


Welcome to 2024-2025 in Pace Academy Athletics! We’re coming off of a year in which our varsity volleyball team earned its seventh consecutive Georgia High School Association (GHSA) state title, and the girls cross-country team extended its state-championship streak to four. Our student-athletes won individual medals; local, regional and national accolades; and academic honors. Seventeen members of the Class of 2024 are now representing Pace as college athletes. This season promises more of the same.
Student-athletes across the 26 teams are sporting Pace jerseys this fall. You’ll find them in the pool, on the trails and the turf, on the diamond and the court, and even online. When all is said and done, they will have amassed an impressive collection of hardware. But more important than the trophies and titles they earn will be the life skills that they have learned through athletics. My hope is that all of our student-athletes—at all levels of competition— win the respect of their teammates, coaches, opponents and fans. More than victories and losses, I hope they remember the lessons of perseverance, resilience, humility, kindness and courage.
As we embark on another year, I want to express my gratitude to Director of Athletics Chad Wabrek and his team for their leadership. I also want to call attention to each and every member of our facilities team for making Pace Athletics possible, and I want to thank our coaches and parent volunteers for their gifts of time, talent and treasure.
Finally, I am grateful to the Pace Academy Booster Club and its enthusiastic leaders. Through fundraising and community-building efforts, the Booster Club spreads Pace spirit, sustains our athletics facilities, supports our coaches and ensures that Pace Knights continue to strive for excellence on and off the field.
Thank you for your support of Pace Athletics!
Fred Assaf Head of School
Dear Knights Fans,
As we kick off the 2024-2025 school year, I want to reiterate my true admiration and appreciation for everything our families do to represent Pace Academy through our athletics program.
Working with student-athletes and coaches every day is both rewarding and satisfying. Representing Pace means more than simply wearing a jersey, sporting team gear or reading your name on a website; it must be a commitment to do what is right at all times and to live with a sense of school pride. When people ask me what we prioritize in the Office of Athletics, my answer is simple and direct: every day should be viewed as a new opportunity and approached with honor in pursuit of excellence.
Ongoing partnership is the root of our collective success. As you flip through this program, you will witness the repeated work of some very committed Booster Club volunteers— without them, what you see and read here are simply ideas. You will also recognize the commitment of many loyal sponsors, all of whom provide ongoing helpful and needed support. I am so proud of what this program says about our student-athletes, our coaches, our Booster Club, our department and the Pace community as a whole. We strive for excellence in everything we do here at Pace, and GameKnight is no different.
We are proud of our collective ability to provide our student-athletes with the resources necessary to facilitate valuable co-curricular experiences through athletics. Our accolades and competitive successes are the result of a great process, and there are many people to thank in this regard. Ultimately, none of this would be possible without teamwork, because teamwork is what makes the dream work. It’s what allows our students to dream—and dream big.
Thank you for being part of our team. Go Knights!
