It is hard to imagine winning one championship, let alone three in one year.

Steve Priolo did just that in 2024, winning a National Lacrosse League championship with the Buffalo Bandits, a gold medal with Team Canada at the World Indoor Box Lacrosse Championships in Utica and a Mann Cup (Canadian senior men’s box lacrosse)  with the Six Nations Chiefs. 

With that added to his already impressive resume, the 36-year-old St. Catharines native was an easy selection as the 2024 St. Catharines Athlete Of the Year.

Priolo was taken aback when informed of the award.

“It transcends the game,” Priolo said recently on Rod Mawhood’s Niagara Sports Report. “It’s being able to not only be recognized by my city, but hopefully it allows me to give back and inspire lacrosse in St. Catharines and hopefully I’m inspiring the next generation to come up and it’s just a huge honour to be a part of that.

“I’m so grateful that St. Catharines is recognizing me. I’m getting sort of emotional and sweating here just even thinking about what a great honour it is and that my city is thinking of me.”

Priolo said the Bandits title last season stood out above the rest.

Click here to read the full article on BP Sports Niagara.