Congratulations are in order to the Notre Dame girls basketball team, who won the state title over the weekend in Troy.  This was the first state title win for the Lady Jugglers in thirty one years.

Utica's Notre Dame High School has a long and proud history when it comes to sports.  However, state championships are extraordinarily hard to come by.  On Saturday the Lady Jugglers Basketball Team achieved this remarkable, once in a generation, honor by defeating  Rochester's Bishop Kearny High School to win the New York State Public High School Class B tittle.

In a game in which star senior Emily Durr scored 29 points the Jugglers used a powerful team effort to win 71-36.  Seniors Jackie Hajec, Alexis Patterson, and Katie Buschmann played instrumental roles.  Junior Anari Harris scored 17 points and Eighth Grader Claire Sehring had 19 points and 9 rebounds.

Notre Dame is famous for its deeply rooted family connections.  Emily's father, Mike Durr, was a standout player for the Jugglers in the 1970's and he is the head coach of  Notre Dame's boys varsity basketball team which made it to the Section III title game this year.

Two of Claire's sisters, Katie Sehring and Maggie Sehring, are her teammates on this year's championship team. The girls' mother and aunt starred on the Lady Jugglers' last state championship team in 1983.  Their uncle, Kevin Grimmer, starred at Notre Dame and Hamilton College.  Jackie Hajec's older brother and father were major parts on the Juggler sports tradition and Katie Buschmann's older sister was part of last year's Section III Championship team.

Notre Dame deserves a strong round of applause and hearty congratulations for its performance on the court and for its even greater achievement in promoting and demonstrating the importance of family and traditions.

Great job, Jugglers!

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