Thursday, April 29, 2010

Posted by Webmaster, 4/29/10 at 8:16:54 AM.

By Geoff Linderman '10

Nick Brement, a States level diver and Sectionals swimmer, received the prestigious "Black R," the highest athletic honor offered by RFA. Brement has been swimming and diving for 5 years, and has qualified for States for the past 3 years, placing second for the past two. He is also the Valedictorian of the Senior Class, with a weighted average of 102.99.

The Black R is the greatest award given to RFA athletes, and is meant only for the very best; a Black R need not be awarded every season, and is meant to be given to only one boy and one girl. It is awarded only to seniors, and is described as "elite." To receive the award, an athlete must be nominated by a coach, who then has to write a recommendation that will be reviewed by a committee of coaches. The criteria for the award are: athletic ability, leadership, sportsmanship, attitude, coachability, and achievements. The decision to award the Black R must be unanimous. Brement was nominated for the award by swim coach Michelle Moore.

Brement was awarded the Black R for his success in diving. This year he broke the pool record for 6 dives with a score of 281.20, placed second in Sectionals with a score of 401.50, and competed at States. He began diving in seventh grade, under Coach Prosser. He also excels as a swimmer; at Sectionals this year, Brement's 200 Freestyle Relay team, consisting of himself, Randy Pawlikowski, Aidan Slagle and Adam Noyes, placed seventh with a time of 1:36.62. He was also a part of the 400 Freestyle Relay team consisting of himself, Aidan Slagle, Chris Debany, and Adam Noyes, which placed eighth with a time of 3:42.19. Brement also plays football in the fall and baseball in the spring, and is a scholar-athlete.

Besides his athletic accomplishments, Brement is also an outstanding student. He is the top of his class, captain of the Mathletics team, and a trumpet player. Brement takes college courses at MVCC, where he gets firsthand experience. He will be attending Princeton University to study Pre-Med in the fall.