Ten Seniors Earn Year-End Athletic Distinction
Ten senior student-athletes were honored for athletic and academic excellence. Their dedication to their sport and their studies has earned them much deserved recognition.
Dana Klein and Taylor Rooks received the Joyce Creasey Memorial Award, given at Commencement to the best senior female athlete(s) at Gill St. Bernard’s School. Klein, also the GSB Skyland Conference female scholar-athlete-of-the-year, was a championship caliber distance runner across all three athletic seasons, shattering numerous school and meet records. She will run for Yale University in the fall. Rooks, Gill's Somerset County female scholar-athlete-of-the-year, established scoring and rebounding records for the championship girls’ basketball team. She will continue her academic and athletic career at Stanford University next school year.
Craig Pilla and James Reiner were the recipients of the Harold D. Nicholls Memorial Award, given at graduation to the best senior male athlete(s) at Gill. Pilla and Reiner were both standout defenders on Gill's state championship boys’ soccer team. Pilla was also a leading hitter on the Knights' baseball team and Gill's Somerset County male scholar-athlete-of-the-year. Reiner participated in basketball and track, and was named GSB’s Skyland Conference male scholar-athlete-of-the-year. He will play for the Princeton University men’s soccer program in the fall, while Pilla will continue his academic career at Northwestern University.
Kathryn "Katy" Bednarsky was selected to represent Gill at the NJSIAA scholar-athlete luncheon in Edison, N.J. Bednarsky was a four-year starter and all-conference player in girls’ soccer, and also participated in softball and swimming. She will play soccer with The College of New Jersey this upcoming school year.
Jasmine Sina was the Gill representative for National Girls and Women in Sports Day at Seton Hall University. Sina was a four-year starting point guard, scoring 1,300 career points on Gill's championship girls’ basketball team. She will continue to pursue athletic success at Binghamton University.
Alexandria Benoit (track/cross country) and Caroline Roch (softball) earned several postseason honors and were Gill’s nominees for the Jan Baker Female Scholar-Athlete Award, recognized by all independent schools in New Jersey. Each will continue her athletic career, running for the College of the Holy Cross and playing softball at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
John Carlson Brown (tennis) and Edmond "Cole" Moriarty (basketball/golf) were Gill’s nominees for the Nick Gusz Male Scholar-Athlete Award, recognized by all New Jersey independent schools. Both were named to many all-conference and all-prep teams. Brown will continue his academic career at the University of Pennsylvania, while Moriarty will pursue an athletic career with the Elon University men’s golf team.
Gill St. Bernard's School
Gill St. Bernard’s is a private, coeducational day school for students age three through grade 12, located in suburban New Jersey. Each of the three school divisions provides a rigorous, meaningful, and age-appropriate curriculum, and all students benefit from the environmental learning opportunities that exist on our 208-acre campus.