Danvers High School and Peabody High are six miles apart. That’s probably a light run for Danvers’ Bobbi Serino, and Peabody’s Alex Jackson could probably throw a shot from one to the other.
The Moynihan Lumber North Shore Student-Athlete award is a monthly honor given to one male and one female for their excellence in the classroom and athletic competition. April recipients are Danvers field hockey and track star Serino, and Jackson, a track and football standout at Peabody.
Flip through a local newspaper or scroll through social media. You could say these names are well-known across the North Shore sports landscape – and for good reason.
Not only does Serino, a senior, know what she’s doing in the fall – Union College (New York) to play field hockey, run track, and study biology – but she’s looked beyond that, too.
“Being a senior this year, everything we do, we’re asked, ‘Where do you see yourself in 10 years?’” she said. “My go-to answer is working in a Boston hospital, while training for the Boston Marathon.”
Well, she’s on the right track. Serino captains the field hockey team, as well as the winter and spring track programs. She was All-Northeastern Conference in field hockey (career: 34 goals, 12 assists) and won the mile (PR 5:32.21) in the Conference Championship this past winter.
But those numbers didn’t come overnight.
“Six days a week, I would say, we have organized practice, but I’m all over the place,” said Serino, whose grandfather, Christie, coached hockey for more than 30 years, including seven as head coach of Merrimack College, and is a Saugus High Hall-of-Famer. “Over the summer, when we’re not exactly on a routine schedule, I’ll find myself either running on my own or down at the field practicing.”
According to Serino, it’s “100 percent” in all three sports. When asked which she enjoys the most, she answered, “Honestly, it’s whatever season I’m in.”
“It’s funny. I get that question all the time,” she said. “The team sport will always be more fun, but the personal satisfaction you get from track is something you can’t find anywhere else.”
Among a village in her support system, she shouted out field hockey coach Kristen McCarthy and track coach Jeffrey Bartlett.
“I’ve been really lucky,” said Serino, whose night-before-competition meal is always pasta.
Serino maintains a 100.275 GPA out of a 100-point scale while taking eight AP courses throughout high school. She is also a member of National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, a DECA Officer, and class treasurer.
“I think it’s really important to stay well-rounded, so if I’m going to put so much effort into my athletics, I can do it for my academics as well,” she said. “At the end of the day, school and sports are what I’m most passionate about, so that’s where I focus all of my effort.”
For Serino, whose favorite sports memory is when the field hockey team made the Final 4 in 2022 after she scored the game-winning goal, she can’t wait for what’s next.
“I’m just really excited to be playing against such competitive opponents, especially in track to see how I can improve myself,” she said.
Jackson, a junior, has received college offers from Syracuse, UMass Amherst, Akron, and, just this week, James Madison and Fordham. He plans on studying business, but isn’t sure where just yet.
“I don’t know yet. That’s a good question,” he said.
In the shot put, he is undefeated in Massachusetts with a personal record of 60-6, and placed fifth in Nike Scholastic Nationals. His discus PR stands at 169’ and he’s been named MSTCA (Mass State Coaches Association) Track & Field Indoor Athlete of The Year.
When asked about his favorite memory, Jackson was quick to respond.
“Becoming an All-American,” he said. “I went to New Balance and Nike Nationals in New York and Boston. Shot in New York was my least likely to be All-American in, and that’s what I got… It was not only a big surprise, but very relieving. All of the hard work, and it’s paying off.”
Jackson works out six days a week and spends most of his time throwing. Then, there’s the support he gets from coaches Fernando Braz (track and field), Jay Smith (throwing), and Mark Bettencourt (football).
“They really do everything for me. All of my coaches are like my family. I’m really close with all of them,” Jackson said. “Whether it’s going over for dinner once in a while, or going out to eat with my family, I’m really close… If I need extra help with school or an extra practice on a Sunday or something, they’re always there.”
Always there, like Jackson’s presence on the football field. The lineman recorded 41.5 tackles, four sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble last fall, all while allowing zero sacks on the offensive end.
Outside of competition, he sports a 3.03 GPA on top of community service.
“You have to choose your priorities. If you choose the right priority, then it’s pretty straightforward,” said Jackson, whose pre-competition meal is pasta or some type of wrap. “It’s a lot of hard work, but you just have to make the right choices.”
Jackson admits his success in the classroom wasn’t always there.
“Freshman year, coming off COVID, I didn’t care about school, really,” he said. “It’s been a lot better since then… It was a realization. If I wanted to go to college, I had to get my grades up.”
Well, he certainly has options, and chalk up the Moynihan award as another accomplishment.
“It’s a big award. It really means a lot. I’ve come from not really caring about school to winning an award like this,” Jackson said. “It’s nice to be a part of this group.”
