Recapping the 2022-23 Spring Athletics Season
With 345 student-athletes competing for 14 teams across nine sports, the St. Michael’s College School (SMCS) spring athletic season marked the busiest time of the year.
“The season start-up following the March Break is weather dependent, however, this year, spring athletics kicked off quickly as we were treated to an early summer in April. The legendary Snowball Relays returned in name only with a 25+ degree week!” says Alex Frescura ’92, SMCS Director of Athletics. “Outdoor sports were able to relish the warmer weather, and tremendous personal development and team successes were enjoyed across the board.”
Badminton
After a robust regular season, the junior and senior teams reached their respective Conference of Independent Schools of Ontario Athletic Association (CISAA) Championships. In the junior division, our Singles 2 player, James Zhang, demonstrated tremendous tenacity and spirit throughout the tournament. He persevered to the championship final against Upper Canada College (UCC) and was victorious, winning the gold medal. Four of the five flights competing in the tournament progressed to the quarterfinals in the senior division, with two moving on to the semi-finals. In the second semi-final match, Raymond Mao won in three sets to advance to the finals. He came away with a silver medal in a tightly contested match. Both teams showed enormous character and courage against provincially and nationally ranked student-athletes.
Baseball
A strong 6-2 baseball season ended with a CISAA silver medal. Season highlights included a trip to Windsor for a doubleheader against St. Mary’s and St. Anne’s, followed by a visit to Detroit’s Wayne State University, where the boys were treated to an NCAA game between the host Warriors and the Davenport University Panthers.
Golf
The Junior Blue Eagles Golf Team completed their perfect season capturing the CISAA crown in resounding fashion. At the championships, the juniors won the tournament, and an unofficial second SMCS team captured second. Gabriel Mainella, Grade 10, also took home individual honours with an incredible 4-under 68. Viggo Juulsgaard, Grade 10, finished second, shooting 1-under 71, while Matthew Simpson, Grade 9, and Joseph Totino, Grade 7, tied for third at 73. The Junior Blue Eagles dominated the season, with all 12 players contributing rounds in the 60s and 70s throughout the five-tournament season.
The Senior Blue Eagles capped a strong spring finish with a season-best silver medal performance at the CISAA Championships. Hugh Hayes, Grade 12, highlighted individual play by posting a 75 and earning himself a bronze medal.
Lacrosse
The U14 Blue Gaels Lacrosse Team had an exceptional season, finishing with an 8-0 record. With strong defence and solid goaltending, the team allowed less than a handful of goals against. The offence was a force to be reckoned with, as there were too many goals to count.
The Varsity Blue Gaels began their campaign on the road against top programmes in Rochester and Syracuse. Building on their tradition of excellence, the team faced tough competition at home and on the southern side of the border all year.
Season highlights include a big win over Michigan rival Clarkston, a fiercely contested Basil Bowl, two stirring comebacks in the Mid-Atlantic Prep Tournament in Baltimore, and an undefeated CISAA regular season. In the CISAA playoffs, the squad captured a silver medal.
Rugby
The U14 Rugby Team completed another successful season, earning a bronze medal at the CISAA finals. The team fought hard in a close game that would have earned them a gold medal but lost by two tries in the second half. The boys developed skills but more importantly, their IQ for the sport grew exponentially, leading them to the finals.
Teamwork, positivity, and communication between all players were evident throughout the season.
Character, work ethic, and commitment were the three pillars of the junior team. Led by co-captains Declan Insley, Grade 10, and Thomas Arciero, Grade 10, the Junior Shamrocks had a great start to the season with only one loss in their first eight matches. An enthusiastic group of players, several with no prior rugby experience, showed up on the pitch two-to-three days a week to learn a new sport. Playing 13 matches, the team tied for third in CISAA, based on season total points and tries scored.
The senior team began training twice a week in January, with 33 players signed up to try rugby, most of whom have never played or touched a rugby ball. As the defending undefeated CISAA champions, the team would have a target on their backs from the get-go. After an undefeated regular season, the squad headed to Ridley College for the CISAA Finals, coming away with a 55-0 shutout victory.
Soccer
Although the CISAA Senior Soccer season is in the fall, the team also qualified for the OFSAA Provincial Championships in Windsor in June. Posting a young roster, the team travelled to the event for a building-block experience to prepare them for the following season. In a tough pool, the team dropped their first three games, but rebounded with a solid 4-0 win over Holy Cross from Kingston.
