Four St. Mary's Ryken Coaches Receive WCAC Coaches Awards

 

By Drew Owens, County Sports Network

Four St. Mary's Ryken coaches - Jon Lombardo, Chris Palombi, Gary Wynn, and OJ Lewis were honored with Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) Coaches of the Year awards in the 2024-2025 school year.

 

"I always get really excited when we do have a Coach of the Year," said Lombardo, who serves as the boys varsity lacrosse head coach and athletic director. "You understand how much work is done in the dark, and it's one of those few opportunities where it does get to come to light."

Lombardo has been the head coach of the boys' varsity lacrosse team since 2020. This season, the Knights advanced to the WCAC championship for the first time since 2009, but fell short against DeMatha. Lombardo stated that this year's playoff run was a surprising one for many, but even though the Knights fell short, the brotherhood that this team formed was even stronger.

"We beat St. John's in overtime in the quarterfinals, and one of our senior leader captains is in the huddle yelling three more days, which meant we got three more days together, and that's all they wanted, more time together," stated Lombardo.

For Palombi, this was the second consecutive year that he had won Coach of the Year for the boys' varsity ice hockey team. He started up the ice hockey program in 2009 and has developed it for the past 16 years.

"To be able to coach at the same school for so many years has been great," said Palombi.

There were many positives for Palombi's team this season. They were able to grab their first WCAC win in years against Bishop Ireton, as well as see improvements in their goal differential.

Wynn was an associate head coach and offensive coordinator for St. Mary’s Ryken before being named head coach in 2022. This year, Wynn added his second WCAC Coach of the Year Award. The Knights finished with a 9-3 record and a 4-0 conference record, an improvement from the 2023-2024 season.

Lewis has been the varsity softball coach since 2022. This season, the Knights have been stellar from beginning to end. Before entering the WCAC playoffs, they were on a nine-game win streak. They made it to the WCAC championship, but fell short to Bishop O'Connell. Lewis credits the accomplishments of this season to the players, including utility player Mikaela Guy, who was also named WCAC Player of the Year.

"The success comes from those nine girls who are on the softball field," stated Lewis. "They're just an outstanding group."

When asked about what makes St. Mary's Ryken different from any other WCAC school or athletic program in general, Lombardo emphasized that some of the coaching staff not only coach, but also teach full-time.

"Credit to our leadership, that's what makes it special is we pour into and invest and live. And embody that mission of believing in that experience and what you learn," stated Lombardo. "It makes it a very special community because we're developing relationships far beyond two hours at practice."