Sharpshooters light it up in A Shot for Life Challenge to raise money for cancer research
Reigning champ Elyse MacDonough with a ridiculous streak of 24 straight. St. Bonaventure is getting an absolute sniper
— Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass)
MacDonough, a South Burlington, Vermont, resident and Worcester Academy graduate who will play at St. Bonaventure next year, shot a blistering 87.4 percent to defend her title as the best shooter in Massachusetts.
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Rising junior Maddie Keough, also a Worcester Academy catalyst, placed second (72.9 percent), while Medfield junior Naya Annigeri took third (70.9) at the Starland Sportsplex.
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On the boys' side, Lynn native, Phillips Academy standout, and Northeastern-bound guard Xavier Abreu won at 86.4 percent.
Northeastern-bound Xavier Abreu has a great stroke in general, and a great stroke for this event. Very rhythmic and fluid shot
— Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass)
Abreu shot for his grandmother, Cristina Medrano, who beat breast cancer twice. He planned to call her afterward to savor the moment together.
'It meant everything,' Abreu said. 'I know she'd be proud of me regardless, but the fact that I could come out here and win it and dedicate it to her means a lot.'
Lynn native Xavier Abreu won at the 2025 Shot for Life Challenge with his grandmother, Cristina Medrano, in mind.
Trevor Hass/Globe Correspondent
Archbishop Williams junior Jack Olinto earned second (83.3), and Roxbury Latin sophomore Jackson Perri was third (80.9 percent).
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Archbishop Williams junior Jack Olinto took second place with some help from his father, John, and 83-year-old grandfather, also John
— Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass)
MacDonough thought of her grandfather, Paul LaBonte, who is currently dealing with a health scare that may be cancerous. She just learned that his situation took a turn for the worse earlier this week, which gave her even more incentive.
'I'm just trying to be as supportive of him as he's been for me,' MacDonough said. 'Doing this for him really meant the world to me.'
John MacDonough credited his daughter for living in the gym and relentlessly chasing her dream. He works in digital pathology at Philips, and seeing his daughter play for a larger purpose with so much meaning feels like a full-circle moment.
'Her mind-set is what sets her apart,' John MacDonough said. 'When I miss one, I'm going to get the next one. Resilience is the biggest piece. She figures out how to win.'
Alana Hogan, an Ursuline Academy graduate who will play at Kenyon College, honored her late aunt and godmother, Margaret Nelson, who died of a brain tumor three years ago.
Kenyon College-bound Ursuline standout Alana Hogan is still competing with a medial femoral condyle fracture.
Very impressive dedication
— Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass)
Hogan competed with a brace on her left leg while dealing with a medial femoral condyle fracture. She knows she may be a bit sore the next day, but it was well worth it to support her aunt.
'I play for her every day,' Hogan said. 'She wore 15, so now I wear 15. It's special to me to be able to represent her in that kind of way and make her proud.'
The girls' division shooters surround winner Elyse MacDonough after the A Shot for Life Challenge Saturday.
Trevor Hass/Globe Correspondent
For many involved, raising money for cancer research has a personal feel. Mike Slonina, the CEO and founder of ASFL, is proud of how far the organization has come, and invigorated to see how much further it can go.
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Amid a jam-packed week with two events, Slonina and his staff took time to meet with doctors at Mass General Cancer Center to see, specifically, where the money goes. Being in the lab, looking at the beakers, centrifuges, and tissue gave Slonina and Co. an additional sense of gratitude and purpose.
'What they do goes so far beyond a basketball court,' Slonina said of his players. 'There are real people getting treatment because they're here, and they should be really proud of that.'
It was amazing today to visit the
We certainly know this as an organization, but we hope that all in our community are aware of just how…
— Mike Slonina (@Slo_24)
Trevor Hass can be reached at
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'Mentally, it's very challenging to keep going for two hours straight,' MacDonough said. 'All I kept saying to myself was, 'Positive mind-set, you got this, be confident.' I just kept my shot going.' Reigning champ Elyse MacDonough with a ridiculous streak of 24 straight. St. Bonaventure is getting an absolute sniper — Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass) MacDonough, a South Burlington, Vermont, resident and Worcester Academy graduate who will play at St. Bonaventure next year, shot a blistering 87.4 percent to defend her title as the best shooter in Massachusetts. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Rising junior Maddie Keough, also a Worcester Academy catalyst, placed second (72.9 percent), while Medfield junior Naya Annigeri took third (70.9) at the Starland Sportsplex. Advertisement On the boys' side, Lynn native, Phillips Academy standout, and Northeastern-bound guard Xavier Abreu won at 86.4 percent. Northeastern-bound Xavier Abreu has a great stroke in general, and a great stroke for this event. Very rhythmic and fluid shot — Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass) Abreu shot for his grandmother, Cristina Medrano, who beat breast cancer twice. He planned to call her afterward to savor the moment together. 'It meant everything,' Abreu said. 'I know she'd be proud of me regardless, but the fact that I could come out here and win it and dedicate it to her means a lot.' Lynn native Xavier Abreu won at the 2025 Shot for Life Challenge with his grandmother, Cristina Medrano, in mind. Trevor Hass/Globe Correspondent Archbishop Williams junior Jack Olinto earned second (83.3), and Roxbury Latin sophomore Jackson Perri was third (80.9 percent). Advertisement Archbishop Williams junior Jack Olinto took second place with some help from his father, John, and 83-year-old grandfather, also John — Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass) MacDonough thought of her grandfather, Paul LaBonte, who is currently dealing with a health scare that may be cancerous. She just learned that his situation took a turn for the worse earlier this week, which gave her even more incentive. 'I'm just trying to be as supportive of him as he's been for me,' MacDonough said. 'Doing this for him really meant the world to me.' John MacDonough credited his daughter for living in the gym and relentlessly chasing her dream. He works in digital pathology at Philips, and seeing his daughter play for a larger purpose with so much meaning feels like a full-circle moment. 'Her mind-set is what sets her apart,' John MacDonough said. 'When I miss one, I'm going to get the next one. Resilience is the biggest piece. She figures out how to win.' Alana Hogan, an Ursuline Academy graduate who will play at Kenyon College, honored her late aunt and godmother, Margaret Nelson, who died of a brain tumor three years ago. Kenyon College-bound Ursuline standout Alana Hogan is still competing with a medial femoral condyle fracture. Very impressive dedication — Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass) Hogan competed with a brace on her left leg while dealing with a medial femoral condyle fracture. She knows she may be a bit sore the next day, but it was well worth it to support her aunt. 'I play for her every day,' Hogan said. 'She wore 15, so now I wear 15. It's special to me to be able to represent her in that kind of way and make her proud.' The girls' division shooters surround winner Elyse MacDonough after the A Shot for Life Challenge Saturday. Trevor Hass/Globe Correspondent For many involved, raising money for cancer research has a personal feel. Mike Slonina, the CEO and founder of ASFL, is proud of how far the organization has come, and invigorated to see how much further it can go. Advertisement Amid a jam-packed week with two events, Slonina and his staff took time to meet with doctors at Mass General Cancer Center to see, specifically, where the money goes. Being in the lab, looking at the beakers, centrifuges, and tissue gave Slonina and Co. an additional sense of gratitude and purpose. 'What they do goes so far beyond a basketball court,' Slonina said of his players. 'There are real people getting treatment because they're here, and they should be really proud of that.' It was amazing today to visit the We certainly know this as an organization, but we hope that all in our community are aware of just how… — Mike Slonina (@Slo_24) Trevor Hass can be reached at
