Chestnut Hill Sports

GA’s Finelli Wins Willard Award
by TOM UTESCHER

Each year the Girls Inter-Ac league presents the Aimee Willard Award to the outstanding three-sport athlete in the graduating class, and the 2005 winner certainly fits the bill.

A Germantown Academy “lifer,” Niki Finelli was the captain of league championship teams in cross country, basketball, and lacrosse this year. An outstanding student, she’ll attend Harvard University, where she plans to continue her basketball career.

Speaking of the Aimee Willard honor, Finelli said, “I looked at the brochure they put out with the names of the past winners and the nominees from all the schools. They were amazing athletes who went on to play for great colleges, and it’s really special to be a part of that.”

Mount Takes Two in Summer Hoops
by TOM UTESCHER

Spring sports team athletes have just turned in their uniforms, but summer league basketball is already going strong. Mount St. Joseph Academy picked up a pair of victories in the Hatboro Horsham League last week, knocking off Central Bucks South, 35-27 on Tuesday evening, and then topping Wissahickon High School the next night, 43-39.

Laura Johnson and Claire Kueny got the Magic off to a 6-0 start against CB South, but the Titans broke the ice with a three-pointer and eventually worked their way back to a 12-12 tie. In the last two minutes of the first of the 20-minute (running clock) halves, Sarah McGorrry went three-for-four at the foul line and Johnson and Kaitlin Eccleston added single free throws to put the Mount up 17-14 at the half. Kate Hagedorn and Meg Sabia also contributed to the MSJ offense in the opening period.

Patriots Top Panthers
by TOM UTESCHER

An interesting mix of players blended smoothly last Wednesday evening for Germantown Academy, as the Patriots won a summer skirmish with Cheltenham High School, 33-16, in the Hatboro Horsham league.

Returning varsity mainstays Caroline Doty, Lindsay Freid, Colleen Magarity and Jenna Washabaugh were on hand for GA, while guard Jesse Carey had a commitment elsewhere. Varsity reserve Corinna Fleming and ascending JV player Tiana North played, as well, and spectators also got a look at three incoming freshmen, post player Meredith Carber, guard Jess Erb, and guard/forward Laura Karbach.