Fourteen Titans Finish Their School Year with Academic and Athletic Flair

Fourteen Titans-- Eric Lanoue, Nolan Thomson, Marquez Allard, Mitchell Crowley, Colton Fata, Nolan Keating, Cameron Nemeth, Yiannis Skanderis,  Alex Strapko, Nicolas Carnovale, Emmett Doyle, Myles Hazen, Josh Hill, and James Ratcliffe --distinguished themselves at elementary and secondary school graduation ceremonies as well as at Athletic Banquets held last month.  Here are their profiles, designated by team and alphabetized, including home town, school, and the academic/athletic awards they won in June:

Eric Lanoue—18U—Etobicoke—Father John Redmond Catholic High School

Eric graduated as an Ontario Scholar and earned his AP French Certificate from Father John Redmond Catholic High School. Eric contributed mightily to Redmond CHS’s success on the high school diamond during Spring 2022. The veteran Titans starting pitcher helped his high school win the TDCAA Baseball championship and capture the Silver Medal at the 2022 OFSAA baseball championships. Finishing second in Ontario and winning a Toronto City title made Eric’s Grade 12 year at Father John Redmond CHS a memorable one.

Nolan Thomson—18U—Newmarket—Huron Heights Secondary School

Nolan earned the Varsity Baseball MVP at Huron Heights Secondary School. Nolan’s play helped his team clinch first place in YRAA Tier 1 in 2022. Head Coach Bloom's speech at the June 9th Athletic Banquet summarized Nolan’s contributions on the diamond: "I am so pleased to award Nolan Thomson the MVP for baseball. Nolan is one of the best baseball players that I have ever coached and that Huron Heights has ever had take the field." Nolan’s academic achievements were equally impressive as he made the Honor Roll with Distinction, earned Ontario Scholar status, and finished his Grade 12 year with a stellar 91% average. The 2-time Titans Charity game MVP, Titans “Charlie Hustle Award” winner, and Titans representative in the first-ever CPBL PRO Day affirmed his status as a model student-athlete for younger Titans to emulate.

Marquez Allard—17U—Claremont--St. Mary’s Catholic Secondary School

Marquez graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic High School where he earned Honours with Distinction.  By making the Honor Roll, Marquez attained his academic goal set by the Titans and showed remarkable academic improvement in both Grade 11 and 12. 

Mitchell Crowley—17U--Norwood—Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School

Mitchell graduated with distinction from Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School as an Ontario Scholar. He earned Honors in the Sports Excellence and Athletic Leadership program and was awarded the McCarthy's Excellence Award for Academic and Athletic achievement.  

Colton Fata—17U—Springwater—St. Joseph’s Catholic High School

Colton graduated with Honors from St. Joseph’s Catholic High School, thereby attaining his Titans’ academic goal of making the Honor Roll. Colton earned Ontario Scholar status with his high school diploma. 

Nolan Keating—17U—Peterborough—Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School—

Nolan graduated on the Honor Roll and received extra credit in the Sports Excellence Athletic Leadership SHSM program; due to his hard work, passion, and dedication to baseball, he was presented with the Holy Cross Canes MVP award at the 2022 Athletic Banquet and had the pleasure of playing ball with his brother on their high school team.

Cameron Nemeth—17U—Newmarket—Newmarket High School

Cameron was an Ontario Scholar with an overall average of 81% in his Grade 12 year.  He received his High School Diploma while also meeting French Immersion requirements.  Cameron also lettered in Track and Field and Baseball to highlight his High School athletic career at Newmarket H.S. 

Yiannis Skanderis—16U—Aurora—Dr. G.W. Williams Secondary School—

In addition to his academic improvement, the 16U Titans catcher was honored by Dr. G.W. Williams Secondary School in a June ceremony.  Yiannis was named the MVP of the G.W. Williams Wildcats baseball team of the YRAA. 

Alex Strapko—15U—Toronto—Upper Canada College

Alex accrued an overall average of 92.125% to earn his place on the Honor Roll with Distinction and earned valuable points towards the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award at Upper Canada College in Toronto.  He also wore “the blue and white to represent UCC on the Varsity Lacrosse team.”

Nicolas Carnovale—14U—New Tecumseth—St. Joan of Arc Secondary School

Nicolas made a big first impression in his freshman year at St. Joan of Arc SS.  The 14U Titan earned the Coach’s Award which is “given to the student who demonstrates stellar play, leadership, good teammate interaction, and sportsmanship”—all qualities of which the Titans are proud. The only Grade 9 on the Varsity team, Nicolas earned a starting position at second base, batted third in the SJA hitting lineup, and accrued a .385 batting average over the 6-game high school season.  

Emmett Doyle—14U—Minesing—Minesing Central Public School

Emmett graduated from Grade 8 at Minesing Central Public School last week with Honors, thus achieving his Titans’ academic goal. He was the recipient of the Honor Roll Medallion from MCPS and also earned the Minesing Central Technology Award.

Myles Hazen—14U—Barrie—St. Bernadette Catholic Elementary School

In addition to being selected as his Class Valedictorian, Myles also received two prestigious awards-- the Male Athlete Award and Top Male Academic Award-- at his Grade 8 Graduation from St. Bernadette Catholic Elementary School.  Myles’s outstanding “academic hat-trick” capped off his life as an elementary school student-athlete!

Josh Hill—14U—Newmarket—Clearmeadow Public School

Joshua graduated from Clearmeadow Public School with Honors, thus achieving his Grade 8 academic goal set with and encouraged by the Titans.  Josh, by diligence and determination, overcame many academic challenges on his way to the Honor Roll.

James Ratcliffe—14U—Waterford—Waterford Public School

James attained his academic goal by making the Honor Roll in his Grade 8 graduation from Waterford Public School. James also distinguished himself as one of his school’s premier track athletes by winning four races--the 1500, 800, 400, and 200m races-- and placing 2nd in the 100. At the Norfolk County Meet, he won the 800m race and just missed setting a new record by 1.2 seconds; he finished second in the 1500. At the Haldimand-Norfolk regional championships, James placed second in both the 800 and 1500 meter races, thereby establishing himself as a provincial-caliber runner in both these events. Gutsy performances in 34- degree heat by this Titans student-athlete!

The Titans Baseball Club is proud of its student-athletes’ success, both in the classroom and on the baseball diamond.  Academic traditions have been established and reinforced in the organization. When report cards were collected this past school year, the median grade for our student-athletes was a sparkling 85%. This data crunch—done twice a year-- suggests that the Titans hit the books wholeheartedly and are meeting the club’s academic goal to make their school’s honor roll. These distinctive results put graduating Titans in the best possible situation to earn academic scholarships to augment their prospective American and Canadian athletic scholarships. Director of Baseball Operations and 17U Head Coach Lawrence Vera was pleased by these off-field developments:  “It’s amazing to see so many of our players take on the role of student-athlete so seriously. We want all our players to be good citizens at their schools and strive for academic and athletic excellence. The Titans are a key stop on the way to their post-secondary goals. By being an excellent student-athlete, our players are increasing their options regarding their academic lives after high school.”

A toast to our Titans on their elementary and secondary school achievements as student-athletes during the challenging, COVID-affected 2021-22 school year.