Baldwin student lead 2 CYO teams to championships

The St. Gabes Girls CYO team won their championship on Sunday.

St. Gabe’s girls and St. Elizabeth’s boys CYO basketball teams, both consisting of all Baldwin athletes, each won their championships on Sunday.

St. Gabe’s girls team won 60-27 over Our Lady of Hope. 

Last year, the CYO seasons were canceled due to Covid. So for senior Bella Marabito, just being able to play again this year was an awesome feeling. 

“It felt good to get back out there with my team and prove that we belong and we can do everything it takes to win,” she said. 

Marabito said the girls team stands out because of the players’ passion for the game.

“We have the heart to go out and win every game,” she said.  

The St. Gabe’s girls also won in 2020, so they are essentially back-to-back champs.

The St. Elizabeth’s boys team won 78-73 in double overtime over St. Bede. 

“I did not know we were going to win until the buzzer sounded. Every game we played was close, each decided by one shot,” junior Michael Leonhardt said. 

This season proved very rewarding for the Lancers as they used hard work and determination to come up from the bottom spot. 

“Winning felt incredible. All of our hard work had finally paid off. Nobody expected us to make it this far. We defied all odds and never gave up when we were down,” Leonhardt said.