Mayor Taveras, Coach Cooley Honor Providence High School Athletes Who Competed for State Championships This Winter

Mayor Angel Taveras, a graduate of Providence public schools, today hosted a pizza party at Providence City Hall to honor the achievements of more than 100 student athletes and coaches from Providence high schools who competed at the highest levels of their respective state championships for the 2011-2012 winter sports season.

Providence College Friars Men's Basketball Coach Ed Cooley, a Little League teammate of Mayor Taveras' and a fellow Providence schools graduate, also attended the pizza party to celebrate a banner year for student athletes from every part of Providence.

"Congratulations to all of Providence's student athletes. You accomplished a great deal this year and we are proud of your success," Mayor Taveras said. "And while we are proud of your success, we are counting on you to put the lessons you learn on the field to use in the classroom. You have the opportunity right now to invest in yourself and set out on a course that will help you achieve anything you want."

Mayor Taveras and Coach Cooley congratulated the athletes for their achievements and encouraged them to continue striving both in their sports and in the classroom, and recognized all the coaches and athletic directors who give their time and counsel and help keep our students on the right path.

"I'm really proud of all our student athletes in Providence," Coach Cooley said. "It's really hard to win and to be a champion. I ask every student who has succeeded this year in their sport to also be a champion of academics, a champion of giving back, a champion of our community and our city."

Interim Schools Superintendent Dr. Susan Lusi and Providence Schools Director of Operations, Student Support and Athletics Andre Thibeault also attended today's celebration, as did principals and athletic directors from the honored athletes' schools, and parents of the student athletes.

High school teams and individual athletes from Providence public schools had one of their most successful winter seasons in memory this year:

• The Central High School Boys' Basketball team was State Champion


• The Sanchez High School Girls' Basketball team was State Division III Champion
  
• The Hope High School Boys' Basketball team was State runner-up
  
• The Classical High School Girls' Basketball team was State Division II runner-up
  
• 19 individual athletes from the Central, Classical and Hope High School Boys' and Girls' Indoor Track teams and from the Hope High School Wrestling team earned medals.