RJ Place of West Hartford and Sarah McLaughlin of Suffield earned the honor at Northwest Catholic for 2015.

RJ Place of West Hartford (left) and Sarah McLaughlin of Suffied are NWC’s CIAC Scholar-Athletes for 2015. Submitted photo

Submitted by Northwest Catholic High School

Robert Place ’15, an outstanding soccer player, and Sarah McLaughlin ’15, a talented field hockey player, have been named Northwest Catholic’s CIAC Scholar-Athletes for 2015.

Place, of West Hartford, has been a member of the Varsity Boys’ Soccer team since his freshman year. He was named All-Academic all four years of high school, and All-Conference from his sophomore through senior seasons. RJ was named All-State as a junior and a senior, and served as a team captain during his senior year. He has played in 62 Northwest Catholic soccer games, 60 of which he was a starting player. He has also scored 42 goals for the team, and netted 24 assists. RJ will play Division I soccer at the College of the Holy Cross in the fall.

McLaughlin, of Suffield, has played field hockey since her freshman year, earning All-Academic honors every year. A midfielder, Sarah was a starting player for three out of her four years, earning All-Conference honors in 2013. She was also part of the Northwest Catholic Field Hockey team that made it to the Class S Semifinals in 2013. Sarah will attend Williams College in the fall and plans to play field hockey there.

“We are so proud of who RJ and Sarah have become during their years here at Northwest Catholic, and cannot wait to see what they achieve in the future,” said Northwest Catholic Athletic Director Matthew Martorelli ’03. “They are the epitome of excellent student-athletes.”

The Scholar-Athlete Program recognizes a boy and girl from each high school “whose academic and athletic careers have been exemplary, whose personal standards and achievements are a model to others, and who possess high levels of integrity, self-discipline and courage,” according to the CIAC.

Since 1961, Northwest Catholic’s mission has been to educate the whole person: mind, body, spirit, and soul. Enrollment for the Class of ’19 is now under way. For more information, contact Andrew Selig (860-236-4221, x140 or [email protected]).