Three Mount St. Mary Academy student-athletes were honored during the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s 2020-2021 All Arkansas Preps Banquet on Saturday, June 19, at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. Swimming Belle Olivia Chambers ’21 received the CHI St. Vincent Health Award. Additionally, Golf Belle Isabel Chaidez ’22 and Soccer Belle Abbey Moore ’21 were named to their respective sports’ All Arkansas Preps teams.

The CHI St. Vincent Health Award was one of only two “Inspiration Awards” presented during the event. It honors an Arkansas high school student-athlete who has overcome a health challenge and did so with grace and humility while inspiring his/her team and community on the journey.

“I nominated Olivia because she has remained upbeat and happy regardless of her prognosis,” said MSM Head Swim Coach Quincey Johnson. “She is positive and determined and always in good spirits. Olivia has been battling for her vision for nearly two years now, and she is still smiling and pressing on and achieving her goals.”

Olivia, who placed 2nd in the 100 backstroke and 4th in the 200 IM at this year’s 6A State Swim Meet in February, will be attending the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls where she has already committed to joining the women’s swim and dive team. She is the first Belle to sign at a Division I school since 2017. Olivia’s story of courage and perseverance through an unexpected health challenge that left her legally blind was featured in this Arkansas Catholic article in May.

In addition to Olivia’s recognition, Isabel and Abbey were honored for their achievements in golf and soccer, respectively, this past year. Isabel was announced as one of just 10 members of the 2021-2021 All Arkansas Preps Girls Golf Team. With a personal best one-under par total score, she finished second in this year’s 6A Girls Golf State Tournament and qualified for the Arkansas State Golf Association High School Overall Championship. She was named All-Conference for the third year in a row and All-State for the second straight year.

Abbey was selected to this year’s All Arkansas Preps Girls Soccer Second Team. She received All-State honors this year and was one of only 16 players across the 6A classification named to the 2021 All-Tournament Team. Next year Abbey will continue her soccer career with the Division II women’s soccer program at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Ark.

Congratulations to Olivia, Isabel and Abbey! Go Belles!

Mount St. Mary Academy, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, develops young women with a moral and intellectual foundation rooted in Catholic tradition. Mercy-minded and college-prepared, our students meet the future with wisdom, compassion and integrity.

A group of family, teammates, friends and coaches joined together in the McAuley Center on Thursday, Jan. 23, to celebrate a member of the Golf Belles for committing to play at the collegiate level. Senior Lauren Loeb signed her letter of intent with Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, becoming this year’s first student-athlete from the Mount St. Mary Class of 2020 with plans to continue playing her sport in college next fall.

Lauren began playing golf with a set of plastic clubs in her backyard when she was just four years old. By age seven, she was playing competitively in tournaments. “I have played in so many tournaments since then, I’ve lost count,” she said. “I love this sport and would not trade it for anything.”

The second place finisher in the 2019 6A State Golf Tournament, Lauren has enjoyed a successful career as a Belle. She earned All-Conference and All-State honors all four years of high school in addition to being named to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s All Arkansas Preps girls golf team for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. Lauren’s performance at this year’s state tournament also qualified her for the Arkansas State Golf Association’s High School Overall Championship on October 17, where she shot a 79 and finished third among the best high school golfers in the state.

“The past four years at Mount have been absolutely amazing,” Lauren said. “Team bonding is a very important quality to have on any team, no matter the sport. I have had so much fun being a part of the Golf Belles, and I have made friends with girls I will never forget.”

Lauren also credits her time at Mount with preparing her for college. “MSM has taught me how to balance my academics with my sport and, thus, be successful in both,” she said. “It has also given me the opportunity to enhance my work ethic and responsibilities on and off the course.”

According to Lauren, several factors went into her college decision process. “It has been a dream of mine since I was little to play college golf,” she said. “I wanted to go to a college that offered a great education, was relatively close to home, offered the majors I was interested in and had an excellent golf program.” Lauren, who is interested in majoring in marketing or hospitality/event planning, said Henderson State filled all these needs.

“I am blessed to have the opportunity to play college golf at Henderson State,” Lauren said. “I am very excited about my future team and what can be accomplished on and off the course there.”

Lauren’s older sister, Taylor Loeb ’16, is currently completing her final season on the Reddies women’s golf team at Henderson State. This 2017 article in Arkansas Catholic details the sisters’ background and success in the sport.

Mount St. Mary Academy, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, develops young women with a moral and intellectual foundation rooted in Catholic tradition. Mercy-minded and college-prepared, our students meet the future with wisdom, compassion and integrity.

