It is hard to earn all-conference honors in the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference. You have to have some natural talent, put in a lot of hard work, stay healthy, and perform, game in and game out. It’s even harder to be all-conference in two sports. That’s what makes Alex Zurn’s accomplishments stunningly impressive. 

Alex, a 2009 graduate of St. Andrew’s was named all-conference in four different sports during his Upper School career, earning All-MAC recognition in basketball, soccer, baseball, and track and field. On October 19, he will be inducted into the St. Andrew’s Athletics Hall of Fame.

A few weeks before the official ceremony, Alex reflected on his time as a multi-sport athlete.  “From what I recall, it did not feel like much of a juggling act,” Alex said. “During my time at St. Andrew’s, many student-athletes played multiple sports and those that were not athletes mostly participated in some degree of extra-curricular activities across the seasons/school year. I say that only to highlight the fact that everybody juggled a lot and it felt somewhat normal. Now, could I have better harnessed my energy towards academics during the school day - oh yeah!”

All kidding aside, the honor of joining a select few as a member of the St. Andrew’s Athletics Hall of Fame is something that carries a lot of meaning for Alex.

“Being inducted into the HOF is very exciting for me,” Alex said. “St. Andrew's and sports were a big part of life during my time there so any type of honor from that experience is significant and very meaningful. I had many influences: Ms. Cobb, Coach Haight, Coach Ponitch, Coach Corkran, Coach Ternes, Mrs. Goodrich, Coach Hightower, Coach Kowalik, & Coach Wyatt all played a part in my academic and athletic success.”

 

Alex had a lot of coaches to name which makes sense if you’re all-conference in four sports. But it was basketball where he really left his mark.

 

“My junior year I decided to not pursue baseball in the spring anymore and commit to AAU basketball,” he said. “That was the decision that started me down a path of playing basketball in college.”

 

Scott Corkran was Alex’s coach in basketball and he consistently speaks of his former player with praise and admiration.

 

“Alexander always wanted to compete, and he always wanted to get better,” Mr. Corkran said. “He was so gifted, yet he never had a problem with me getting on him -- and I could be pretty tough on him at times! He was never going to give an inch, and he helped instill that attitude in the whole team. He and I developed a lot of trust over four years and knew that we were both doing everything we could to make the team better. Coaching him was a privilege and I got to watch a lot of beautiful basketball from him while I did it.”

 

Zurn went on to play collegiately at Gettysburg College where he scored more than 1,000 points in his career. He went on to play professional basketball in both Ireland and England before finally hanging up the laces in 2016.

 

“Alexander was a spectacular athlete,” Mr. Corkran said. “He was an explosive leaper who made some truly spectacular plays, and he also just glided around the court on defense and could be so disruptive with his length and quick hands. He could really do everything on the court. He was our primary ball handler, best rebounder, a terrific outside shooter, and a great defender. He was just a really fun player to watch.”

 

In his post-playing days, Alex has shown the same ability to juggle while also having his hands in lots of different things. 

 

“Since my playing days stopped, I've really been committed to a lifestyle that prioritizes the relationships in my life,” Zurn said. “I have continued to travel quite a bit, both domestically and abroad. I moved to Philadelphia from Newport, Rhode Island in 2018 to be closer to my family and friends. And, perhaps most significantly, I got married to my wife Lindsey this year in April - together, with our mini-bernedoodle Winston, we are a budding little family.”

 

These days, Zurn works in the mortgage lending space, advising clients on the mortgage landscape while also opening his own mortgage broker shop, the aptly named Zurn Mortgages. He and his wife are also in the process of bringing to market a hydrating drink named Hoona. Needless to say, a former all-MAC athlete in four different sports knows something about the importance of proper hydration.