Former Lancer: Londonderry High grad Mandy Avella is rewriting the St. Joe's record book in her first college season.
By PAT DeCOLA (2009 SJC Alum)
New Hampshire Union Leader
It didn't take long for Mandy Avella to make her mark on the swimming program at Division III Saint Joseph's College of Maine.
In her first month of intercollegiate competition, the Londonderry High graduate set four school records and twice received Great Northeast Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week honors.
That performance also earned her November Athlete of the Month honors from the New Hampshire Union Leader Board of Judges.
Avella will be honored along with the other 2011 Athletes of the Month, the Union Leader All-State athletes and coaches of the year, and other award recipients on Feb. 12 at The Leaders: A Celebration of Sports Champions.
"Mandy has had a huge impact," said Saint Joseph's head coach Rick Horr. "The first time she hopped into the pool, against Husson University, she broke the team's 50-yard backstroke record. (Assistant coach) Ashton (Piers) and I both knew when we were recruiting her that she would be capable of setting team records, but we didn't expect her to do it at the first meet."
Now a resident of Hooksett, Avella kicked off her collegiate career by setting school records in each of the three meets she swam in during the month.
In a 143-109 season-opening win over Husson on Nov. 5, Avella had a pair of victories, including the record-breaking effort of 30.78 seconds - almost two seconds faster than the previous school standard - in the 50-meter backstroke. She also swam legs for both of the Monks' winning relay teams.
According to Horr, Avella's record performances were the product of a lot of hard work and a the results of a challenge posed by the coach.
"One thing I think I have done is take her out of her comfort zone," Horr said. "My practices are a little different from what she has grown up with, but sometimes that's good. It's obviously working, as she has achieved personal bests already and in most of her other events is swimming faster at this point in the season than she has in past seasons."
In a 132-106 loss to Elms College a week after the Husson meet, Avella again registered a pair of individual wins and added a runner-up performance. In the 25-meter pool, she won the 50 back (34.83 seconds) and 50 butterfly (34.37) events, and finished second in the 200 back (2:46.15). She broke the program records in the 50 back and 50 fly.
"The 200 back is an event she really has never (swum) in the past. I put her in that event against Elms and there was some concern from her, but we talked a lot about it and worked in practice on how this event differs from the 50 and 100 back events, which are probably her best and favorite races," said Horr. "She swam it at that meet and was seven seconds off the school record. She looked at me after and said she didn't really like that event, with a smile.
"Since then, she has (swum) it two more times and has shaved four seconds off her time. Not bad for someone who doesn't like the event. But it speaks to her strength in that she will always give her best at all times."
In her third meet of the month, a 149-103 loss to Regis College, Avella notched all three Monks individual victories - in the 50 back (30.52 - another record), 50 free (27.93) and 100 back (1:07.29) - and swam a leg for the winning 400 free relay team.
"It's really exciting to start my career off so well, and it just makes me want to do better and better in the pool as I improve," Avella said. "Everyone on the team has been so supportive so far, and I've received a lot of good advice from my captains, Hannah Gajewski and Jamie Wojtkiewicz (Bishop Brady). I'd love to help them break the 400-free relay record before the end of the year."
Like Avella, Wojtkiewicz is a Granite Stater, a Bedford resident who graduated from Bishop Brady High of Concord.
Although she ranked first on just three of the nine judges' ballots, Avella finished comfortably ahead of the two runners-up in the voting, with 25 points to the 16 each for a pair of cross-country runners, Antoine Gisore of Concord and New England College, and Dylan Lafond of Manchester Central High.
Other November nominees who received votes included Hollis/Brookline High volleyball player Kelsey Berry, Salem High running back Jerickson Fedrick, Exeter High running back Tyler Grant, Milford High runner Courtney Hawkins, Bedford High soccer player Erik Martel, Keene State College cross-country star Paige Mills of Keene, and St. Thomas Aquinas High of Dover running back Ryan Monette.
To submit a nomination for future Athlete of the Month consideration, email the Union Leader Sports Dept. at sports@unionleader.com and enter "Athlete of the Month" in the subject line.
Previous 2011 winners: January, Whitney Fremeau, Manchester (women's basketball); February, Nick Lawrence, Plaistow (wrestling); March, Emily Wadlinger, Lebanon (swimming); April, Bobby Doyon, Keene (baseball); May, Keegan Taylor, Portsmouth (baseball); June, D'Mahl McFadden, Merrimack Valley High of Penacook (track and field); July, Chelso Barrett, Keene (golf); August, Nick MacDonald, Hanover (golf); September, Kelly Hood, Berlin (field hockey); October, Lauren Green, North Hampton (field hockey).
