CIAC Scholar-Athletes Named From Norwalk's 2 High Schools

NORWALK, CT — Two student-athletes from both Norwalk and Brien McMahon high schools are among 358 Connecticut seniors who will be recognized as Scholar Athletes by the Connecticut Association of Schools-Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CAS-CIAC). The Scholar Athlete Program annually recognizes two high school seniors from each member high school whose academic and athletic careers have been exemplary, whose personal standards and achievements are a model to others, and who possess high levels of integrity, self-discipline and courage.

The Brien McMahon High School honorees are Alexandra Mills and Patrick Coulter, and the Norwalk High School honorees are Julia Dufort and Alex Francoeur.

Due to restrictions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, the annual gathering of honorees, coaches, administrators and parents, held customarily at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington, will not take place for the first time since its inception in 1984. Instead, a CAS-CIAC Virtual Scholar-Athlete Banquet will air at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, May 3, on Fox61 and GameTimeCT.com. The 30-minute special will honor the Scholar Athletes selected by 182 schools for their achievements in athletics and the classroom.

The program will feature many elements of the annual Scholar Athlete Banquet, with some new additions for the virtual program. The event will feature recognition of each Scholar Athlete; remarks from keynote speaker Anna Mahon, a former Olympic hammer thrower and current principal of Amity Regional High School; retired ESPN radio personality Bob Picozzi as host of the event for the 33rd time in 36 years; a profile of Haley Lespier from Maloney High School, the 2020 Michael H. Savage Spirit of Sport Award winner; brief features on a pair of compelling scholar-athlete stories; congratulatory messages from noteworthy Connecticut sports figures; and more.

— By Tim Jensen, Patch Staff