Chad Wabrek Director of Athletics
Girls Cross Country Volleyball
Girls Cross Country
>Zahara Bernal
Girls Track & Field
>Zahara Bernal (3200 meters)
>Caroline Hood (1600 meters)
>Harriet Blaha, Zahara Bernal, Caroline Hood, Olivia Resnick (4x800 Relay)
John Ague, Water Polo
Jolie Cunningham, Girls Cross Country
Ty Johnson, Flag Football
Cat Monroe, Volleyball
Sharman White, Boys Basketball
Baseball: 3rd Place Region, 4A State Playoffs
Boys Basketball: Region Runner-up/4A State Sweet 16
Girls Basketball: 4A State Playoffs
Boys Cross Country: Region Champion, 4th Place 4A State
Girls Cross Country: Region Champion, 4A State Champion
eSports: First Round of Playoffs
Flag Football: Area Champion
Football: 4th Place Region
Boys Golf: 9th Place in Area Tournament
Girls Golf: 5th Place in Area Tournament
Gymnastics: Ranked 5th in 1A-5A
Boys Lacrosse: 4A State Elite 8
Girls Lacrosse: 4A State Elite 8
Boys Soccer: Region Champion, 4A State Playoffs
Girls Soccer: Region Runner-up, 4A State Sweet 16
Softball: 4th Place Region
Boys Swimming: 13th Place 4-5A State Championships
Girls Swimming: 25th Place 4-5A State Championships
Boys Tennis: Region Champion, 4A State Runner-up
Girls Tennis: Region Champion, 4A State Runner-up
Volleyball: Region Champion, 4A State Champion
Water Polo: 7th Place Championship Division
40 Career Touchdowns
Flag Football:
>Harper Auchincloss: Most Passing Yards in a Season (3,005), Most Rushing TDs in a Season (16), Most Rushing Yards in a Season (1,010), Most Passing TDs in a Season (58), Best Completion Rating in a Game (100%), Most Rushing TDs in a Game (3), Most Passing TDs in a Game (5)
>Erielle Harris: Most PBUs in a game (5)
>Ansli Hennings: Most INTs in a Season (11), Most PATs in a Season (11)
>Katelyn Souza: Most Catches in a Season (60), Most Flag Pulls in a Season (75), Most Reception Yards in a Season (1,000), Most TDs in a Season (22), Most INTs in a Game (4) (tied), Most Reception Yards in a Game (140), Most TDs in a Game (4)
>Sydney Vincent: Most INTs in a Game (4) (tied)
Football: Terrence Kiel II (40 Career TDs)
Girls Lacrosse:
>Sydney Vincent: Career Goal Record (244), Career Point Record (300)
>Wells Howe: Career Assist Record (133)
>Emery Duncan: Single Game Draw Control Record (20), Single Season Draw Control Record (204), Career Draw Control Record (481)
Boys Track & Field:
>4x200 relay: TJ Boakye, Kai Cotton, Michael Memar, Dylan Popo (1:35.02)
>4x800 relay: Zach Blackwood, Iliyan Hajiani, Jake Jones, Matthew Wells (8:05.62)
Baseball: First Team - Terrence Kiel II
Boys Cross Country: Iliyan Hajiani, Matthew Wells
Girls Cross Country: Zahara Bernal, Harriet Blaha, Caroline Hood, Olivia Resnick
Boys Lacrosse: First Team - Grant Chase, Honorable Mention - Alex Trujillo
Girls Lacrosse: First Team - Emery Duncan, Wells Howe, Eva Swales, Rebecca Thompson, Sydney Vincent
Softball: Second Team - Kate Grice
Girls Soccer: First Team - Lexi Goodman
Boys Swimming: Lane Canova (50 Freestyle)
Volleyball: Grace Agolli, Gabby Emch, Lawson Monroe, Ellie Siskin, Olivia Siskin
Water Polo: Second Team - Henry Bryan
Volleyball: Grace Agolli
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
1974, 1975, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1994, 2021
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
1977, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2004, 2013, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
GYMNASTICS 2023
FOOTBALL
BOYS SOCCER
1973, 1974, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1986, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2021, 2022
GIRLS SOCCER
1987, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2014
BASEBALL
1993, 1994, 1995
BOYS BASKETBALL
2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2023
GIRLS SWIMMING
2001, 2016
BOYS TRACK & FIELD
1972, 2021, 2022
GIRLS TRACK & FIELD
BOYS TENNIS
1979, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1993, 1994, 2002, 2019, 2022
GIRLS TENNIS
1979, 1980, 1983, 2001, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
VOLLEYBALL
2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
The Booster Club is a volunteer, parent-driven organization that raises funds through memberships, sponsorships, and fundraising events to support and enhance Pace Academy Athletics for all Pace student-athletes. We commit resources across Pace—from Lower School to Upper School—and include all club, Middle School, junior varsity and varsity teams in our efforts. In addition, the Booster Club seeks to bolster school spirit and encourage the Pace community to attend sporting events and cheer on our talented, hard-working student-athletes.
