Awards

Best of the West

Sullivan West’s spring sports presentation honors outstanding athletes and teams; Armstrong is this year’s Billy Moran Scholarship winner

By RICHARD A. ROSS

LAKE HUNGTINGTON, NY— “To everything there is a season.”

So sang the Byrds, as their recorded adaptation of the words from Ecclesiastes accompanied a cavalcade of slides, chronicling Sullivan West’s best-ever spring sports season at the spring athletic awards presentation on June 17.

A visual tribute of all spring sports and this year’s senior select athletes, the slide show served as a prelude to an evening of laudatory praise and awards for a spring to remember.

It was a season defined by five team championships and individual milestones that included Colin Seidl’s extraordinary track tour de-force that culminated in a silver medal in the 3000 steeplechase at the New York State Track and Field Championships; Justin Armstrong’s capture of a first-ever Sullivan West OCIAA golf championship; a Section Nine title for the boys track team; and the qualification for the state track meet by Seidl, Morgan Hawkins and Kendra Barker. Division championships in girls track, baseball, boys golf, girls golf and a qualification for sectionals by the softball team were also part and parcel of this spring’s landslide of success.

High school principal Margie Tenbus welcomed the audience and lauded the athletes and the seniors. This writer then spoke about the compelling drama of the sports year and the perseverance and class shown in the face of uplifting triumphs and crushing defeats. Kipling’s poem, “If,” summarized each person’s opportunity to accept life’s blend of highs and lows with equal grace and courage.

Athletic director Dave Franskevicz introduced the coaches, who in turn recognized their teams and award winners. The five team titles brought this year’s total to 10 for the Westies. Franskevicz described this windfall as adding to a great school legacy that now defines Sullivan West as one of the leading schools in Class B and in Sullivan County.

Justin Armstrong and Ella MacDonald were this year’s OCIAA Scholar Athletes. They attended a dinner with the winners from other schools on April 29.

Armstrong’s name was cited many more times before the night was over. Named the Most Valuable Golfer for the boys team by coach Bob Fife, Armstrong was instrumental in the team’s sixth consecutive Division IV title. His OCIAA title was ground breaking for the school. Armstrong competed for six years with a team title in each. He was a three-time MVP and a three-season athlete, who is graduating with a GPA of 93.65.

Named as one of the senior select athletes and receiving a plaque as such turned out to be a preliminary to his reception of the evening’s most coveted award, the Billy Moran Scholarship.

Moran’s legacy is well known by now.

As the plaque underneath his picture outside the gymnasium at Sullivan West notes, Moran, “a former student of Delaware Valley Central School and later Union College where he studied engineering, was lost to the world and community, April 1981, while visiting Florida during spring baseball training.”

Moran was a three-sport scholar athlete, who achieved all-league status in football, basketball and baseball while maintaining a 96 average in his high school career. He was a starting player in baseball and football at Union College.

In his memory, his parents, William and Kathleen, created the Billy Moran Scholarship at Delaware Valley, which became a tradition at Sullivan West following the merger.

Moran’s close friend Brent Rosenberger named Armstrong as this year’s winner, citing the ways in which he mirrored Moran’s finest traits.

Armstrong’s greatest athletic legacy was in golf where he qualified for states for the past two years. But his exceptional and unselfish style of play made him a great asset to the soccer and basketball teams as well. Even after he broke a bone in his foot in soccer, he attended every practice and game. Rosenberger noted that Armstrong’s coaches called him “an unsung hero” in basketball.

Armstrong devoted time to the coaching of youth basketball and to being a referee in youth soccer.

The Billy Moran Scholarship amounts to $2,500 dollars this year. Armstrong will be attending Goldey Beacom College in Delaware and playing golf there. “Your best golf years are yet to come,” Rosenberger said, repeating the assessment of the school’s golf coaches.

Leading up to the Moran Scholarship were a number of special awards, which followed the presentation of team awards.

The Female Coaches Award was imparted to Kasi Pilny by girls track coach Joe Seidl. A co-captain of this year’s indoor and spring track teams, Pilny was a great competitor who “brightened things up.” She ran a 62-second leg in last year’s 4x400 team that qualified for states with a time of 4:10.87. She will be heading to Cortland in the fall.

The Male Coaches Award went to Logan Grishaber. Boys soccer coach Debbie Owen quoted coach Vince Lombardi, who said, “The price of success is hard work.” Grishaber concentrated on soccer and baseball and was a captain on both teams. He led by example. In soccer, he had 154 saves and allowed only 17 goals. When he got a chance to play offense, he was an impact player. He had four goals and three assists this year.

In baseball, he was a four-year starter. This year, he went 5-0 and batted .434. “Logan never failed to give his best,” said Owen.

The Female Milt Gaebel Award was given to Sara Alsdorf by Seidl. He described her as a “never-say-die athlete with a ferocious drive and intense self-motivation. She overcame pain and adversity, the greatest of which came on the eve of her spring track season in 2008 when she suffered a season-ending injury. She worked through the rehabilitation and returned to help her team win its third consecutive division crown and first-ever Section Nine track title this past winter.

A team captain and a natural leader, Alsdorf brought what Seidl referred to as her “strength and grace” to the girls track team which has been elevated to rock hero status based on its 44 consecutive dual meet winning streak and gritty work ethic.

