Winning team

Student-athletes excel athletically, academically and in community
Courtesy Corey LeBlanc, The Casket 

Nathan Chiarlitti and Kayla MacIntyre are winners – not just for accomplishments on the ice and court, respectively, but also for their work in the classroom and the community.

The varsity athletes wrapped up their time on the Antigonish campus, when they received their degrees during St. F.X. Spring Convocation 2016.

"It was everything I wanted it to be, if not more," MacIntyre, a four-year member of the X-Women basketball team, said of her Xaverian experience.

"It is so nice to be a part of such a tight-knit community – a community that involves both St. F.X. and the Antigonish community.

"It felt like I was going from one home to another. I will always look back fondly on my St. F.X. days," she added.

Chiarlitti agreed.

"It has been an incredible experience," he said.

For MacIntyre, she is the third generation of her family who has attended, and graduated from, St. F.X.

"I look up to my grandfather (Duncan MacIntyre), who played varsity sports at St. F.X., so I always knew that St. F.X. was where I wanted to be, from a very young age," she said.

As for his decision to come to Antigonish for university, Chiarlitti said he "thought it was going to be one of the tougher decisions of my life."

"But – in all honesty – it wasn't so difficult, after I visited X. I just saw the culture around the community – the fraternity that is the X-Ring – and, obviously, the hockey program.

"It all really made my decision so easy," he added.

Chiarlitti remembered his recruiting trip, including seeing the signs in the windows, such as '180 days 'til X-Ring.'

"At the time, I just thought it might have been like a big party, but, once you experience it, especially once you receive your X-Ring, and once you see other people with their X-Rings, it is something that isn't duplicated at any other university," he said.

"You just don't see that at the big schools, and even the smaller ones, across the country."

Receiving his X-Ring is certainly a highlight of his time at St. F.X.

"At the time, it was probably one of the best nights of my life [X-Ring], but it is tough to ever replicate winning an AUS championship on home ice," Chiarlitti said of the X-Men's conference title victory.

"That is, by far, the best hockey memory I have and probably the best memory of my life, to be honest."

Chiarlitti noted he hopes the community and students – everyone at X – realizes how much their support meant to him and his teammates.

"Being at the AUS championship, seeing the Keating Centre packed, and even at nationals – when Fredericton and X are the same distance away and we have 90 per cent of the fans in building [in Halifax], that meant a lot," he said.

As for MacIntyre, she paused before admitting it was difficult to pinpoint her fondest moments.

"Between on the court, or in the classroom, or meeting so many great people at St. F.X., there are so many great memories," she said.

Giving back

The varsity pair coupled their athletic efforts with excellence in the classroom, along with contributions in the community.

While here, MacIntyre coached with the Antigonish Minor Basketball Association, along with volunteering with the St. James United Church hot meal program. She was also involved with the Antigonish Multi-Sport Program, which helped introduce youth to new sports, while also participating in the StFX Best Buddies program.

"My parents always taught me it was important to be involved in the community," MacIntyre said.

"I know – growing up in a small town – I always looked up to coaches and mentors that were sometimes varsity athletes from the university in Cape Breton – and I always appreciated the time and the effort that they put in, and I always thought it was important to share that, as well," she added.

Chiarlitti, who captured the AUS Godfrey Award and CIS Dr. Randy Gregg Award for excellence in community service, coached with the Antigonish Minor Hockey Mentorship Program. He also founded the Hockey Program of X-Cellence, a peer tutoring program for X-Men and X-Women teams. Along with serving at the StFX Coady Society, he volunteered with local religious confirmation classes, was a participant in StFX's Best Buddies program and gave his time to L'Arche Horizons.

"Anytime, I feel that you can give back to the community, they are your biggest supporters. So, if you have the time, you can make such an impact," he said.

"For me, personally, the youth is the biggest thing. In small town Antigonish, they still see the hockey players as these idols – for lack of a better word – and we are role models, whether we like it or not.

"I think that, if we can take advantage of that, and represent the school, the program, in a good light, it will make a lasting impact on the kids," Chiarlitti added.

For their commitment to giving back, the student-athletes were recipients of the StFX Community X-Cellence in April.

Wherever their paths lead, they will take their Xaverian experience with them.

"Every time I look down at my ring, I will always think about my fabulous times at St. F.X.," MacIntyre said.

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