This past year, through your support, the Booster Club provided more than $130K in funding for nearly 40 initiatives, including notable additions such as:
• Record boards for the natatorium
• Banners at Riverview Sports Complex highlighting student-athletes
• A sound system for the gymnastics, wrestling and cheerleading room
• A digital score table computer for the Inman Center
• An NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations) camera for Boyd Gym
• Roster boards at the Riverview Sports Complex
• Revive M4 mobile compression recovery technology units
• Lower School recess equipment
• Spirit-focused efforts such as free student admission to games, state-championship T-shirts and state-championship rings
These contributions are only possible with the backing of our Pace families and community, which we sincerely appreciate. Please consider joining the Booster Club for the 2024-25 school year and come join us this year in the bleachers and stands.
Go Knights!
Ashley and David Grice
2024-2025 Booster Club Presidents
Become a member!
Join today at www.PaceAcademy.org/BoosterClub
Presidents - Ashley and David Grice
Vice Presidents (‘25-’26 Presidents) - Lisa and Tim Lemke
Immediate Past Presidents - Whitney and Ryan Paulowsky
Secretary - Sara Blackwood
Treasurer(s) - Buddy Blaha and Neil Nag
Membership - Aisha Parker, Marissa Share, and Katie Thomas
GameKnight Magazine - Evin Hirsh, Kim Nuckols, Kim Swartz, and Amber York
Banners and Signs - Dea Canova, Jane Hardesty, and Laurie Mallis
Special Projects and Digital Adoption - Maurice Blackwood
Golf Tournament - Sarah Lynch
Queens of the Court - Lisa Lemke
Middle School Liaison - Frank Trujillo
Lower School Liaison - Jay Caiafa
Director of Athletics - Chad Wabrek
Community Engagement Manager - Caroline Todd
Members as of September 10, 2024
Kavita Kotte and Samir Bhatia
Sara and Steven Blackwood
Meredith and Jay Caiafa
Dea and Brian Canova
Lydia Josephs and Brian Corbett
Allison and Pete Davis
Shannon and Tom Dempsey
Lauren Lorberbaum and Sean Donohue
Laurice Drews and Rod Drews ‘00
Julie and David Frushtick
Ashley and David Grice
Jane and Derek Hardesty
Kristi and Brent Hastie
Kristen Lee Barnett ’94 and Keith Barnett
Anne and Will Barnette
Genie and Todd Beaver
Karina Khouri Belinfante ’95 and Josh Belinfante ’95
Mara and Justin Berman
Theolyn and Maurice Blackwood
Pavna and Barun Brahma
Delece and Todd Brooks
Amy Brumfield
Melissa and Mark Bryson
Jenn and Frank Buonanotte
Anne and Jeb Butler
Evan and Scott Cline
Stacy and Ken Crumley
Mary Alicia and Steven DeFrancis
Julie and Jim Elgar
Ruth and Ed Elkins
Tiffany and Danny Ferry
Meredith Winitt Forrester ’95 and Jeremy Forrester
Annie Richardson Goode ’98 and Jason Goode
Amber and Peter Almond
Jenny and Todd Beauchamp
Carrie and Eric Brune
Dorsey and Austin Bryan
Rebecca and Tom Buehler
Cally and David Bybee
Kim and John Chenevey
Jennifer and Brandon Hayes
Mary and Ed Holmes
Terri and Dan Janki
John Keller
Melissa and Josh Krentzman
Cassie Davis and Christopher Kung
Kiersten and Chris Leach
Cara Isdell Lee ‘97 and Zak Lee
Lisa and Tim Lemke
Sarah and Rob Lynch
Laurie and Hampton Mallis
McGuireWoods LLP
Kiery Braithwaite ’90 and Matt Grabowski
Kim and Wayne Grant
Julianne Belaga and Eric Hade
Parkey and Dan Haggman
Abby Disend Hall and Jason Hall
Kristin and Matt Hanna
Ashley and James Heintz
Erin and John Heyman
Paige and Charles Honeycutt
Jen and Christopher Hurd
Kate and Brian Jaspon
Vidhi Shah and Joel Johnson
Kim and Adam Jones