Family, teammates, friends and coaches filled the McAuley Center gym stage once again on Friday, April 12, to celebrate another member of the Soccer Belles for committing to play at the collegiate level. Mallory Howard ’19 made official her intent to join the Lady Mustangs at Central Baptist College (CBC) in Conway this fall.

Mallory began playing soccer when she was just 4 years old. She has competed at the club level since then – most recently with Arkansas United, formerly Little Rock Futbol Club (LRFC) – and played high school soccer for the Belles during all four years at Mount.  She earned All Conference honors her junior year and was also the recipient of the Passionate Athlete Award for her dedication to the sport and her teammates.

“I have loved playing at Mount,” Mallory, whose favorite memory is winning the first game in the state tournament last year, said. “It has allowed me to come together with all the different girls I’ve played with and against throughout the years. Mount sports have definitely provided me with life-long friends and family.”

The 5-foot-3-inch midfielder also credits her involvement in the sport with giving her the perseverance to overcome challenges both on and off the field. “Soccer has taught me to push through whatever life throws at me,” Mallory said. “Being told I’m ‘too small’ for sports really motivated me to work as hard as I can in every aspect of the game as well as in my life. Throughout many injuries, I have worked hard to come back stronger than before, which I’ve learned to do any time life throws me a curveball.”

Those around her are quick to recognize Mallory’s determination, as well. “Mallory is a huge asset to our team. She’s feisty, extremely talented and always gives 110%,” MSM Soccer Coach Stephanie Boccarossa said. “What makes her unique is that she has as much heart as she does talent. She will fight as hard as she can, even if it’s against a girl twice her size.”

Chris Murphy, director of soccer operations and head women’s soccer coach at CBC, agreed. “When I coached Mallory as a youth player, I noticed immediately that she possessed a grit and tenacity that far exceeded most her peers, and a maturity as well as a thoughtful nature that I always felt far exceed her years,” he said. “When I took over as the women’s head coach at CBC, hers was one of the first names that came to mind because of those qualities, which I could tell were still very much intact after scouting some of her games. We can’t wait to see what Mallory will do as a Mustang!”

Mallory, who also played basketball for the Belles and was selected by her peers as Basketball Homecoming Queen earlier this year, is looking forward to attending school nearby at CBC. She feels academically prepared for college thanks to her time at Mount and is considering majoring in biology or kinesiology in order to pursue a career in physical therapy.

“I’m super excited about getting to be a part of the CBC family,” Mallory said. “Academically, CBC is a great school that will provide me with what I need for the future. As far as soccer goes, I can’t wait for the next four years. Coach Murphy was my first coach at LRFC when I was 11, and he has always been one of my favorite coaches.”

Mallory is the MSM soccer program’s second senior to sign this year. Team Captain Anya Ranaraja ’19 committed with Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, in February.

Mount St. Mary Academy, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, develops young women with a moral and intellectual foundation rooted in Catholic tradition. Mercy-minded and college-prepared, our students meet the future with wisdom, compassion and integrity.

Finding a college that is a great academic fit and provides the opportunity to continue playing the sport you love at the next level isn’t always an easy task for high school student-athletes. Fortunately for Anya Ranaraja, she found her perfect match. On Thursday, Feb. 21, the senior soccer player, and one of this year’s team captains, was cheered on by family, teammates, friends and coaches as she officially committed to joining the Rhodes College Lynx in Memphis, Tenn., this fall.

According to Anya, who is also a member of the Belles basketball team, she starting kicking a ball as soon as she was able to walk and joined her first team, the Purple Dragons, at age 4. “We were the only all-girls team at the time, but that didn’t stop us from being undefeated the majority of our seasons,” she joked.

Anya has since competed at the club level with Arkansas United, formerly Little Rock Futbol Club, for the past 10 years, and began playing for the Soccer Belles her freshmen year. Her hard work leading up to high school earned her a spot on the varsity team that year as well as All Conference Team honors. As a sophomore, she was named to the All State Team after helping the Belles finish in second place in their conference. Though an injury prevented Anya from playing in 2018, she remained a dedicated and supportive teammate. This commitment earned her the Mary Drake Award, which honors a Mount St. Mary student-athlete each year for her perseverance in being a leader, an unselfish team player, encouraging and optimistic.

