Notre Dame, on the road for its season opener, beat Lyondville in Girls Basketball on Friday night, 58-34.
Sofia Falleti scored 22 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and seven steals.
Gianna Falleti had 12 points and five steals, Lucia Fiorentino had 11 points, and Clairissa Milliman had six points.
“We came out tonight ready to get this season started," said Coach Vinny Falleti. "These girls were ready to play. We have a very young team this year, and I was excited to see how cohesive and energized they play."
The Lady Irish Basketball Program is hosting its 3rd Annual Golisano Toy Drive to benefit the children who are in the hospital and cannot be home for the holidays.
The toy drive will conclude with the Notre Dame vs. Oakfield game at ND on December 12. At this game, there will be basket raffles, 50/50s as well as toy donations to contribute to the children in need.
Anyone from the community who would like to donate can do so at the ND Main Office during regular school hours.
Alexander beat Notre Dame in football on Saturday at Van Detta Stadium, 49-6.
The Trojans rushed for 355 yards.
Kingston Woods ran for 118 yards and scored three touchdowns. Damien Hale ran for 100 yards and a TD on 10 carries. Sean Pietrzkowski and Tyler Caldwell also scored rushing touchdowns.
Back Brody Heckman ran an interception back 32 yards for a score in the third Quarter.
Melissa Sawyer was 3-4 on point after attempts.
Sean Pietrzkowski led the Trojans' defense with eight total tackles, two for loss, and one sack.
Duke Snyder had four tackles and sacks, along with an interception. Damien Hale recorded three tackles and an interception for the Trojans. Jacob Smith, Micah Pulliam and Dylan Pohl all recorded sacks.
No stats were submitted for Notre Dame.
The Trojans are now 7-1 on the season and will host Attica in the first round of sectionals Friday night.
"After last Friday's game, the message to our team this week has been about getting back to basics and re-setting our program standard," Coach Tyler Winters said. "We felt the boys had a phenomenal week of practice answering that challenge, so it was nice to see them come out tonight and finish a week of execution like we know they are capable of. We will enjoy the win and look to grow from it as we prepare for the next challenge that our Class D schedule presents us with."
Also on Friday:
Batavia beat Arcadia 34-0. Bronx Bucholz was 11-14 passing for 159 yards and one TD. He rushed for 119 yards on 14 attempts and scored twice on the ground. Zailen Griffen gained 88 yards rushing on 10 carries. He scored two TDs. Nolan Ball scored at TD, gaining 20 yards on three attempts. Lakoda Mruczek had five tackles and two interceptions. Brock Bigsby had 7.5 tackles.
Letchworth/Warsaw/Perry beat Le Roy/Cal-Mum 25-21. Jack Egeling gained 65 yards on 14 carries and had a kickoff return of 80 yards for a TD. Brady McClurg was 5-11 passing for 56 yards. Xavier Bown had seven tackles and an interception.
Notre Dame is pleased to announce their 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame Class. This year’s inductees include:
Dan Burns (1982)
Jeff Weaver (2001)
Katie Francis (2004)
Maurin Lawrence (2004)
Ashley Napoleone (2004)
Jeff Antolos (2013)
Eric Geitner, long-time Notre Dame Cross Country, Swim, and Track Coach
Also being inducted is the 1982 Football team that posted a record of 8-0-1, winning sectionals and snapping Cal-Mum’s state record 47-game winning streak.
The celebration event will be held on Saturday, November 11. More info to be released shortly.
Notre Dame Boys Basketball Coach Mike Rapone will again conduct a youth basketball league at Notre Dame that was a huge success last fall.
This league is for boys & girls broken into two divisions: Grades 2,3 & 4 who play on a 8ft basket and Grades 5 & 6.
The season runs from September 29 through December 1. Each team will play 10 games with stats and standings posted weekly. Games are held on Sunday mornings at 9 & 10 a.m.
The cost is $125 during the early registration period that runs thru September 1. After that, the cost is $150. For more information or to register, go to www.notredamebataviaboysbasketball.com.
When it came to her own education, Lindsay Warner had no qualms about where she was going.
