Awards

Red renaissance

Liberty’s Block ‘L’ awards night celebrates outstanding achievements of a remarkable year

By RICHARD A. ROSS

LIBERTY, NY — When it comes to remarkable sports stories from this past school year, none is more compelling than the renaissance of Liberty’s athletic programs. The dictionary defines renaissance as “A rebirth; the activity, spirit or time of great revival.”

Liberty’s stunning turnaround, which included making sectionals in boys and girls soccer, boys basketball and baseball, finishing as runner up in Section Nine in boys indoor track, winning the Division IV title in boys track for the first time in 30 years, crowning a Section Nine golf champion in Josh Goldstein and a spate of other sterling individual performances in a variety of sports, befits the term renaissance in summing up Liberty’s uncanny year.

As athletic director Jason Semo said in his opening remarks, such an accomplishment was a total effort put forth by a group of sterling athletes, dedicated coaches, a supportive school administration, Liberty Parks and Recreation and the entire community, which has rallied behind the red resurgence.

While Semo is correct in his attribution of widespread credit, his own role cannot be understated. Semo referred to last year’s graduates as “visionaries,” who set the tone for this year’s dramatic revival. The same term aptly applies to him for his remarkable leadership and inspirational role.

Superintendent Michael Vanyo welcomed the large audience to the annual Block “L” athletic awards celebration on June 11. A soccer coach for 12 years, Vanyo lauded the athletes for their increased participation and, more importantly, for their academic success made most notable by the school’s unprecedented 11 teams chosen for scholar athlete designation by NYSPHSAA for compiling at least a 90 percent average. Those teams included football, girls basketball, golf, boys and girls track and field, baseball, softball, boys and girls indoor track and boys and girls soccer.

Following opening remarks by Vanyo and Semo, this writer presented a visual chronicle of this past sports year in a musical slide show. At its conclusion, the awards presentation began. First came the coaches’ awards for each of the school’s 19 varsity sports (see winners at right), followed by the trophy awards and special senior trophy presentations.

Trevor Tompkins and Kim McKay were the recipients of this year’s Tom Kelly Award given to the school’s most outstanding senior athletes. Both were three-sport star competitors. Tompkins had already been awarded the Rattner Award given to a basketball scholar athlete. He was named this year’s Most Improved Player in baseball and had been cited the Most Valuable Player on the football team that had reversed a three-year record of 1-17 by going 6-2.

As coach Jim O’Connor had noted in his celebration of the football season, “We were eight points away from being in sectionals. Liberty beat the Class D and B champions in regular season games and topped the Class C champs in a scrimmage. Tompkins was an essential part of that success on both sides of the ball.

McKay, the school’s most outstanding track and field athlete, ran in cross-country and competed in indoor and spring track. A state qualifier in the pentathlon, McKay holds or shares seven school records. McKay was the Class B pole vault champion with a personal best leap of 9-3. She was named the MVP for girls cross country, indoor track and also for field events in spring track.

Other seniors who received special trophies included Justin Katz and Katie Baxter for the Charlie Barbuti Baseball and Softball Sportsmanship Scholarship. Elana Ehrenberg and Justen Mills were the recipients of the Elizabeth “Betty” Totten Sportsmanship Awards, while Danielle Johnson and Pedro Alvarez were accorded trophies for the “Bo Gill” Perseverance Award.

Earlier presentations included: The John O’Hearn Award for the Most Improved Football Player awarded to Abi Rubio and Justen Mills; The Ross Award for Boys and Girls Soccer Scholar Athletes given to Michael Dunnigan and Kelley Lockwood; The Ivan Richards Award for the MVP of Boys and Girls Basketball awarded to Dustin VanLieu and Ceara Williams; The Goodstein Award for Wrestling Perseverance given to Ian Irwin; the Buchal Awards for the MVP’s of baseball and softball awarded to Justen Mills and Ceara Williams; The Kavleski Award for Boys and Girls Track Scholar Athletes awarded to Matthew Arielly and Elana Ehrenberg; and The Fred Planica Award for Baseball awarded to Chris Lake.

