OLD LYME — Holy Cross senior women’s rower and Old Lyme resident Maegan Moriarty is the Patriot League’s female recipient of the 2019-20 Outstanding Leadership and Character Award. Moriarty was selected along with Loyola Maryland sophomore men’s swimmer Jimmy Hayburn in a vote by the Senior Woman Administrators (SWA) from each of the League’s member institutions.
The Patriot League established the Outstanding Leadership and Character Award to recognize and honor individuals who demonstrate excellence in leadership and service while participating in Patriot League athletics. One male and one female student-athlete have been recognized since the award’s inception in 2011-12.
Moriarty is a two-time team captain of the Holy Cross women’s rowing program. As a freshman, she helped the Crusaders’ second varsity eight boat to a bronze medal at the 2017 Patriot League Championship. She has rowed with the program’s first varsity eight-boat since her sophomore season in Worcester.
But the two-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selection’s impact has not been limited to her time on the water.
“Moriarty was the lone senior on a team that suffered a horrendous tragedy right on the cusp of the women’s rowing season,” said Aaron Dashiell, Holy Cross’s Assistant Director of Athletics for Student-Athlete Development. “During the program’s annual preseason training trip to Florida this year, a beloved member of the Holy Cross community and rowing team was killed in a van collision. This accident occurred with half the team, including Maegan in the van.
Dashiell continued, “Upon returning to campus and attending a number of wakes, funerals and memorial for their fallen teammate, everyone looked for Maegan to be their rock and she was. Maegan, missing teeth due to the accident, was the first one to coordinate a team meeting with the counseling centers. She organized a weekly meeting for her and her teammates to meet with counseling. Recognizing the trauma her team had been through, she could be viewed as the team mom.
Because of the ongoing pandemic, Holy Cross hosted a virtual celebration for its Class of 2020, featuring a special message from Holy Cross alumnus Dr. Anthony Fauci ’62, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Moriarty was among 707 students who received electronic diplomas as part of the event.
The virtual celebrations will be followed by an in-person commencement ceremony for the class of 2020 to be held in spring 2021.
Provided the minimum conduct standards are met, any Patriot League student-athlete and/or team is eligible for the award.
The definition of leadership and character for the purposes of this award includes but is not limited to any of the following ideals: demonstrated Leadership on the “field” of competition and within the campus community; promotes a leadership vision for the betterment of one’s team or teammates; mentorship of teammates; role model on campus; active participation in on-campus and/or community service projects; perseverance in overcoming hardships; demonstration of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.
Maegan is the daughter of John and Brenda Moriarty of Old Lyme.