Sentinels in Motion (September 28th, 2023)
Welcome back, SMA Sentinel Fan Club!
We are excited to continue our monthly SMA activities newsletter after our summer school break.
It is an exciting time for our Sentinel families who enjoy MSHSL activities! Just after being officially accepted into the Minnesota State High School League, we started the following Fall MSHSL sports:
Girls’ Swimming and Diving - Varsity and Junior Varsity
Girls’ Soccer - Junior Varsity
Boys’ Soccer - Junior Varsity
Girls’ Tennis - Junior Varsity
Girls’ Cross Country Running - Junior Varsity
Boys’ Cross Country Running - Junior Varsity
We are planning for the following MSHSL Winter activities (click link to register):
Speech
Heading into spring, expect to hear about the following MSHSL activities:
Softball
Baseball
Trap
Track and Field
Boys’ Tennis
Announcing the coming of SMA baseball this spring! We have found a seasoned coach to lead this program. Joe Gingerelli has been involved, one way or another, in the area baseball scene since his time as a player at Duluth Denfeld. He had a lengthy amateur career, which led to many opportunities in instructing and coaching baseball. He has been an instructor with the US Baseball Academy since 2014, serving as site director in 2015 and 2016. In addition, he’s an ongoing member of the American Baseball Coaches Association with nearly 20 years of high school coaching experience. Serving on many of the area’s executive boards, Joe has been an advocate for growth and development of youth and adult baseball in the Twin Ports for nearly three decades. The team will be practicing near campus at Bags field during the season. Look for information in parent updates under activities regarding an information meeting announcing winter practice and camp opportunities.
Chris Lemke - Stella Maris Academy Jr/Sr High School Principal & Activities Director
As our Sentinels jump into the school year, the fall activities season has taken off! One season that has started off with a bang is our cross country team, and our coaches, Elizabeth and Nick Nygaard, can attest to the expansion our team has made since last year. “It has been great to have the team grow since last year,” Elizabeth Nygaard said. “We are participating in almost twice as many meets, and our boys’ team has tripled since last year! It has been wonderful to have returners and to see all the new faces this season.”
Our students have worked hard to reach their goals this fall, and let’s just say hard work pays off. Nick Nygaard recounts: “When I think back to the first few days of the season, we had a lot of reserved kids who somewhat knew each other and hadn't ever run more than a couple miles. Now, they're asking for long runs on the trails! And won't stop talking the whole time! I love seeing the friendships build, and running is a great medium for connecting with peers that you may not have known all that well before. Overall, you can feel the team all supporting each other during the races, daily runs, and - when everyone needs it the most - the hard, grueling workouts.” This hard work not only shows itself on the race track, but in daily life at Stella Maris Academy. Everyday investment from our students not only affects our Sentinels, but our coaches as well. Nygaard went on to say his favorite part of coaching when he said “Growth. Growth in friendships; growth in performance; growth in attitude, confidence, and effort. Watching these Sentinels grow in all aspects of the sport is far more rewarding than I thought. And, from what I'm seeing, the personal growth they experience while out on the cross-country courses, trails, and roads can translate to growth in the classroom and in their faith.”
Only halfway through the season, these athletes already have many wins to look back on. One specific highlight is the first race that our junior high girls and boys placed first and second, respectively. All of these memories have made the entire team ecstatic for next year. “Convincing someone who has never run before that running can be ‘fun’ is a tricky endeavor,” Nygaard said, “but you might be tempted if you already have a friend on the team and have heard that Mrs. Nygaard always has popsicles after practice. My goal next year would be to have a scoring boys’ and girls’ varsity team (which requires a team to have five runners) and to continue to have a thriving junior high squad”.
Stella Maris Academy Cross-Country will be running at Lester Park Golf Course on Saturday, September 30th and at Proctor Golf Course on Tuesday, October 17th. Let’s go, Sentinels!
Veronica Hunder - Stella Maris Academy Jr/Sr High School Administrative Assistant & Communications Coordinator
Peter Gerard is a 7th grade student at the Stella Maris Academy Jr/Sr High School, and this is his second year participating in Sentinel Cross Country. Coach Nick Nygaard describes Peter as a natural leader to the team because he played a big part in recruitment for this season. Gerard’s confidence was evident when asked about the season: “I feel good about this second year. I’ve been running pretty hard! I like my times, and I like my team.”
Although the season is already off to a great start, Gerard has a high bar to set for the season. “My main goals this year are to get faster and work on my own time while still being available for my team so I can help them in a way that will help all of us,” he said. Overall, Gerard is a team player. He does everything for his team, and they all give each other the motivation needed to run faster than ever. From the first junior high win at their opening meet to the spaghetti feeds on the nights before meets, the team has gone on to feel like a family. Gerard said, “We really do have a connection on and off of the track. Since we are a team, it's good to have all of these new friendships.”
Gerard is fond of his team, but he also appreciates the hard work of our coaches. They are the ones to really get the kids going for practice or even a meet. “I like the coaches,” Gerard said. “Mr. and Mrs. Nygaard are nice, super helpful, and have good advice for race days.” He also went on to explain that at meets, his coaches are the Sentinels’ number one fans when cheering the team on!
Gerard is ready for what the rest of the season holds, but when asked how he wanted to see the team grow next year, he simply said, “I want future seasons to look just like this year. I like the team so far - it’s pretty much perfect!”
Veronica Hunder - Jr/Sr High School Administrative Assistant & Communications Coordinator
Photo Credits - Ms. Mikayla Gottwalt, Mr. Nick Nygaard, and Mrs. Elizabeth Nygaard.
Stella Maris Academy | 4321 Allendale Ave | Duluth, MN 55812 | 218-623-1481