By Mike Alongi
For their exploits in both the classroom and in their respective athletic endeavors, Saugus wrestler Chase Ledbury and Lynn Classical basketball player Ava Thurman have been chosen as the male and female winners of the Moynihan Lumber Student-Athlete Award for March.
Ledbury, a senior, capped his career with the Saugus/Peabody wrestling team in style this past winter, going undefeated in dual meet competition for the second straight season. In 2022, he was the Northeastern Conference/Cape Ann League Wrestler of the Year, an NEC/CAL All-Conference choice, the NEC/CAL Tournament Champion and the NEC/CAL Tournament Outstanding Wrestler. A five-year varsity starter, Ledbury finished his career with 113 career wins. He also went on a great run at the end of the year, finishing second in the Division 1 State Sectional, fifth in the Div. 1 State Meet and sixth in the All-State Meet.
“After a shortened covid spring season last year I was happy to be able to wrestle a full season this year,” said Ledbury. “Our team had a great year, and I was extremely proud to reach one of my goals of having 100 career wins. Of course I would have liked to have done even better, but I’m proud of the progress I’ve made throughout the years.”
And Ledbury attacks the books just as hard as he does the mat. A member of the Saugus High Academy of Advanced Studies Program, Ledbury holds a 4.16 GPA and has already been granted early acceptance to Trinity College — where he will also wrestle next year.
“I’ve had to learn how to manage my time so I’m able to keep up my good grades alongside wrestling which takes up a lot of time,” said Ledbury.
Thurman, a junior, was Classical’s top scorer this year with 12.2 points per game, and she added two assists per game on top of that to earn Greater Boston League All-Star status. She scored at an even higher clip when the Rams needed her most, averaging 15.1 points per game in February to help lead her team to a 6-1 record in the final month and a berth in the Div. 1 state tournament.
“This season was honestly amazing,” said Thurman. “After such a short season last year, it felt truly wonderful to get back out there and play a full 18-plus game season. This year I pushed myself more than I ever have athletically, grinding at basketball and outside of basketball. Mentally it was challenging, but it was a challenge that was necessary to overcome. Going from practice to the gym is not something that many people want to do but I forced myself to do it, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. I felt like a true leader on my team this year besides my senior captains of course, and it felt great. Setting a high standard for myself and my team, having confidence in myself and my team, and our other upperclassman leading by example, helped us pull off this great season.”
Thurman also challenges herself in the classroom, taking three Advanced Placement classes in addition to three Honors classes. The junior ranks in the top 10 percent of her class, sporting a 4.08 GPA.
“Coming back to in person school after being online almost all of last year was really challenging,” said Thurman. “Getting back into the swing of things was tough, but I really did miss the social aspect of in-person school that was stripped from us when we went online. Balancing honors, AP courses and athletics led to many late nights staying up studying, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I am extremely lucky to be taking academically demanding classes while being blessed enough to handle sports on top of that. My desire to be great and excel in my life has carried me through my high school career, and I am so thankful.”
