Recapping the Fall 2024 Athletics Season
Even before the 2024-25 academic year began, the Athletics Programme at St. Michael’s College School (SMCS) was already underway!
August training and tryout camps began for the Junior Basketball, U14 and Junior Soccer, and Junior and Senior Football teams. This fall, 321 student-athletes competed for 16 teams across five sports.
“We were blessed with an incredible fall, with fantastic student-athlete participation in addition to the pleasant temperatures,” says Alex Frescura ’92, Director of Athletics. “The season was highlighted by two OFSAA Championships in Cross Country and Golf, a U14 Soccer silver medal, a Senior Soccer Basil Bowl against St. Thomas (Houston), medals across the board for our volleyball programme, a Junior Football championship, and the inaugural season of the Kerry Blues’ entry into the Football Toronto Super League. There is consensus that the newest students to St. Michael’s across all grades had an immediate impact both in terms of skill and enthusiasm. Thank you to the coaching staff for their continued commitment to our student-athletes and sports programmes. A great way to start the year!”
Cross Country
Varsity
Varsity Cross Country continued their tradition of excellence. The novice, junior, and senior teams each won their respective age divisions at the CISAA Championship, continuing the 46-year streak of league championships. Season highlights include Jackson Ward and Ben Maise winning gold and silver at the CISAA Championship. Ben also placed seventh at OFSAA. Matthew Kmecz finished third at the McQuaid Invitational, first at the CISAA Championship, and won the Senior Boys silver medal at OFSAA. Ben Maiese, Jackson Ward, Carson Levy, Eamon Zietsma, and Mativy Bisko won the Novice Boys OFSAA gold medal.
U14
The 2024 U14 Cross Country team had an incredible season marked by strong teamwork and dedication. The team earned CISAA gold in both U13 and U14 categories, with standout performances from Kobe Freed, who finished third at CISAA, second at Henry Carr, and first at Havercrest. Isaac Veale placed first at Henry Carr and second at Havercrest, while Austin Jung led the U14 team to victory at CISAA. Congratulations to all runners on an exceptional season!
Football
Senior
The Kerry Blues Football team showed tremendous grit and growth this season, facing challenging competition with determination. Despite a tough 1-5 record, the players demonstrated resilience, constantly pushing to improve on both sides of the ball. Joseph McCarthy and Julian Di Giacomo-Michienzi were consistent team leaders throughout the season. The season was a testament to their commitment and heart, setting a foundation for future success.
Junior
After a 20-year hiatus, the Junior Kerry Blues Football programme rejoined the TDCAA, one of the longest-standing leagues in Canada. After an undefeated regular season, the Kerry Blues captured the conference championship. The Kerry Blues fell short in the second annual Toronto Bowl and finished with an impressive 6-2 record. The success this season serves as a testament to the hard work and character demonstrated by the players on and off the field.
Flag
This fall marked the inaugural season for the U14 Kerry Blues Flag Football team. The team fared well in the regular season, finishing in second place in their division, where they advanced to the quarterfinals. The season included several highlights, with all players contributing on both sides of the ball. The future looks promising for this group of young footballers.
Golf
The Varsity Golf Team made a triumphant journey to the OFSAA Championships in Timmins, Ontario, where they won the gold medal for the second time since 2019. The foursome, consisting of Viggo Juulsgaard, Grade 12, Matthew Simpson, Grade 11, Luke Olynick, Grade 11, and Joseph Totino, Grade 9, faced challenging conditions with the chilly weather and rain but maintained a strong lead from day one despite the hurdles. On top of the overall gold, Simpson kept a consistently high level of play, earning SMCS’ first individual bronze medal at the provincial competition.
Soccer
Senior
The Senior Azzurri had a strong regular season in a very competitive league. The team battled hard and made it to the semi-finals, but despite a strong effort, came up just short. The team embodied a strong sense of camaraderie, which was on display during the Basil Bowl with brother school, St. Thomas.
Junior
The 2024 season was a return to form for the Jr. Rhinos, as the group returned to playoff competition after demonstrating tremendous overall growth. Finishing with a 5-5 regular season record, the team learned to work as a unit, create scoring opportunities at will, and defend with intensity before falling to Royal St. George’s College (RSGC) in the playoffs. Standout performances by Aris-Dean Lirantzis (nine goals), Antonio Toto (seven goals), and superb goalkeeping by Saif Ahmed served as examples of excellence.
U14
The U14 Soccer team finished the fall 2024 season of the CISAA Division 1 Boys table in second place with five wins and two losses. In the semi-final match for the league cup, the team defeated RSGC 3-2 on our field to earn a spot in the final. The team then faced perennial rival Upper Canada College (UCC) in the championship match on UCC’s main field. The final score was 3-0 for UCC, so our U14 Soccer team finished the season as CISAA silver medalists.
Volleyball
Senior
Our Senior Volleyball team had a robust season of growth. Carrying several Grade 10 contributors, they grew and persevered through countless moments of adversity and earned a spot at OFSAA with a thrilling five-set win over UCC. This year’s senior team will be remembered for leading by example and role-modelling exceptional displays of character to the entire SMCS community.
Junior
The Junior Strikers had an up-and-down season. Starting the season with tournament victories at the Etobicoke Collegiate Institute (ECI) Classic and Woburn Invitational, the team would boast a winning league record of 6 and 1. Heading into the final weeks of the season, the team finished third at the Eden Tournament and fifth at the Uxbridge Invitational. In the final four league championship tournament, a disappointing finish would have the team lose to St. Andrew’s College (SAC) in the semi-finals. The team would like to thank its Grade 10s, and with a great crop of Grade 9s moving up, the team looks forward to a better finish next season.
U14 DI
The U14 DI Volleyball team had a challenging season, growing stronger with every practice. Despite a tough loss in the regular season and another in the final four, the team fought hard and secured a bronze medal. Team captain Marshall Robinson, Grade 8, led with resilience and composure, setting an inspiring example. Competing against public and private schools, the team enjoyed travelling together and building a great bond.
U14 DII
Our U14 DII Strikers demonstrated resiliency and teamwork throughout the season by ending the regular season with a three-way tie for first. In the playoffs, the Strikers led the final set but fell short to Lauremont School. In the bronze medal match, our team fought hard and was able to claim bronze over Greenwood College School with a two-set sweep. Congratulations to all our Strikers, especially our graduating Grade 8s.
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