Moynihan March Student Athletes Selected – Mike Cerulli of St. Mary’s & Saige Tudisco of Pentucket

NORTH SHORE – When it comes to their athletic endeavors and the classroom, St. Mary’s basketball standout Mike Cerulli and Pentucket track star Saige Tudisco are used to taking on difficult tasks.
On the basketball court, Cerulli is always guarding the most dangerous scorer for the opposition while putting together a grade point average over 4.0 in the classroom. Tudisco, on the other hand, competes in several track and field events at Pentucket while taking a difficult course load featuring four honors classes.
Due to their prowess in the classroom and in athletics, Cerulli and Tudisco were named the Moynihan Lumber North Shore Student Athletes of the Month for March. 
Cerulli prides himself on his success both on the field and in the classroom.
“We were at a tournament game one of the opposing fans made a comment that I was a work horse,” Cerulli said. “One of my teachers in the crowd heard the comment and told him he should see me in the classroom. It’s all about work ethic for me. I know when I want to have fun I can have fun but when it’s time to work I put my head down and get the job done.”
Cerulli helped lead the St. Mary’s boys basketball team back to the Division 4 State Championship game, whey it fell to Maynard, one season after taking home the state title with a win over the same Maynard team. 
With a record of 20-6 on the season, Cerulli, a senior captain and three year starter on the team, was a vocal leader and defensive stopper for the Division 4 North Sectional champions. At only 5-foot-10, Cerulli could cover any position on the floor and he was also one of the Spartan’s most reliable rebounders.
“I did a lot of the dirty work this season,” Cerulli said. “I was a defensive player and I pride myself on my role of guarding the top scorer on the other team.”
In the classroom, Cerulli is ranked No. 1 in his senior class with a grade point average of 4.286.
He earns those grades with a course load that is extremely difficult and includes classes such as Advanced Placement Spanish, Advanced Placement English Literature, Advanced Placement Calculus and Advanced Placement Government and Politics. His favorite class is Forensics for its mix of science and law.
Cerulli plans on attending Boston College in the fall.
Tudisco has a high work load on the track as she competed in several jump, field and relay events during the winter indoor season for the Cape Ann League Champion Pentucket Sachems.
The League Most Valuable Player says that work ethic and discipline learned on the track translates to the classroom.
“I’m always so focused after a track practice or meet,” Tudisco said. “I’m already in the mind set where I need to get stuff done and I take that mentality into my homework and classroom work.”
On the track, Tudisco has rewritten the Pentucket record book. The junior owns the school record in 10 events; the high jump, 55m hurdles, 50 yard hurdles, long jump, pentathlon, 55m and 50 yard shuttle hurdles, 4x200m relay, long jump relay and the team pentathlon.
The 4x200m relay record stood for 15 years before Tudisco and her teammates took it down. 
Tudisco, who also competes in the hurdles and jumps during the spring outdoor season, turned in a top 10 finish in the shuttle hurdle at the New Balance Nationals, she ran the anhcor leg of victorious 4x200m relay team at the Division 4 State Relays, she placed third in the hurdles in the Division 4 Meet and finished third in the high jump at the All STate Meet. Tudisco was also fifth as an individual at the State Pentathlon with she and her teammates taking home the All State Championship in the Team Pentathlon event.
“It feels really good to have such a strong season and set these records,” Tudisco said. “But I was just as proud of our team for winning the Cape Ann League Sportsmanship Award.”
In the classroom, Tudisco has a 3.31 grade point average while taking four honors course — History, Latin, Algebra 2 and Psychology. She plans on running track in college but as a junior she has yet to make her college decision.