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Athletes Worth Watching
By Pat O'Malley
Photos by Larry French

Erin Brady
Mount De Sales High School
Softball and Basketball

A resident of Brooklyn Park in northern Anne Arundel County, Brady is in her final year at Mount de Sales High school in Catonsville. She has been an outstanding student-athlete at the Catholic school, playing 4 years each of basketball and softball while maintaining a 4.1 grade point average and scoring 1220 on her SAT. Brady, a member of the National Art Honor Society, has made first honors all 4 years of high school while taking Advanced Placement and honors classes and has earned an academic scholarship to West Virginia University in Morgantown.

The daughter of 29-year Annapolis boys basketball coach John Brady, she plays first base for the Sailors' softball team. Brady has been named to the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference first team, made second team SUN All-Metro for the last 2 years, and is in her third year as a team captain.

"I've always been a silent leader type," says Brady, who was the school's McCormick Unsung Hero representative. "I'm not real pushy with people. I think of how I would want to be treated as a player."

Growing up in the county, Brady played youth basketball under the tutelage of her father, who is known to be very animated on the sideline while teaching the game. "People always ask me what it's like to be his daughter-is it hard? But honestly, he's the best coach I've ever had," answers Brady, who is grateful for the support of her parents, John and mom, Sharon.

Shane Coughlin
Severna Park High School
Lacrosse, Basketball, and Soccer

Committed to the University of Maryland to play lacrosse, Coughlin is one of Anne Arundel County's top three-sport athletes, despite being a Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetic. Diagnosed with the condition midway through his sophomore season, he has never let it interfere with his academics and athletics. After playing soccer in the fall, the Falcon senior jumped right into basketball and is now playing his third season as a midfielder in varsity lacrosse, his favorite sport.

Shane's dad, Chuck Coughlin, is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and was a 4-year varsity lacrosse player for the Mids. "My dad wanted me to go to the Naval Academy, but I really like Maryland," says Coughlin, who carries a 3.35 grade point average and scored 1220 on his SAT.

Coughlin played 2 years each of varsity soccer and varsity basketball. In soccer, his defensive play helped the Falcons to the class 4A/3A state final in 2004. He was named defensive most valuable player both seasons. He marked the opponent's leading scorer from his forward position and in his senior year, last fall, Coughlin held every in-county foe scoreless, including Arundel's Justin Kondos, the consensus county player of the year.

Taking his defensive skills to the basketball court, Coughlin was the team's third leading rebounder and free throw shooter. In lacrosse, Coughlin has played a major part in helping the Falcons win the 4A/3A state title in 2004 and making the state finals in 2003 and 2005. Last season, despite missing four games with fractured ribs, Coughlin scored fourteen goals and dished out fifteen assists.

Sean Urbany
Arundel High School
Baseball and Football

Headed to McDaniel College in Western Maryland to play football, Urbany is enjoying playing on what is the Wildcats' best baseball team since their ninth state championship season, in 2001. Urbany is batting .300 while playing catcher, first baseman, and designated hitter for the highly ranked Wildcats, who have emerged as a class 4A state championship contender after finishing as a finalist in 2005.

"Experience has been important, but this year we know how to play," says Urbany. "Everything has been working right and our bats have come alive."

A two-time all-county offensive guard for the Wildcats, Urbany hopes to grow his 5-foot 9-inch and 185-pound frame. "Hopefully, I will grow a little bit, and I have aspirations to at least try out for an NFL team.

Urbany was the Wildcats' representative at the Baltimore Touchdown Club's Scholar Athlete banquet with his 3.90 grade point average and 1210 SAT. In addition to being a member of the National Honor Society, a peer helper, and a member of the school's Kickoff Mentors Council, Urbany has superb technique as a blocker. Arundel's veteran football coach, Chuck Markiewicz, considers Urbany to be one of the best linemen he has ever coached. Urbany has been inspired by his high school coaches and says he has learned valuable life lessons from each of them in addition to what it takes to be a winner.

He plans to double major in economics and business administration at McDaniel.

Anastasia Adam
Severn School
Field hockey, Basketball, and Lacrosse

Adam had a tough act to follow in her older sister, Jessica Adam, now a sophomore midfielder at Duke after an illustrious three-sport career at Severn. In playing the same three sports-field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse-that her older sister played, Anastasia has made her own mark and is headed to Vanderbilt to play lacrosse.

"There was a little bit of pressure coming behind her, but Jess and I are very different players and that made it a little bit easier," says Adam. One similarity between them, however, is being outstanding in the classroom. Adam has a 3.54 grade point average and is a school prefect. Adam is a well-rounded young lady who draws high praise from her Severn lacrosse coach, Renie Sotiropoulos.

"Anastasia is self-motivated and has a propensity for diligent work both in and out of class," wrote Sotiropoulos in a letter of recommendation for a scholarship. "She is a leader by her very presence in the locker room. She is a consummate team player."

Last spring, in her junior year, Adam was named the Admirals' most valuable player and first-team all-American midfielder after scoring twenty-five goals and twenty-five assists. Adam, who enjoys boating and swimming in the waterfront community of Linstead, where she resides, is uncertain of her college major and looks forward to seeing what will spark her interest.