity to achieve the type of success that Caitlyn enjoyed in life. Michaelyn Foster received the Caitlyn Marianne Wiggins '08 Memorial Scholarship presented by Caitlyn's parents, Lisa and Jim Wiggins.

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School's

Knights of the Round Table Athletes of the Year

Gabe Keating and Agnes Armstrong.

Photo by: Total Image

The top athletes from each sport are nominated for the Knights of the Round Table Award, which recognizes the top male and female athlete of the year. The Knights of the Round Table nominees were The Montgomery Catholic Knights of the Round Table Winners are Agnes Armstrong and Gabe Keating.

To close the banquet, Deacon Jim Labadie of St. Peter Catholic Church led the parents and guests in a final blessing for all of the senior athletes.