Kenney Trip Returns
Thomas McEvoy ‘19, Luca Pontone ‘19, Shane Rockett ‘19, and Liam Kelly ‘20, along with faculty chaperones Mr. Leonardis and Mr. O’ Leary, returned from the ten-day Kenney Legacy Trip on Sunday, June 17th. After four days in London, the group traveled to Belgium, where they first visited Bastogne’s Mardasson Memorial, which pays tribute to the United States’ role in Belgian liberation and the Bois de Jacques Forest, still pockmarked by US foxholes. “The forest held a beauty that mesmerized each of us,” reflected Thomas. The boys then saw the Bastogne War Museum and the American Cemetery of Ardennes. In the cemetery, the epitaph on each tombstone of American men killed fighting for Belgian freedom points towards America.
The group then took their van to France, where they began by taking in the Notre Dame d’Amiens, the largest Gothic church in the country. The travelers then reached Normandy, where they walked in the same path as the liberating allied forces more than sixty years before and received a detailed and moving account of the D-Day invasion. After stopping in Paris to walk by the Eiffel Tower, admire the view from the top of the Arc de Triomphe, and gaze at the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, the four students touched down in Boston full of gratitude and a new perspective on the Second World War.
Jackson Stone ‘19 Rows at U19 National Team Selection Camp
After a successful season as a member Belmont Hill Crew’s ultra-competitive second boat, rising Senior Jackson Stone ‘19 is spending his summer at the 2018 USA U19 Men’s National Team Selection and Training Camp in Chula Vista, California. Jackson, well-known on the crew team as a hard worker, will take part in a regiment of grueling workouts and high-stakes time trials in hopes of earning a spot on the United States U19 National Team, which will row this summer at the Junior World Championships. One of just seventy oarsmen invited to the camp, Jackson is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Mac Manion ‘14 and Alexander Richards ‘14 as recent Belmont Hill graduates selected to the National Team.
Jake McOsker ‘19 Commits to Play Baseball at Holy Cross
On Monday, June 18th, rising Senior Jake McOsker ‘19 committed to College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA to play Division I baseball for the Crusaders. McOsker was a dominant and reliable presence on the mound for the varsity baseball team this past year, throwing 56 strikeouts, and was also a dangerous batter, hitting two home runs for Belmont Hill. “I felt as if Holy Cross gave me the best opportunity to grow both as a baseball player and a student,” Jake said of the decision, “I felt as if Holy Cross was the right place for me and a place I could feel comfortable calling home for the next 4 years.” For Jake, the commitment brought a sense of relief coupled with an eagerness to join a program with which he has built a strong relationship; says Jake, “I definitely feel like a weight has been lifted off of me while also being extremely excited and proud about my decision.” With his last summer of travel baseball upon him, Jake looks forward to playing free of any college-related stress as he prepares for the next level.
