Wrestling Coach Julio Chacon with Jon DiMola ’07.
News from the
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IN BRIEF: Xavier’s Varsity Rugby Team was proclaimed national champions after winning big in Salt Lake City, Utah, in May… The Robotics Team was stronger than ever this year, taking first and second place in the New York/New Jersey regional championship competition… Members of the X-Squad drill team were treated like royalty as they were hosted by a church group in Tennessee… The 23rd Annual Golf Outing took place on May 22nd, bringing out dozens of alumni and guests for a great day on the links… The Hawaiian Luau themed Volunteer Reception spiced up the month of June as a thank-you to volunteers who generously gave their time to Xavier this year… This year’s Parent’s Gala Fundraiser was themed the “International Market,” and it was an evening of fun, games and prizes for hundreds of guests!...
Up and Away for Wrestler DiMola ’07 New School Record Set In the world of high school wrestling, one of the more impressive milestones a wrestler can reach is to win 100 matches over the course of four years. This level of achievement has been reached only twice before at Xavier, but in early January at the Msgr. Farrell Ironman Tournament, Jonathan DiMola ’07 accomplished this goal, and his achievement was announced publicly at the tournament. Jon, however, had nine more wins to go in order to break the Xavier record of 108, for most wins in a high school career. By early February’s NYCHSAA wrestling championships he had done exactly that by winning match numbers 109, 110 and 111. He also managed to win gold in his weight class of 135 lbs. DiMola’s wrestling talent allowed him to advance to the New York Catholic School state championships, where he entered the tournament as the number one seed from New York City at 135 lbs. He successfully advanced to the semi-finals by beating the number one seed from upstate, and went on to beat Chaminade High School’s best 135 lb. wrestler 5-1. In the finals, Jon faced a Kellenberg Memorial High School wrestler who was the number one seed from Long Island, in a close match that ended in a 7-2 victory for Kellenberg. After his great season, however, it is not surprising that Jon’s silver in the Catholic States, matching silver at the NYC Mayor’s Cup, and thirty-six wins as a senior put him on the recruiting radar of a number of colleges. Jon will attend Pace University in the fall. A number of Xavier teammates also made Catholic States, including Steven Cabrera ’08, Anthony Cerullo ’10, John Fall ’07, Donovan Fuentes ’10, Patrick Erickson ’09, Anthony Giganti ’08, Elliot Ortiz ’07, with Donovan Fuentes taking third and John Fall fourth in their respective weight classes. Donovan, who stepped off the football field in November and onto the wrestling mats for the first time, managed thirty-two wins this year as a freshman! SEPTEMBER 2007
— ALUMNEWS
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