By Rob Potter
WHITE LAKE — April 16, 2002 – For the seventh consecutive year and eighth time overall, the Monticello girls’ ski team has been recognized by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHAA) as a Scholar-Athlete State Champion.
The team members – Alexis Brinkerhoff, Lauren Brinkerhoff, Laura Ferranti, Racheal Huffman, Erin Garry, Heidi Kleister, Candice Sheerer and Kristen Van Hage – were honored during a luncheon last Friday at El Monaco’s in White Lake.
Monticello Central School board of education members, administrators, parents and Athletic Director Kenneth Garry joined together to recognize the scholar-athletes at the luncheon.
The combined grade point average of the team members is an outstanding 98.42. That mark is better than those posted by 16 other girls’ ski teams and is the second best winter g.p.a. in the state.
Before presenting the championship banner to the ski team (consisting of both alpine and cross country skiers) and coaches Jim Bates, John Maranzana and Carolyn Walsh, NYSPHSAA Assistant Director Joe Altieri explained how teams are chosen for the scholar-athlete designation. He noted that teams are declared scholar-athlete state champions when they earn a 90 percent or better academic average during their sport season. The team with the highest average in that sport is then declared the scholar-athlete state champion.
“This scholar-athlete state championship for the girls’ skiing team also give Monticello High School its 27th overall scholar-athlete award,” Altieri said. “(That is) a remarkable achievement and a tribute to the hard work of the student-athletes in the Monticello High School athletic program.”
Altieri also noted the contributions of four skiers in particular. Those four – junior Lauren Brinkerhoff, senior Erin Garry, junior Heidi Kleister and senior Candice Sheerer – have combined for 13 scholar-athlete state champion awards in girls’ skiing.
Monticello Central School Superintendent Eileen Casey noted that the skills learned by the scholar-athletes on the playing field will “be beneficial to you always.” She also thanked the dedicated parents for their guidance and support of the scholar-athletes. And, of course, Casey spoke to the scholar-athletes themselves.
“We are all very proud of you,” she said. “And we encourage you to keep up the good work.”
In addition to the ski team members, dozens of other Monticello Central School athletes were recognized and presented with school student athlete awards.
They included:
• Casey Berson – Girls’ Varsity Tennis
• Christa Billias – Girls’ Varsity Basketball
• Timothy Billias – Boys’ Varsity Cross Country and Boys’ Varsity Indoor Track
• Ashley Bloom – Girls’ Varsity Basketball
• Alexis Brinkerhoff – Girls’ Varsity Tennis
• Lauren Brinkerhoff – Girls’ Varsity Alpine Skiing
• Devin Brust – Boys’ Varsity Basketball
• Jesse Campanaro – Modified Wrestling
• Daniel Catalano – Junior Varsity Wrestling
• Jenna Diaco – Varsity Cheerleading
• Shannon Dietrich – Varsity Softball and Girls’ Varsity Indoor Track
• Kim Donohue – Varsity Softball
• Amanda Drobysh – Girls’ Varsity Soccer
• Crystal Forget – Varsity Volleyball and Junior Varsity Softball
• Lisa Forget – Modified Volleyball
• Kristin Fried – Varsity Volleyball
• Kyle Fried – Varsity Wrestling
• Jeffrey Garfield – Boys’ Varsity Indoor Track and Varsity Golf
• Erin Garry – Girls’ Varsity Cross Country, Girls’ Varsity Track and Field and Girls’ Varsity Cross Country Skiing
• John Garry – Boys’ Junior Varsity Cross Country Skiing
• Matthew Gottlieb – Junior Varsity Baseball
• Todd Herfield – Varsity Baseball
• Eric Johnson – Boys’ Varsity Basketball and Boys’ Varsity Soccer
• Corey Kaplan – Boys’ Varsity Alpine Skiing
• Heidi Kleister – Girls’ Varsity Cross Country Skiing
• Anastasia Kurta – Junior Varsity Cheerleading
• Tyler Laufersweiler – Boys’ Varsity Track and Field
• Meredith Levine – Girls’ Modified Basketball
• Christopher Longano – Varsity Baseball
• Alyson Lounsbury – Girls’ Junior Varsity Tennis
• Katherine Mahan – Modified Softball
• Nicholas Morffi – Boys’ Junior Varsity Soccer
• Benjamin Morganstein – Varsity Golf
• Tara Mullen – Junior Varsity Volleyball
• Anthony Ng – Boys’ Modified Track and Field
• Christopher Ng – Varsity Wrestling
• John Pavese – Boys’ Varsity Alpine Skiing
• Corey Price – Boys’ Modified Cross Country
• Jacquelyn Randall – Varsity Cheerleading
• Erica Sanford – Girls’ Modified Track and Field
• Kathryn Schlichtman – Girls’ Varsity Track and Field and Girls’ Varsity Indoor Track
• Gabrielle Scott – Girls’ Junior Varsity Soccer
• Kenneth Shaw – Boys’ Varsity Tennis
• Candice Sheerer – Girls’ Varsity Soccer and Girls’ Varsity Alpine Skiing
• Andrew Simon – Boys’ Varsity Tennis and Boys’ Varsity Soccer
• Todd Sonnenschein – Boys’ Modified Soccer
• Sean Thompson – Boys’ Junior Varsity Basketball
• Kristen Van Hage – Girls’ Modified Soccer
• Michael Washington – Boys’ Modified Basketball and Modified Baseball
• Tiffany Washington – Girls’ Junior Varsity Basketball.