Blue Devils Win State Scholar-Athlete Awards

Five winter varsity athletic teams at Huntington High School have earned prestigious New York State Public High School Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete Awards based on the grade point averages of respective team members.

The NYSPHSAA program requires a set number of participants from each team (the exact number is determined separately by sport) to have their GPAs averaged. Higher GPAs can be used offset lower ones. The team’s GPA must be at least 90 to win the award. Coaches nominate their teams and guidance offices must certify the grades and transcripts submitted to the state office.

“This is a splendid honor for our hardworking student-athletes,” said Georgia D. McCarthy, district director of health, physical education and interscholastic athletics. “These young men and women have set high goals for themselves, both athletically and academically and we are very proud of them.”

The Huntington girls’ winter track and field team was recognized when Alexandra Berwick, Sofia Bialkowski, Carolyn Cimetta, Louise Koepele, Alexandra Mills, Kelly Nicoletto, Sabrina Palacios, Suzanne Petryk, Savannah Richardson, Marina Ruzic, Jessica Straub, Caitlin Yabroudy, Alexandra McKenzie, Tara Byrnes, Nina Cartwright, Hayley Drace, Kelsey Jamison, Catherine Koumas, Alexandra Koumas, Morgan Mars, Naomi Medina-Jaudes, Caroline Petrozzo, Latoya Shand and Christine Simpson combined for a GPA of 92.41.

Blue Devil girls’ basketball players Lindsay Sullivan, Anna Gulizio, Caitlin Knowles, Samantha Lynch, Mackenzie Maloney, Katie Nugent, Katie Reilly, Heather Forster and Brooke Baade compiled a joint GPA of 92.14, earning Huntington a Scholar Athlete Award in that sport.

The Huntington boys’ fencing team also won a state award after Zachary McGinnis, Quinn Blackburn, Xavier Edgar-McNerney, Benjamin Nikodem, John Yanuck, Casey DiGiacomo, Dawson Wallace, Donovan Richardson, Stefano Ornato, Jack O’Heir, Jason Moreira, Finneas Tucker, Thomas Edgar-McNerney, Lars Drace, Brian McConnell, Derek Wolf, Sam Prinzi, James Montefusco and Sean Mello earned a joint GPA of 91.38.

The Huntington boys’ basketball team reached scholar-athlete status as Alexander Castillo, Scott Gulizio, Kevin Montefusco, Kenneth McCarthy, Matthew Reed, Lee Reiver and Natale Amato combined for a GPA of 90.32.

The Blue Devil girls’ fencing squad was honored after Elisa Medina-Jaudes, Lianna DeChiaro, Tateana Khokhar, Llanira Flores, Adina Kirkland, Lydia Witt, Natalie Flores, Mary Sheehan, Kaitlin Wascher, Hanae Wada, Rachel Feltman, Olivia Castillo, Melany Lanham-Ciancia, Kaitlin Dayton, Kelly Tenbus, Fiona Geier, Brianna Kirkland, Sibilla Maiarelli, Yardalie Daniel and Charlotte Levinson compiled a 90.27 joint GPA.