As our chosen partner for the 2019-20 school year, various groups within St. Mary’s will be going to Cradle Beach throughout the year to volunteer their time and talents to share with the campers.
First up, the Lancer Hockey Program led a hockey clinic for the campers, showing them some basic skills and just enjoying each other’s company.

Then, members of the National Honor Society and the Wrestling Team went to Cradle Beach to get a tour and volunteer for the day serving the campers lunch. We look forward to fostering a true appreciation among our students for what this amazing organization offers to our community.

A group of St. Mary’s students participated in week-long service trip to Guatemala, where they helped a local orphanage through the Work, Play, Love Foundation. The Spanish Department organized this trip for interested students, as St. Mary’s emphasizes the importance of experiencing the world outside the classroom.

St. Mary’s alumnus Marty Gilano ‘85, who is a Board Member for the Work Play Love Foundation, helped to build and support the orphanage in Guatemala where the group is volunteering for the week. Students helped with recycling in the area and built a trampoline for the kids to play on.

When not at the orphanage, the group of St. Mary’s volunteers has some time to take in the sites of the area. They hiked up to the Pacaya Volcano, which is an actual active volcano. It is located near the beautiful, old city of Antigua. the volcano was so hot that the students were able to roast marshmallows along their hike! The group also visited Cerro de la Cruz while seeing some of the sights of the ancient city of Antigua. This hill offers perfect views of the city. The cross, which serves as the namesake for the hill, was placed in its current spot in 1930.

And just like that, a week spent in Guatemala for some of our students came to an end. At St. Mary’s, we believe it is so important for our students to travel. Experiencing new places and people opens the mind in ways nothing else can. This service trip under the direction of the Work Play Love Foundation at the Guatemalan orphanage they founded and support was life-changing for our students. They made some new friends and, as you can see, had a difficult time saying goodbye. Doing good is what it’s all about. Until next time, friends…

Sophomore Ashley Szczerbacki will appear in four episodes of the HBO series Divorce this season.

Ashley has landed the role of a “Lady Raider Basketball Player” in three episodes and will even have a co-star speaking role as Ruby in the episode that will air on July 29, 2019 at 10:00 p.m. The listing of the episodes Ashley will appear in are as follows:

Divorce – Season 3 (2019)

Season 3, Episode 1 – Ashley is a Lady Raider Basketball Player #25- Aired on HBO Monday, 7/1/19 at 10:00 p.m.

Season 3, Episode 2 – Ashley is a Lady Raider Basketball Player #25 – Airs on HBO Monday, 7/8/19 at 10:00 p.m.

Season 3, Episode 4 – Ashley is a Lady Raider Basketball Player #25 – Airs on HBO Monday, 7/22/19 at 10:00 p.m.

Season 3, Episode 5 – Ashley has a co-star speaking role as “Ruby” – Airs on HBO Monday, 7/29/19 at 10:00 p.m.

Ashley has been working in the industry since 2006, when she was a “Playtime Child” for Fisher Price and has had several film roles, with over 10 credits to her name. She also has a flair for the stage and has been involved in several musicals, including shows done through Shea’s Performing Arts Studio.  Ashley has put many years of training in and is currently enrolled in Frank Rossi Acting Studio, Josie DiVincenzo Acting Studio, and Bello Voice Studio.

St. Mary’s could not be more proud of Ashely and her break into the Screen Actors Guild: “At St. Mary’s, we encourage our kids to dream big, and they do some pretty amazing things,” said Kevin Kelleher, Head of School. “We are thrilled for Ashley and to see all of the hard work she has put in start to pay off is just extraordinary. There is clearly no stopping all of her talent and effort. We will all definitely be tuning in to watch her on Monday nights in July!”

According to the HBO website, Divorce, currently airing its third season, is a “biting comedy series from creator Sharon Horgan about the lows and lower lows of a very long divorce” and stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Hayden Church. Divorce airs every Monday at 10:00 p.m. on HBO and streams on HBO Go.

Be sure to check out the story Channel 4 did on Ashley’s journey at St. Mary’s High School here.

In mid-July, St. Mary’s welcomed the incoming Freshmen Class at Orientation. This newest group of Lancers got to know each other, received their Chromebooks, walked through their schedules, met with coaches, and heard some words of wisdom from a pretty special group of upperclassmen.
We can’t wait to see all of the amazing things the Class of 2023 will do here at St. Mary’s!

