The Dialog

By TheDialog

Catholic Youth Ministry recently held its baseball, softball, and track and field championships. The results were provided by CYM. Read more »

By Mike Lang

Staff reporter

WILMINGTON – St. Mark’s did not have its usual dominating baseball season, and the Spartans needed wins in their last two games just to earn a berth in the state tournament. Once there, however, the squad showed why it was not to be taken lightly, and on Wednesday night at Frawley Stadium, they completed their climb to the top with a 3-1 win over Caravel and another state title.

St. Mark’s extended its state record to 13 championships. This was their eighth in the last 11 years. To get there, the Spartans, who came in as the 13^th seed, defeated fourth-ranked Archmere, 12th-seeded Appoquinimink, top-ranked St. Elizabeth and No. 2 Caravel.

The Spartans put up a picket fence in the first three innings, scoring on a groundout in the first, a balk in the second, and an error in the third. That was offset by Caravel’s lone run, which scored on a groundout in the second. As the game moved into the later innings, defense was the name of the game for St. Mark’s, which finished the season 15-7.

Caravel (17-5) put runners on base in each of the final four innings, but in every case the Spartans were able to turn a double play to erase the threat. Starting pitcher Matt Frost relied on his middle infielders – second baseman Brad Nowell and shortstop Dominic DiSabatino – to get the job done in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Spartans coach Matt Smith turned to Billy Phillips in the seventh after the Buccaneers’ first two hitters singled, and the sensational sophomore delivered. Phillips induced the first batter to ground to Nowell, who started the 4-6-3 double play. With a runner at third base, the next batter, Hunter Ellis, grounded to first base, and the celebration began.

By TheDialog

Art students work to relieve stress

WILMINGTON – Ursuline Academy’s art forum class, comprised of juniors and seniors from Ursuline and Salesianum, presented its annual marketing campaign, “Mind over Matter: Stress Is a Serious Matter,” recently to a group of health professionals.

Each year, the class breaks into advertising agencies to tackle issues facing teens today. This year, the three agencies each developed stress-relief kits that included items such as aromatherapy, candy, books, movies and more. The groups had to take factors such as the cost of production, shipping and design into account. Read more »

By TheDialog

MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – Chris Murphy, who graduated from St. Mark’s High School in 2011, threw a perfect game for Millersville University’s baseball team on March 15 against Clarion University. It was his second no-hitter of the season and the first perfect game in Millersville history.

In the seven-inning game, the sophomore right-hander struck out six and induced 11 ground-ball outs as he improved his record to 5-1 on the season. He needed just 64 pitches to get through the game. The Marauders won, 2-0. Read more »

By TheDialog

St. Mary Magdalen wins CYM softball

STANTON – St. Mary Magdalen completed an undefeated season with a 6-3 win over Immaculate Heart of Mary in the Catholic Youth Ministry softball championship, which was played May 22 at Delaware Technical and Community College.

St. Mary Magdalen pitcher Rachel Pritchard struck out 13 batters in the winning effort. Kiersten Fallers had three hits and scored twice for the Bulldogs.

IHM played in the championship game for the third straight season and finished the year 9-2.

Read more »

By Mike Lang

Staff reporter

WILMINGTON – Several things threatened St. Mark’s High School as it tried to complete its march to the state baseball championship Tuesday night at Frawley Stadium.

There was the two-run deficit after Milford High School plated single runs in the second and third innings. With two out in the seventh and final inning and the Spartans clinging to a 4-3 lead, St. Mark’s pitcher Billy Phillips issued a walk to Milford’s Philip Berry to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. And lastly there was the weather, which had produced a steady light rain but promised much more.

St. Mark's baseball team celebrates in the rain after the final out Tuesday night. The Spartans defeated Milford, 4-3, for the state baseball championship. The Dialog/Mike Lang

But St. Mark’s took care of the situation when rightfielder Sam Rogers squeezed a fly ball to end the game, sending the Spartans into a pile on the pitcher’s mound as the skies opened and the light rain turned into a heavy downpour. Had the batter reached base, the game likely would have been delayed by rain, and Phillips may not have been able to finish the game once it resumed.

He said he had no intention of not completing what he started. “I knew I was going to go all seven. I told the coach I wanted to be in the whole game, and he let me, no matter how many pitches I made.”

St. Mark’s second baseman Brad Nowell said his team did not panic when the Buccaneers took a 2-0 lead. After cutting the lead in half in the third, St. Mark’s scored three in the bottom of the fifth to take a 4-2 lead.

“We had timely hitting,” said Nowell, whose brother Nate won two championships at St. Mark’s, in 2009 and 2010.

The championship was the eighth for head coach Matt Smith, who said his team was used to close calls the entire postseason.

“We’ve been in tough battles the whole tournament. I’m just so happy for them,” he said.

Phillips, who drove in what proved to be the game-winning run, said he is happy to add to St. Mark’s cache of state baseball titles. This was the school’s 12th.

“It feels good. I knew coming here, I had a chance to win a title. I have a good team behind me, and we won it together,” he said.

