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Sturgis Sports in the News
Sturgis Sports in the News
Published in The Cape Cod Times and The Barnstable Patriot
20 Questions with Makena Jarvis
20 Questions with Makena Jarvis
Standing at 4-feet-11-inches, Makena Jarvis never considered playing a sport like volleyball, which is usually dominated by some tall timber.
However, once she discovered the position of libero on the court, she soon found the perfect spot and perfect sport for her.
“I honestly didn’t even play volleyball until eighth grade,” she said, noting that much of her youth was spent playing soccer. “I knew Bourne was really into volleyball so I played on the freshman team as an eighth grader."
The following year she joined a club team out of Cape Cod Volleyball in Barnstable and, “Ever since then I have really loved the sport,” she said.
She played as an eighth grader at Bourne High School and then, after transferring to Sturgis East Charter Public School, she has played four seasons for coach Mike Sarney’s Storm squad.
“I love how fast-paced it is. It’s different from other sports in that there’s so much action that you have to be constantly focused and engaged in the game,” she said.
When she first took to the court, a coach put her in the position of libero and a great match was made. “I had no idea what a libero was, but being the smallest girl on the team it was kind of me by default,” she said. “Ever since then, I just really liked the position. It’s easier for me to move a little bit quicker and it helps me to stay under the ball a little easier.”
In addition to playing volleyball in the fall, she is also a midfielder with the Sturgis East lacrosse team in the spring. She noted that sometimes opponents look at her size and tend to underestimate her. “I may not look as fast as I am and that comes in handy sometimes,” she said, adding, “A lot of people are surprised I play volleyball because of the height I am. Size really doesn’t matter as long as you gear your drive and your focus in a certain way.”
Despite welcoming a lot of new players on the volleyball squad this fall, the Storm kicked off the season with four straight wins and possess an impressive record of 8-5 as it hopes for a shot at the playoffs. Makenna and her fellow senior co-captain with McKenna English lead a squad that is also bolstered by the play of juniors Claire Komar, Rayssa Miranda, Izzy Rudy, Deb Rocha and Poppy Randall.
20 questions with Makena Jarvis
1. Favorite subject: Chemistry
2. Favorite book: “Call Me by Your Name” by Andre Aciman
3. Favorite food: Sushi
4. Favorite movie: “Perks of Being a Wallflower” and “The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” - I can't choose!!
5. Favorite TV show: “That '70s Show”
6. Favorite Cape restaurant: Bluefins on Main Street in Falmouth
7. Favorite Cape hangout: Sagamore Cliffs
8. Favorite sports team: UCLA volleyball
9. Favorite athlete: Brenda Castillo – a libero from the Dominican, who played in the Olympics
10. Favorite "pump-up” music: “Back in Black” (AC/DC) or “No Hands” by Waka Flocka
11. Best advice I’ve received: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.”
12. Person I’d most like to meet: Stevie Nicks or Willow Smith
13. Hobbies and interests: I play guitar and sing; I like bowling and astrology.
14. Own greatest sports moment: Making the most competitive club team for my age (15) the Southern Alliance Elite Program in Hanover.
15. Most inspirational person: My parents
16. Pregame rituals / superstitions: I wear the same socks every game! (The one time I didn’t, my shoes fell off)
17. Bucket list place to visit: Italy
18. Biggest sports setback or obstacle: Covid-19
19. College plans / major: My top school is Colorado University at Boulder
20. Advice to young athletes: You can do/be anything if you have the drive, focus and confidence within yourself.
20 Questions with Kate Donahue, Sturgis West girls' soccer
20 Questions with Kate Donahue, Sturgis West girls' soccer
The Sturgis West girls’ soccer team has a certain superstition that if, during pregame warm-ups, the ball they use passes over midfield to the opposing side, it’s bad luck.
From the looks of things, the ball has probably ventured into enemy territory more times than they can count this fall. The Navigators couldn’t have any worse luck if they had a black cat as a mascot and run under a ladder onto the field pregame.
Fortunately, senior midfielder and co-captain Kate Donahue has escaped much of the team's misfortune in the form of injuries to several key players.
“We have had so many injuries this year it’s unbelievable,” she said. Co-captain Alexa Bound pulled her hamstring and may be lost for the season; center Maddie Ward sprained both ankles; and sophomore goalie Mackenzie Griffin tore her ACL.
“We lost a lot of seniors who graduated last year, so it’s been a bit of a rocky season,” she said. “Our record this year is not something we’re used to as in the past we had a number of undefeated regular seasons, so that’s been a huge change.”
A varsity player since her freshman year for coach Mike Ball, that season Kate led the league in scoring with 20 goals before being moved to midfield her sophomore year at the suggestion of her club coach.
“I had been playing center-mid for my club team, and my club coach had a conversation with Coach (Mike) Ball, and he agreed,” she said. “It’s always fun to be out there scoring, but to be in the middle of things at holding midfield, I’m more part of the setting up the plays.”
Just the same, she scored her 52nd career goal last week, which tied her with teammate Alexa Bound, for a four-year record. Since Bound may be sidelined due to her injury, Donahue may have the opportunity to pass her fellow co-captain.
