Maki, Lanois honored as student-athletes

PEABODY – Gloucester High School football, basketball and baseball player Dylan Maki and Emily Lanois, a cross country, indoor and spring track star at Hamilton-Wenham High School, were honored as the male and female student-athletes of the year at the 18th annual North Shore Student-Athlete Awards luncheon held Tuesday at Salem Country Club.Throughout the school year, Moynihan Lumber, along with The Item, the Eagle-Tribune Publishing Co. (owner of the Salem News), North Shore 104.9 and the North Shore Sports Desk, pick a male and female athlete of the month, and out of that group, they select a male and female athlete of the year. The program was created to recognize students who excel not only on the field, but in the classroom.Maki played on two Gloucester Super Bowl football teams, and just last week, he was on the mound when the Fishermen stunned St. John’s Prep in the Division 1 North final. He plans to play baseball at Northeastern University.”I had big dreams (as a freshman). I had high expectations,” Maki said, adding, however, that he never expected to be receiving the North Shore Student-Athlete Award.Lanois, who led her cross country team to a 48-0 record over the last four years, has captured just about every cross country and track honor out there, including four straight Division 4 individual championships. She’s only the second female to win the award twice, the other one being Marblehead’s Shalane Flanagan, who won it in 1999 and 2000. Craig Mielcarz of Salem won it in 1998 and 1999. Lanois will be attending Columbia University in the fall.Both Maki and Lanois also have an extensive list of academic and community service accomplishments.Several other awards were given out at the luncheon. Robert “Bo” Tierney, who wore a variety of different hats during his 38 years at Bishop Fenwick High School, including those of teacher, hockey coach and athletic director, was presented with a Lifetime Commitment Award for his work within the schools. Salem News sports correspondent Jean DePlacido was also given a Lifetime Commitment Award for her work outside the schools.A couple of ardent high school sports fans were also recognized for their dedication, including Michael Kennefick, a developmentally delayed student at Pentucket Regional High School who serves as team manager of the school’s football, basketball and baseball teams, and George and Ann Ridell of Swampscott. The Ridells don’t have any children playing sports in the Swampscott schools, but they’re always in the stands cheering on the Big Blue in one sport or another.Gerard Moynihan, one of the owners of Moynihan Lumber, also took time to present special awards to The Item and the Salem News for their commitment to covering local sports.This year’s Post Graduate Achievement Award winner and featured speaker was Alison Connolly, a star soccer, basketball and lacrosse player at Marblehead High. Connolly was the 1998 Female Student-Athlete of the Year. She went on to play lacrosse and soccer at Middlebury College where, as a member of the lacrosse team, she won three consecutive national titles.Connolly assured this year’s winners that their fears that their college athletic experience might not live up to their high school experience are unfounded. She assured them their best years are ahead of them and that it only gets better.Lauren Blodgett of Peabody, the 2007 winner, also provided words of encouragement to this year’s winners as they head off to college.