After spending years honing their crafts, five student athletes in the class of 2021 have decided to use their talents to take them one step further. Seniors Ethan Shaw, Ian Francis, Michael Pastella, Mackenzie Avery and Jayne Bernard are continuing their athletic and academic careers in college. With the help of family, friends, coaches, teachers and staff, these students were able to accomplish a lot during their past four years at Cardinal Mooney.
Baseball
Ethan Shaw Ethan Shaw has been playing baseball for as long as he can remember. “I’ve played at a high level of baseball since I was about nine years old, and my dream has always been to play in the big leagues,” Shaw said. Shaw will be playing baseball at Gardner-Webb University, a step closer to playing as a professional. Shaw is blessed to play baseball in college, but work comes before he plays. Shaw said, “If I succeed on the academic side, I will feel more relaxed on the field.” |
Ian Francis
Ian Francis started playing tee ball at six years old and has played ever since. Francis said, “My dream to compete at the highest level started in the beginning of seventh grade when I quit all the other sports I played.” Francis decided to play baseball year round so that he could earn a scholarship. He is attending Youngstown State University to play Division I baseball. Francis plans on balancing baseball and his academics. “I am going to get my homework done and practice good time management so that I can succeed not only in the classroom, but on the field,” Francis said. |
Football
Michael Pastella
Michael Pastella has been playing football since fifth grade. But, he fell in love with the sport once he got to Mooney. He never really thought he would have the opportunity to play football in college, but his hard work paid off the last four years.
“I worked very hard the past four years to be the best player I could be, and after my junior season I started getting some interest from different schools,” Pastella said.
Getting this attention made Pastella realize that he was good enough to play at the next level. He is attending Youngstown State University next year to continue his academic and athletic career.
Pastella said, “Being a student athlete in high school is hard at times, but it is no where near how hard it will be in college.”
For Pastella, academics always come first. He will schedule his classes so he has time to rest for football and time to study. Pastella plans on having many early mornings and late nights.
Michael Pastella
Michael Pastella has been playing football since fifth grade. But, he fell in love with the sport once he got to Mooney. He never really thought he would have the opportunity to play football in college, but his hard work paid off the last four years.
“I worked very hard the past four years to be the best player I could be, and after my junior season I started getting some interest from different schools,” Pastella said.
Getting this attention made Pastella realize that he was good enough to play at the next level. He is attending Youngstown State University next year to continue his academic and athletic career.
Pastella said, “Being a student athlete in high school is hard at times, but it is no where near how hard it will be in college.”
For Pastella, academics always come first. He will schedule his classes so he has time to rest for football and time to study. Pastella plans on having many early mornings and late nights.
Soccer
Mackenzie Avery Mackenzie Avery started playing soccer when she was four years old, and she has been in love with the game from that moment. She knew she wanted to play soccer in college ever since her foot touched the ball. “It is something that I have always wanted, to play in college, because I wanted to play at a higher level and continue to compete for as long as I can,” Avery said. Avery is attending Westminster College. It is a Division III, private liberal arts school in Pennsylvania. Cardinal Mooney has provided her with a great structure to balance both her academics and athletics. Avery said, “It taught me how to manage my time to become successful. It is certainly something that I will take with me throughout college and life.” Avery added that she cannot thank her teachers enough for the effort and time that they devoted during her time at Mooney. |
Golf
Jayne Bernard Jayne Bernard has been golfing for 11 years. But, she knew when she was little she wanted to continue her career. “I knew whenever I was little that I wanted to go as far as I could with the game,” Bernard said. Bernard is attending Malone University to continue her academic and athletic career. She plans on sticking to the same schedule and only working on school studies and family time. |
These students worked hard in school and played hard in sports. The Mooney family is proud of their hard work and wishes them the best in college.