The St. Rose School annual sports banquet on March 30 not only celebrated team and individual athletic accomplishments, but it also served as a prequel to exciting future athletic program expansion plans.

Student athletes (basketball players and cheerleaders) were honored by their coaches, Principal Mary Maloney and athletic director Kim Braun for their undeniable spirit, tenacity and determination on and off the court.

While every student was personally acknowledged and presented a trophy for their individual contributions, St. Rose and the Greater Danbury Parochial League also acknowledged individuals whose achievements deserved special recognition and scholarships.

The Scholar Athlete Award was presented to Michelle Rahtelli and Joshua Jowdy. Colleen Cunningham was selected to the Girls Varsity All Tournament Team and Grant Braun was awarded the Greater Danbury Parochial League LiVolsi Memorial Sportsmanship Scholarship.

Other awards presented by the coaches included Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, the Sportsmanship Award and the league All Star Award. At least sixteen other athletes were recognized by these awards.

“Every player is a true champion because they learned to play with their head and their hearts, and never let challenges blur their vision for victory,” said Kim Braun.

Of the total 315 students who attend the school, nearly 25% actively participate in the athletic program. This year, the program introduced the Pep Squad, a group of young girls, aspiring to be cheerleaders, who cheer from the benches as they learn the ropes.

Next year, the cheerleaders expect to enter the competitive ranks as the St. Rose athletic program expects to offer softball and baseball as part of the parochial league which includes schools from Greenwich, Ridgefield, and other surrounding towns. All of that will coincide with the future capital improvement building plan, expected to break ground in the very near future.