The Fr George Godley Trophy was presented to the male and female athletes that excelled in multiple sports. Kelly Mathews, center, Boston University-bound lacrosse player, earned the women’s award.
Bishop Ireton High School celebrated its 14th annual varsity athletic awards banquet, Wednesday, May 27th at the Hilton Mark Center Hotel in Alexandria. The gala recognized more than 60 athletes, coaches, and supporters of Cardinal athletics over the course of the two and half hour event.
Seniors Kelly Mathews and Ryan Scott were presented the Father George Godley Memorial Trophy, recognizing outstanding performance in multiple varsity sports over the course of the academic year. In the early years of Bishop Ireton, Fr Godley was ubiquitous after school and unwavering in his continuous support of Cardinal athletics and the honor for the multiple-sport athlete bears his name.
Mathews exemplified that spirit, the only athlete in the school year to be selected first-team, all-WCAC in two different varsity sports; field hockey in the fall and also for the nationally-ranked, state-championship lacrosse team in the spring. Likewise, Ryan Scott excelled as a first-time varsity football player before he earned all-league honors while leading the ice hockey Cardinals and swimming on a school record-setting relay team during the winter. He completed an exemplary senior year behind the plate for the baseball team, again leading the Cardinals on the diamond with a .395 batting average and earning first-team, all-WCAC accolades in his final season as a Cardinal.
Jimmy Grant and Charlotte Sofield were honored as the “Cardinals of the Year” by the coaches. Grant ran cross country in the fall and captained the men’s swim and dive team in the winter. He capped off his busy senior year on the lacrosse field for Coach Brandon Rose, as that team’s MVP. Charlotte Sofield, was again a stalwart on the basketball court, providing a physical inside presence for Coach Jason Harris and the 15-win basketball team. But, her first love was in the spring, where the future North Carolina Tar Heel had another superb season, leading the Cardinals with 50 assists and 114 points, earning first-team, all-conference honors for the fourth time and was named the Player of the Year in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association’s (VISAA) Division I.
Women’s basketball coach Jason Harris, in his first campaign leading the Cardinals, was voted as the Coach of the Year by his peers. Without the addition of any star player or reduced competition on the schedule, Harris instilled a new attitude, a new enthusiasm, and a dose of self confidence that led Bishop Ireton to a school-record 15 wins, including four in the ultra-competitive WCAC. The squad advanced to the quarterfinals of the conference tourney, earned a number 4 seed in the VISAA post season, advancing to the semifinals before falling to 9-time state champs, Paul VI. He mentored the Oberlin-bound senior Alex Stipano in her final season, seeing the sharp shooting guard lead the metropolitan area in three-point shooting and becoming the Cardinals first all conference, first team honoree as well as first-team, all state selection.
The Chris Delaware Memorial Assistant Coach of the Year award was presented to a long-time men’s basketball assistant, Cliff Cooks. Coach Cooks is the longest tenured men’s basketball assistant coach and was recognized for tirelessly doing the “little things” that often receive scant notice or acknowledgment. His work in the off season, opening the gym, working with individual players and representing the School in the larger metropolitan area have paid dividends on and off the court for Bishop Ireton.
Bishop Ireton recognized a distinguished alumnus with the Bob Pollard Distinguished Alunni Athlete of the Year. This year’s winner, Mr. Kevin Gaghan, class of 1978, has been a strong supporter of Bishop Ireton wrestling and volleyball. Not only donating thousands of dollars in support of the programs, he has also instructed novice wrestlers, assisted coaches, and aided in wrestling events, he and his brother donated money to purchase a second competition wrestling mat that today bears the “Gaghan Family” name on the mat. The Gaghans have also generously donated to the Bob Pollard Scholarship Fund, which assists deserving student-athletes with financial aid for their attendance at Bishop Ireton.
Annually, the athletic department recognizes the service of one person among many that go the extra distance to assist Cardinal athletics and their athletes. The 2015 service award winner was Mr. John (Jack) Lohrer. Lohrer, with two daughters at the school, has been the “voice” of the Cardinals all year long for live stream broadcasts of home football, men’s and women’s basketball, as well as women’s lacrosse in the spring. As the citation suggested, he endured the summer heat on the roof of the building during football, scrambled to cover basketball through an endless winter, and stood in near solitude on many frigid early spring afternoons to bring the story with the pictures to viewers across the country.