Susie and Chuck Jordan
Sarah and Tyler Kenning
Heather and David Kochamba
Heather and Andrew Litvak
Jill and Mark Luber
Becky and Ken Mautner
Austin McDonald ‘97
Catherine and Ted McMullan
Andrea Miller and Chip Miller ’85
Caren and Michael Merlin
New York Prime
Kim and Hal Nuckols
Whitney and Ryan Paulowsky
Christy and Wes Rogers
Keri and Jim Roth
Michelle and Sandeep Soni
Cote and Marc Spiegel
Heather and Chris Spires
Sutton Law Group
Natasha and Christopher Swann
Lori and Jim Welch
Julie and Yasir Mirza
Nabanita and Neil Nag
Hilary and Stuart Nelson
Jennifer and Tim O’Leary
Aisha and Marcellus Parker
Ellen Turner and Carson Pilcher
Holly and Palmer Proctor
Wendy and Jonathan Reiss
Alli and Matthew Richardson
Vickie and Louis Schwartz
Yusong and Kraig Seichrist
Jennifer and Eric Sender
Natalie and Paul Shea
Mindi and Pete Shelton
Sarah and David Sirzyk
Lori Bibb and David Smith
Kim and Jonathan Swartz
Mimi and Andrew Thompson
Katie and Ricks Tucker
Stephanie and Patrick Warren
Lindley and Jeff Webb
Christine Zinman
Marisa and David Chin Yee
Jodi Chitwood and Bryan Chitwood ’93
Kim Cochran
Mary Susan and Scott Costanzo
Tricia Kinney and Gardner
Culpepper
Sarah and Sham Cyrus
Cindy and Craig Davis
Anh and Patrick DeLeon
Rachel Derr and Neal Dickert
Kara and Anand Dutta
Sharon Rim and David Emch
Charnette Fletcher
Julie and Ryan Flynn
Dana Feinstein ’97 and Craig Friedman
Courtenay and Chris Gabriel
Lesli and Ronald Gaither
Jodi and Adam Ganz
Rebecca Ganz and Jonathan Ganz ’93
Keryl and Anthony Gasque
Niki and Chris Gerhard
Shonnta and Mark Glover
Molly and Harold Goings
Julie and Seth Goldstrom
Emily and Noah Graubart
Kimberly Loeb Grossman and Robert Grossman
Becky and Aaron Gunn
Lee Ann and Doug Hantula
Betsy Hasson and Keith Hasson ’90
Chaffee Braithwaite Heilman ’95 and Dave Heilman
Kristi and Robert Highsmith
Jane and Phillip Hight
Amy Napier Hofstetter ’92 and Denis Hofstetter
Angie and Clay Howell
Julia and Dan Kaufman
Alissa Schor and Daniel Kedme
Elenore and Rob Klingler
Kate Iannuzzi and Matthew Krull
Elisha and John Alden
Jamie and Lance Allen
Alisa Alloy and Jason Alloy ’95
Vicki and Erik Anderson
Madeline and Noah Bader
Rachel and Mark Bickenbach
Valentina Cisnetto-Brauch and Andreas Brauch
Alexandra Fynke and Joel Browning
Tiffany and Joe Burns
Alpa and Kapil Chandra
Danielle and David Coe
Chelsea and Kyle Dennis
Melody and Charles Ebersol
Michelle and James Edwards
Sarah Ficke and Brooks Ficke ’03
Megan Fox Ford ’01 and William Ford
Heather Friedman and Elliott Friedman ‘96
Fangxi Lin and Chen Gao
Amy and Louis Lettes
Dana and Marlon Lloyd
Julie and Stan Logan
Erin and Kyle Long
Angie and Joe McCollum
Colleen and Chris McDaid
Stephanie Becket McDonald
Katherine and Gregory Mitchell
Shivani and Krishna Mukkamala
Henri and Cory Muller
Ann McLean Nagle ’87 and Tripp Nagle
Stephanie and Mitch Nelson
Debbie Cazan and Drew Niess
Christina and Erik Nordin
Beth and Benjamin Nowak
Lauren and Mike Park
Sneha Desai and Tarak Patel
McCree O’Kelly and Seth Persily
Nicole and James Peterson
Carrie Poline and David Poline ’94
Jill and Derek Pollard
Ginger Fay and Ken Rona
Dayna and Jeremy Royal
Talia and Adam Rykowski
Molly and Brian Sappington
Margaret and Blake Head
Emily and Michael Hertz
Mary and Andrew Hirsekorn
Kimberly Tucker Hooper ’97 and Brian Hooper
Hanan and Samir Idris
Caitlin Goodrich Jones ’00 and Wes Jones
Katherine and Mike Jones
Ali and Andrew Labovitz
Shannen and Zachary Levin
Andria and Rob Loftis
Julie and Dan Lowrie
