The Sacred Heart Academy winter sports season, starting December 02, 2024, has been off to a successful first month with multiple victories from each of the four teams. Due to the hard work and dedication of our SHA athletes and coaches, basketball, cheerleading, ice hockey, and indoor track have produced both very outstanding individual athletes and team efforts.
Sacred Heart Academy varsity basketball, led by Coach Kirk, is at a current streak of wins, leaving them at 6-0, foreshadowing a victorious end to the rapidly approaching finish of the season. Their captains, Lyla D’Errico, Payton D’Errico, and Emily Mennillo have worked incredibly hard all season to establish an efficient team environment where the individual strengths of each player compliment each other, creating an incredibly functional team. Sacred Heart Academy basketball has had quite a number of games which the student body attended, showing their SHArk Tank spirit. There are many upcoming home and away games, providing many more opportunities to show your support to SHA’s amazing team, and feel the electrifying atmosphere of the Tank.
Sacred Heart Academy and West Haven Co-Op ice hockey kicked off their season holding their own with a start of 3-3. Assistant captain, Kelly Mansfield, a SHA senior, has brought her passion for hockey to the rink, which allows her to serve her team well. Providing a unique experience, ice hockey creates a new environment where SHA girls are able to build a team with girls from West Haven Highschool, a school which is usually an athletic rival.
Sacred Heart Academy indoor track has begun its season with several state qualifiers, personal records, and school record breakers. Thanks to Coach Pat Redding, SHA indoor track and field has placed and won in many meets as a team. The track state qualifiers are: Maya Quaranta (shot put), Michaela Troy (shot put), Jianna Pompano (55m dash), Maya Collins (55m dash), Mackenzie Spooner (3200m), Sophia Ciarleglio (pole vault), Molly Canning (55 hurdles and high jump), 4X200 relay team, and Sprint Medley Relay team. Maya Quaranta, SHA indoor track’s indoor captain, has also qualified for nationals as well as broke the school record throwing a 39-6. The captains for indoor track’s 2024-2025 season are Cassidy Colantonio, Mavis Banks, Shae Averaimo, Jianna Pompano, Avery Stewart, Jianna Pompano, and Mavis Banks.
Sacred Heart indoor track and field also welcomed a new member of faculty onto their team as well this season. Assistant Coach Mike Rabuffo has helped SHA track tremendously with his knowledge of sprinting and jumping. A former track athlete himself, Coach Mike, brings his love for the sport onto the track and to practice where he shares it with the athletes on his team. Coach Mike has a lively attitude when it comes to practice and tries his best to make training just as fun as it is rigorous.
Sacred Heart Academy cheer has begun their gameday season cheering at many of the SHA basketball games and is still preparing to begin their competition season. Working hard for their game day cheers and half-time shows, coached by Coach Stephanie Redding, has composed numerous electrifying routines to keep the atmosphere alive on game day. However, the season has just begun for SHA’s Cheer Competition team, led by Captain Madison Kuczynski, as they will be having their first competition at North Haven High School, Saturday, January 18th.
