THE WILDCATS ARE HONORED BY THEIR COACHES, PARENTS AND SAINT IGNATIUS' ADMINISTRATION AND ATHLETICS DEPARMENT DURING THE ANNUAL SPRING SPORTS BANQUET.
THE FRED DISANTO COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE AWARD GOES TO TENNIS STANDOUT JAMES OLIVER.
NICK BARTRAM RECEIVES THE FR. JAMES O'REILLY SPIRIT AWARD.
MIKE WATTS AND MARK SZWEJKOWSKI GARNER THE SIBN/SSID AWARDS AND NEAL JACOBS IS SELECTED AS THE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR IN THE CUYAHOGA RIVER BASEBALL CONFERENCE.
POSTED ON 6/8/11 AT 1:05 A.M.
By Eddie Dwyer
Copyright, June 2011
As a junior, Joe Vavro did not make the varsity baseball team at Saint Ignatius.
After Wildcats head coach Brad Ganor presented Joe with his first varsity baseball letter during Tuesday night's annual Spring Sports Banquet, Coach Ganor spoke of the senior catcher's special work ethic and invaluable knowledge of the game.
"Joe did everything he was asked to do," Coach Ganor said.
It is players like Joe who make high school sports so special, and so rewarding for those fortunate enough to be associated with them.
Before presenting the other awards, Coach Ganor thanked his wife, Nicole, the parents of the players, Team Chaplin Fr. Jack Murphy and the varsity assistant coaches.
The assistant coaches are Josh Bieneman, T.J. Donovan '94 and Matt Blazer '94.
Coach Ganor also expressed his appreciation to Team Manager extraordinaire Chris Abood '11 and varsity Team Statistician Zach Weinreich '12.
Senior right fielder Neal Jacobs received a large ovation after it was announced that he was selected as the Offensive Player of the Year in the highly competitive Cuyahoga River Baseball Conference.
Jacobs, who is bound for Central Michigan on a baseball scholarship, batted. 429 with 14 singles, seven doubles, seven home runs (14 for his career), two triples, 29 runs batted in (20 games), 21 runs scored, five stolen bases and 20 putouts. He had an on-base percentage of .481 and a slugging percentage of .886.
Named to the Cuyahoga River Baseball Conference first team were seniors Tyler Kette and Tim Donelon.
Kette excelled as designated hitter and a left fielder, and Donelon was the mound mainstay as a gritty right-hander.
Second-team honors went to senior pitcher/catcher and Toledo recruit Cory Finkler, sophomore third baseman/middle infielder Dan Rowbottom and junior left-handed picher Zak Shockley. Receving Honorable Mention were junior middle infielder Mike Ruffing, senior designated hitter/outfielder Joe Greco, senior right-handed pitcher Marques Pagan and senior first baseman Mike Horejsei.
Donelon was selected as Saint Ignatius' Pitcher of the Year. He compiled a 5-1 record, limited opponents to a .157 batting average and totaled 20 strikeouts in 28 innings.
After not being able to pitch his first three years with the Wildcats because of labrum and Tommy John surgeries, Donelon was rock solid as both a reliever and a starter this spring. He pitched the 'Cats to the Division I district finals.
Coach Ganor's Offensive Player of the Year awards went to Jacobs and Kette (.383, 18 singles, four doubles, a triple, 11 RBI and 16 runs scored). Ruffing was chosen as the Defensive Player of the Year, Shockley was the team's only three-year letter winner, a rarity for a junior, and the Coaches' Cups went to Pagan and Horejsei for their outstanding display of leadership.
Horejsei, Pagan, Finkler and Jacobs were presented with the Captains Awards and the returning players selected two of the three captains for next season - junior center fielder Tim McCoy and Ruffing. The third captain will be selected by the coaches in the winter.
Here are the Wildcats' special award winners in Track and Field, Lacrosse, Tennis and Volleyball. The awards presented to Mike Watts and Mark Szwejkowski by Saint Ignatius' Broadcast Network and Sports Information Department Moderator Jeff McCormick '83 follow the team awards.
TRACK AND FIELD: Most Valuable Sprinter, Nick D'Amico '11; Most Valuable Hurdler, Tyree Seals '11; Most Valuable Distance Runner, John Sweeney '11; Most Valuable Field Events Athlete, Keith Carmichael '12; Most Improved Athlete, Tyree Seals; Most Valuable 9th Grader, Marquee Montgomery; Most Valuable Athlete, Drew Galang '12; Father James O'Reilly Spirit Award, Nick Bartram '11.
TENNIS: 4th Year Letter Winner, James Oliver; Fred DiSanto Commitment to Excellence Award, James Oliver; 3rd Year Letter Winners, Michael Nichols and Mark Goergy; MVP, State Qualifier James Oliver; Best Singles Record, James Oliver; Best Doubles Record, Michael Nichols; Most Improved, Bob Kirchner; Ignatian Sportsmanship Award, 2nd Year Letter Winner Sean Frebes; Coaches' Cups, Yaw Boakye and Christian Zuber.
LACROSSE: TEAM MVP, SENIOR DAVID JOSEPH; Most Improved Offense, Senior Mike McCarthy; Offensive MVP, Junior Brett Hornung; Most Improved Defense, Sophomore Joe Cillo; Defensive MVP, Senior Sean Nugent; Captains Awards, Joseph, Nugent and Hornung.
VOLLEYBALL: MVP, Jay Wolf; Most Improved, Brooks Boron; Best Defensive Player, Jay Wolf; Best Offensive Player, Andrew Brzezinski; Coach's Cup, Tim Moran; 4-year varsity letter winners, Wolf, Moran and Boron.
SIBN/SSID AWARDS: Golden Microphone Award, Mike Watts '11; Dick Zunt '50 Award to the Top Student Sports Information Director, Mike Watts; Moderator Award, based on dedication and talent in the promotion of Wildcats Sports, Mark Szwejkowski '11.
Mike, Mark, Lewis Backus '12 and Nick Lascu '11 are 2nd Year Letter Winners.