Kathleen Crim and Brian Lu
Lanie and Sanjay Masilamani
Michelle and Louis Matthews
Laura and Nick Miller
Renee Crosby-Myles and Zachary Myles
Hallie and Yogesh Sapre
Mary and William Schoeffler
Jing Wang and Nong Shang
Marissa and Paul Share
Sarah McGovern Silver ’92 and Joey Silver
Lisa and Josh Silverboard
Meredith Bailey Simmons ‘01 and McKittrick Simmons Jr. ‘94
Winnie and Brendan Smith
Powlimi and Vipul Soni
Tanja and Robert Sorrentino
Marthe Souza
Kate and David Stern
Julie and Huston Stewart
Katie and Tony Sundermeier
Andrea and Lanier Thomas
Liles and Charlie Thompson
Allison and Brian Timberlake
Brynn and Andy Travis
Amy and Frank Trujillo
Emily and James Washburn
Katie and Scott Weaver
Alison and Josh Williams
Liz and JR Wright
Amber and Chris York
Ann Igbre Olufade and Alfy Olufade
Jennifer and Jonathan Palmer
Emily and Justin Patteson
Kate and Matt Prince
Jill and Nicholas Roecker
Rebecca and Jamie Russell
Liz Hurst Ruth and Brent Ruth
Jess and Seth Sabbath
Whitney and Rob Sherry
Jade and Cleo Stafford
Laura and Logan Stevens
Lauren and RJ Stuart
Katie and Josh Thomas
Elizabeth and Garrett Thompson
*Booster Club and Arts Alliance
Combination Members
Not Picured:
Kai Cotton - Football
Campbell Highsmith - Cross Country
Helena Levings - Cross Country
Livie Lynch - Softball
Cooper Williams - Football
On our main campus, facilities include the Inman Center gymnasium, Boyd Gym, a natatorium, an indoor jogging and walking track, a facility for gymnastics, cheerleading and wrestling, a soccer and lacrosse field, four tennis courts, a practice field, and a fitness and wellness center.
Our Riverview Sports Complex, located six miles from campus, houses a multipurpose field for football, soccer, and lacrosse; baseball and softball facilities; and Walsh Field, a stadium and track.
Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., Nick Bach joined the Pace Office of Athletics as head football coach and game day administrator in 2022. Previously, Nick spent four years at Gilman School in Baltimore, where he served as head football coach, history teacher and academic coordinator. Nick’s coaching experience also includes three years at Mountain View High School, where he was named Region 6-7A Head Coach of the Year and Gwinnett County Head Coach of the Year. Stints on the coaching staffs at the University of Buffalo, East Stroudsburg University, Otterbein University and Johns Hopkins University round out his resume.
After graduating from State University College of Buffalo, Nick received a Master’s degree from Otterbein University and an Education Specialist degree in Health and Kinesiology from Valdosta State University.
“I believe that football should provide a meaningful educational experience and a fun environment for our student-athletes,” says Bach. “Players should strive to have a positive impact on campus and in the greater community, and should represent the school with pride, class and distinction.”
Tres Houston, Tony Jones, Gary Wilkins, Nick Bach, Tim Coleman, Brian Miller, Kevin Johnson, Patrick Markwalter
Not Pictured: Jazz Burns, Mark Sommerville II, Derrick Tatum
Each summer, our high school student-athletes from all sports spend countless hours in the weight room and complete multiple grueling conditioning sessions to get in top physical condition for the upcoming season. Ultimately, our athletes participate in a comprehensive battery of tests to determine their level of physical preparedness, mental toughness and overall athleticism.
