Outstanding performers in both athletics and in the classroom, Triton’s Kyle Odoy and Pingree’s Katherine Silacci have been honored as Moynihan Lumber Student-Athletes of the Month for April.
A three-sport standout at Triton, Odoy is coming off a terrific Fall 2 football season in which he earned CAL Kinney Co-Player of the Year honors. Though limited throughout high school by a series of serious shoulder injuries, the three-year starter finally played a full season as Triton’s quarterback and ranked among the region’s most prolific talents.
Odoy led Greater Newburyport with 586 yards on 62 of 107 passing (57.9 percent) and four touchdown passes while also tallying 393 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns on a team-high 94 carries. He tallied 36 points on the season and, though Triton finished 0-5, Odoy ensured the Vikings were competitive in every game, nearly leading the Vikings to upset Lynnfield in an eventual 30-22 double-overtime loss in the season finale.
In addition to his football exploits, Odoy is also a two-time Newburyport Daily News All-Star in basketball and a four-year varsity baseball player. This winter, Odoy earned all-CAL honors and averaged 11.1 points per game, and this spring he is Triton baseball’s starting first baseman. This year Odoy was named a team captain in all three sports.
Academically Odoy is among the best students at Triton Regional High School. He boasts a 4.64 GPA and ranks fourth in his class, and he has served as a class officer, a member of Triton’s student council and served in a variety of other leadership positions throughout high school.
Odoy also recently gained admittance to the U.S. Naval Academy, a tremendous accomplishment given that applicants typically have either the recommendation of an official source, such as a member of Congress or boast substantial academic qualifications in addition to meeting rigorous fitness criteria. Even with all of that in hand, the application process is extremely competitive, with fewer than 10 percent of applicants earning admittance in a given year.
A two-sport star at Pingree, Silacci has excelled in both volleyball and tennis since her freshman year. The Marblehead resident has been named her team’s most valuable player and currently serves as a team captain in both sports as well.
This past Fall 2 season, Silacci led the Highlanders’ girls volleyball team in aces for the fourth straight year, and this spring she is serving as the No. 1 singles player on the Pingree girls tennis team.
She was also recently honored by The Salem News as Pingree’s nominee for the paper’s 59th annual Student-Athlete Award.
“Katherine Silacci is one of the sharpest competitors I have ever coached,” said Pingree Varsity Girls Tennis Coach Eric Olson in a recent interview with The Salem News. “She remains mentally tough in the face of competing against every school’s top player — often winning against tough odds. As a leader, she brings the same qualities to the team by her example, and by her good-humored support of her teammates.”
Academically, Silacci ranks among the top students at the prestigious South Hamilton prep school, ranking in the top percentile of Pingree’s senior class with a 96.8 classroom average. She was also named a Commended Scholar in the National Merit Scholarship Program and scored a 1380 on her SATs.
Silacci, who will attend Emory University, is a member of Pingree’s student government and Student Life Committee, and has served as a peer advisor for three years. She founded the Rosebud Connection Club, which organizes a penpal system between students and children at the Lakota Rosebud Reservation. She has also worked with the Pingree Pals Club to help recruit volunteers to work with mentally- and physically-handicapped children, has taken part in the Learning Across Borders Barcelona Exchange Program and has served as a tutor, tennis instructor and personal care attendant.
How does she manage such a busy schedule? Silacci said the fact that she loves everything she does makes fitting everything in much easier.
“I’m busy seven days a week, so even on weekends I’m out working,” she said. “But a big part of it is staying motivated and having balance in my life and staying committed to the things I love doing.”