She would follow the same path as her father, siblings, cousins and Uncle Mike. That path led her to Batavia’s Notre Dame High School, as it does now.
“For me, there was no other way. My family was a Catholic family; that’s how we grew up. I had friends who went to public school; the thought just never crossed my mind that I would go. My father and his siblings all went to Catholic school, and it’s just what all my cousins did. When I was in high school, when I was a senior, I had two cousins, Mikey and Joey Rapone, who were juniors and then Francesca and Sierra were sophomores, and my sister Jessica was a freshman. I think my own family has inspired me to pursue this job that I’m in right now.”
Warner, a native of Le Roy who lives locally with her husband Jeremy and their four children, began her role as the new principal at Notre Dame in July. She will be working alongside longtime Athletic Director and former interim Principal Michael Rapone, aka Uncle Mike.
“He’s one of my biggest role models. And I mean, really, he's the role model for a lot of people who went here,” she said. “He's a model of dedication and faith and everything it means to stand up for something. So it's a privilege to have gotten to work with him, and it's an even bigger honor to say ‘that's my uncle.’”
Warner obtained her first teaching job at Notre Dame after 11 years of coaching while raising her family. She became the assistant principal in 2023 and earned her certificate of advanced study in school leadership from Stonybrook State College this past May.
Her transition from teacher to administrator didn’t come without some trepidation, she said.
“My biggest fear was that I wouldn’t have that connection with students because that’s what I loved so much about my job, was getting to know the kids and helping them through. As a business teacher, I was a work-based learning coordinator, so I was helping them come up with career plans and college plans, and setting them up for job shadows, and helping them prepare for whatever it is that they wanted to do next. I got to really know the kids, and I was really worried about, ‘Am I going to be at my desk all day?’ And it’s going to be an administrator job, and I’m not going to get to work with the kids?” she said. “I was very happy to see that wasn’t the case at all. It’s equally, if not more, rewarding. I really do like this role, and I also like that you’re not only getting to know students and support students but are also supporting teachers.”
Nothing has compared to the academic environment, she said, such as other impromptu jobs at a bank and insurance agency. In between she worked through BOCES at the Western New York Tech Academy for seven years before the assistant principal position became available, and liked the opportunity to work directly with students as they began to make future plans.
Still, it was Notre Dame that kept calling her heart: “I loved coming to Notre Dame. I loved working with the kids. It wasn’t until a couple of my cheerleaders said to me, you’d be a really cool teacher, that I thought, you know, maybe that’s where I should be. I did a lot of thinking about it and praying about it and realized that’s where I should be.”
Tucked into beginning her family and coaching, Warner went back to school for her master’s in education at Nazareth College to enable her to get that first teaching job.
Now to be taking another rung up the ladder has put her in charge but not very far from her crew, she said.
“It’s very exciting to have the opportunity to be kind of steering the ship,” she said. “I don’t look at it as being on top; I’m just leading the team. Everything that we do, that the school is known for, the excellence that we've really built our reputation on, that comes from the teachers and the coaches and the families. So I'm blessed to have had the background and in my own history and my own personal love of the school that I can use to kind of guide decisions that we make. But all the glory goes to our staff. I mean, they really are amazing people to work with. And so dedicated to the school success and to the student success, and I see that even more so now in this role.”
Contrary to how you might think her former teachers would react to their student now being their administrator, there was no awkwardness at all, Warner said. In fact, it was “a homecoming” for everyone.
“All the staff is amazing,” she said. “My leadership style is a servant leader. I’m here to support, I’m here to help, I want to do whatever I can do to help.”
One of her primary goals this coming school year is to have a better promotional strategy for what’s happening at Notre Dame, and to get the word out about events that are open to the public, such as a dinner theater coming up in December.
“Last year was our most successful year since COVID, we’re happy about that and are setting the goal higher this year,” she said. “It’s all about involvement; how many alumni can we get to participate? It’s the generosity of others that’s kept Notre Dame going.”
The school, which housed 201 students in grades seven through 12 last year, and is finalizing numbers for the 2024-25 season, brings back fond memories of her own cheerleading days, Warner said. A 2001 graduate, she was there when the basketball team made states.
