Jaden Edge, Emma Tafazoli, Anna Myers and McKenna Kline
CULLMAN – Athletes at Saint Bernard were recognized recently for their performances in fall and winter sports during the 2016-17 academic year.
Athletic Director William Calvert touted athletic accomplishments and expressed his appreciation to the high number of male and female athletes who participated in basketball, bowling, cross country and indoor track.
“While several students participate in multiple sports, we have a combined total of 134 male and 133 female athletes actively involved in athletics at St. Bernard,” Calvert said. “Most of our students have had little training in athletics when they first arrive at Saint Bernard. It’s always a pleasure to watch students leave with NCAA letters of intent to enhance their academic scholarships.”
Cross Country highlights
Cross Country participants were recognized for their outstanding year by coaches William Calvert and Stephen Calvert. Saint Bernard Boys won the 2016 1A-2A State Championship.
Senior Casey Guthery was crowned the individual state champion, winning first place in a field of 137 runners. Guthery signed a NCAA letter of intent to run cross country and track at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee.
Andrew Sweeney placed second in the state championship along with Marco Tona with a 14th place finish to earn All-State status.
Girls’ Cross Country team finished third in the state narrowly missing runner-up status by one point. Leahrose Mami and Ivy Edge both achieved All-State by finishing in second and sixth place, respectively.
Senior Katelyn Cowie signed a NCAA letter of intent to run cross country and track at Birmingham Southern College.
Volleyball highlights
Coach Regina Willoughby assumed the volleyball coaching position in August by welcoming 23 girls to pre-season practice. Despite moving up a classification to 2A this young team was competitive and won multiple area contests. The junior varsity team played a full schedule and posted several wins. Lilly Nassetta and Izzy Barlow were presented the Most Improved Award while Macy Whaley garnered the Coach’s Award for her hard work and dedication. The varsity team finished second in the area.
Boys’ basketball highlights
Coach Greg Boatright’s varsity boys finished with a respectable 11 wins and 13 losses despite replacing four starters off last year’s Area 11 Championship squad. The boys’ varsity team is 56-43 the last four years with two area championships.
Juniors Elijah Price and Christian Peterson were named to the 2A All Area 14 Team.
Peterson, who averaged 19.6 points and nine rebounds was also named to the All Area Tournament Team. He surpassed the record 1,000 points by scoring 1,077 points during his Saint Bernard career to date. He also made All-State Honorable Mention.
The junior varsity boys’ team coached by David Wasilewski finished with a record of 8-6. The middle school boys’ team coached by Stephen Calvert, played a full schedule of games against primarily larger schools and won only three games, but gained valuable experience and improved throughout the year. Chanh Pham and David Kim were awarded the Best Defensive and Offensive Awards, respectively.
In middle school action, the Best Offensive Award went to Connor Berry. Caleb Norman took home the Best Defensive Player Award, and the Most Valuable Player Award was presented to Jose Zatarain.
Girls’ basketball highlights
Coach Tiffany Pope coached her first team to a record of 11-13 and a second-place finish in the 2A Area 14 regular season behind state powerhouse Cold Springs. With only two seniors, the team made up of primarily eighth and ninth graders looks to be strong in the next few years. McKenna Kline received the MVP Defensive Player Award and Jaden Edge was awarded the MVP Offensive Player Award. The team leadership award went to Anna Myers. Jaden Edge and Emma Tafazoli were awarded All Area during regular season play. Tafazoli received All Area Tournament recognition.
Bowling highlights
Bowling has become very popular at Saint Bernard, especially with the resident students and several of the international students. Coaches Regina Willoughby and Tim Ayers are pleased with the progress of their second-year teams. The girls finished in third place in the region (1A-7A schools), narrowly missing the state tournament; while the boys defeated several larger schools including Cullman High School.
Indoor track
Coach Stephen Calvert trained a small squad of track athletes who represented Saint Bernard Prep well at the Indoor State Meet in Birmingham on Feb. 3 and 4, competing against 1A-3A schools. Leahrose Mami won two silver medals in the 1600m run and the 3200m run. The boys’ 4 X 800m relay team won silver medals. Relay legs were Caleb Guthery, Casey Guthery, Andrew Sweeney and Marco Tona.
