Athletes of the Month- May 2023

The Catholic Star Herald highlights the Diocese’s student athletes who stood out during the month of May. 

Shawn Brady

Bishop Eustace Preparatory School, Pennsauken

Track and Field

Shawn Brady was nearly unbeatable in May in both the shot put and the discus. The Bishop Eustace junior won both events at the Camden County Championships on May 13, followed by double wins at the Haddonfield Invitational on May 17 and the Olympic Conference Championships on May 23, where he threw a 166-6 in the discus.

Brady tossed a shot put 51 feet, five and a quarter inches at the Eustace Throwing Invitational on the final night of the month for his best toss of the season.

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Rebecca Cessna

Wildwood Catholic Academy, Wildwood

Softball

It was a tough season for the Crusaders record-wise, but Rebecca Cessna made the most of her senior year as a steady presence both in the circle and in the batter’s box. Cessna led the team in hits (20) and RBIs (nine) while batting .385 on the year as Wildwood Catholic finished up 4-13. Cessna pitched the Crusaders to a first-round 11-1 playoff victory over Holy Cross with eight strikeouts, including the 400th of her career. Cessna averaged nine strikeouts a game in nine contests in the month of May.

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Leah Clear

Camden Catholic, Cherry Hill

Track and Field

Following a record-breaking winter season, Leah Clear continued her momentum into the spring by winning a Camden County championship in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:18.24 on May 13. Clear bettered her school record mark to 2:17.40 on May 23 in taking second place at the Olympic Conference Championships. Her outstanding month also included a silver medal at the South Jersey Track Coaches Association Open on May 6.

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Jonah Corkhill

Holy Spirit, Absecon

Lacrosse

In a season of injuries on the roster, Jonah Corkhill remained the constant in a shutdown role for the Holy Spirit High School boys lacrosse team. The junior goaltender finished the season with more than 150 saves as the Spartans grinded their way to an 8-9 season during a rebuilding year, which included a first-round 21-4 playoff victory over Morris Catholic in the Non-Public B State Tournament. In three years as the Spartans’ starting goalie, Corkhill has a 31-14 record.

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Ave Martin

Paul VI, Haddonfield

Lacrosse

With the milestone out of the way, Ave Martin went on a scorching goal-scoring path that lasted the entire month of May. Martin, a junior at Paul VI, notched her 100th career goal April 24 and then buried 52 goals in May. Martin finished with 67 goals and 15 assists on the season as the Eagles went 8-9. Martin was also one of the team leaders in draw controls, forced turnovers and ground balls, forming a powerful 1-2 offensive combo with freshman Emma McCarthy. 

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Damon Suriani

Gloucester Catholic, Gloucester City

Baseball

Damon Suriani was up to the task during a busy month of baseball as the senior catcher contributed 25 hits while driving in 24 runs during the month of May. His biggest games came on the biggest stage – Suriani went 4-for-4 with three doubles and 4 RBIs in the Joe Hartmann South Jersey Diamond Classic championship game in an 11-2 win over Delsea. Suriani batted .446 in May and was 6-for-8 during his first three playoff games in helping Gloucester Catholic reach the Non-Public B state championship game.