For their accomplishments both in the classroom and in track and field, Danvers High senior Sean Moore and Peabody High junior Alessandra Forgione have been selected as the Moynihan Lumber Student-Athletes of the Month for May.
Forgione, a 16-year-old thrower for the Tanners’ track and field program, said she was pleasantly surprised to find out she had been nominated for the Moynihan Lumber Student-Athlete Award by her coaches … and being chosen as the female winner for May was even better.
She is a member of the National Technical Honor Society at Peabody High for her CTE (career in technical education) class, and overall carries a 3.6 GPA.
“Some topics come pretty easily to me, such as forensics. I like puzzle solving things,” Forgione said. “Other classes such as history, that’s tougher for me. I have to shift my focus to make sure I’m still getting good grades on all the little assignments there. I feel better when I do well in those classes.”
An only child who enjoys spending time with her cousins, Forgione would like to go to college — UMass Amherst would be at the top of her list — but her end goal is joining a fire department. As a backup, she’d like to study construction in school.
This spring, Forgione has focused on throwing both the javelin and the discus. The school record-holder hit a new personal record at the Division 2 championships last Friday at Merrimack College in the latter when she threw 117 feet 11 inches. Her best throw in the javelin has been 137 feet.
“I never did track before high school. A friend asked me to try out and run with her, but I didn’t have the stamina, so I went over with the throwers and really liked it,” Forgione laughed. “I really enjoyed pushing myself at it, and kept getting better and better.”
“Javelin is the one I enjoy the most,” she added. “It’s such a cool event, watching it fly through the air. For me, the best throws are the ones you don’t put any effort into; by not trying too hard, those seem to go the furthest.”
Forgione also throws the shot put and the weight throw; in the fall, she’s a member of the Peabody High soccer team.
