A caddy, a Lawrence boy and a scholarship

Mike Muldoon, The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, Mass.
·4 min read

Mar. 20—Notre Dame Cristo Rey High student Nomar Pena Urena says he's in "every single club" at the Methuen school.

But it's golf clubs that gave him a scholarship to college.

The senior from Lawrence won a "Chick Evans Caddy Scholarship," sponsored by the Western Golf Association. Urena said it's "four years of college: room, board, everything."

He will be attending the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Nomar doesn't have a long, golfing background. Or even a long caddying history. But he worked last summer at Sankaty Head Golf Club on Cape Cod's Nantucket Island and the scholarship committee was impressed with his work, his grades and his interviews.

Needless to say, Pena is elated.

"My mother (Ana B. Urena) started to cry," he recalled. "I just said, 'I can't believe it.' It means a lot to me and my family."

Nomar, who moved from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic in middle school, loved the two months caddying at Sankaty Head.

The Parthum Middle School grad said, "It was a great, great experience. I made friends which I now can call brothers. It was one of the best experiences I've ever had. Hopefully, I can do it again this summer."

He has the same name as ex-Red Sox great Nomar Garciaparra but he wasn't named after him. He does give the same reason as Garciaparra for the name Nomar. Both just have their father's name, Ramon, reversed.

This Nomar's game isn't baseball. It's golf and caddying.

He said, "I went there (Sankaty Head) without any experience. I went there blindly but all the people were very helpful. I just kept on improving. I didn't know much about caddying and golf. I worked my way up the ladder and worked harder than everyone."

CAKES ARE BAKING

Happy Birthday wishes go out to track and field historian Larry Newman of Haverhill (71 tomorrow), Cushing Academy 3-sport athlete Mia Langlois of Windham (18 Wednesday), Brooks basketball's Kendall Eddy of Haverhill (Friday), UFC star Calvin Kattar of Methuen (34 Saturday) and Timberlane wrestler Malikai Colon (Saturday). ... Phillips star catcher Kylie Frank of Hampstead has committed to UMass Lowell softball.

GONE TOO SOON

Former Lawrence football captain Daniel Tardugno (LHS '80) died recently. His brothers, Jay and Barry, were Methuen stars. His nieces, Julia, Stephanie, Brooke and Alexandra Tardugno, are/were all Ranger multi-sport standouts.

The local sports world also recently lost Tim "Bubba" Barry (AHS '77), a two-time state pommel horse gymnastics champ at Andover High.

ROOKIE OF YEAR

Clark University freshman Isaiah Taylor of Lawrence was named NEWMAC Rookie of the Year and second-team All-NEWMAC. He averaged 16.8 points and is third nationally in Division 3 with 3.5 steals a game. Chris Bartley of Andover was named NEWMAC Coach of the Year. He led WPI to a 27-3 season and its first NCAA quarterfinal appearance since 1985.

TOP OF THE CLASS

Thirteen area Northern Essex athletes made the Athletic Director's Honor Roll for the fall semester.

Madeline Albrezat, Methuen, volleyball, 4.0 fall GPA; Yoneli Batista, Lawrence, volleyball, 3.57; Javier Bushell, Methuen soccer, 3.67; Jon Chasse, Haverhill, soccer, 3.92; Jesus Guzman, Lawrence, soccer, 4.0; Leonard Rodriguez Ortiz, Lawrence, soccer, 3.31;

Also Ethan Rousseau, Haverhill, soccer, 3.5; Joshua Leaffer, North Andover, cross country 3.39; Phillip Cunningham, Haverhill, basketball, 3.3; Cristian Kinsley, Lawrence, basketball, 3.33; Kevin Monterio, North Andover, basketball, 3.25; Cole Farmer, Haverhill, baseball, 3.67; and Frank Gulezian, Derry, baseball, 3.93.

NATIONAL COACH OF YEAR

Phillips Andover's trailblazing wrestling coach Kassie Archambault of Methuen was named National Prep Wrestling Coach of the Year. Heady stuff for the 2006 Phillips grad. She guided this year's squad to a third at Interschols at Phillips Exeter. ... Virginia Tech guard Storm Murphy's first name is his mother's maiden name.

LOWELL'S NEW COACH

Congrats to Scott Ouellet, the former longtime Methuen High cross country assistant. The champion Lowell cross country coach was just named the LHS boys outdoor track head coach. ... Brooks School junior guard Kendall Eddy of Haverhill picked up another Division 1 offer. This time from UMass Amherst, which made the NCAAs this winter.

ONE FINAL THOUGHT

If you can put a smile on someone's face, just do it.

E-MAIL: mmuldoon@eagletribune.com