Montgomery Catholic honors 2017-2018 Varsity Athletes

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School honored their varsity athletes for the 2017-2018 year at their annual Varsity Athletic Banquet held at the RSA Activity Center, Tuesday May 1, 2018. Montgomery Catholic fields 16 varsity team sports throughout the year. Mr. Justin Castanza, High School Principal, recognized the four nominees for the Jimmy Hitchcock Award. They were Carrie Belsterling, Jessie Clark, Paige Rentfro and Aleigha Walden. Also recognized were Montgomery Catholic's ninth grade nominees, D.J. Carter, Hollis Johnson, Nona Johnson and Chloe Walden.

Montgomery Catholic has four awards which honor individual team members 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 Kinley Tadlock and Briana Hollinger (cheer), BJ Barker(football),  Katherine O’Connor(volleyball), Grace Leslie and Sam Leslie (cross country), Carrie Belsterling and Byron Simmons (basketball), Luke Voorhies, Burke Rothstein(wrestling), Ashley Hayes, Jonathan Doan (soccer), Abbygayle Stacey (golf), Carrie Belsterling (softball), Ryan Janson (baseball), Annabel Starrett, Hollis Johnson (indoor 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 Carrie Belsterling and Sofie Izer (cheer), Greg Ellis(football), Annie Bach(volleyball), Isabelle Cochran and Manny Caceres(cross country), Paige Rentfro, Alex Jolley and DJ Carter(basketball), Bishop Singleton(wrestling), Claire Mills and Ivann Garcia(soccer), Trey Wilkinson (golf), Angela Gier (tennis), Katherine O’Connor(softball), Colin Neal (baseball), Katie Galvin, Grant Walker and Cole Pierce
(indoor track).

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 Zy'Keria King and Amiee Azar(cheer), Parker Dennis and Charlie Ryan(football),  Melody Taylor(volleyball), Hannah Kate Magee and Grant Walker(cross country), Jessie Clark and Ryne Herbek(basketball), Jack Burt(wrestling),  Stevie Price(baseball), leigha Walden (softball), Clare Wilson and Braxton Rogers(soccer), Grant Smith(golf), Chole Newell(tennis), Katelyn Stark and Manny Caceres(indoor track).

Each varsity sport names one Most Valuable Player. Montgomery Catholic's MVPs were Carrie Belsterling and Alexis Weber(cheer), Tyler Price(football), Ansley Dean(volleyball), Amaris Tyynismaa and Hollis Johnson(cross country), Aleigha Walden and BJ Barker(basketball), Jason Flowers(wrestling),  Lauren Beverly and Daniel Reeves(soccer), Grant Smith(golf), Grayson Howell(tennis), Aleigha Walden and Jessie Clark(softball), Christian Ivey(baseball),  Amaris Tyynismaa, Isabelle Cochran and Zach Kroeger(indoor track).

Amaris Tyynismaa was recognized for her 4th consecutive 4A Cross Country Championship, and her state championships in the 1600M, and 3200M in indoor track.

The 2018 recipient of the Coach Ralph Furlong Scholarship
was D.J. Carter. Pictured with Athletic Director Daniel Veres.
Photo by Total Image

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 given to a high school student who demonstrates a commitment to both extra-curricular and his or her studies. The 2018 recipient of the Coach Ralph Furlong Scholarship was D.J. Carter. The second scholarship given was the Caitlyn Marianne Wiggins '08 Memorial Scholarship, established in December of 2013. A 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. Nona Johnson and Claire Mills both received the Caitlyn Marianne Wiggins '08 Memorial Scholarship presented by Caitlyn's aunt, Andrea Hause Durbin.

Nona Johnson and Claire Mills received the Caitlyn Marianne Wiggins '08 Memorial Scholarship presented by Caitlyn's parents, Jim and Lisa Wiggins, her aunt, Andrea Hause Durbin and grandfather, William Hause, Jr. Photo below 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 BJ Barker, Jessie Clark, Tyler Price, Daniel Reeves, Paige Rentfro and Aleigha Walden. The Montgomery Catholic 2018 Knights of the Round Table are Aleigha Walden, BJ Barker and Jessie Clark (pictured above).

To close the banquet, Deacon Raymond Gueret of Holy Spirit Catholic Church led the parents and guests in a final blessing for all of the senior athletes.