Margaret Mitchell Named Lions Club Athlete for April

By Mitch Silver

“She will go down as one of the best ever to play lacrosse for Rye.” That’s what Rye High girls’ lacrosse coach Dennis Hurlie has to say about his senior captain, midfielder Margaret Mitchell.

Coach Hurlie doesn’t stop there. “Every coach should get the opportunity, at least once, to teach players who communicate, compete, perform, and lead like Margaret. Her teammates recognize how much she loves the game and how much she means to our program and their respect for her is evident.”

When the high school athletic department and the Rye Lions Club jointly name an Athlete of the Month, on-field performance is only part of the equation. The winner should also excel in the classroom, be an engaged part of the school community, and a contributor to the larger community as well.

Class work first. Margaret is a National Honor Society member who’s been on the High Honor Roll all four years. She’ll graduate with five AP classes under her belt — in History, Math, and Psychology — as well as Outstanding Achievement Awards in Algebra2/Trig, Calculus, and U.S. History.

April’s honoree is a member of Rye High’s Breast Cancer Awareness Club and vice-president of the Hospital Heroes Club, a group that conducts fundraising activities for the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla.

Beyond the school’s halls, Margaret fills backpacks at Helping Hands for the Homeless, she volunteers at the Read Aloud program at Don Bosco Center in Port Chester, and helps serve holiday meals to the underprivileged in the Bronx as a member of POTS (Part of the Solution).

Finally, here’s a sampling of her athletic accomplishments for the Garnets. A captain of her lacrosse team this year and last, Margaret has led her team to league titles every year she’s played, she’s been named All-League and All-Section, and earned the Con Ed Athlete of the Week honor earlier this year. That’s in addition to serving as a captain of Rye’s varsity basketball team, Section 1 champs this past season.

Margaret credits her parents and brothers for all the time and effort they’ve put in to support her athletic accomplishments.

So, can there be any doubt why the College of the Holy Cross came knocking? Or why Margaret Mitchell will be among the Athlete of the Month winners vying for Rye High’s Athlete of the Year title to be announced at the Lions’ year-end dinner at The Osborn in June?

Didn’t think so.