
St. Joseph Hill Academy held our second annual High School All-Sports Athletic Alumnae Reunion on the evening of Friday, November 17, 2023 thanks to a collaborative effort between Hill’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations and the Athletics Department. The event reunited Hill alumnae athletes to celebrate their legacy set amongst the banners, trophies, and photos that detail Hill's amazing athletic achievements throughout the decades. This year, St. Joseph Hill Academy was proud to honor Anne Marie McDonough, SJHA Class of 1980 and Hill Varsity Swim Coach 1995-2020, and the SJHA 2015 National High School Championship Cheerleading Team.
Anne Marie McDonough, ‘80 was a member of the inaugural SJHA Swim Team in 1979. After graduating from Hill, she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from SUNY Downstate and a Master’s of Public Health Administration from Columbia University. She has been the Senior Director of Rehabilitative Medicine at Staten Island University Hospital / Northwell Health for over 35 years. Amidst an incredible career and raising three children, two of which are Hill alumnae, McDonough was an incredible swim coach to Hill swimmers for 25 years. Though she has retired from coaching, she has continued to show support to St. Joseph Hill Academy and our swim program. Her decades of leadership helped our swim athletes to become strong, independent women who make waves both literally and figuratively. We were thrilled to welcome home so many former Hill swimmers there to honor their former coach.
Additionally, St. Joseph Hill Academy honored the 2015 National High School Championship Cheerleading Team, the first and only Hill team to win this title and the first Staten Island team to win it. The 2015 Cheerleading Team included the seven Hill Varsity Cheerleading Coaches that year: Kristen Daunt Narbut ‘11, Michele Lynch ‘94, Danielle Morelli ‘06, Tara Peters Reale ‘03, Kimberly Rex ‘99, Clarisse Ruby ‘99, and Donna Tabacco ‘00 and the Cheerleader Alums: Courtney Ahern '16, Ariana Alvarado '16, Victoria Asaro '16, Kai Bingham '15, Mary Rose Caria '16, Gina Cerenzio '16, Nicolette Colella-Fiorentino '16, Nicole Gasparino '17, Lauren Guardino '15, Kelsey Heinbockel '15, Kayla Intravaia '16 Kelly Karasinski '15, Taylor Kelly '17, Mia Loverdi '16, Stephanie Monforte '15, Nicole Nelson '15, Nicole Palazzo '15, Joie Passalacqua '15, Shanon Quirk '16,Julia Rodriguez '16, Samantha Schneider '16, Julianne Schneider '15, Alyssa Spoto '16, Alyssa Sqatrito '15, Shannon Stucin '15, Victoria Tabacco '17, Kristina Trotta-Stagg '15, Kaitlynn Wagner '15, Brooke Wildes '16, and Alyssa Zarcone '17.
Their story was a true Cinderella story. The dedication and commitment this group of young women and coaches demonstrated in that season was nothing short of spectacular as they clawed back from last place in 2014 to National Champions in 2015. The bond and sisterhood were palpable at the reunion, even eight years later. They tearfully recalled the day in Florida when they became Champions as well as the hard work they put into that season beginning with Summer Cheer Camp and the magic the team felt that year.
The event also kicked off the initiation of St. Joseph Hill Academy High School’s new Scholar Athlete Award Fund. Each year, the esteemed St. Joseph Hill Academy Scholar-Athlete Award will be bestowed upon a singular, outstanding high school senior. The annual recipient will be carefully selected due to their exceptional achievements, not only in academics but also in the realm of athletics.
If you are interested in supporting this award, please be so kind as to make your donation here.