Athlete of the month is something North Arlington High School does to honor athletes who have hit big milestones or played great in the past month. April’s athletes of the month were sophomore Isabella Bucherri and sophomore Shane Crudele. Isabella Bucherri is a varsity starter on the softball team, either catching or at shortstop, and she bats third in the lineup. Shane Crudele is a varsity starter on the volleyball team as an outside hitter. Both of these athletes have worked hard to achieve their goals and help the team to the best of their ability

Isabella Bucherri is the starting catcher. She calls the pitches while she is behind the plate and helps the pitchers out. On offense, she is a big hitter, already at 46 hits in her career, and hopes to reach 50 by the end of the season. A long-term goal of hers is 100 career hits, and she puts in the time during and outside of practice towards that. Besides her hits, she has brought in 17 RBIs this year and has stolen 19 bases. Head Coach, Emma Stagg, has said that Bucherri is a very strategic player who is always trying to make the best move for the team, and also a supportive teammate. First Base Coach Brielle Mattiello agrees with Coach Stagg and stated that Isabella is a very hard worker. These traits have shown most in games such as Lyndhurs, where her batting practice came into play, hitting a homerun, and in Hoboken, where she had 5 RBIs. She currently bats .448 and is a pivotal part of the softball team.

Shane Crudele is one of the starting Outside Hitters on the boys’ volleyball team. He has stepped up as a leader for the team on and off the court. On the court, he leads the team with 15 aces, 153 digs, and 85 kills. Along with his stats, he has also been recognized as the NJIC stat leader for digs, fourth for digs in all Group 1 schools, fourth for digs for all sophomores in the state, and is currently holding the record for most digs in program history. He was also named as one of the NJIC players of the week for April 1st – 7th for boys volleyball. Shane hopes to reach 100 kills and 200 digs. He looks forward to the years to come as he said the team bond is getting stronger, and there is a lot of chemistry between the team. His Coach, Genevieve Dwyer, has said that Shane consistently goes above and beyond for his team and can’t wait to see Shane grow even more as a volleyball player. Teammate Jackson Dorsett has also stated that having Shane step up and lead the team on the court was what the boys needed. This team has reached new levels, having a record of over 500, which is the first time in program history. Shane was a huge part in that; he stepped up from a JV starter to a Varsity starter this year, and many are impressed.

Both of these athletes have done their very best for themselves and their teams. They have surpassed their expectations and have brought their teams with them. These athletes are important to their teams, and the team would not be the same without them. Either on the field or court, Isabella Bucherri and Shane Crudele deserve the recognition they got for April Athlete of the Month.