Juliana Conte, whose household has deep roots in East Boston, performed on three Division III state championship groups at St. Mary’s of Lynn.
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LYNN — Juliana Conte, of Wakefield, lifted the Div. 3 state championship trophy along with her St. Mary’s ladies’ basketball teammates on March 14 on the Tsongas Heart. The highest-seeded Spartans beat No. 3 Norwell 46-38 within the championship. It was the third time the Woman Spartans gained the D3 state championship. Along with this season, St. Mary’s gained the title in 2022 and 2023.
It was the right approach for Conte to finish a stellar profession at St. Mary’s, a Catholic faculty within the coronary heart of downtown Lynn. Earlier this yr, Conte dedicated to the ladies’s basketball workforce at Jap Connecticut State College the place she will probably be attending within the fall.
A Catholic Central League All-Star, Conte led the Spartans with 54 3-pointers, averaged 7.8 factors per recreation and was a ferocious defender. She completed completed with 377 profession factors and 102 profession 3 pointers.
“Juliana has been an absolute pleasure to have in our program over the previous 4 years,” mentioned St. Mary’s head coach Jeff Newhall. “She has repeatedly labored at enhancing her recreation and performed her approach right into a beginning function on this yr’s championship workforce, hitting some essential pictures within the common season and all through the postseason. She will probably be sorely missed however we all know she is able to thrive academically and athletically at Jap Connecticut.”
Conte’s determination to attend St. Mary’s revolved round many components, together with the close-knit neighborhood of the varsity and a familiarity with the educating workers which was essential throughout the pandemic, however basketball was all the time on the forefront. Her AAU coach steered she enroll there 4 years in the past.
“I needed to problem myself and play on the highest stage I might,” recalled Conte. “Basketball began for me in Wakefield and I had an important expertise on the town and in AAU. I knew that I needed to play in highschool and school. I watched considered one of St. Mary’s’ video games and I noticed the talent stage of the workforce and their opponent and I needed to push myself to play in a program that was going to be aggressive. Even when it meant that I wouldn’t play as a lot as I used to be used to.”
Along with her play on the court docket, Conte has thrived as a scholar at St. Mary’s. A Nationwide Honor Society member, Conte has spent two years within the exploring early childhood elective during which college students discover careers within the subject of schooling and work as trainer assistants with a mentor trainer within the elementary faculty at St. Mary’s.
“The 2 years I’ve spent on this program made me notice how a lot I take pleasure in working with youngsters,” mentioned Conte. “Final yr, I used to be serving to in a Kindergarten class. This yr, I’m serving to in a 1st grade class. The elementary faculty lecturers are all very useful and inspiring.
“Due to my expertise on this program, I’ve determined to main in Bodily Training subsequent yr, in order that I can work with youngsters and educate them the right way to train and be lively and wholesome.”
Final summer season, she labored with children on the Salesian Boys and Ladies Membership, the place her dad and uncles usually performed hoop and different sports activities in days passed by.
On March 14 on the Tsongas Heart, all of it got here full circle for Conte as she helped her workforce win on the largest stage as soon as once more.
“It was an important accomplishment for all of us, our workforce and coaches,” mentioned Conte. “Our coaches consider in us and so they do a whole lot of work to organize us to be the very best we could be. We labored very exhausting all season and in addition within the fall and summer season.
“My coaches and teammates at St. Mary’s have ready me for faculty basketball and I’ll all the time be pleased about every thing they’ve taught me. I’m excited for the following chapter and I’m wanting ahead to the future at Jap, within the classroom and on the basketball court docket.”
This text tailored from a model printed within the Wakefield Each day Merchandise, April 8, 2025.
