Xavier Basketball and Gatorline Honor Senior Athlete

Caroline Hink, Managing Editor|February 10, 2020

Varsity+Basketball+Coach+Gillom+speaks+to+fans%2C+family+members%2C+and+members+of+the+Basketball+and+Gatorline+teams.+Coach+Gillom+thanked+senior+athletes+for+their+hard+work+and+recognized+families+for+their+commitment.+Photo+by+Caroline+Hink+20.

Varsity Basketball Coach Gillom speaks to fans, family members, and members of the Basketball and Gatorline teams. Coach Gillom thanked senior athletes for their hard work and recognized families for their commitment. Photo by Caroline Hink ’20.

Towards the end of every athletic season, Xavier takes time to honor the commitment and leadership of senior student-athletes by organizing Senior Nights for each sports team. This year, February 4 marked a celebration of Gatorline and Varsity Basketball seniors.

Xavier Gatorline consists of eight seniors, five juniors, and three sophomores. Many of these seniors spent all four years on Gatorline and followed the examples of their older teammates. 

The 2020 Gatorline Seniors are Catherine Baskin, Sophie Cohen, Charlotte Gillem, Kiki Longo, Laila LoVecchio, Delainey Maxwell, Isabella Ordonez, and Bria Rizzo. Led by team captains Charlotte Gillem and Kiki Longo, these athletes guided their team and prepared their younger teammates for roles as future captains. 

Captain Kiki Longo ‘20 shares “trying out for Gatorline was the best decision I have ever made. Gatorline has made me and my teammates so close and I will miss cheering on the sidelines with my best friends.”

Co-Captain Charlotte Gillem ‘20 also adds “Gatorline has been a great time to be a part of and I love the friendships I have made. It’s fun to cheer for basketball and volleyball and the experience was amazing.”

Gatorline Seniors Sophie Cohen, Delainey Maxwell, Catherine Baskin, Bria Rizzo, and Isabella Ordonez celebrate Senior Night on Feb. 4 when Xavier Basketball took on the Basha Bears. Photo by Caroline Hink ‘20.
Parents and Coaches designed commemorative posters for each Gatorline Senior complete with a senior photo, team picture, and senior group photo. These posters were displayed in the lobby of the XCP Athletic Center. Photo by Caroline Hink ‘20.

Xavier Varsity Basketball had only three seniors this year: Tanya Barakat, Elysia Fleetwood, and manager Shalom Gonzalez. Though this year’s team features many underclassmen, the Gators have improved tremendously throughout the season partially due to valuable senior leadership.

Tanya Barakat ‘20 says “being captain this year has been a privilege and I am proud of my team. [While] I am really excited for senior night, I will especially miss my teammates and our game-day rituals next year.”

Barakat also recalls her time as a member of Xavier Basketball, sharing “basketball has been one of my favorite experiences at Xavier and I’ve made some of my closest friends.”

The Xavier Basketball program and Xavier Community recognized seniors Tanya Barakat, Elysia Fleetwood, Shalom Gonzalez, and their parents for their dedication and commitment over the past four years. Photo courtesy of Sr. Lynn Windsor, BVM.
Posters celebrating Varsity Basketball Seniors were displayed on the walls of the McGrath Gymnasium during the Gators’ Feb. 4 matchup versus Basha High School. Photo courtesy of Tanya Barakat ‘20.