Here’s a heartwarming story on how St. Mary’s senior was bestowed the honor of The Buffalo News’ Prep Talk Athlete of the Year from the News’ Jonah Bronstein.  It’s not your typical victory story.

Summer Clark was a fierce competitor for the undefeated state champion Williamsville East softball team this spring. And through the first four rounds of The Buffalo News’ Prep Talk Athlete of the Week playoffs, the sophomore pitcher received the most votes of any male or female in the competition.

But when it came down to the championship round this week, Clark was happy to take the loss and cede the spotlight to an athlete she felt was more deserving.

With Clark’s endorsement, St. Mary’s senior volleyball player Hannah Mulhern has been elected as the inaugural champion of the Prep Talk Athlete of the Week playoffs, presented by Sgroi Financial.

Mulhern overcame multiple offseason operations to remove a benign brain tumor and played through persistent pain during her final season with the Lancers.

As a member of the Williamsville East volleyball team, Clark played against Mulhern and St. Mary’s early in the regular season. She later learned what her opponent had been battling.

Summer Clark was a fierce competitor for the undefeated state champion Williamsville East softball team this spring. And through the first four rounds of The Buffalo News’ Prep Talk Athlete of the Week playoffs, the sophomore pitcher received the most votes of any male or female in the competition.

But when it came down to the championship round this week, Clark was happy to take the loss and cede the spotlight to an athlete she felt was more deserving.

With Clark’s endorsement, St. Mary’s senior volleyball player Hannah Mulhern has been elected as the inaugural champion of the Prep Talk Athlete of the Week playoffs, presented by Sgroi Financial.

Mulhern overcame multiple offseason operations to remove a benign brain tumor and played through persistent pain during her final season with the Lancers.

As a member of the Williamsville East volleyball team, Clark played against Mulhern and St. Mary’s early in the regular season. She later learned what her opponent had been battling.

“I saw her story on the news and it choked me up a little bit,” Clark said. “It’s just so inspiring. To have brain surgery and come back to play the sport she loves — I respect her so much.”

After seeing she was matched up against Mulhern when the final Prep Talk Athlete of the Week playoffs poll opened Monday, Clark consulted with her family before announcing that night in a tweet she wished to concede the race.

“If I was a person looking at the polls,” Clark said, “I would vote for her.”

Mulhern was touched by the gesture. She expressed her gratitude in a tweet reply and again when she and Clark spoke face-to-face for the first time Tuesday afternoon at St. Mary’s.

“I was humbled by all of her kind words,” Mulhern said. “It was so classy. Her and her family. Everything she said was so kind. She is so sweet and I think we could be fast friends.”

Even after Clark conceded, voting for Mulhern continued. She has received more than 50,000 votes.

Mulhern said she paid close attention to Williamsville East’s softball season because some of her former Niagara Frontier Volleyball Club teammates were part of the Flames’ lineup.

East went 27-0, winning the Class A state title for the first time in school history and finishing the season ranked No. 9 nationally by MaxPreps.com. Clark, who has committed to play for the University of Missouri, was selected as a sophomore All-American by MaxPreps.

“It’s amazing, everything they have been able to do,” Mulhern said. “And Summer, she’s such a phenomenal athlete.”

Mulhern, a two-time All-Western New York selection who led St. Mary’s to a state Catholic championship in her junior season, plans to play club volleyball for the University of Virginia. She continues to deal with lingering pain from her brain tumor operation.

“I’m still not 100 percent. I still struggle a lot and am on a lot of medications,” Mulhern said. “But I’m happy with everything I was able to overcome throughout the season. Our team didn’t get the end result that I would’ve liked to see, but I’m still so proud of everything we went through together and everything that we were able to accomplish.”

Mulhern might have also found inspiration for her career path, after developing an interest in campaigning during the Prep Talk Athlete of the Week playoffs.

“I have thought about it, actually,” she said. “I don’t know if I’m cut out for politics. I might be a little too nice. I have so many supporters, my family and all my friends, and it was a lot of fun watching them show their support for me.”

Voting for the Boys Prep Talk Athlete of the Week playoffs continues through noon Thursday between Lockport’s Malik Brooks and West Seneca West’s John Speyer.

