STAYING CONNECTED...BV ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

As we continue to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Bishop Verot Catholic High School, this year’s alumni gatherings have centered around on-campus events, including the annual Gala. There was a great showing of alumni (as seen in the below picture) and the Vintage Verot theme allowed for many of us to break out the old jerseys and jackets. We are always looking for opportunities to host another alumni gathering – if you or someone you know is interested in hosting or sponsoring our next event, please let us know!

Follow us on Facebook to hear about our future events. We hope you and your family are staying well and hope to see you soon!

Monica (Gargano) Hartman ’08

Skyler Bauer ’08

Passantino has been busy since the end of the 2022 baseball season. Following the regular season, Passantino played winter ball in Puerto Rico, pitching for the Gigantes de Carolina of the Puerto Rican Winter League. He dominated in Puerto Rico, allowing just one run in 12 appearances. In the spring, he was selected as a representative for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic.

Ward was selected with the first overall pick of the 2023 MLB Rule 5 Draft, placing Ward on the 40-man roster of the Washington Nationals. Ward then made the MLB roster of the Nationals out of spring training, ensuring his MLB debut in either March or April. Upon making his MLB debut, Ward will become the fourth Viking to play in the Major Leagues, joining Daniel Vogelbach, Chris Johnson, and Adam Piatt.

Filla’s final year of college softball has been a successful one. Through the first 36 games of FGCU’s season, Filla has been the Eagles’ unquestioned offensive leader. The graduate student leads FGCU with 37 hits, 14 extra-base hits, and 25 runs batted in as of press time. She was named the A-Sun Player of the Week in March, following a week where she had ten hits and helped FGCU to a 5-1 record.

Mera was a major part of Samford’s defense as a senior, leading one of the nation’s top NCAA Division I FCS programs. Mera logged 25 tackles over 13 games, a total that included five tackles for loss and four sacks. Samford’s only regular season loss came to national champion Georgia, and the Bulldogs won the Southern Conference championship and advanced to the FCS national quarterfinals.

The former two-way Verot star was a defensive standout at Tusculum, who ranked as one of the top teams in their region in NCAA Division II. Mira played all eleven games for the Pioneers, finishing the season with 34 total tackles. His best game of the season came against UVA Wise, where he finished with eight tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, and a blocked field goal that preserved a Tusculum win.

Prior to the 2022-23 season, Shepherd transferred to Mississippi University, where he plays for former Verot assistant coach Dean Burrows. Shepherd was one of only two players on the roster to start every game for the Owls, who qualified for the national tournament at the USCAA level. Shepherd averaged 7.8 points per game for the Owls, including a season-high 18 points against Pensacola Christian.

Kearns has been a mainstay in the lineup since his arrival in Saint Petersburg, and he has been one of Eckerd’s top players during his junior season. As of press time, Kearns held a 7-4 singles record, including two wins at the number two spot in the Tritons’ lineup. He has also been a successful doubles player, teaming with partner Jon William Karlstad to hold an 8-3 record as of mid-March.

Insolia has been a top player on both sides of the field for the Sailfish during his junior season. In the first eight games of the season, the attacker is the only player on PBA’s roster to score five goals and cause five turnovers on the season. Insolia has scored a goal in six of PBA’s first eight games, scoring multiple goals in contests against Flagler, Barton, and Colorado Mesa.

Cranfield continued to be a valuable part of the swim program in his second year at the United States Naval Academy. Cranfield placed on the podium at the Patriot League Championships for the second year in a row, placing third in the 200 yard freestyle. Cranfield, qualified for the finals with season best times in the 200 and 500 yard freestyle swims.

Gargiula made an immediate impact in her first season of college soccer, playing in all 20 matches for an FGCU team that won the A-Sun championship and qualified for the NCAA Tournament. Gargiula spent more than 600 minutes on the field as a freshman, and scored her first career goal in a win over North Florida. Her biggest moment of the season came in the A-Sun championship match, where she assisted on the game-tying goal in the 85th minute of a match FGCU would eventually win in penalty kicks. BV