The Male Milt Gaebel Award was presented to Gaston Owen by baseball coach Kurt Scheibe. Great athletes follow in the tradition of Gaebel, who espoused the credo “that if what you’re doing is worth doing, you need to give at least one hundred percent.” Owen aptly fits that description. A three-year starter in soccer, he was willing to switch from a forward to a defender to help his team. Similarly, in baseball, he assumed the role of catcher, a position he started at for the past two years.

When it came to determining which seniors would be considered for the Most Valuable Player Awards, this year there were many to choose from. A plaque was given to each as they were called to the stage. This year’s Female Senior Plaque Winners were Sara Alsdorf, Colleen Chudik, Melanie Kleiner, Ella MacDonald, Lindsey Murphy, Kasi Pilny, Morgan Pretty, Brittany Reddish and Claire Stabbert.

The Female MVP was given to Lindsey Murphy by Seidl, who described her remarkable work ethic and multi-talented contribution to track and field.

“She is a model of self-sacrifice,” noted Seidl, who said she was more focused on team goals and was always willing to play a part in achieving them. Murphy, who excelled in soccer and basketball, as well as track, was a “role model and a great ambassador for Sullivan West athletics,” he said.

This year’s Male Senior Plaque Winners were Justin Armstrong, Kevin Correa, Mitch Ellmauer, Logan Grishaber, Eric Minton, Gaston Owen, Brad Reimer, Dallas Ripley, Colin Seidl, Vaughn Schlott, Harold Smith and John Whittaker.

The Male MVP awards went to Brad Reimer and Colin Seidl. The omission of either would have been unthinkable.

Boys assistant basketball and baseball coach Pat Donovan delivered a stirring homage to Reimer’s accomplishments. Morphing from a “skinny kid with big ears” into the sterling well-rounded athlete, Reimer led by example in football, basketball and baseball. He was a team captain in all three sports and played with an unselfish work ethic. A Times-Herald Record All-Star, Reimer’s accomplishments are numerous. He had to shoulder enormous responsibility but never wavered under the weight of such. Donovan noted that Reimer’s athleticism and character were a tribute to his parents.

Seidl’s legacy in distance running is nothing short of legendary. Following in the tradition of steeplechase runners who preceded him, like Todd Miller who first broke the 10-minute barrier with a 9:59, and later Luke Fedlum and Mike VanWagenen, Seidl carved out his own historic place that boys cross-country coach George Rose aptly named “Mount Run More.”

A two-time MVP, Seidl won last year’s gold medal in the steeplechase at the NYS championships and this spring won the OCIAA title, the Section Nine title, temporarily held the nation’s fastest time at 9:25 by virtue of his race at the Cornwall Steeplefest and went on to win a silver medal at this year’s state meet.

Three Section Nine titles, including the steeplechase, the 3200 and the 1600, were part of Seidl’s illustrious spring. Rose recounted Seidl’s unmatched work ethic and also noted the great support he received from his family and coaches Ron Bauer and George Shakelton.

Rose invoked the idea of “Assess, don’t distress,” with regard to dealing with disappointments such as that experienced by Seidl at not repeating as state champion. “It’s a life lesson. Welcome to Mount Run More.”

Seidl embodies such lessons and shows the true mark of a champion, as does Rei-mer. Seidl will be attending Sacred Heart University. Reimer is heading to Division I LIU. Both are receiving scholarships and will compete at the next level.

Team award winners were as follows:

Girls Track MVP went to Morgan Hawkins and Girls Field Athlete MVP was Kendra Barker.

Boys Track MVP went to Seidl. His 9:25 in the steeplechase is the fastest in Section Nine history. The Most Improved Track Athlete was given to Austin Erlwein by coach Bauer, who noted that his team won 61 medals at the Meet of Champions en route to their Section Nine championship. Erlwein improved four inches in the high jump, 11 seconds in the 800 and four seconds in the 400. He was the school’s top pole vaulter.

Softball Most Improved Player was Lindsey Bauer. Miss Softball 2009 is Autumn Ackermann. Mr. Baseball is Mark Tesseyman, who was an integral part of the Bulldogs’ best-ever 16-4 record. The team went 10-2 in Division IV to win the title. Tesseyman recorded 33 hits, scored 25 runs, had nine doubles, five stolen bases, batted .550 and had a .650 on-base percentage.

Baseball MVP Brad Reimer was in the top two of every statistical category. As a pitcher, he had six wins and two saves. He notched 86 strike outs and batted .435 with a.539 on-base percentage. Reimer hit eight doubles, three home runs, scored 31 runs and had 26 RBI.

Girls Golf MVP Jillian Fife was team leader as the Lady Bulldogs went 9-1 to win their division and 10-1 overall. The MIP is Megan Calkin.

The Boys Golf Coach’s Award went to Melanie Kleiner, who qualified for the OCIAA and Section Nine championships. Three years ago, Kleiner decided to play on the boys team to improve her game and was willing to sacrifice the larger personal success she could have achieved playing with the girls. Overall, she went 31-9 against her opponents as the team’s number-three player. She will be attending Rutgers University in the fall and playing golf there.

Boys Golf MVP Armstrong finished fifth in Section Nine and went on to states for the second year. The OCIAA champion is part of coach Fife’s 20-years’ worth of experience that is heading out the door this June, also including Kevin Correa, Kleiner and Artie Norden, who also qualified for the OCIAA championships, along with Stephen Smith.

At the end of the awards presentation, Franskevicz thanked all the parents, coaches and athletes for their fine dedication and their role in this year’s 10 championships. Practice for fall sports begins on August 17.

Visit riverreportersports.com for an album of photos.