In quite the historic season for the Lancers Baseball Team, we defeated St. Joe’s 5-3 in the decisive game 3 of the series to win our first Georgetown Cup in 39 years! What a team. What a season.

Check out more of the story from Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News:

The St. Joe’s baseball team had just cut St. Mary’s of Lancaster’s lead from four runs to two, and St. Mary’s pitcher Brady O’Brien needed a minute to gain his composure in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Two runs weren’t going to force O’Brien, the Lancers’ starting pitcher, to leave the game Thursday at Canisius College. He and the Lancers weren’t going to let the Marauders back into the game, either. That had already happened a day earlier, in the second game of the best-of-three series for the Georgetown Cup.

“We’re up four and I thought, ‘Don’t get too comfortable,’ ” O’Brien said. “But I knew that if I could control my pitches on the mound, there was no way they were beating us.”

After giving up two runs on two hits to St. Joe’s, O’Brien and the Lancers settled down and Jack Gilbert grounded out to end the sixth. An inning later, the Lancers closed out a 5-3 win for their second Georgetown Cup in program history and first since 1980.

“It brought back some memories from (Wednesday) and we knew what happened,” said O’Brien, who struck out four batters and allowed six hits in a complete game. “We were up 10-6, but you always have to stay confident when you’re on the mound. That’s how I am up there, and when I’m confident, I know I can get the job done, and the job today was to get a win. That was our job.”

The final two innings, however, became a test for the Lancers (19-7), as St. Joe’s batters found their rhythm. Vince Capolupo’s two-out double in the bottom of the sixth for the Marauders (17-12) drove in Sam Murphy and Mitchell Floccare, and cut St. Mary’s lead to 5-3.

“It was insane, just the intensity of it all,” said Tyler Kerl, who had two hits and drove in two runs for St. Mary’s. “They tried to chirp us and get us fired up, but we just kept composed. It’s a mental game.”

The Lancers also shut down St. Joe’s second attempt at a rally in as many days; the Marauders rallied to score four runs and tie the game in the seventh inning Wednesday, en route to a 12-10 win that forced a decisive third game in the series.

“They played hard, this was a tremendous series, and they went and grabbed it,” St. Joe’s coach Paul Nasca said. “It was nip-and-tuck, all the way through, every game, and we came out on the back end. But I’m extremely proud of the effort of our kids. They showed a lot of resiliency throughout.”

Will Carlone’s RB triple drove in Tino Turello to give the Marauders a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but St. Joe’s left three runners on base in the next four innings and St. Mary’s limited the Marauders to three hits in the first five innings.

Luke Stablewski tied the game at 1-1 for St. Mary’s in the top of the second, when he scored from third on an error. O’Brien’s triple in the top of the third drove in Chris Nieno and gave the Lancers a 2-1 lead.

Pitching in relief of St. Joe’s starter Patrick McCann, Sam Calcaterra walked in a run with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the sixth. Luke Stablewski scored from third to give the Lancers a 3-1 lead, and a batter later, Kerl’s single with the bases loaded drove in Cole Laskowski and Trent Rumley to open the Lancers’ lead to 5-1.

“Yesterday was not what we wanted to happen, but we came in, we scratched it, had a great practice before the game and everything just happened, right there and then,” O’Brien said. “It feels good.”

Ashley ‘19 and Tyler ‘20 Cruz recently cashed in on Hooky for a Day with the SMH Marketing Team of Mr. Weiss and Miss Kawa that their parents bid on and won at the Lancer Gala this past February.

A day spent with good food thanks to Nick’s Place Express (and SMH alum Nick Ananiadis ‘04) and Lake Effect Ice Cream and fun at The Buffalo Zoo! Looks like some serious fun was had!  Make sure you join us for the Lancer Gala this year for your chance to bid on this and many more amazing experiences within the St. Mary’s community and the Western New York community at large!

In this year’s Buffalo Business First’s rankings of 131 high schools in Western New York, St. Mary’s retains its #7 ranking and cements its place as one of the top 10 high schools in Western New York. The hard work and dedication of our administration, faculty, staff, and students is so inspiring. A special shout out goes to our Social Studies Department, which ranks second out of the 131 schools. Here’s to another great year!