Donahue injured her own knee last season and has had to wear a knee compression brace ever since.
“During club season in the spring, it didn’t feel right, so I’ve had to wear a knee brace,” she said. “I was hoping it wouldn’t get worse, and, fortunately, it didn’t.”
As the Navigators prepare for the playoffs, they seek some big play from their teammates healthy enough to be out there.
Senior Raquel Collins, juniors Jillian Greene, Lauren Farrell, Olivia Lasnicki and Bryce Costa, and sophomore midfielder Ellie Burns hope to bolster the team into the postseason.
Donahue is planning to attend college next year, majoring in either criminology or nursing and would like to also play soccer in college.
In the meantime, the team is going to do its best during pregame to keep the warmup balls on their side of the field.
“We try and prevent it as much as we can. If the ball does cross the line, you have to do a special dance,” she said with a laugh. “It was something the upper classmen taught me when I was a freshman, and we still carry it over with the younger kids today.”
20 Questions with Kate Donahue
1. Favorite subject: Theory of Knowledge, biology
2. Favorite book: “Call Me by Your Name” by André Aciman
3. Favorite food: Sushi
4. Favorite movie: Harry Potter series
5. Favorite TV show: “Grey’s Analogy,” “H2O,” “Vamp Diaries”
6. Favorite Cape restaurant: Blue Fin, Crisp, Café Chew, Nirvana
7. Favorite Cape hangout: Wellfleet Beachcomber
8. Favorite sports team: New England Patriots
9. Favorite athlete: Rob Gronkowski, Carly Lloyd
10. Favorite ‘pump-up” music: Any music by Kanye West or Kid Cudi
11. Best advice I’ve received: “Don’t worry about the things you can’t control.”
12. Person I’d most like to meet: Timothee Chalamet
13. Hobbies and interests: beading jewelry, food, exercise, running, soccer
14. Own greatest sports moment: Being top scorer in the league and MVP my freshman year at Sturgis
15. Most inspirational person: My mom
16. Pregame rituals / superstitions: During warmups, we cannot let any ball cross over the half-line from our side onto their side. If one of their balls cross over to our side it’s good luck
17. Bucket list place to visit: Italy, Greece
18. Biggest sports setback or obstacle: I threw out my knee last season and I’ve worn a knee compression brace ever since.
19. College plans / major: I’d like to play soccer in college. I’m exploring campuses and my options.
20. Advice to young athletes: Play to the whistle and be aggressive.
20 Questions: Naje Wray three-sport athlete played every season at Sturgis East
20 Questions: Naje Wray three-sport athlete played every season at Sturgis East
When he was born on Nantucket, his Jamaican-born mother decided to name him Naje.
“It was a made-up name,” said Naje Wray, a Sturgis East three-sport athlete, “she named me that because she thought it sounded nice.”
He later found out that Naje is a French word meaning “to swim,” but you won’t find him during the athletic season frequenting the pool. That’s because he’s too busy on the soccer pitch, the basketball court and the lacrosse field.
After attending school in Nantucket, he arrived on Cape Cod in 2015 and began attending Sturgis East Charter School as a freshman where he has taken part in a sport, every season.
“I like to keep busy,” he said. “I’d say my favorite sport is definitely between soccer and basketball, but probably soccer a little bit more.”
This past fall, playing right wing on the front line for the Storm soccer team, he earned the Individual Sportsmanship Award for the squad.
Despite failing to make the playoffs last fall, the Sturgis soccer team posted back-to-back Cape and Island League championship seasons during his sophomore and junior years.
However, he counts as his greatest sports moment, so far, his sophomore basketball season where the Storm won the first-ever basketball playoff game in the school’s history.
“It was a great feeling and everybody at the school was so proud of the team going as far as we did that season,” he said.
The Storm beat South Shore Regional Vocational Technical High School, 51-47, in the opening round of the 2019 playoffs before losing in the quarterfinals to Nantucket, 57-33.
“Sturgis isn’t always considered a sports school, so it was nice to finally get a playoff win,” he said. “It took away a little of the stigma, having accomplished that.”
Last winter, Wray was one of the team co-captains as a junior and hopes to use his experience on the court to bolster the team this season for another playoff run under longtime coach Mike Aucoin.
The 6-foot-3 power forward likes to look at himself, “mostly as a defensive player,” he said, “but I like to also put up the three (pointer) when I get the chance.”
With veteran teammates such as Tyreek Quinerly and Robert Diaz, Wray likes the fact that the team is a very close-knit crew, thanks to the friendly confines of their school campus in Hyannis.
“We’re a very small school and it’s a nice thing being so close,” he said. “We see most of our teammates throughout the day, in the classroom, in the hallways, during lunch. It’s a nice bonding thing.”
While he has the rest of the basketball season to play, as well as next spring with the lacrosse team where he is an attacker, Wray has set his sights on attending college next year.
His top school is the University of Tampa, but he has also been accepted at Nichols College, Western New England University and Dean College.