“We got to cheer on the team when they won on St. Patrick’s Day,” she said. “When I look back as an adult, I realize it was about more than cheerleading, and when I went to college, it was how prepared I was and how confident I was. It affects you in a lot of ways.”
Why do students and families choose a private, tuition- and faith-based education? Students come for various reasons, Warner said, ranging from the smaller school atmosphere and Catholic foundation to how people have described the feeling that “we’re a family.”
Counselors, parents and teachers all interact on behalf of the student, and Notre Dame does “a great job at pushing them to reach their fullest potential,” Warner said. All of this makes for an environment she wants to be part of at the Union Street school.
“I’m very excited to be in this role and looking forward to a great year,” she said.
With a parent and siblings who attended Batavia Notre Dame High School, Julia Rogers’ story may sound strangely familiar to that of fellow colleague and newly promoted principal Lindsay Warner.
But then again, there are likely many stories of local residents with family members past and present connected to the only Genesee County-based Catholic institution for students through grade 12.
Nonetheless, it’s a tradition that Rogers cherishes, especially since her mother, Sheila Tehan Rogers, was a graduate of the very first Class of 1955, and her dad, the late Bradley Rogers, coached for the Fighting Irish in Batavia.
“It’s very powerful,” Rogers said of her new role as director of instruction, curriculum and assessment. “I’m definitely following in their footsteps. It’s like coming home.”
A native of Batavia, Rogers opted to attend public schools while some of her six siblings went to Notre Dame. She wanted to teach languages — Spanish and French especially — and Batavia City Schools offered both of those classes.
As it turns out, the city school district drew Rogers in, for a 31-year career that included teaching and administrative roles and also included coordinating initiatives with community organizations, families and students. Then Notre Dame’s board opted to create a brand new position at the school, and it seemed ripe for her career path, Rogers said.
“It came along at the perfect time for what I wanted,” she said. “I worked in curriculum office as the coordinator of instruction and assessment prior to COVID. I will be assisting staff and teachers in building their instruction. I will be more of a teammate assisting the teachers with instruction and brainstorming ideas and opportunities for learning and crafting their art of teaching.”
She will be in charge of assessments, from Regents and SATs and PSATs, and working on local assessment that teachers will be giving to students and working with various grants.
Even as a child, Rogers wanted into the academic scene. As the oldest of seven siblings, she and her family members would play school, and later she discovered the thrill of real life learning in progress.
“It's seeing the light bulb turn on for children when they get something, it is the most amazing sight that you could see as a teacher and as an educator. There's no words for it,” she said. “It's like a Christmas morning. It's that look that a student gets, a child gets, when they've learned something new and they have that sense of accomplishment, it’s like no other, and that's truly why I do what I do.
“This just takes it to another level, where it’s a cabinet role,” she said. “It’s a different impact that you can have.”
Will there be a learning curve between public and private schools?
“I definitely think there will be,” she said. Private schools have different requirements and reporting needs than public schools, though, students are striving for and achieving the same types of diplomas in the end, she said.
What has changed the most about curriculum, what needs to be considered?
“The biggest thing with curriculum is you want to stay ahead of the game. You want to, in this day and age, with curriculum, you have to think about what's going on in society, but also keeping in mind, we're a techno savvy community. When you look at the young people in our community, and I used to describe it as the remote control era, where you don't just stick with one TV show when a commercial comes on, you pop to another one, or you're fast forwarding, or you're moving,” she said. “And as educators, you've got to keep that same energy of keeping things interesting for the students in your classroom, because they just can't get up and leave your class to go somewhere else. You've got to keep that intriguing to them.
“So I think that's even different from when we were in school. You know, it's just everything's faster pace. I guess you would say maybe that's age too, but you can keep that out of it, but … I think also, to make our students be successful in the future, they have to have those opportunities of adding innovation to their learning.”
For example, students that may be into video games may be more adaptable to an opportunity to learn about becoming a game designer, she said.
