Athletes of the Week Sept. 11
Brian Fleming
A rising freshman who grew up mostly a baseball guy. His dad Mike coached at Cape, while his mom Jan coached softball at Milford. He is straight off a summer of Bagel Bombers baseball at Sports at the Beach. Brian plays the outfield and is a pitcher. He bears an uncanny resemblance to graduated Cape athlete Luke Johnson, also a baseball and soccer player. “Fantastic kid! Hardworking, eager to learn. He is Luke Johnson’s twin. Even in the way he plays the game, soccer, that is,” said Cape soccer coach Patrick Kilby. Brian said that in soccer he is a defender playing anywhere to protect the goalie. Beacon coach Patrick Irelan said of Brian: "Brian is a smart ballplayer who has a lot of love for the game. He is very coachable and always trying to improve." Cape high school baseball coach Ben Evick said, “I have seen Brian play many games. He has a smooth left-handed swing and has the ability to drive the ball the other way, which is a great approach. He has the ability to throw multiple pitches for strikes and mixes his pitches well. We look forward to him working in the Cape program, and he looks to be a very good player for us.”
Riley Keen
A rising senior who lost a certain breakout year in lacrosse last spring, Riley has continued her evolution to peak fitness and performance. She promises to be a hard-to-handle scoring and assist-making machine. Riley has always been blessed with soft/quick hands, and she makes good decisions. Lacrosse coach Lindsey Underwood said, “Riley used the pandemic to get in the best shape of her life and looks really good out there. All of the coaches are really proud of her.” Riley won the spirit stick award during her JV sophomore season, which tells you all you need to know about her attitude. Coach Debbie Windett, who works with Riley in lacrosse and field hockey, said, ”She has worked really hard. Last week in lax, she was killing it, running full field. Usually she is a feeder or works at X. I think she will really contribute this year in lax.”
Emily Monigle
The athletic field is the only place where you can call a beautiful woman a beast and have it be a compliment. Emily Monigle, a rising senior lacrosse and field hockey player, has been a starter since her freshman year, and has gotten bigger and stronger and more skilled each season. Emily is all-state caliber in both sports. Her spring lacrosse season got canceled. Now, like all fall athletes, she’s wondering what’s up. “I’ve decided and committed to play field hockey at Johns Hopkins,” Emily said. “Because of the pandemic, they are a no-test school. And so it’s based on GPA and courses taken.” When asked, “So you are a pretty good student?” she humbly responded, “First in my class.” Coach Kate Austin said, “Emily has always been a hard worker and an extremely smart player. As a senior, we’re looking toward seeing her lead her teammates on and off the field, and she has stepped up this summer to take on that role. She’s a positive teammate and communicates on the field like she’s the team quarterback.”
Francisco Puac
Repping the Seashore Striders, Francisco, a soccer player by background, has discovered the secret of peak performance into his 30s – start running later in life, then avoid high mileage and excessive/obsessive training. Fernando placed second Sept. 5 in the Mike Sterling 10K run in Crisfield in the outstanding time of 34:46. Francisco is training for the virtual Boston Marathon this fall; his last long run was 16 miles at a 7:22 pace which took him 1:57.33. Running compadre Martin Rodriguez said of Fernando: “Hard worker, loving father, great husband and definitely an excellent runner.” Seashore Striders Race Director Tim Bamforth said: “Francisco is a part of our Seashore Striders racing team, and he is a prime example that working hard brings results. A very talented runner and one heck of a nice guy.”
