Athletics

The end of the winter sports’ season is rapidly approaching. The varsity boys’ and varsity girls’ basketball teams have finished their regular season. The varsity boys’ basketball team finished the regular season with a 17-5 record winning the West Division of the Colonial League. The boys lost to Southern Lehigh in the Colonial League semi-finals. They now shift their focus to the District XI Championships. They defeated Schuylkill Haven on 2/27 earning a spot in the District XI final. The varsity girls’ basketball team ended the regular season with a 9-13 record. Congratulations to Maya Ettle who was selected to the Colonial League Second Team by the league coaches. Congratulations also to Jordan Holmqvist who was selected the Colonial League First Team and Peter Chiradia who was selected to the Colonial League Honorable Mention Team.

The swim team also finished the regular season. The team is in full preparation for the District XI Swimming Championships that will take place on Friday 3/2 and Saturday 3/3 at Parkland High School.

Good luck to all of our teams and student-athletes in the post-season!

Congratulations to Isabella Khan who captured the silver medal at the District XI Diving Championships held on Saturday 2/24/18 at Emmaus HS. She will have the opportunity to compete in the PIAA State Diving Meet that will be help at Bucknell University on March 16th and 17th.

The Middle School boys’ and girls’ basketball seasons have concluded. The teams celebrated the end of the season with joint team parties in the Walter Hall gym. Both teams made significant progress throughout the course of the season.
Congratulations to the student-athletes and their coaches on a successful winter season!

Spring sports practices at the Upper School and Middle School on Monday March 5th. Please remember that 9th graders who have not played a sport or participated in the fall outdoor education program will need to participate in a spring sport or the spring Outdoor Education program to fulfill the freshman team sport requirement.

As a reminder, parents can receive email or text updates regarding schedule changes or cancellations if they sign up on:

http://moravianathletics.org/

This is a great way to get instant notification of changes in the game schedule.

Go Lions!

On Saturday, December 9th, during the John Donmoyer Memorial Basketball Tournament, Moravian Academy inducted new members into the Moravian Academy Athletic Hall of Fame.

This year’s members are: Allison Nicholson ’98,  and Matt Stein ’01, who became the first 1,000+ point scoring boys’ player in Moravian Academy history. Prior to the ceremony, the inductees and their families enjoyed a luncheon in the Athletic and Wellness Center on the Upper School Merle-Smith Campus.

The Moravian Academy Athletic Hall of Fame was created in 2015 to honor exemplary student athletes at the Academy. The Moravian Academy Athletic Hall of Fame honors past student athletes, teams, coaches, faculty, staff, and friends who have brought distinction through athletics to Moravian Academy and themselves. Consideration is also given to athletes who display a lasting commitment to the mission of Moravian Academy.

Allison Nicholson ’98

“While no doubt exists about Allison’s physical prowess as a three sport athlete who earned 12 varsity letters in her four years at Moravian Academy, only those who saw her in person can appreciate her leadership skills on and off the playing fields,” says former Upper School Director Joe Chandler.

By her senior year at MA, she was a captain for all three teams and earned MVP awards for each sport.  Additionally, she was named to Colonial League second team in field hockey, qualified to play in the VIA All Star Senior Classic basketball game, and hit 4 homeruns during her final softball season.

She was encouraged by then Athletic Director Betsy Wilson to look at Ursinus College, and was ultimately recruited for field hockey and later added softball.  During her tenure there, she was named a Patriot League Player of the Week, as well as a member of the Patriot League Field Hockey Honor Roll.

After graduating with a degree in Exercise and Sports Science, Allison returned to MA as assistant varsity field hockey coach and a long-term substitute post in the Lower School.  She later became an assistant teacher in pre-K, and added softball and girls’ basketball to her coaching responsibilities.  In 2005, she filled the role of Director of Alumni Relations, a position she would hold for five years. Additionally, she fulfilled several terms on the Alumni Association Executive Board, and continues to volunteer as a liaison with the Class of 1998.

Matt Stein ’01

Matt became the first 1000+ point scoring boys’ player in school history. He left Moravian with 1393 career points and was the all-time leading scorer until 2014. Always humble, he credits legendary coach John Donmoyer with his scoring milestone and the success of the team.

He also excelled on the tennis court, and played in a District 11 doubles final. His senior year, the boys’ tennis team had a 20-0 record. They were Colonial League Champions and won the District 11 Team Championship. The entire squad, including Matt, was named Colonial League All Stars.

After leaving MA, he continued his athletic career at Haverford College, where he was a four year starter on the basketball team and again achieved 1000+ career points. The senior captain finished top 10 all-time in points, rebounds and steals, and top 5 all-time in field goal percentage and blocked shots. He was also a 4-year varsity tennis player, serving as captain his senior year. In 2005, he was named a recipient of Haverford’s Gregory Kannerstein ’63 Award for recognition of outstanding athletic achievement and leadership.  

After graduating from NYU School of Medicine, he completed an orthopedic surgery residency at the University of South Florida, and a sports medicine fellowship through the Rothman Institute and Jefferson University. Through this fellowship, he provided team coverage for the Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Flyers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

The Upper School swimming team started off their meets with impressive victories by the boys and girls teams over Salisbury and Schuylkill Haven. The varsity boys’ and girls’ basketball teams also began their season with their participation in our annual John Donmoyer Memorial Classic Tournament. The girls’ team lost their opener to Wilson and rebounded nicely to defeat Pen Argyl to finish the weekend 1-1. The boys’ team started the weekend by defeating Lincoln Leadership on opening night, and then also beat Pen Argyl to finish the weekend with a 2-0 record. Thanks to all of you who came out to support our teams during this past weekend’s competitions!

Saturday December 9th also marked the third Hall of Fame induction. The day included a luncheon to recognize the inductees and their families. This was followed by the official induction to our Hall of Fame in between our varsity girls’ and boys’ games Saturday afternoon. Matt Stein ’01 and Allison Vasta Nicholson ’98 were inducted into our Athletic Hall of Fame.

The Middle School boys’ and girls’ basketball teams also opened up their season on Monday December 11th. The Middle School girls’ team traveled to Southern Lehigh as the boys hosted the Spartans in the Walter Hall Gymnasium on the Upper School campus for a 4 pm contest. The girls came away with a hard fought victory in the A game. The Middle School boys’ team lost a tight contest to Southern Lehigh in their first contest of the year.