SARASOTA (SNN-TV) – Cardinal Mooney senior, Hallie Monserez is our Carl Reynolds Law Student-Athlete of the Month for May.
Monserez is a top contributor in soccer, cross country and track and field. She was part of the school’s record time in the girls 4×400 meter relay at last year’s FHSAA track and field championships in Jacksonville.
But, off the field, Monserez is a star as well. Touting a 4.0 GPA, while being a National Merit Finalist, she’s also Cardinal Mooney’s 2021 class valedictorian.
While she’s highly successful both on and off the field, Hallie claims academics as her first love.
“Honestly, the academics came first for me, sports were just for fun, it always has been for fun. Academics were always emphasized when I was little, form my parents. I like learning, so that always came first for me.”
Monserez was also recently named to the Florida High School Athletic Association – Florida Dairy Farmers Academic All-State Team.
She is the only athlete in Manatee or Sarasota counties to receive the honor this year. It’s a prestigious one. Only 24 graduating athletes — 12 boys and 12 girls — are named to the team each year.
Balancing both the academic and athletic sides of school, is challenging for any student, but it’s easier for Hallie with the help of her teammates and friends.
“Just learning how to manage your time as the years go by. A lot of my teammates are in advance classes with me, so being there for each other and working off of each other, helps a lot when you’re in that supportive environment already.”
Hallie plans to attend the University of Notre Dame in the fall to pursue a Marketing degree, while participating in club and intramural sports as well.
Monserez’ wealth of success is a product of years of hard work. She says any student-athlete should take the latter half of that title, very seriously.
“You can’t be an athlete forever, so you do it the best you can, while you can and have fun with it, but also remember that you have to develop as a person and in your education as well. You never if you’ll get hurt or if you’ll play in college, so you need to have that backup, and just be well-rounded.”
Last week Hallie and the Cardinal Mooney Girls Track Team finished 8th of 28 schools in the Class 1A, Region 3 meet in Naples.