By TheDialog

Archmere senior receives Jefferson Scholarship

CLAYMONT – Alexa Hazel, who graduated this month from Archmere Academy, will attend the University of Virginia as a Jefferson Scholar. The award, administered by the Jefferson Scholars Foundation at the university, provides full financial support for four years of study and is worth $49,098 for the 2012-13 academic year.

More than 3,700 high schools from across the country and around the world were invited to nominate students for this program. Hazel, from Media, Pa., was among 104 finalists and 30 scholarship winners.

All Saints primary students go green

ELSMERE – Students in the primary grades at All Saints Catholic School in Elsmere used their science, technology, engineering and math program to go green by recreating the town of Elsmere using recycled goods.

The students in pre-kindergarten through second grade began the project in late March as each grade was assigned a section of the town. They took pictures, designed plans, brought in recycled goods and built landmarks including the VA Hospital, the police station, library and other local businesses. “Recycled Elsmere” was completed with the addition of trees and landscaping.

Elsmere Mayor Deborah A. Norkavage and town manager John Giles were on hand to view in late May to see their town through the eyes of the children.

St. Elizabeth senior receives memorial scholarship

WILMINGTON – Matt Bleacher, who will graduate this week from St. Elizabeth High School, has received a $2,000 award from the Frank D. Vari Memorial and Scholarship Fund of the Delaware Community Foundation. He was honored at a school assembly.

The award, named for the man who was president of Wilmington City Council from 1973-84, is designed to support a deserving student who lives in Wilmington and will attend a Delaware college or university. Bleacher will attend the University of Delaware.

The scholarship was presented by Francis P. Vari in memory of his father.

Four from St. Mark’s to attend governor’s school for excellence

WILMINGTON – Four St. Mark’s High School students have been selected to participate in the performing arts and academic branches of the Delaware Governor’s School for Excellence.

For performing arts, Lauren Johnson was selected for the choral music program, and Jake Diana for the theater program. Hannah Falchuk and Luke Duchemin have been accepted into the academic program.

The Governor’s School for Excellence is a one-week summer residential program that brings together students from around the state who have completed their sophomore year. Students are selected through a competitive application process. Those selected for the academic program will participate in discussions, lectures, debates and films revolving around a specific theme in the humanities, science and engineering, business or political science. The arts students will experience instruction with noted artists, with the week culminating with a performance or public display of their work.

The school is planned for July 15-20 at the University of Delaware.

St. Mark’s freshman places in Columbia Triathlon

WILMINGTON – Alexa Murray, a freshman at St. Mark’s High School, recently competed in the 29^th annual Columbia Triathlon in Columbia, Md. The event consisted of a 1.5-k swim, a 41K bike ride and a 10K run. Murray was among 2,600 participants and placed second in her age group and 157^th overall among women. She qualified for the 2010 5150 Hy-Vee U.S. Championship on Sept. 2 in Des Moines, Iowa.

“I’m drawn to the combination of the three sports,” explained Murray who has been training for triathlons since she was eight years old. “Because they’re so challenging, it’s that much more rewarding when you cross the finish line.”

St. Elizabeth baseball coach headed to state hall

Tom Beddow, the baseball coach at St. Elizabeth High School, will be inducted into the Delaware Baseball Hall of Fame on June 6 prior to the Wilmington Blue Rocks game at Frawley Stadium. He will join former Vikings coach Frank Aiello, who was inducted in 2005.

Padua soccer standout named Gatorade winner

WILMINGTON – Casey Horney, a forward/midfielder for the Padua Academy soccer team, has been named the 2012 Gatorade Delaware Girls Soccer Player of the Year, the third time the state winner has come from the Wilmington school. The award is presented by Gatorade in collaboration with ESPNHS.

Horney has led the Pandas, who are ranked first in the state, to a 16-0-1 record heading into Wednesday night’s state semifinal game against A.I. Dupont High School, which is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. at Caravel Academy. In Padua’s second-round 6-0 shutout of Sussex Tech, Horney had two goals and two assists. She had 10 goals and 19 assists in the regular season.

A three-time all-state selection, Horney is graduating Thursday with a 3.49 grade-point average and has volunteered locally for the Blue-Gold Club.

Local Catholic students among rowers heading to national regatta

WILMINGTON – Several students from local Catholic high schools are among those who will represent the Newport Rowing Club at U.S. Rowing’s Youth National Championship Regatta, which will be held June 8-10 on Melton Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The club qualified four crews for the event.

The men’s lightweight 4+ team includes sophomore Nick Malchione and senior Patrick Beane from Salesianum School.  Salesianum sophomore Phil Claudy is a member of the men’s varsity 2- team.

The women’s lightweight 4+ boat includes Ursuline Academy freshman Alyson Kerrigan. The women’s varsity 2- counts Padua Academy freshman Maggie Cunningham among its members.

Beane will row at Rollins College in Florida beginning in the fall, and Claudy, Cunningham and Kerrigan are in their first year of rowing.