Edited by Rob Potter
FALLSBURG — December 20, 2005 – The Fallsburg Junior/Senior High School recently honored all of its fall athletic teams.
Fallsburg Athletic Director Janet Carey welcomed a large and enthusiastic group of students, staff, and parents assembled in the high school auditorium for the awards program.
Coaches introduced their various teams in varsity soccer, volleyball, and tennis as well as junior varsity teams in soccer and volleyball. Each coach gave special awards to players on his or her team.
Tarra Strauss, girls’ JV soccer coach, acknowledged Caribel Mejia as Most Improved Player and presented Joanna Blanchard with the Sportsmanship Award.
Boys’ JV soccer coach Darren Kenney chose Joey Perrello as the team’s Most Improved Player and Wesley Castillo as winner of the Sportsmanship Award.
Lisa Wood, coach of the girls’ JV volleyball team, congratulated several girls for outstanding play this past season. She chose Stefanie Benjamin as the Most Improved Player and Emily Grigsby as recipient of the Sportsmanship Award.
In the varsity sports awards, girls’ soccer team coach Amanda Biccum selected goalie Ashley Hong as Most Improved Player, Mannie Wizwer as the Sportsmanship Award winner, and Jessica Orlan as Most Valuable Player.
In addition to being the district’s athletic director, Carey is also the varsity girls’ tennis coach. She recognized the team’s two seniors, Brittany McNamara and Lisa Scheinman, as the Most Improved Players. Samantha Bennett received the Sportsmanship Award and Bianca Rappaport was the Most Valuable Player.
Girls’ varsity volleyball coach Chris Barnes gave awards to Jessica Brown as Most Valuable Player, Christine Justiniano as Most Improved Player and Brittany Baldwin-Hunter for Sportsmanship.
The final awards of the evening came from boys’ varsity soccer coach Jeremy Levner, whose team reached the semifinals of the Section IX Class C tournament. Levner cited Bill Miller as Most Improved Player, Chris Gates for Sportsmanship and Nick Makofsky as Most Valuable Player.
The evening concluded with recognition of the athletes who made Honor Roll and Superintendent’s Honor Roll by the Fallsburg High School Principal Mona Bogan. The Superintendent’s Honor Roll students were freshmen Joanna Blanchard, Wesley Castillo and Brenda Flores; sophomores Brittany Baldwin-Hunter, Emily Grigsby, Amanda Parker, Bianca Rappaport and Esti Ross; juniors Ashley Baldwin-Hunter, Anthony Gonzalez, Melissa Mielnicki and Shane Weigand; seniors Eveleese Campos, Juan Gonzalez, Edeliz Flores, Brittany McNamara (who is a student at Tri-Valley High School), Jonathan Nardi, Jessica Orlan, Lisa Scheinman, Harris Seletsky and Mannie Wizwer.