Rocha, Flaherty receive Moynihan awards at banquet

PEABODY – They were the obvious choices to go to the head of their classes. Catarina Rocha of Peabody was a winning machine in track and cross country; and Brendan Flaherty not only led his Beverly football team to a Super Bowl title, but played two other sports and carried a GPA over 4.0.Tuesday, they were both rewarded for their stellar senior years by winning the annual Moynihan Lumber Student Athlete Award and scholarship.This was the 22nd luncheon honoring the winners. Rocha and Flaherty join some heady company, including Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt, the Massachusetts Golf Association’s Becky Blaeser, Major League Baseball executive Peter Woodfork, and U.S. Olympian Shalane Flanagan.For the second straight season, Rocha ran the table for state championships: cross country in the fall, the mile in the winter and the two-mile two weeks ago, when she out-kicked her opponent on an oppressively hot Saturday morning for a come-from-behind victory.”She demonstrated, at that race, that she has the heart of a champion,” said her father (and coach), Joe Rocha.”I didn’t think I could ever be happier winning this award than I was last year (she is a two-time winner), but I was wrong,” Catarina Rocha said.Rocha said she realized that she had the privilege of attending a school with a strong and caring track community.”My father ? my uncle (Fernando Braz)? and my teammates,” she said. “And our athletic director (Phil Sheridan) is a former track coach too.”For all her accolades, Rocha, who will attend Providence College in the fall on a scholarship, said her fondest memory was the state championship the Peabody girls cross country team won last fall.Flaherty was a running back/defensive back on the undefeated Beverly team that captured the Division 2A Super Bowl last December at Gillette Stadium. Though Flaherty made the game-saving play on defense (batting down a pass in the last seconds of the game), his fondest memory was just playing, and winning, with kids he’d been playing football with since he was a child.”This was definitely the ‘year of the Panther,'” said Flaherty, noting that his lacrosse team made it to the Division 2 North final.”It’s a wonderful way to end my high school career, being a student athlete, and being honored in such a way, and especially with Catarina,” said Flaherty, who will attend Holy Cross in the fall. “This is a special group and I’m proud to be a part of it.”Also honored were two local figures who received awards for their contributions, both in the schools and in the community. Lynnfield girls tennis/wrestling coach Craig Stone hit two milestones this year ? his 500th victory in wrestling and 400th in tennis. Stone said he’s only had one job in his life – elementary school physical education teacher – and “I love the fact that I’m there as their coach when they get to high school,” he said. “Also, these days, I coached some of their parents too.”I guess I’m going to have to stick around get my thousandth win now,” he kidded.Matthew Roy received the lifetime achievement award from the community. Roy, who was a correspondent with The Item for 12 years, works for the Peabody/Lynnfield Weekly News.Roy covered both Rocha and Stone extensively this season, and said that it was particularly thrilling to him to be honored on the same day they were.Billy Dutch, an aide to the English athletic department, received the Fan Award. Dutch has served the Bulldogs in many capacities, from coach to sideline assistant. He has been known to purchase cleats for players who need them, and donate them anonymously.”I never wanted any credit,” he said. “I love these kids. They keep me young.”Steve Krause can be reached at [email protected].