CSR 335 Bob Zito
Catholic Sports Radio
He has had his hands in a number of sports over the years. He captained the bowling team in high school, then played on the first-ever JV basketball team at Fairfield University, and later coached basketball and soccer at the club and high school levels. He even ran the New York Marathon, back in 1988. Plus, he was a sportswriter for eight years, and present day runs a sports management business that represents athletes across five different sports. On the faith side, he serves on the Board and has a scholarship at St. Peter’s Prep and also is the Vice Chair of the FDNY Foundation...
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CSR 334 Belinda Terro Mooney
Catholic Sports Radio
As a student-athlete, she lettered in basketball and track, including having been All-District in basketball in her junior year. Present day she enjoys swimming, walking, jogging, dancing, and basketball. On the faith side, she is an author, Catholic Coach, and speaker, and has a story about having met Mother Teresa, which we shares during this interview. Her current writing projects include "Pray With Us: A Saint for Every Day," "The 3 Works of Reparation: God’s Divine Mercy for Our Times," as well as making a Catholic edition of her book, "My Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes Workbook:...
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CSR 333 Jerome Pannell
Catholic Sports Radio
He has been coaching high school basketball for 15 years, including ten as Varsity Head Coach at La Salle Academy, an all-male private, independent college preparatory Catholic school in New York City, where he also serves as the Athletic Director. The survivor of a recent medical miracle, in 2017 he led La Salle basketball to their first-ever New York State Federation Championship, a team that saw one of its players eventually chosen in the NBA Draft. As a young adult he had organized a Friday Night Drop-In Center, where neighborhood youth could play basketball in the parish gym — provided...
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CSR 332 Dr John Sottosanti
Catholic Sports Radio
He has been active in long distance endurance cycling -- including twice completing the "Death Ride" -- and has cycled in at least five different countries. He is a golfer as well. As a youth he participated in basketball, baseball, and football. He is the author of a book called, "Mortal Adhesions: A Surgeon Battles the Seven Deadly Sins to Find Faith, Happiness, and Inner Peace." He is also active as a speaker, giving lectures at parishes about the Camino de Santiago and the Shroud of Turin. His story also includes having served three years as a captain in the Air Force Medical Service...
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CSR 331 Drew Haddad
Catholic Sports Radio
He was a wide receiver chosen by Buffalo in the National Football League Draft and went on to play not only for the Bills but with the Indianapolis Colts and then the San Diego Chargers. This all followed a collegiate career playing for the University of Buffalo, where he was the most prolific pass receiver in program history with 240 receptions for over 3,400 yards and eighteen 100-yard games. In 2019 he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, where, present day, he is the wide receivers coach. He also coached football and basketball for 13 years...
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CSR 330 Richard Rossi
Catholic Sports Radio
He excelled in three different sports. As a boxer he competed in the Catholic intramural boxing league's lightweight division and won 80% of his fights by knockout, the rest by points. He was nearly undefeated, losing only one fight. In basketball, he was the only white player, starting guard, on an all-black basketball team in Pittsburgh intramural League. His team won the championship and had an undefeated season. And, in the men's softball championship in Pittsburgh, he hit the winning walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth, resulting in his team taking the championship and carrying...
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CSR 329 Matthew Plese
Catholic Sports Radio
He is an amateur marathoner and active member of the Chicago Catholic Run Club, saying that running has become a key part of his spiritual and personal life. He has completed five of the six World Marathon Majors and is just one race away from earning the coveted Six Star Medal. On the faith side, he is the president of CatechismClass.com, an online-based organization whose mission is to make the best in Catholic religious education and Sacramental preparation available for those who need it. In addition, he has authored several Catholic books and has written for different Catholic...
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CSR 328 Johnny Kuplack
Catholic Sports Radio
He last month concluded 100 ultra marathons in 100 days, running 3,500 miles across America, having started in California and ultimately ended at the National Shrine of the North American Martyrs in New York. He is an endurance athlete who has competed in running events worldwide. His ultra-running career has included ten races, from 50K to one hundred-plus miles, of which he has won six and placed second in four, securing leads of multiple hours as well as a course record. He is the co-founder of Sebaste, a non-profit named for 40 Roman soldiers in the third century who chose to meet death on...
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CSR 327 Diane Nienas
Catholic Sports Radio
She participated as a young student-athlete in cheerleading, volleyball, softball, and basketball. She was captain of the volleyball team, two years after the team went undefeated in the conference, won sectionals, and advanced to state for the first time in program history. In her adult years she continued her athletic involvement in leagues for both sand volleyball and softball. She is a #1 best-selling author of five books and is a speaker and certified grief coach, as inspired by having lost two of her four sons in the last few years, with one of the boys having been very active in ice...
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CSR 326 Bud Macfarlane
Catholic Sports Radio
He was captain of his varsity football, basketball, and baseball teams and received multiple scholar-athlete awards, being mildly recruited by small private colleges and Ivy League schools in various sports. More specifically, he was a standout defensive catcher on a championship team and an all-conference defensive end. In basketball, he was one of the best defensive players in the state. In addition, he was a high school track and field coach and coached baseball in town leagues for many years. He is a best-selling novelist and the founder of The Mary Foundation, which he created more than...
info_outlineHe is the Head Men's Basketball Coach at Ave Maria University. He is in his 15th season as a head coach, having previously held the position at Aledo High School, The University of Texas at Tyler, a previous stint at Ave Maria, Texas State University, Trinity Valley Community College, and Keller Central High School. He led Ave Maria to the conference tournament championship game in 2021 and his 2023-24 team earned an at-large bid to the NAIA Tournament and won the program's first-ever national tournament game. He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and a CrossFit Level I Trainer.