Softball
This year’s squad was one of the strongest in recent memory, with a balanced lineup, including a nice mix of Grade 7 players and Grade 8 veterans. The team cruised to an undefeated 10-0 season. Pitcher and MVP Liam Castaldo, Grade 8, was a perfect 10-0, picking up the win in every game. In the playoff final four, the team won the school’s first U14 Softball CISAA Championship since 2016.
Tennis
This year’s Varsity Tennis Team was characterized by a good blend of veterans and youthful promise. Silver medals were achieved at the CISAA finals in both singles and doubles. With most of the team returning, this squad looks poised to be a force for years to come.
Track & Field
Grade 7 and 8 athletes competed in multiple U14 CISAA meets throughout the season, representing SMCS well at the championship meet at York University.
Key performances were:
- Chanoh Song, Grade 8, captured the 400m title, and was less than half a second off the CISAA record.
- Grade 7s, Hunter Salo, Jackson Ward, and Jack Maiese, placed second, third, and sixth, respectively in the 1500m.
- Matthew Magarelli, Grade 7, dominated the shot put to finish first, with Cale Scott and Charles Annett finishing fifth and seventh, respectively.
At the varsity level, after an excellent regular season, including the return of the Snowball Relays, the team headed to the CISAA Championships. The competition saw numerous personal bests and outstanding accomplishments across all three age groups. After the dust had settled over the two-day event, the tradition of excellence continued — SMCS became CISAA Junior Champions, Senior Champions, and Overall Boys Champions for the 40th straight year. St. Mike’s racked up an astounding 77 top-eight finishes, accruing 411 team points to put them 85 points over rivals UCC. At the Metro Championships, the Track and Field Team won the Metro Junior Boys Championship, becoming Toronto’s best Track and Field team while qualifying 11 athletes for the OFSAA Championships.
At OFSAA, Andrew Wojnicki, Grade 10, repeated last year’s performance with a bronze medal in the Junior Boys Shotput; Dallas St. John, Grade 10, finished sixth in the 400m final, Andrew Kmecz, Grade 10, was 15th in the province in the 1500m; and Max Barrett (Grade 11), Walker Gilday (Grade 11), Cole Christie (Grade 11), and Simon Belaisis (Grade 12) finished fifth in the 4x100m final!
Traditional Athletic Banquet Returns
The SMCS Annual Athletic Banquet returned to its traditional formal dinner format. Head table guests included municipal counsellor Mike Colle ’64, current professional hockey player Joseph Cramarossa ’10, professional lacrosse player Nick Ellerton ’15, former NHLer and current SportsNet Analyst Luke Gazdic ‘07, and international Iron Man competitor Connor Emeny ’14. Students and parents were entertained by the heartfelt personal speeches from special guests on how their time at St. Michael’s helped to support their future successes in sports and life.
“It was an absolute pleasure to be able to again celebrate the Annual Athletic Banquet in its typical full banquet format. With over 420 attendees pushing the gymnasium’s capacity, it was the largest turnout in quite some time,” says Frescura.
MVP awards were given to 51 teams. Outstanding Junior and Graduating Athlete recognitions were awarded to 22 student-athletes. The Major Award Winners were as follows:
| MAJOR AWARD | AWARD WINNER |
|---|---|
| Athletic Director’s Award | Mr. Andrew Kiel |
| The Fr. Mohan, CSB ’48 Award Presented to the Grade 7/8 Student-Athlete of the Year | Charles Murata |
| The Fr. Mulcahy, CSB Award Presented to the Gr. 9/10 Student-Athlete who best combines Sportsmanship and School Spirit with Athletics | Tobias Sealy Thomas Arciero |
| The Jack Fenn ’54 Award Presented to the Gr. 9/10 Student-Athlete Who Best Combines Academics with Athletics | Matthew Kmecz |
| The Paul Dignan ’59 Award Presented to the Most Outstanding Student-Athlete in Gr. 9/10 | Phoenyx Wyse |
| The Dobie Award Presented to a student whose work supports Athletics at St. Michael’s | Charlie Pope |
| The Hugh McDougall Award Presented to the Graduating Student-Athlete who has displayed excellence in History & Athletics | Mackenzie Colle |
| Marc Santi ’01 Award Presented to the Graduating Student-Athlete Who Displays Leadership in Sport | Henry Hicks |
| Enzo Montemurro ’81 Trophy Presented to the Graduating Student-Athlete Who Combines Sportsmanship and School Spirit | Ryan Stephen |
| Fr. Mallon, CSB ’26 Trophy Presented to the Graduating Student-Athlete who best combines academics and athletics | Jaeger Watson |
| John Drohan ’69 Memorial Trophy Presented to the Graduating Student-Athlete of the Year | Ryan Regault Gabriele Furia |