Nardin Today Winter 2020-2021

22 Nardin Today Winter 2020-21 gator bites By Athletic Director, Joe Baudo>> Nardin Athletics has a rich tradition of excellence, and fall 2020 was no exception. Only a few months ago, the fall sports season looked unlikely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While some of our sports were postponed (Volleyball and Swimming), we were able to provide opportunities to compete for many of our student athletes. With new guidelines and abbreviated seasons, our teams played and continued to be successful during very trying times. Across the board, Gator athletes excelled in all fall sports. While the events looked and felt different, it was still exciting and inspiring to see our student athletes competing in the sports they love. This would not have been possible without extreme care and attention to safety during this pandemic. At the middle school level, we were one of only three private schools in Western New York to conduct sports. Even though the season was cut short due to the pandemic, both our 5th/6th grade and 7th/8th grade soccer teams had successful seasons, while playing on the new fields at the Nardin Academy Community Athletic Complex. In the high school, Nardin’s Varsity Soccer program finished the regular season as co- champions with an 11-2-1 record and captured the playoff championship with a 2-0 victory over rival Nichols. Brigid Molloy ‘21, who recently signed her National Letter of Intent to play at Villanova, was named the Co-Player of the Year in the league. The JV Soccer team, under the leadership of first-year coach, Karen Lawton, had a strong season, finishing with a 7-1-3 record. Their only loss came against a strong Our Lady of Mercy (Rochester) team. Our crew team also experienced a much different fall season. In previous years, we would be training in fours and 8s, preparing for our first regatta, and doing some significant strength and conditioning to prepare for the upcoming season. However, due to COVID-19, we could not safely train in large boats. This provided them with a unique opportunity to train in small boats, and gain valuable experience which will help improve the team as they prepare for the spring portion of the season. OurCrossCountryandGolf programs sawGatorathletescaptureleaguechampionships, as well. Amie Scherrer ’22 won the Monsignor Martin Golf Championship, while helping to lead the team to a second-place finish. Likewise, MK Hartigan ’22 bested the competition at the Cross Country All Catholics, finishing 36 seconds ahead of the runner-up, and helped the Gators capture second place at the Championship meet. I could not be prouder of our athletes and our coaches and how they’ve bought in. In addition to the success on the fields, fall 2020 saw the opening of both the new gymnasium and wellness center, as well as our outdoor field complex. Both will further enhance the student athlete experience at Nardin. Go Gators!