SHP Class of 2021 Student-Athletes Commit to Collegiate Sports

For the 15th consecutive year, Sacred Heart Prep sends at least 15 student-athletes to play at the intercollegiate ranks. This year the Gators are sending a school-record 28 student-athletes to play in 11 different sports at the next level.

“I never thought any class would surpass the 27 student athletes who went on to play in college from the class of 2013 but this outstanding ensemble has done just that,” SHP Assistant Principal for Athletics Frank Rodriguez said. “What is even more remarkable is that it was accomplished during limited high school careers due to the pandemic.“

Nearly one-third of the class comes from SHP’s water polo programs. Two members of the girls team — Bella Bachler and Eleanor Facey — will be playing at Stanford. Ola Szczerba will join forces with former Gator Nadia Paquin and Pomona-Pitzer.

On the boys side, Andrew Plaschke will join Szczerba at Pomona-Pitzer, while Michael Heller heads to Annapolis to join the United States Naval Academy. Teammates Wyatt Stenson and Teddy Pasquesi will stay in California with Stenson

heading to Santa Clara, and Pasquesi reuniting with ex-Gator Kyle Ballack at Claremont McKenna.

Both Luke Hammerskjold and Isaac Rotenberg will head East to play for California-native Dustin Litvak and Princeton.

Billy Barnds will join Hammerskjold and Rotenberg at Princeton as a member of the 10-time national champion lacrosse team.

Three of Barnds’ teammates, who also played football, will continue

their lacrosse careers at the next level as Beck Anderson will head to Duke, Cav Williams to Georgetown, and Paul Barton to North Carolina.

Under Armour All-American Ben Ramsey is committed to Notre Dame lacrosse. Swimmer Hugo Thomas will join Ramsey in South Bend.

On the girls side, Annaliese Chen will swim at Swarthmore, while Jessica Calderoni will be competing for Pepperdine.

Megan Tinsley will lace up her soccer cleats down the road at Loyola Marymount.

Grace Florendo will continue her basketball career at Claremont McKenna College, while two-sport star Megan Norris will join reigning Big West Champion UC Davis.

Additionally, six more Gators will represent schools from the ultra-competitive NESCAC conference.

Under Armour All American Genna Gibbons will join 2021 NESCAC Champion Tufts, Georgia Butler will row at Tufts, Keegan Shaw will long jump and triple jump for Amherst, Kyle Nilsson will play soccer at Middlebury, and both Chase Dolinko and Alex Moretti intend to be soccer teammates for four more years at Colby College.

Gators pitching ace Alex Nissenberg will be taking the mound for Emerson College and Luci Ilnicki-Lambert, who produced school records in cross country and track & field, will compete in both programs next year for Virginia.

“These students’ dedication and diligence both in the classroom and in their respective athletic program has paved the way for more opportunities to compete at the next level,” Rodriguez said. “They are a terrific bunch and we wish them nothing but the best moving forward.”

By SHP Athletics