The fitness assessment is very demanding and consists of a series of tests designed to measure each athlete’s strength, speed, agility, mobility, and endurance. Records are kept on each player from the time they begin testing in their 9th grade season so that coaches, parents and players can observe their improvement.
Jordan Leet graduated from Mercer University in 2022 with her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and her minor in Global Health. At Mercer, Jordan was a D1 collegiate athlete on the school’s Cheerleading Team, cheering for both the football and basketball teams, as well as traveling to nationals to compete for the school. She cheered for 7 years and prior to Mercer, was a state champion in 2018 with Milton High School. She is now pursuing her Master’s in Educational Psychology and is a First Grade Homeroom Teacher at the Lower School. This is her second year as Head Coach for Pace Cheerleading and her third year with the team. Her main goal is to give her athletes a positive environment while also pushing them to learn and grow on and off the mat.
Jordan Leet, Katrina Molkie
Not Pictured: Maya Jones, Kim Martin
Scott McEwan, Catherine Monroe, Devyn Guarracino
8/16 Chamblee Away
8/23 Westminster Away
9/6 Lovett Home
9/13 Mays Home
9/20 Martin Luther King Away
9/27 Charles R. Drew Away
10/4 Creekside Home
10/10 Midtown Home
10/25 Forest Park Home
11/1 Maynard Jackson Home
8/17 Fleet Feet Cherokee County Classic Boling Park
8/24 Bob Blastow McIntosh Preserve
9/7 Carrollton Invitational Carrollton Elementary
9/14 Warpath Boling Park
9/21 Wingfoot Invitational Sam Smith Park
10/5 Asics Invitational Chattahoochee Hills
10/19 Coach Wood Invitational McIntosh Nature Preserve
8/5 Lakeside Away
8/9 Back to School Bash (Cass, Walker & Lanier) Hamilton Crossing Park
8/12 Pope Home
8/19 Creekside Home
8/20 Mays Home
8/22 Forest Park Away
8/23 Buc Bash Tourn. (Kennesaw Mt) East Paulding Middle
8/24 Buc Bash Tourn. (Harrison & East Paulding) East Paulding Middle
8/27 Martin Luther King Away
8/28 Mt. Vernon Presbyterian Home
8/29 Maynard Jackson Away
9/3 Midtown Home
9/4 Charles R. Drew Away
9/9 Holy Innocents’ Home
9/10 Creekside Away
9/12 Mays Away
9/17 Forest Park Home
9/18 Lovett Home
9/19 Martin Luther King Home
9/23 North Atlanta Home
9/24 Maynard Jackson Home
9/26 Midtown Away
9/30 Westminster Away
10/1 Charles R. Drew Home
10/9 Decatur Home
8/13 Providence Christian Away
8/13 Wesleyan Away
8/15 Mount Pisgah Christian Home
8/15 McIntosh Home
8/17 All City Tournament South Forsyth
8/20 Westlake Home
8/20 Centennial Home
8/22 North Atlanta Away
8/22 Sandy Creek Away
8/27 Pope Away
8/30 Tournament of Champions Gainesville, FL
8/31 Tournament of Champions Gainesville, FL
9/4 Maynard Jackson Away
9/7 Tournament of Champions Guntersville, AL
9/8 Tournament of Champions Guntersville, AL
9/10 Creekside Home
9/10 Martin Luther King Home
9/12 Holy Innocents’ Home
9/12 Druid Hills Home
9/17 Drew Charter Away
9/17 Forest Park Away
9/19 Mount Paran Christian Away
9/19 North Cobb Away
9/24 Midtown Home
9/24 Mays Home
9/26 Woodward Home
9/26 St. Francis Home
9/28 GVCA Tournament Home
10/1 Mt. Vernon Presbyterian Away
10/1 Weber School Away
8/3 Eagles A & Wildcat A Cumming Aquatic Center
8/24 Wildcat B, Wildcat A, & Spartans Cherokee Aquatics Center
8/25 Wildcat A Cherokee Aquatics Center
9/7 War Eagle & Norcross Dynamo Chamblee
9/8 Eagles A & War Eagle Dynamo Chamblee
9/15 Wildcat B Cumming Aquatic Center
9/21 Eagles A Cumming Aquatic Center
9/22 Spartans & Norcross Cumming Aquatic Center
9/7 Walter B. Williams Park
9/22 Allatoona Creek Park
10/6 Dauset Trails Nature Center
10/19 Yonah Preserve
10/26 Kingston Downs
10/27 Kingston Downs
Andrew Jenkins
Class of 2019 | Baseball Detroit Tigers
Andrew Thomas
Class of 2017 | Football New York Giants
Jamaree Salyer