“One of my first steps is really to look at the curriculum that is being taught here at Notre Dame and also talking to the students to see what they want to do in their future and see how we can assist supporting their dreams and aspirations in their curriculum that they’re learning about,” she said. “And I also feel that we have a very unique opportunity here at Notre Dame to really utilize the Christian faith and the Catholic faith to enhance the students’ learning and making sure that we are also graduating good Christian students here at Notre Dame who have a firm grasp on their beliefs and a great foundation to rely on in the future.”
An important factor for her is that she’s still in the community even though not at the city school district any more: “I’m still working with children of Batavia and now expanding it to children of neighborhood communities,” she said. “My first love is educating children.”
Rogers’ first 30 to 60 days will be filled with meeting the school community as she does a lot of “learning and learning and learning” about this new position and how to proceed toward year one. She can envision a graduation day for students and herself.
“There will be a sense of, wow, this was a powerful year for all of us, and successful for the students,” she said. “The students are going to be graduating, and I will be graduating from year one.”
She’s a believer of community service and is a member of Batavia Rotary, Salvation Army’s Advisory Board, Holland Land Office Museum Board of Directors and a second year chair person for the Alzheimer’s walk.
New York State Senator George Borrello announced that Nina Bartz, a recent graduate of Notre Dame High School in Batavia, was one of just four students statewide awarded a $3,000 scholarship from the New York Conference of Italian-American State Legislators. She is Christian and Celina Bartz's daughter.
Sen. Borrello, President of the Conference of Italian-American State Legislators, nominated Bartz for the scholarship based on her stellar academic record and extracurricular involvements.
"I am immensely proud to have recommended Nina for the James D. Conte Memorial Scholarship. She realizes the value of education and has proven that by working hard to achieve top grades and taking college courses through her school’s ACE program. She has consistently made the high honor roll and was a member of the National Honor Society,” said Senator Borrello.
He added, “she achieved all that while also participating in varsity soccer and basketball and a host of extracurricular and community activities. Nina is truly a standout student with a bright future. It is evident the scholarship panel agreed with me that her extraordinary achievements were worthy of an award.”
Nina’s plans to earn a four-year degree will start at Genesee Community College where she has been accepted as a student for the 2024-25 academic year. She plans to major in business or sports management and transfer to a four-year school after graduation.
A former Genesee Region Allstar and Sectional Champion for soccer and basketball, she has committed to playing on GCC’s Women's Soccer team for the 2024 season.
The New York Conference of Italian-American State Legislators is a bipartisan organization of state Assembly and Senate members who actively promote and celebrate the state’s Italian-American community.
Each year, the organization offers two academic and two athletic scholarships. The scholarships are named in the memory of two legislators and conference members who were champions of educational opportunity, Assemblyman James D. Conte, and Senator John J. Marchi.
Nominee applications were reviewed by an independent panel from The John D. Calandra Italian American Institute of Queens College, the City University of New York, who selected four scholarship recipients.
Bartz and her fellow scholarship recipients were honored during a celebration at the Legislative Office Building and during a luncheon at the Governor’s Mansion at the end of the legislative session.
The Notre Dame Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of two school administrators. Effective July 1st 2024, both Lindsay Warner and Julia Rogers will take on key leadership roles for the school.
Lindsay has been appointed Principal of Notre Dame Junior/ Senior High School, and Julia Rogers has been appointed Director of Instruction, Curriculum and Assessment.
Jim Sutherland, Board President, commented, “As an alumnus and trustee, I am thrilled that we have such passionate and experienced educators leading our fine school. The board has every confidence that their deep experience, coupled with their commitment to the highest standards, will help our institution reach another level entirely. With these hires, the Trustees strongly feel that we are investing in the bright future of our school.”
About Mrs. Warner As an ND alumnus, coach, teacher, parent, and administrator, Mrs. Warner is dedicated, compassionate and committed to ensuring the success of all students and staff. She holds a BS in Business Administration and an MS in Business and Marketing Education and is NYS-certified as a School Building Leader and District Leader.
After undergraduate school, Lindsay returned to her Alma Mater were she rejuvenated the Business program and curriculum, winning awards for her innovation and instruction. Her tenure at Western NY Tech Academy also demonstrates her initiative as an educator. It supports her dedication to teamwork, as well as her support of leadership in marketing, recruitment and culture building. This past school year, Mrs. Warner served as our assistant principal. As Principal, she will continue to ensure an environment where students and staff feel valued, heard and safe.