The Father Edward Roszko Spirit Award is presented annually to a Cardinal that promotes spirit within the school community, organizes events, and encourages enthusiastic support of Bishop Ireton teams. Senior Cory Conway epitomized that Cardinal spirit; his positive outlook and constant presence at nearly every varsity game made “Cardinal Crazy” a familiar description for young and old.
Sophia Gull was selected as the Manager of the Year by the varsity coaches. The junior from Alexandria, was in her first year with the wrestling team, under Coach Kwinten Brown. Coach Brown described Gull as a dependable, tireless manager, always there, doing those support jobs that make a coach’s job easier and the athlete’s focus less distracted. Whether keeping statistics or managing equipment, Coach Brown knew Sophie had everything under control.
New to the program this year was the Cardinal Cup. This team award is presented annually to the varsity program that combines success in their own endeavors; rewarding success on the field and in the classroom, with their support of other varsity teams through their attendance at games, home and away, as well as the team’s undertaking of community service. Though the girls’ lacrosse team made a late season run, and the swim and dive team’s Christmas outreach to Bucknell Elementary School put them in the running, it was the boys’ soccer team that grabbed the lead early in the fall and steadfastly continued to be regular sight at games, strong in the academic performance, and extremely competitive on the field. Under Coach Jon Norem, the team snared the inaugural Cardinal Cup for the 2014-15 school year.
Presenting the awards to the winner of these honors as well as the most valuable player and Cardinal awards to each individual varsity sport was Dr. Thomas Curry, head of school, aided by director of athletics, Bill Simmons. The winners of each team’s MVP and Cardinal awards are listed below:
Men’s Cross Country:
MVP – Thomas Ward
Cardinal – Aaron Alt
Women’s Cross Country:
MVP – Maggie Lohrer
Cardinal – Isabelle Wilcox
Football:
MVP – Drew Smith
Cardinal – Andre Robinson, Josh Ammon
Men’s Soccer:
MVP – Nick Ducceschi
Cardinal – Preston Haugh, Josh Esteverz
Women’s Soccer:
MVP – Lilly Weber
Cardinal – Grace Hamilton
Field Hockey:
MVP – Christine Macey
Cardinal – Angela Click
Women’s Tennis:
MVP – Haley Mckeen
Cardinal – Kirsten Parker
Fall Cheerleading:
MVP – Madison Houser
Cardinal – Megan McNutt
Volleyball:
MVP – Stephanie Cabrera
Cardinal – Catie Hoffman
Men’s Basketball:
MVP – Nick Schmelzer
Cardinal – Jamie Pasha
Women’s Basketball:
MVP – Alexandra Stipano
Cardinal – Cecilia Leone
Winter Cheerleading:
MVP – Margaret Casper
Cardinal – Lauren Kennedy
Ice Hockey:
MVP – Ryan Scott
Cardinal – James Wendell Beane
Men’s Swim & Dive:
MVP – AJ Salvatori
Cardinal – Jimmy Grant
Women’s Swim & Dive:
MVP – Emma Klein
Cardinal – Clara Boggs
Wrestling:
MVP – Richard “Trey” Lovisone
Cardinal – Joseph Siedlarz
Baseball:
MVP – Chandler Wilder
Cardinal – Ryan Scott
Men’s Crew:
MVP – Matt Gottlieb
Cardinal – Evan Ferree
Women’s Crew:
MVP – Noelle Chaney
Cardinal – Veronica Richardson
Golf:
MVP – Dominic Wagner
Cardinal – Jake Murray
Men’s Lacrosse:
MVP – Jimmy Grant
Cardinal – Ciaran Lewis
Women’s Lacrosse:
MVP – Natalie Irwin
Cardinal – Kaitlin Luzik
Men’s Tennis:
MVP – Peter Murphy
Cardinal – Dylan Louison
Softball:
MVP – Erin Rockwell
Cardinal – Katie Reilly
Men’s Track & Field:
MVP – Josh Ammon
Cardinal – Owen Beals
Women’s Track & Field:
MVP – Isabelle Wilcox
Cardinal – Genevieve Thanh
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