Class of 2018 | Football Los Angeles Chargers
Samuel Sloman
Class of 2016 | Football Vegas Vipers
Carter Jr. Class of 2017 | Basketball Orlando Magic
Kenny Selmon
Class of 2014| Track & Field Team USA 2021
Class of 2024 | Volleyball University of California at Berkeley
Class of 2024 | Baseball Piedmont University
| Football
Class of 2017 | Football Indianapolis Colts
Terrence Kiel Class of 2024 | Baseball
Steve Cunningham joined Pace Academy straight out of graduate school in 1981. He had been an assistant men’s gymnastics coach for more than two years and taught subjects ranging from Kinesiology to Gymnastics Fundamentals. Since coming to Pace, he has been recognized as Coach of the Year multiple times by both the Atlanta Track Club and GHSA for both girls and boys cross country. Steve enjoys running, dirt biking, and fishing. Steve, wife Jolie (who teaches at Pace), and daughter Callie, Pace Class of 2014, have two dogs, a cat and a horse.
Before becoming part of the Pace faculty in 1991, Jolie Cunningham taught physical education for two years in Carroll County. Jolie ran cross country and indoor and outdoor track on scholarship at the University of Georgia. She has been Region Coach of the Year several times, including in 2023. Jolie loves doing “anything with my daughter, as well as running, reading, fishing, camping and traveling with my family.”
An experienced educator with more than 18 years of coaching experience, Cat Monroe came to Pace in 2022 from The Westminster Schools, where she served for four years as Upper School coordinator of academic support, learning specialist and head volleyball coach. Cat, who was named Coach of the Year in 2020, currently serves as the president of the Georgia Volleyball Coaches Association.
A graduate of Southwestern University with a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Communication, Cat holds Master’s degrees in Special Education and Educational Leadership from Drexel University and teaching certifications in Biology and Special Education general curriculum. Her resume also includes seven years as the head volleyball coach at the American School of the Hague in the Netherlands, where she won four international championships, and three years coaching at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas.
Cat sees her position at Pace as “an invaluable opportunity to be involved in and support the development of a range of student-athletes at a well-renowned school with an overall robust and strong athletics program.” She cites her proudest accomplishments as a coach as “those moments where players attain individual and team goals through consistent hard work, overcoming adversity and unwavering commitment. Pace volleyball is an established program that has achieved many accolades, and my hope is to continue its powerhouse legacy while developing well-rounded student-athletes.”
Devyn Guarracino, Catherine Monroe, Scott McEwan
Applerouth is proud to support Pace Athletics.
As an Atlanta-based test prep and tutoring company, we support the growth and development of all students.
KAYLA
Head Softball Coach
Kayla Cato, an Atlanta native and multi-sport athlete, attended Druid Hills High School where she lettered in softball and basketball. Earning her Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from Claflin University and her Master’s degree in Sport Administration from Georgia State University, she leverages her ability to succeed in sports and people relations. Kayla has played softball for 16 years; she is also a former AllAmerican collegiate and professional softball player. Currently a player development hitting coach, Director of the ATL Patriots softball program at NYO, and full-time certified personal fitness trainer, Kayla continues to be indebted to the game, motivating and teaching young athletes.
