For their exploits in both the classroom and respective athletic endeavors, four local athletes have been named the Moynihan Lumber Student Athletes of the Month for March and April.
Lynn Classical basketball standout Ava Thurman and St. John’s Prep wrestling champion Rawson Iwanicki were the March recipients. Gloucester lacrosse standout Ella Costa and Lynnfield baseball star Alex Gentile were honored in the month of April.
Iwanicki, a senior, polished off a highly-decorated wrestling career for St. John’s Prep in March with the Division 1 State, All-State and New England championships at 160 pounds for the third consecutive season.
The senior finished the season with a record of 61-0 and 48 wins via pin. In his career, Iwanicki put together a record of 191-5, 136-0 over his last three seasons.
In the classroom, Iwanicki is also a standout, sporting a 4.17 grade point average with a difficult course load chalk full of AP courses. He will be attending Columbia University in the fall where he will be competing for the wrestling team.
Thurman, a senior, led Lynn Classical’s basketball team to an undefeated, 20-0 regular season to win the Greater Boston League, also earning league Player of the Year honors. She averaged more than 10 points per game and is also a strong facilitator and ball-handler with a knack for making clutch shots.
She was also a standout for the soccer team in the fall, where she was an All League selection for the Rams.
Now a two-time Moynihan Lumber Student Athlete of the Month – winning the award in March of 2022 and 2023 – Thurman takes multiple AP courses and holds a grade point average of over 4.0. She will be attending Suffolk University in the fall where she will play basketball and look to pursue a sports management degree.
Costa, a junior, is a three-sport captain for Gloucester in field hockey, ice hockey, and lacrosse. She is currently leading the Fishermen lacrosse team in scoring this spring with a knack for scoring goals in bunches – all while her team is well within the state tournament picture.
She also led the field hockey team in scoring last fall en route to a Division 3 quarterfinal bid and All Conference nod. She was also an All-Star defenseman on the ice.
In the classroom, Costa is also a standout with a 93 grade point average and ranked in the top 15 of the class of 2024. She also takes a tough course load with honors and AP classes.
Gentile, a senior and three-sport superstar, has been one of the top players on a powerful Lynnfield baseball team.
An on-base machine at the top of the lineup, Gentile has sparked one of the CAL’s top offenses. He was also the CAL Kinney Player of the Year during basketball season and an All-Star performer for the soccer team.
The three-sport star also has a strong academic resume, taking multiple AP courses with a grade point average of 4.0. Gentile will be attending Bentley University this fall where he plans to study marketing.