The fact that Anya was recruited by colleges comes as no surprise to MSM soccer coach Stephanie Boccarossa. “Anya is an absolute pleasure to watch and to coach,” she said “From the moment she steps on the field, she sets the pace of the game through her attitude, skill and speed of play. Beyond her incredible athletic ability, her passion, work ethic and love of the game are unmatched. She is a one-of-a-kind athlete.”

Anya, who admits to wanting to be a doctor for as long as she’s been playing soccer, plans on majoring in biology and attending medical school after college. She said Rhodes met all the requirements she was seeking, including a strong pre-med program, wonderful internship and study abroad opportunities, and a successful soccer program that fit her style of play. “In my college search, I had to make sure that the college I chose was the perfect fit academically as well as for soccer, and Rhodes does both,” she said. “I am so excited about the opportunities I am going to have and the experiences to come. I have seen the relationships and team unity of the Rhodes soccer team, and I can wait to be a part of that!”

As for the ways Mount St. Mary has prepared her for success after graduation, Anya credits the excellent academic opportunities and her involvement with Belles athletics. “MSM has taught me how to think analytically through the AP courses I have taken,” she said. “Mount has also taught me how to manage my time between sports and classes, as well as given me leadership skills and experience working with others as a team. I feel beyond prepared for my years at Rhodes.”

Mount St. Mary Academy, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, develops young women with a moral and intellectual foundation rooted in Catholic tradition. Mercy-minded and college-prepared, our students meet the future with wisdom, compassion and integrity.

A group of family, teammates, friends and coaches joined together in the McAuley Center on Tuesday, Dec. 11, to celebrate another member of the Volley Belles for committing to play at the collegiate level. Brooke H. ’19 signed her letter of intent with Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tenn., becoming the MSM volleyball program’s second senior this year with plans to continue playing the sport in college next fall. Her teammate, Madeline S. ’19, signed with Judson University in Elgin, Ill., in October.

Brooke started playing volleyball in the fourth grade as a member of St. Edward Catholic School’s fifth-grade team. Shortly after that, she joined the Little Rock Juniors volleyball club and has competed on one of its teams for the past seven years. Brooke has also been active in the volleyball program at Mount for four years, playing for the Freshman Mounties her first year at the school and then for the Varsity Belles her remaining three years.

According to Brooke, she’s played volleyball at least three times a week since the fourth grade. However, participation in the sport has been worth the demanding schedule. “Volleyball has given me drive and motivates me to perform at my best at all times,” the MSM libero and defensive specialist said. “It has taught me that giving less than 100 percent in anything I do doesn’t feel good inside.”

That drive and motivation did not go unnoticed by those around her. “Brooke is one of the most dedicated athletes I have coached,” MSM volleyball coach Lane West said. “She works hard on the court as well as off the court, and she is very focused and determined to succeed.”

After years of hard work and training, Brooke is excited to join the Lady Bucs team at CBU next fall. “Competing at the next level has been my goal ever since I started playing,” she said. “I have been looking at options and working on preparing for recruiting since around the seventh grade. I knew it was something I wanted to pursue, and I am so happy I get to play at the Division II level.”

In addition to looking forward to playing with her new teammates and coaches, and getting her first taste of “adulting” away from home, Brooke is eager to begin coursework in a unique and relatively new interdisciplinary degree program at CBU. “I am excited about being one of the first students at CBU to major in cybersecurity and digital forensics,” she said. “My future plan is to get a job with the government in this field.”

Mount St. Mary Academy, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, develops young women with a moral and intellectual foundation rooted in Catholic tradition. Mercy-minded and college-prepared, our students meet the future with wisdom, compassion and integrity.

The Mount St. Mary Academy Cross Country team completed their season this past Friday, Nov. 2, running a great race at the 6A State Championship Meet at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs. Staley T. ’21 finished seventh overall out of 130 runners, which earned her All State honors and qualified her for the Arkansas vs. Oklahoma All Star Meet on Saturday, Nov. 10, in Rogers.

The team ended their regular season by finishing fourth in the 6A-Central Conference Meet on Oct. 22 at Bishop Park in Bryant. Staley finished first place in the 5000 meter run with a time of 19:24.85, making her this year’s conference champion.

Coach Rachel McLemore praised the team’s hard work and progress over the course of the season. “Everyone on the team improved their times from the start of the season and made great strides in their competitive running,” she said. “Thanks to the leadership of our captain, Karina B. ’19, everyone approached every practice with a positive attitude and I think you can see the results in the team’s improvements, especially in the two races leading up to a cold and rainy state meet.”