• Caregiving by Certified Nursing Assistants experienced with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Cancer, Diabetes and Depression
•
Founders: Bill Falconer, David Ingram and Bill Izlar Offices: Atlanta, Athens, Chattanooga
“My goal for students is that they find an expressive outlet and the joy that comes with creating,” says Upper School ceramics teacher Ty Nicholson. A native of Blythe, California, Ty grew up on his family’s alfalfa farm and spent his childhood and teenage years racing motocross, tinkering on engines, swimming and skiing in the Colorado River, working the farm with his grandfather and uncle, and raising steer as part of the Future Farmers of America program. After graduating from high school in 2001, Ty joined the U.S. Army as an artilleryman. He gained the rank of Sergeant and is a combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom II–deploying with the 1st Cavalry Division to Baghdad, Iraq. He attended The University of West Florida, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art, and went on to earn his Master of Fine Art in Studio Art with a concentration in Ceramics at Georgia State University. His background in motocross racing and mechanics informs his coaching of Pace’s mountain bike club team.
Ty joined the Upper School faculty in 2022, one year after his wife, Rachel Nicholson, began teaching visual art in the Pace Lower School. Ty says, “I get to come to work every day with my best friend (my wife), doing what I love, surrounded by eager learners, and stellar faculty and leadership–so I would say I’m an incredibly lucky individual.” When not covered in clay and making artwork, Ty enjoys spending his free time with his family, tinkering with anything that is broken, fly fishing, cooking, and forever mowing the lawn. He has two sons, Rowdy and Boone.
Pace welcomed John Ague to the physical education faculty in 1998. John is an experienced independent school teacher who has taught and coached in six states including The Carnegie Hill School in New York, The Wardlaw-Hartridge School in New Jersey, and St. Martin’s Episcopal School in New Orleans, LA. John graduated from Mount Union College with a Bachelor of Arts in Health and Physical Education. His resume lists many coaching achievements, including state championship teams, both girls and boys, as well as many other levels of successful seasons. He is a certified water safety and lifeguard training instructor and has served as a board member of the American Red Cross. In addition to his expertise in the pool, John has also coached strong soccer teams that were state contenders, and holds a National Soccer Coaches Association of America Diploma. He is a certified personal trainer. He belongs to the American, College, and National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Associations, USA Swimming, and National Soccer Coaches Association. John and his wife, Holly, have five children.
Chase Winter, John Ague, Celeste Arellano
The GameKnight is a publication highlighting our Pace Academy studentathletes, our coaches, our teams, and our local businesses.
The GameKnight is published three seasons during each school year by the Pace Academy Booster Club, both to highlight the school’s athletics programs, and to be a keepsake for our studentathletes representative of their hard work and dedication.
American Spirit Works Distillery (ASW)
Applerouth Tutoring Services
Atlanta Orthodontic Specialists
Baker Hostetler LLP
Page 68
Page 59
Inside Front Cover
Page 68
Beery Cummings Group Ansley Real Estate Back Cover
Bennett Thrasher
Page 19
Beth Bristow Tutorial Services Inside Back Cover
Boutte Tree, Inc Page 53
Canterbury Press Page 79
Chick-Fil-A West Paces Ferry Page 59
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Page 7
Kapp Koncepts Page 79
Live Oak Caregivers Page 65
Lucy’s Market Page 75
Metro Atlanta Ambulance Service
Miller Brothers
Page 68
Page 23
New York Prime Page 77
Oral Surgery Specialists of Atlanta Page 22
Paces Ferry Amoco
Park Tavern
Peachtree Equipment
Peachtree Smile Center
Page 78
Page 77
Page 31
Page 2
Pero’s Pizza Page 53
SimplyPut Paper and Gift Page 65
Stellar Bodies Page 39
The Works Page 18
Tommy’s Barber Shop Page 30
Universal Tennis Academy Page 77
Unsukay Restaurants Page 78
West Stride Page 78
Willy’s Mexicana Grill, Inc. Page 65
Senior Cross Country
Page 52
Senior Football Cheerleaders ________________Page 33
Senior Softball Page 64
Senior Water Polo
Senior Zahara Bernal
Page 76
Page 53