The North Coast Section champion Piedmont High boys soccer team received accolades Monday night from the Piedmont City Council, in the form of a proclamation and some personal congratulations from city leaders. The Highlanders defeated University High School-San Francisco 1-0 on Feb. 26 at Witter Field for Piedmont’s first NCS championship.
“I know you’ll look back on this years from now,” City Administrator Sara Lillevand told the players, who were gathered in council chambers. She was a member of an NCS championship team herself at one time. “You probably don’t know what an accomplishment this really is,” Lillevand said. “It’s one of the fondest memories of all my athletic endeavors.”
Mayor Teddy Gray King reads the proclamation for PHS Boys Soccer Team Day 
Soccer Coach Todd Sullivan shakes hands with Mayor Teddy Gray King 
Two members of the boys soccer team hold championship pennants 
Senior, team captain and WACC League Player of the Year, Andre Stankiewicz, speaks at the podium on behalf of the team 
Coach Todd Sullivan and the PHS boys soccer team champions applaud upon the reading of the proclamation
Highlanders Coach Todd Sullivan agreed. “This is something that will live with us for the rest of our lives.”
Mayor Teddy Gray King said, “We are Piedmont proud of every single one of you.”
Casalnuovo promoted
Nicole Casalnuovo, who served for almost three years as the Piedmont Police Department’s juvenile officer was recently promoted to sergeant, and her formal “badge pinning” ceremony took place as part of Monday night’s City Council meeting, as well.
Bowers recognizes Officer Casalnuovo’s commitment and achievements 
Casalnuovo receives her sergeant pin from mentor and retired sergeant Grady Joseph of the Central Marin Police Authority 
Police Chief Jeremy Bowers announces the promotion of Officer Nicole Casalnuovo to the rank of sergeant
She joined the Piedmont PD in September 2015 as a patrol officer, and in July 2019 was named the department’s juvenile officer, whose initial tasks were education and training to discourage vaping and other nicotine use, and help develop a diversion program for students who run afoul of the law.
“It’s been challenging but rewarding already, and I’m grateful to have the new role,” Casalnuovo told the council. Police Chief Jeremy Bowers said Casalnuovo was watch commander while a handful of notable crimes – including a recent assault and robbery in Dracena Park and a substantial drug bust – were reported.
“She’s been a little bit of an ‘expletive’ magnet,” Bowers joked.
Councilmember Jen Cavenaugh joined her colleagues in congratulating Casalnuovo, and praising her previous work. “What I heard actually is that Sgt. Casalnuovo gets ‘expletive’ done,” Cavenaugh said.
Photos by Julie Reichle
First, congratulations to PHS boys soccer on their first-ever NCS championship. This comment is in no way intended to diminish their accomplishment, and the recognition by the City Council is certainly well-deserved. However, I can’t help but look back to the PHS women’s lacrosse team winning NCS for the first time in school history in 2019, with zero recognition, acknowledgment, or proclamation from the city. I’d like to know whether the lack of acknowledgment then was driven by gender bias or a bias towards some sports over others, and what the policy is in general, or if there is one, for these situations. It would seem that as a community we would want to celebrate these achievements equally, regardless of gender or sport, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.