Page 70 - CLS Digital Magazine Fall 2021

NINA LAVELLE
TRACK & FIELD
Nina is a natural athlete and com- peted in many sports, but she says running was her favorite part of all of them and claims she was “burn- ing rubber” on the playground as soon as she started Lower School in kindergarten. While she contin- ued to compete for Latin in tennis – and just helped the team win its third consecutive state cham- pionship last month – Nina was inspired by her older sister, Ella’s, success on the track and decided to devote herself to improving her running technique and speed. That decision, combined with Nina’s diligence, drive, and unrelenting pursuit of excellence, certainly paid off. Her work ethic is un- matched and her performances in the 100 and 200-meters last year placed her among the top three all-time in Latin track. Her ability to execute with precision has really set her apart from the field.
Nina is one of the best student ambassadors to serve at Latin. Nina fell in love with a campus in Virginia, and that early impression was confirmed when she returned for an official recruiting visit. Nina says meeting the track coach-
es and her future teammates reinforced her decision to receive an outstanding education while continuing to “burn rubber” on the track as a Spider at the University of Richmond. Congratulations Nina!
Brandon’s basketball journey be- gan at a very early age – he says he’s had a basketball in his hands since he was a baby, and he grew up wanting to emulate his father, who played for Coach Smith at UNC. Through the years, though, Brandon came to realize that there is more to the game than scores and stats. He says he has learned the most valuable life lessons through basketball, both individu- ally and as part of a team, and that those lessons have served him equally well in the classroom. As his coach, I have seen the impact the sport has had on him, and he is now giving that back to the Latin basketball program. Brandon is the epitome of every coach’s vision of a team leader. He took control of organizing the guys for off-season workouts, he mentors younger players in our program, and he fully embraces and models our team culture.
Playing in college was a goal Brandon set for himself, and the team bond, and the focus on personal development by Coach Marcinek, combined with an outstanding business school and the opportunity for international in- ternships, ultimately sold Brandon on continuing his academic and athletic pursuits as a new kind of
a hawk....a River Hawk, in Pennsyl- vania, at Susquehanna University. Congratulations Brandon!
On the lacrosse field for the Hawks, Paige is a silent assas-
sin. She slices through opposing defenses so quickly that she is past them before they see her coming, and well on her way to an offensive attack. She led the team in points last year, with 57 goals and 19 assists. Her success has come from sacrifice, commitment, and hard work – but she has a silly nature that is a joy to be around, and that combination is something her teammates really respond to. Paige started playing lacrosse in fifth grade, after years of tag-
ging along to her older brother’s tournaments with the family.
She says she fell in love with the sport instantly, and it was cool to carry on the Klingenberg tradition, since both of her parents had also played in high school. Now, when their brother Connor is home from college, all of the Klingenbergs
go outside and play lacrosse to- gether. Paige says the dogs even play too.
Paige says the location was a no-brainer, but it was conver- sations with the coaching staff, meeting the welcoming team members, and the academic fit that made becoming a Pioneer an easy choice...one that was further solidified when her twin and clos- est friend, Megan, also fell in love with the school. Congratulations Paige!
Megan didn’t fall in love with la- crosse quite as quickly as her sis- ter. But she was a quick study, so she grew to enjoy the sport more and more each day. Megan and Paige joined the Latin community in ninth grade and immediately impacted the lacrosse program. Megan’s work ethic is something I have rarely seen in my 30 years of coaching. She strives to play at a high level at all times, and is never satisfied with average. Megan is our top draw taker and has scored 67 goals in the past two seasons.
I can only imagine what she
could have accomplished if we hadn’t lost the 2020 season to the pandemic, but her contributions to the team go far beyond her stats. Megan is humble, caring, and generous – she will come early or stay late after practice to help a teammate who wants to get better.
During their recruiting visit, Megan was enthralled by the views and the opportunity to pursue her pas- sions of hiking and skiing through- out college. Then she got to expe- rience the fun and silly dynamic of the lacrosse team, which ultimate- ly sold her. Although Megan says it wasn’t their intention to commit to the same school, she could not be happier that it worked out and that she has the opportunity to share her future with her best friend at the University of Denver. Congrat- ulations Megan!
BRANDON LAVITT
BASKETBALL
68 CHARLOTTE LATIN BOOSTER CLUB SPORTS MAGAZINE | FALL 2021
FALL COLLEGE COMMITS
PAIGE KLINGENBERG
LACROSSE
MEGAN KLINGENBERG
LACROSSE