on an early tear, winning six of their eight games before Christmas. In the process, the Lady Knights won two in-season tournaments for the first time in the program’s history. In defeating Queens High School Complex and St. Agnes, the Lady Knights won the championship of the Martin Luther Lady Cougar Invitational for the sixth year in a row. The Lady Knights continued their winning ways after the holidays. January included an exciting one-point win at home against a disciplined Brearley team and an exhilarating and dominating win over Columbia Prep on Sports Night. Keeping their ways in thrilling fashion against LFNY, they scored 7 points in the final 58 seconds to turn a 4-point deficit into a 3-point win. It was the beginning of a stretch that saw the Lady Knights finish the regular season winning 6 of their last 7 games. The Lady Knights’ playoff run started in satisfying fashion with a dominant performance over LFNY in the NYCAL semifinals. But that satisfaction turned to heartbreak when the team suffered an upset loss to Columbia Prep in the finals by a single point. Despite the loss in the playoffs, the Lady Knights earned a number of accolades this season. They won two in-season tournaments. Summer O’Sullivan earned NYCAL First Team AllLeague honors, while Hanna May and Tori-May Della Pace were Second Team All-League. And with only one graduating player, the future only looks bright for the Lady Knights. Coach: Mr. David Palladino Roster: Julia Bonadonna, Kelly Breidenbach, Nora Caliban, Aisling Coffey (Team Manager), Tori May Della Pace, Nina Kelly (Team Manager), Lauryn May, Hanna May, Victoria Montalbano, Summer O’Sullivan, Ana Lucia Parham Santana (Team Manager), Sommer Queally, Joyce Ramirez (Team Manager), Ita Marie Tannian, Willow Thornton, Hannah Valente
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball
Trying out for basketball, many of the girls were anxious. Who was making varsity? Who was making junior varsity? Many who made the team already had experience. Many who made the team had no clue as to what basketball was really like. We were challenged. Basketball was not just a sport, it was a time for strangers to come together as family. Teamwork is what was learned. What was understood was that this sport was going to be difficult. Four months later, and many still have much to learn. But they learned a lot about themselves. No matter how frustrated the team got, they never gave up. Game by game, practice by practice, the girls were always determined to do their best. All in all, JV girls’ basketball worked hard all season. During games, players stayed active and persevered until the end. The girls’ hard work shone through every game they played. They were able to beat Calhoun twice and make it to playoffs. The ladies redefined their basketball skills and became the best players they can be. Coach: Mr. Robert Arbitello Roster: Gabriella Batista, Eleanor Brown, Emma Himes, Marilyn Liriano, Christina Lorenc, YuQing Pan, Angela Rica, Sara Timermans
32 Loyola Magazine Summer 2015
Varsity Boys Track and Field
The season summit occurred at the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) championships, held at Icahn Stadium on May 20. Two Knights, Senior sprinter Giovanni Salerno and Sophomore middle-distance runner Filippo Ravalli, excelled. Their fine performances were hardly surprising, however, as these two were the team’s bedrock throughout the season. Salerno finished ninth place among 36 runners. A week earlier, he claimed a bronze medal at Loyola’s NYCAL championships. Ravalli claimed 15th in a field of 23 at the NYSAIS championships. At the NYCAL championships, Ravalli took fourth place out of 11. A stable of veteran and rookie athletes completed the team. Seniors Henry Schulte and Bobby Schroeder specialized in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. Senior Philip Sivolobov and sophomore Frank Czuchan were the teams’ top long-distance men in the 1600 and 3200 meters. Joining Sivolobov in the long distances was Freshman William Chao. In addition to Sivolobov, other first-time track-and-field Knights who made a mark included Freshman sprinter Ernest Frimpong, Junior middle-distance man Marco Longinotti-Buitoni, and Junior sprinters Chris Campbell and Ericson Hernandez. On May 2, Sivolobov, Chao, and Ravalli competed in the Jesuit Championships at Icahn Stadium, with Ravalli claiming second place in the junior-varsity 400 meters.
Varsity Girls Track and Field
Loyola’s top three girls—junior sprinters Stephanie Anderson and Hannah Valente and senior long-distance specialist Teressa Healy— competed in the Iona Prep and Ursuline 38th Annual Track and Field Invitational on April 6. Anderson was a great asset to the team this year. Loyola’s record holder in the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, and the long jump, Anderson took home three medals at the New York City Athletic League (NYCAL) championships on May 12, for second-place finishes in the long jump and the 200 meters and for third place in the 100 meters. At the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) championships on May 20, Anderson secured sixth place in a field of 26 competing in the long jump. Several other athletes were prominent contributors. Senior Natalia Barragán and Sophomore Arielle Brutus continued to progress in the discus and shot put. Under the tutelage of Coach Jamie Schombs, Barragán now has claim to the school record in the shot put, with a heave of 24 feet, one-half inch. Joining Barragán and Brutus were Sophomores Honor Chotkowski and Zoe Diflo, two fledgling track-and-field athletes who acquitted themselves nicely in the sprints and middle distances. Meanwhile, two other Sophomores reliably answered Coach Kate Gilfillan’s call to fill spots of greatest need: Gaby Batista, a middle-distance specialist, and Sierra Serinese, a long-distance runner. Valente joined Junior Viki Schmidtmayr, Sophomore Sabine Ollivier, and Healy to produce Loyola’s best 4x400-meter performance of the season, at the NYSAIS championships on May 12 at Icahn Stadium. But Healy emphatically placed her signature on these championships, making them her own. Loyola’s long-distance