Team awards were as follows:

Boys soccer: Saeed Robinson, MVP; Jacob Kleinberger, Coach’s Award; and Patrick Murphy, MIP. GIRLS SOCCER: Jasmine Walizadeh, MVP; Rebecca Scherer, Offensive Player of the Year; and Taylir Lorino, Defensive Player of the Year. Cross-country: Trevor Tate and Kim McKay, MVPs; Malcolm Strother, boys MIP; and Kristen Sarno, Coach’s Award for girls. Girls tennis: Jill Lieberman, MVP; and Elana Ehrenberg, MIP. Football: Trevor Tompkins, MVP; Joe Ruiz, Offensive Player of the Year; Justen Mills, Defensive Player of the Year; and Tony Hernandez and Ivan Rivera, Rookies of the Year. Football cheerleading: Britani Houghtaling, MVP; and Angelee Santillo, MIP. Alpine skiing: Kurt Ramos, MVP; and Jacob Kleinberger, MIP. Boys basketball: Justen Mills, MIP; Dashawn Williamsson, Offensive Player of the Year; and Ivan Rivera, Defensive Player of the Year. Girls basketball: Ceara Williams, Offensive Player of the Year; Lisandra Villalobos, Most Improved Player; and Kristen Sarno, Defensive Player of the Year. Basketball cheerleading: Amanda Torres, MVP; and Rebecca Scherer, MIP. BOYS Indoor track: Matthew Arielly, MVP; Tim Burgio, MIP; and Scott Kaplan, Coach’s Award. Girls indoor track: Kim McKay, MVP; Sabrina Mastrogiovanni, MIP; and Dawn Baron, Coach’s Award. Wrestling: Ian Irwin, MVP; and Hector Torres, MIP. Baseball: Abi Rubio, Most Valuable Defensive Player; Evan Kirsch, Most Valuable Offensive Player; and Trevor Tompkins, MIP. Softball: Kristen Sarno, Most Valuable Defensive Player; and Kristen Heindel, MIP. GOLF: Josh Goldstein, MVP; and Austin McVicker, MIP. Boys track and field: Saeed Robinson and Malcolm Strother, track MVPs; Tim Burgio, field MVP; Trevor Tate, track MIP; and Brandon Tompkins, field MIP. Girls track and field: Jessica Dunnigan, track MVP; Kim McKay, field MVP; Tricia Gerwer, field MIP; and Jasmine Walizadeh, track MIP. Boys tennis: Calvin Henry, MVP; and Roothland Medina, MIP.

At the end of the night, senior trophy winners posed for one final group photo after Semo had bid the audience farewell and closed with the two most important words that came to mind, “Thank you.”

Team awards were as follows:

Boys soccer: Saeed Robinson, MVP; Jacob Kleinberger, Coach’s Award; and Patrick Murphy, MIP. GIRLS SOCCER: Jasmine Walizadeh, MVP; Rebecca Scherer, Offensive Player of the Year; and Taylir Lorino, Defensive Player of the Year. Cross-country: Trevor Tate and Kim McKay, MVPs; Malcolm Strother, boys MIP; and Kristen Sarno, Coach’s Award for girls. Girls tennis: Jill Lieberman, MVP; and Elana Ehrenberg, MIP. Football: Trevor Tompkins, MVP; Joe Ruiz, Offensive Player of the Year; Justen Mills, Defensive Player of the Year; and Tony Hernandez and Ivan Rivera, Rookies of the Year. Football cheerleading: Britani Houghtaling, MVP; and Angelee Santillo, MIP. Alpine skiing: Kurt Ramos, MVP; and Jacob Kleinberger, MIP. Boys basketball: Justen Mills, MIP; Dashawn Williamsson, Offensive Player of the Year; and Ivan Rivera, Defensive Player of the Year. Girls basketball: Ceara Williams, Offensive Player of the Year; Lisandra Villalobos, Most Improved Player; and Kristen Sarno, Defensive Player of the Year. Basketball cheerleading: Amanda Torres, MVP; and Rebecca Scherer, MIP. BOYS Indoor track: Matthew Arielly, MVP; Tim Burgio, MIP; and Scott Kaplan, Coach’s Award. Girls indoor track: Kim McKay, MVP; Sabrina Mastrogiovanni, MIP; and Dawn Baron, Coach’s Award. Wrestling: Ian Irwin, MVP; and Hector Torres, MIP. Baseball: Abi Rubio, Most Valuable Defensive Player; Evan Kirsch, Most Valuable Offensive Player; and Trevor Tompkins, MIP. Softball: Kristen Sarno, Most Valuable Defensive Player; and Kristen Heindel, MIP. GOLF: Josh Goldstein, MVP; and Austin McVicker, MIP. Boys track and field: Saeed Robinson and Malcolm Strother, track MVPs; Tim Burgio, field MVP; Trevor Tate, track MIP; and Brandon Tompkins, field MIP. Girls track and field: Jessica Dunnigan, track MVP; Kim McKay, field MVP; Tricia Gerwer, field MIP; and Jasmine Walizadeh, track MIP. Boys tennis: Calvin Henry, MVP; and Roothland Medina, MIP.

Visit riverreportersports.com for an album of photos from Block “L.”