About Mrs. Rogers A native Batavian, Julia’s family has been part of the Notre Dame community since the beginning. Her mother, Sheila Tehan Rogers, was part of our very first graduating class. Her father, Brad, coached basketball at ND. Julia has siblings, a niece, nephews and many cousins who have walked the halls and are proud students and alumni of ND.
Julia’s dedication to the vibrancy of our community is clear. She is a member of Our Lady of Mercy Parish. Julia enjoys volunteering with her church community, golfing, and genealogy. A former volunteer at the NICU at Sisters Hospital, Julia is a member of the Batavia Rotary Club, Holland Land Office Museum Board of Directors, and the Salvation Army Advisory Board and is involved in many other community outreach programs.
Julia holds a BA, an MS in Bilingual Education and a Certificate of Advanced Studies. After teaching at the start of her career 30 years ago, she quickly moved on to school administration. She served as an administrator for Batavia Middle School, coordinator of assessment and instruction, and coordinator for the community schools program, both at BCS.
Miss Rogers is excited about the opportunity to enhance Notre Dame’s strong academic program. “I am thrilled to be able to be part of the Notre Dame family. The foundation of ND’s instructional program shows the values of education and achievement. I look forward to observing and offering diverse and innovative ways to improve student learning outcomes.”
Notre Dame senior Kaitlyn Landers signed her letter of intent to continue her softball career at Keuka College today at Notre Dame High School.
Joining her for this signing were her parents, Matt and Melissa Landers; brother, Benjamin Landers; head softball coach, Otis Thomas; assistant coach, Mikey Rapone; and Notre Dame Athletic Director Mike Rapone.
Landers was a varsity call-up in her 7th-grade season and has been a mainstay with the team ever since.
Career highlights while playing for the Lady Irish include:
Genesee Region All-Star – 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024
NYS Class D All-State 2nd Team – 2021
NYS Class D All-State 3rd Team - 2023
Section V Class D1 Sectional All-Tournament Team – 2019 (as a 7th grader)
Member of Section V Class D1 Sectional Championship Team – 2023
Team Co-Captain – 2024
Genesee Region Exceptional Senior All-Star
Lander's favorite memory of playing softball at Notre Dame was winning a sectional championship in 2023.
Along with playing for the Lady Irish, Kaitlyn has played 8 years of travel softball, where she currently plays for Coach Mruczek’s 18u Edge team, and has played the last 11 summers for her local Batavia Stingers team.
In addition to playing softball, Kaitlyn was a member of the Varsity Volleyball, Varsity Indoor Track, and Varsity Outdoor Track teams at Notre Dame. Kaitlyn plans to major either in Social Work, Psychology, or Education at Keuka College.
Senior Kaitlyn Landers moves her tassel as the traditional conferring of her diploma. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Notre Dame High School graduated 36 students from the Class of 2024 Sunday afternoon at Resurrection Parish in Batavia.
Kalen Muehlig was the class valedictorian. He encouraged his classmates to be "relentless in everything you do."
Kate Ricupito was the salutatorian. She told her classmates, "Do what you love and see where it takes you. Nothing is permanent. Countless doors are open and waiting."
Interim principal Michael Rapone honored many students with awards in academics and athletics, as well as staff and parents who have embraced and helped make the school year memorable.
Jay Antinore, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jaden Sherwood were co-Man of the Year. Teresa Compton and Emma Sisson were co-Woman of the Year.
Assistant Principal Lindsay Warner presented the candidates, senior awards, and special recognition awards.
George Woodruff, class president, presented the senior gift to the school.
The top 10 students recognized were Kalen Muehlig, Kate Ricupito, Violet March, Emma Sisson, Joshua Kirsch, Owen Murray, Theresa Compton, Maria Dollas, Sophia Iovannisci, and Harold McWilliams.
The #2 seed Lady Irish leaned on ace pitcher Loretta Sorochty on Saturday afternoon at GCC to come away with the 3-0 victory over 15-seeded Andover-Whitesville.
