By Dan Hust
MONTICELLO — April 6, 2007 — Monticello Central School Athletic Director Ken Garry gave no hint of emotion during the Friday, March 30 Scholar-Athlete Luncheon at Mr. Willy’s in Monticello – despite this being the last the 35-year educator will preside over.
But his joy nevertheless was evident in presenting Monticello’s top athletes and students with awards for their double-duty achievements.
Garry didn’t forget the other participants in these students’ vast successes, either.
“We recognize the parents for promoting academic and athletic excellence,” he told a capacity crowd that included moms and dads of almost every young person who was being honored.
“It is the people in this room, the parents, that have taken the time to take their children to athletics,” added Monticello Central School Superintendent Patrick Michel.
“You are our best and brightest,” he told the high-schoolers.
Indeed they are, as each awardee had to maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA, show excellent sportsmanship, evidence good conduct and community service, and be recommended by a particular coach.
The scholar-athletes honored at the luncheon were:
Nicole Accomando – varsity softball
Marisela Acevedo – girls’ varsity track and field
Jason Arias – mod. baseball
Alexandra Astras – varsity cheerleading
Artur Atanov – junior varsity wrestling
Caitlin Bonnaci – modified volleyball
Jamie Breen – girls’ modified cross country
Alexis Brinkerhoff – girls’ varsity golf
Carly Bulaga – girls’ varsity soccer
Jaclyn Bunce – girls’ alpine skiing
Jesse Campanaro – varsity wrestling, varsity baseball
Emma Cohen – girls’ varsity cross country
Joshua Cohen – varsity baseball
Rebecca Concors – girls’ varsity track and field
Brendan Devine – boys’ varsity cross country
Omar Diaz – boys’ varsity basketball
James Dzurica – boys’ varsity cross country
Jessika Fascé – junior varsity cheerleading
Tara Feller – varsity softball
Brendan Ference – boys’ varsity track and field
Jessica Fingers – girls’ varsity indoor track
Niccole Fortunato – girls’ junior varsity tennis
Austin Gager – boys’ varsity golf
Joanna Goldfarb – girls’ varsity tennis, varsity nordic skiing
Jarred Goldstein – boys’ varsity alpine skiing
Thomas Gonzalez – boys’ junior varsity basketball
Amy Heins – girls’ varsity alpine skiing
Lianna Hollander – girls’ varsity indoor track
Jesse Kapito – boys’ modified basketball
Saige Kashan – girls’ junior varsity basketball
Chris Ketcham – boys’ varsity soccer
Carly Klemen – girls’ modified soccer
Jordan Kunis – junior varsity volleyball
Kyle Lounsbury – boys’ varsity tennis
Krista Mangabang – modified softball
Erik Mayberg – boys’ junior varsity soccer
Casey McManus – boys’ modified cross country
Gabriella Medina – girls’ varsity golf
Andrew Moss – varsity wrestling
Joshua Oates – varsity cheerleading
Kate Oldfield – junior varsity volleyball
Pollyanna Palhano – varsity volleyball, girls’ varsity basketball
Maria Pavese – junior varsity softball
Simone Reynolds – girls’ modified basketball
Iris Robinson – varsity volleyball, girls’ varsity basketball
Jacob Rubin – boys’ varsity indoor track
Danielle Schnitzer – girls’ varsity cross country
Janelle Slutsky – varsity nordic skiing
Ryan Sonnenschein – boys’ varsity golf
Brian Tedaldi – boys’ modified track and field, modified wrestling
Matthew Thomas – junior varsity baseball
William Van Hage – boys’ alpine skiing
Caitlin Van Keuren – girls’ varsity tennis
Jessica Venditti – girls’ junior varsity basketball, girls’ modified track and field
Robert Venditti – boys’ varsity track and field
Téneshia Washington – girls’ varsity soccer
Logan White – boys’ varsity tennis
Tyrone White – boys’ varsity basketball
David Wilbur – boys’ varsity indoor track
Matthew Wissman – boys’ varsity soccer
Matthew Young – boys’ modified soccer.
In addition to those individual student-athletes, nine Monticello varsity sports teams were honored for recently being named Scholar Athlete Teams for the 2006-2007 academic year by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA).
Those teams are:
Girls’ Soccer – which posted a cumulative average of 96
Boys’ Alpine Skiing – 95.42
Girls’ Cross Country – 95.33
Girls’ Alpine Skiing – 94.42
Girls’ Indoor Track – 94.25
Girls’ Tennis – 94.22
Boys’ Cross Country – 91.42
Boys’ Soccer – 91.41
Wrestling – 90.20.