20 Questions with Naje Wray
20 Questions with Naje Wray
1. Favorite subject: History
2. Favorite book: “Bud not Buddy” by Christopher Paul Curtis
3. Favorite food: Burritos
4. Favorite movie: “Divergent”
5. Favorite TV show: “One Piece” (Japanese anime television series)
6. Favorite Cape restaurant: Brazilian Grill in Hyannis
7. Favorite Cape hangout: Old Town House Park in Yarmouth
8. Favorite sports team: Liverpool Football Club
9. Favorite athlete: Sadio Mane, a winger for Liverpool F. C. and the Senegal National team
10. Favorite ‘pump-up” music: Drill music
11. Best advice I’ve received: You cannot think clearly while upset
12. Person I’d most like to meet: Kanye West
13. Hobbies and interests: Cooking
14. Own greatest sports moment: Winning the first basketball game in the state tournament in Sturgis’ history
15. Most inspirational person: Barack Obama
16. Pregame rituals/superstitions: I wear mismatched socks
17. Bucket list place to visit: the West Coast
18. Biggest sports setback or obstacle: I suffered a severe ankle sprain in the middle of my sophomore season
19. College plans/major: Finance (haven't decided which school to attend yet.
20. Advice to young athletes: Be humble and do your job at 100% all the time
20 Questions with Charlotte Hagerty, Sturgis West field hockey
20 Questions with Charlotte Hagerty, Sturgis West field hockey
Sturgis West senior Charlotte Hagerty remembers what it was like to be a timid freshman walking into a new high school and trying out for the field hockey team.
That has been the impetus for her now as a senior captain with the Lions.
“It’s our senior year, so I’m hoping we can make a lasting impact and try to blur the lines of grade levels and have a more inviting environment,” she said. “I’m trying to be supportive. We want to cheer people on, especially new players, and encourage them to do well on the team.”
Nicole Santangelo, the new coach for St. John Paul II, has been very impressed with Charlotte’s leadership.
“She’s not only stepped up, but she’s really filled out the leadership obligation,” said Santangelo of her standout midfielder. “It’s just these little attention to details, and her modeling is amazing. She also does a lot of one-on-one work with some of the younger girls or the girls who haven’t played as much to see where they need help.”
Hagerty was also a captain last year as a junior and has relished her role as a team leader. It has been especially helpful in lieu of the change in coaching leadership with three different head coaches in as many years.
“The team dynamics have changed over the years, particularly with the turnover in coaches throughout all four of my high school years,” she said. “It’s been interesting adjusting to different coaching styles.”
In last season’s Lighthouse Division playoffs, West captured its first-ever postseason victory with a 1-0 win over their rival Sturgis East. From there, they fell to Monomoy in the championship round, 11-1.
The Navigators hope that experience will follow through to this season.
Fellow senior Maya Garcia joins Charlotte as one of the two captains, while Emma Adams, Hannah McPherson, veteran goalie Abby Savage-Shanahan and Molly Smith were named vice-captains.
Santangelo has been impressed with the excellent play of Jinpei Holmes. Other team members who have stepped up in the early going have been Melissa Bonnelly, Jillian Burdge, Emma Burke, Julia Carll, Michaela Hopkins, Zoey Kuehn, Sophie Moerman, Ava Navarro and backup goalie Lylah Carll.
In addition to her play with the Lions, Charlotte also plays year-round for the Cape Cod Field Hockey Club as well.
“Charlotte was a captain last year, and to watch her step up and advocate for the girls has been great,” said Santangelo.
“The captains have been given a lot of freedom and responsibility to set up drills and things we want to focus on in practice” Charlotte said. “I hope we can carry that throughout this season and beyond that when I’m not here in the future.”
20 Questions with Charlotte Hagerty
1. Favorite subject: Spanish and History
2. Favorite book: “Becoming” by Michelle Obama
3. Favorite food: Oatmeal
4. Favorite movie: “Central Intelligence”
5. Favorite TV show: “The Good Place”
6. Favorite Cape restaurant: Cafe Riverview
7. Favorite Cape hangout: The Boardwalk
8. Favorite sports team: The New England Patriots
9. Favorite athlete: Erin Matson
10. Favorite ‘pump-up” music: Either throwbacks or Drake
11. Best advice I’ve received: To learn gratitude for my body’s abilities and view exercise as a privilege.
12. Person I’d most like to meet: Michelle Obama
13. Hobbies and interests: Reading, working out and baking
14. Own greatest sports moment: Being selected as a captain my junior year.
15. Most inspirational person: Courtney Cappallo, my club field hockey coach since 8th grade.
16. Pregame rituals / superstitions: For club tournaments, I used to only wear two left socks. I also always tuck the loops of my laces a specific way.
17. Bucket list place to visit: Portugal or the South of Spain
18. Biggest sports setback or obstacle: Getting a pretty severe concussion, and then getting a second one my first tournament back.
19. College plans / major: I intend to major in International Studies with a minor in Spanish.
20. Advice to young athletes: Don’t be afraid to mess up. Mistakes are how you are able to learn and improve!
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