Congrats to Coach McLemore and the Cross Country Belles, and good luck to Staley at this weekend’s All Star Meet. (Read more about Staley and her passion for running in this feature story recently published in Arkansas Catholic.)

Mount St. Mary Academy, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, develops young women with a moral and intellectual foundation rooted in Catholic tradition. Mercy-minded and college-prepared, our students meet the future with wisdom, compassion and integrity.

Although Madeline S. ’19 jokes that it was the school’s “sushi Fridays” that sealed the deal for her, it was really the opportunity to continue playing volleyball while obtaining a degree from a noteworthy architecture program that persuaded her to attend Judson University in Elgin, Ill., next fall. On October 29, Madeline officially shared her commitment to join the Eagles in front of a gathering of family, friends and coaches.

Madeline began playing volleyball in the fifth grade and immediately fell in love with the sport. She played for MSM as a freshman, but didn’t make the team the following year. However, Madeline continued working hard through her involvement in club volleyball, challenging herself by playing on a 17 National team before turning 16 years old. Previously a hitter, she also started training as a setter and quickly became very skilled in this new position. Her dedication and perseverance paid off. Madeline earned her spot back with the Volley Belles her senior year, will soon begin her third season with 501 Volley (formerly Fatchmo Volley), and looks forward to playing at the collegiate level at Judson next year.

“Volleyball has taught me to work hard for everything, have confidence even when others doubt me, and just strive for everything in life to be at its greatest,” Madeline said. “It taught me that if you work hard enough and want it hard enough, anything is literally possible.”

MSM volleyball coach Lane West praised Madeline’s work ethic and acknowledged the contributions she made this season. “You could really tell she had been working hard and improving her skills over the past two years as she made a difference for our team this year. Her attitude and her willingness to do anything asked of her were positive for the Belles.”

Julia Fahy, head women’s volleyball coach at Judson, also noted Madeline’s work ethic as well as her energy, volleyball IQ and athleticism as qualities that will make her a great addition to the Eagles program. “We are excited to welcome Madeline into our volleyball family here. She has a bright future, and we can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for her at Judson.”

In addition to her excitement over unlimited sushi on Fridays, Madeline plans to enjoy being close to a large city like Chicago, which has a vibrant beach volleyball scene – a sport in which her passion has grown over the past three years. She’s already been accepted into Judson’s innovative architecture program and looks forward to continuing her academic studies in an environment surrounded by smart, successful peers similar to the one she’s experienced at Mount.

“I am so very thankful that I discovered Judson University, in which I can continue working hard in volleyball while obtaining a very good degree in architecture,” Madeline said. “Judson is also a Christian school, and I am excited to be able to grow in my faith, as well.”

Mount St. Mary Academy, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, develops young women with a moral and intellectual foundation rooted in Catholic tradition. Mercy-minded and college-prepared, our students meet the future with wisdom, compassion and integrity.

Surrounded by family, coaches and friends, Mount St. Mary senior Rachel McGhee made official her commitment to continue her academic career at Hendrix College and run cross country for the Warriors next year. At the signing event MSM Cross Country Coach Chuck Toomer commented that Rachel’s commitment reflects her Personal Record or highest achievement, as all cross country runners strive for and push toward their own personal bests.

Although an injury slowed down Rachel’s senior year records, her hopes for college are to get faster and meet people willing to run a marathon with her. While she doesn’t expect to be the fastest runner on the team, she explains that her greatest strengths lie in the long distance runs.

“My favorite distance is the 10K,” Rachel said, preferring it to the shorter 5K and track events. She added, “It’s easier for me to know how hard to push myself because my biggest problem with running is that I always have excess energy at the end.”

Part of balancing the energy and workload for Rachel next year will be finding the sweet spot in managing her time between her athletic and academic life. She plans to study law at Hendrix College and says that she is equally excited about all of the academic opportunities the college affords, especially the Study Abroad Programs.

“I’m really excited to be able to go to a classroom that’s similar to Mount because they’re small and the professors really care about you,” said Rachel. She admitted that when deciding between Notre Dame and Hendrix, the choice ultimately came down to the level of personal attention she received from the staff, coach and ambassadors at Hendrix, and even the President of the College, who greeted her by name during a tour of the campus.

Rachel laughs about her initial hesitation to run cross country in college, adding that the sport she loves is one that is used as a punishment in many other sports, though she came around in the end.

“I realized that I really do enjoy cross country and the program,” Rachel said. “Being able to continue running competitively and making new friendships through it was an offer I couldn’t refuse.”