Softball | 5/14/2020 12:00:00 AM
Senior Dianna Gatto (Jefferson, NJ), who in her time at Goldey-Beacom has been the true embodiment of a student-athlete, has been named softball's winner of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Top XVI Award.
The award typically goes to the individual who has the highest GPA on one of the competing teams at the finals site of each CACC Championship, similar to the NCAA Elite 90 Award. Since spring championships were canceled this year, the criteria was altered to still recognize the academic achievements of student-athletes.
Gatto has been a valuable player for the squad over four years with her solid leadership, play and versatility. Primarily serving as the team's catcher, she recorded a .959 fielding percentage in her time with 244 putouts and 78 starts over 100 games.
She notched a personal-best .979 fielding percentage during her sophomore campaign of 2018, amassing 82 putouts and 13 assists.
Gatto also is a three-time member of the CACC Academic Honor Roll and has played a big role in the team's community service endeavors. At the top of that list is the softball team's participation each year at the Ministry of Caring Emmanuel Dining Room, helping cheer up needy families days before Thanksgiving by providing gifts for those underprivileged in the county.
The team also held a t-shirt sale to benefit a close friend of senior Kylie Quirk (Newark, DE) undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The patient was given the proceeds at the team's fall games October 5 in between contests. To honor this individual, her initials were printed on the pink Goldey-Beacom softball shirts that day.
This marks the eighth time in the College's history this honor has been won and the second time this academic year with junior Rose Benjamin (North East, MD) getting the honor from women's soccer. Jabari Chambers from men's cross country won in the fall of 2013, Patrick McRae from men's golf took it home in the spring of 2015, Nina Sengl from women's tennis was so honored in the fall of 2015 and Shea Murphy from golf, Suhail Bismilla from men's soccer and Sophie Woods from women's soccer all won in the fall of 2017.
