Golf Tournament Another Rousing Success

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On Monday, June 27th, St. Mary’s held our 23rd Annual Golf Tournament at Lancaster Country Club. A record number of foursomes came out for a beautiful day on the links. Thank you so much to all of the sponsors, golfers, and volunteers for making the event a smashing success. We can’t wait for next year!
For even more photos of the action, click here.

Three Runners and Five Teams Inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame

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In addition to our Performing Arts Hall of Fame, we also inducted three outstanding athletes and five legendary teams into the Athletic Hall of Fame in a ceremony held at Lancaster Country Club on Sunday, June 26th.
Congratulations to St. Mary’s runners Don Nichter ’75, Chris Kuroski ’00, and Colin Meyers ’04 for their individual accomplishments while at St. Mary’s, at their respective universities, and then, in Don’s case, for his many accolades throughout his coaching career.
St. Mary’s Women’s Volleyball is as dominant a program as you’ll find across the country – league championship after league championship, 18 state titles and counting, and decades of dominance. The foundation of this success started in the ’80’s and continued for decades to come. We are pleased to welcome the women’s volleyball teams of 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, and 1994 into the St. Mary’s Athletic Hall of Fame. All five of these teams were league and state champions – a precedent for teams of the future to follow.
Check out the individual plaques for even more details on these amazing inductees, and flip through to see the inductees with their Hall of Fame plaques. Thank you to Tony Martin Awards Inc. for the amazing job on the hardware. Congratulations to all – forever enshrined at St. Mary’s High School.

Cast of West Side Story and Louis Conti Inducted Into Performing Arts Hall of Fame

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As part of our Reunion Weekend festivities, we were proud to induct the Cast, Crew, Orchestra, and Directors of the 1963 production of West Side Story as well as composer and musician Louis Conti ’87 into the St. Mary’s High School Performing Arts Hall of Fame. It was a wonderful induction ceremony that featured performances by the St. Mary’s Varsity Chorus, musical leads Dylan Gurnari ’22 and Allison Krawczyk ’22, and inductee, Louis Conti himself. We were thrilled to have so many of the cast, crew, and orchestra from the 1960’s return to St. Mary’s. They’ve all still got it!
St. Mary’s High School was the first school to get the rights to put on West Side Story as their musical in 1963. A controversial pick at the time, the musical was a smash hit, even causing the school to add more show dates for the droves of crowds wanting to see the performance. Famed composer, the late Leonard Bernstein, even sent the school a telegram wishing the cast and crew luck before the show!
Louis Conti ’87 is a composer and musician whose works are known throughout the country and the world. He has played all over the globe and has written music that has moved generations.
Congratulations to all!
For even more photos, click here.
Photo credit: Mya Maher ’23

2022 Lancer Gala Raises Money for Good Cause

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The Lancer Gala – our biggest fundraiser of the year – was held on Friday, June 25th. Thank you to everyone who attended to bid on our auction items, enjoy some delicious food and drinks from our restaurant partners, reconnect with classmates, parents, and friends, and support St. Mary’s students and programs. It was such a wonderful night, and we can’t wait to do it again next year!

Varsity Chorus Wins Competition

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St. Mary’s very own Varsity Chorus took first place over the weekend in the High School Mixed Choir Competition held at Darien Lake! The group, led by Music Director and Teacher Ryan Kaminski, also took home the Spirit Award, showing that Varsity Chorus has both the talent and attitude that everyone at St. Mary’s is so proud of.

Congratulations to all! 🎼🎤🏆

Graduation Is a Smash

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We celebrated the Class of 2022 in style! Here are some highlights from the 118th Commencement Ceremony itself, which was held right in our Athletic Center.

Congratulations to all of the graduates! You did it!
For even more photos, click here.

A Night to Remember at 2022 Prom

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This year’s Prom was held at The Hotel Lafayette, and all the juniors and seniors in attendance surely had a night to remember. Check out some of the highlights!

Baccalaureate Mass Kicks off Graduation Festivities

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St. Mary’s High School’s graduation festivities kicked off with the Baccalaureate Mass on Wednesday, May 18th. Due to the global pandemic, it has been over two years since we’ve been able to celebrate this great tradition. As the celebrant, Fr. Joe Rogliano ’75 thanked our graduates for not only carrying on the 118-year legacy of St. Mary’s High School, but for also enhancing that legacy and leaving SMHS a better place than they found it, ready and waiting for future generations of Lancers.

Marian Award Finalists Named

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The Marian Award is the highest honor bestowed upon a graduating senior at St. Mary’s High School. It encompasses all that a true Lancer should be – strength of character, compassion, empathy, and service to others, and a true sense of pride in St. Mary’s High School. It is the only award given out at graduation. The four nominees were chosen by their classmates, and the winner will be voted on by the faculty and staff.
– Shay Ciezki is a National Honor Society student and the All-WNY Player of the Year in Women’s Basketball. A 4x team captain, and St. Mary’s all-time leading scorer with over 2,000 points, this Lancer will be continuing her academic and basketball career at Penn State.
– Dylan Gurnari is the senior class president and also this year’s Salutatorian. He has been the star of the St. Mary’s Performing Arts Department for the last four years and has been nominated for two Kenny Awards, including for his performance as Seymour in this year’s Little Shop of Horrors. Dylan will be studying music business next year at University of Colorado Denver.
– Santi Martin is the senior class vice president, a National Honor Society student, and was an integral member of the Men’s Soccer Team over the past two years. As a junior transfer student, Santi made his mark quickly at St. Mary’s and became a friend to just about everyone. Santi is off to the University of Florida in the Fall to study Public Relations.
– Hannah Wolf has a GPA in the top 10% of her class and is also a National Honor Society member. She always has a smile on her face, and her classmates see her as very inclusive towards everyone. Hannah has participated in volleyball and cheer throughout her time at St. Mary’s and will be attending Daemen University to study childhood education.

St. Mary’s Nabs Five Kenny Nominations and One Win

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The Kenny Awards, which honor the best of the best in WNY high school theater, were held Saturday, May 21st at Shea’s Performing Arts Center. Not only did the cast of St. Mary’s production of Little Shop of Horrors partake in Kenny Day, inclusive of workshops and performing on the Shea’s stage, but St. Mary’s also grabbed five nominations!
– Dylan Gurnari ’22 – Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role
– Nick Cox ’24 – Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role
– Alex Sylvester ’23 – Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role
– “Somewhere That’s Green” (sung by Allison Krawczyk ’22) – Showstopper
– Audrey II and the puppeteers (Bridget Martin ’22, Nick Cox ’23, and Mya Maher ’23) – Outstanding Ensemble Performance

The voice of Audrey II (Cox) and the puppeteers (Maher and Martin) took home the Kenny Award!

What an exciting evening of performances by the best of the best in young adult theater. Congratulations to all of the winners!