Junior Rugby Player Featured in Cleveland magazine Junior Rachael Kean, a member of the SJA Rugby team since her freshmen year, was chosen to play this past summer on Ohio Elite Girl’s U19 Rugby Team. This honor also earned her a mention in the September issue of Cleveland magazine. Rachael earned a Varsity spot on SJA’s team her freshman year and has helped the team win two straight state titles (SJA has earned four state titles in five years). The experience also was a factor in landing her a spot on the Ohio Elite Girl’s U19 Rugby Team, which finished third in the Midwest Championship Tournament and fourth at the Challenge Cup in Pennsylvania over the summer. As Rachael said in the magazine article, playing rugby “was a little intimidating at first, but my coach (Head Coach Jaime Cleary) made sure I knew that age doesn’t matter. It’s all about whether you have the skills.”
Swim Team Members Used Their Talents to Benefit Transplant House Senior Kiera Grady, a member of the SJA Swim Team, saw a need and decided to take action. Kiera organized a “Laps 4 Life” fundraiser in October to benefit Transplant House of Cleveland, a non-profit organization that provides temporary, affordable housing in a home-like environment for organ transplant patients and their families while they visit Cleveland for medical care. “We raised more than $1,600 for Transplant House in just two hours!” shared Kiera. “For my Junior Shadowing project, I worked with Mrs. Debbie Berry, an Urban Planner in University Circle. During this experience, I met many amazing people, all trying to make Cleveland a better place. One meeting was with the director of Elaine Turley, a Transplant House board member, and Kiera Grady ‘15 the Transplant House of Cleveland. She discussed the costly renovation of a University Circle home into apartments. Presently half of these apartments are rented by the out-of-town transplant patients. I thought it would be helpful to hold a fundraiser in the form of a swima-thon to benefit these patients, with the proceeds assisting in the cost of their posttransplant stay,” said Kiera. “I am so happy we could use our talents for such a good cause” added Rachel Strick ’17 who participated in the fundraiser.
Crew Christens New Boat Although their season starts in the Spring, the Varsity 4+ (Kerry Jamieson ’15, Sarah Johanek ’15, Molly Miller ’17, Julia Herrel ’15, and coxswain Mackenzie Schoenherr ’15) qualified for the largest regatta in the world, the Head of the Charles Regatta, held in Boston, Mass. Held on October 19, the regatta attracted 11,000
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Saint Joseph Academy UPDATE
participants and 400,000 spectators. The Jaguar Crew finished 33rd out of a field of 84 boats, re-qualifying the team for next year’s regatta. The crew was third among Midwest teams. Pictured, the Jaguar Crew poses with their newest boat, christened the “Sisters of St. Joseph,” by Sr. Joan Lang, CSJ, with sunglasses at left.