Sorochty pitched a complete game one-hitter, allowing no runs and striking out 17 batters. Makaila Brewster took the loss in the circle for Andover-Whitesville, going 6 innings, allowing 5 hits, 3 runs (2 earned) and striking out 1.
Offensively for the Lady Irish, Sofia Falleti led the way with 2 hits (1 double), while Emma Sisson, Hannah Tenney and Olivia Gillard each had a hit. Sisson's hit was a triple, and she scored a run, and Tenney's base hit resulted in an RBI. Katie Landers had a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 4th following Sisson's triple, which scored the game's first run and proved to be all Sorochty would need for run support. Ava Grace accounted for the lone base hit for Andover-Whitesville, with a blooper base hit over second base.
"It's good to get this first sectional win behind us, even if it wasn't as pretty as we would have liked," said Coach Otis Thomas. "We put the bat on the ball, but give credit to Andover-Whitesville for making the plays in the field to keep the score close. Loretta gave us another strong outing in the circle, and hopefully, we can give her a little more run support next time. We look forward to the next game coming up on Tuesday."
Norte Dame ace pitcher Loretta Sorochty finished her regular season career in style on Wednesday, reaching the 600 career strikeout mark in the second inning of tonight's game, and then went on to set a new ND record for strikeouts in a game with 20.
Sorochty pitched a complete game, two-hit shutout. In addition to striking out 20 hitters, she assisted on the only other out in the game by throwing out a batter in the 7th inning who bunted to her.
Offensively for the Lady Irish, Sorochty, Emma Sisson, Mia Treleaven and Gianna Falleti each had 2 hits. Sorochty had a triple, scored three runs and added two RBIs; Sisson scored two runs and had three RBIs. Treleaven scored a run and added an RBI, and Falleti scored a run and added an RBI. In addition, Katie Landers, Hannah Tenney, Olivia Gillard and Amelia Sorochty each added base hits.
Notre Dame finishes the regular season at 15-3 and clinches the #2 seed in Class D. They also finish the regular season with a perfect record in the Genesee Region at 12-0 and won the Genesee Region Division title.
Pitcher Mia Treleaven lead the offense for Notre Dame. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Press release:
Sophomore Mia Treleaven got the start in the circle for the Lady Irish tonight and pitched a gem, going seven innings, giving up 2 hits, 2 runs (0 earned) and striking out 9 batters while only walking one.
Brea Smith took the loss for Elba, pitching 6 innings, giving up 11 hits, 10 runs (7 earned) and striking out 1 batter and walking two.
Leading the way offensively for the Lady Irish were Emma Sisson, Katie Landers and Anna Panepento, each contributing 2 hits. Sisson also added a run scored and an RBI, Landers had a double, runs scored and an RBI, and Panepento scored 2 runs. Loretta Sorochty, Mia Treleaven, Sofia Falleti, Amelia Sorochty and Olivia Gillard each contributed hits. L. Sorochty had a run scored, and an RBI, Treleaven had a double and 2 RBIs, A. Sorochty added a run and 2 RBIs and 7th grader Gillard added a double, a run scored and 2 RBIs, along with drawing a walk.
For the Lady Lancers, Smith and Thompson each had a base hit, and Thompson drove in 2 RBIs.
The win moves the Lady Irish to 13-2 on the season and drops Elba to 7-7.
Mavrik Hall, a senior at Notre Dame High School, broke a school record in shot put at the Batavia Track & Field Invitational on Saturday that has stood for 48 years.
Hall threw 51 feet, one inch, breaking Mike Cordes's 1976 record of 50 feet, eight inches.
According to Mike Rapone, Notre Dame's principal and athletic director, Hall is a five-sport athlete who excels in football, basketball, indoor track, golf and outdoor track.
He is the defending Section V B5 champion in both the shot put and the discus.
Loni Hall, Mavrik's proud mother, said her son hasn't had a shot put coach at Notre Dame and that he is self-coached.
She said Mavrik intends to attend Columbia College in South Carolina for business, where he will also throw shot put.
