Comets’ Tale 2010-11
Fallsburg Celebrates Its Athletic Year With Plaques, Props and Trophies At Annual Sports Awards Banquet
By RICHARD A. ROSS
Senior Trophy Award presentation (left to right) Athletic Director Timothy Bult, Lauren Elliott and Tyler McAutliffe "Student Government Association Award, Kristopher Williams and Kathleen Orlan "Outstanding Senior Athletes, and Susan Mooday and Andrew Moore "Fallsburg Comet Booster Club Award." MVP's shown: Top row left to right: Brooke Rappaport girls soccer, Dustin Foertsch-boys soccer, Juanita Sarmiento-girls tennis, Shanice Mack-volleyball, Sheryl Pinder-girls basketball, Jim Bertholf-baseball, Candhace Forrest-girls track. Bottom row left to right: Andrew Moore-football, Francesca Torres-football cheerleading, Celia Garcia-basketball cheerleading and softball, Kristopher Williams-wrestling, Lauren Elliott-alpine skiing, Blaine McDuffie-boys track and Kathleen Orlan-girls golf. Not pictured Mike Scuderi-boys golf.
FALLSBURG, NY—The 2010-11 sports year at Fallsburg had its share of shining stars and iconic moments. Those were the subject of the annual Spring Sports Award Banquet proceedings on June 2, a night that celebrated Fallsburg teams and individual athletes in words and images.
As so much has been written about the Comets this year, stories aplenty to be found on this website, a brief recap is all that is forthcoming. The night began with a welcoming statement by Superintendent Ivan Katz, a man whose success is predicated strongly on the lessons and strength s derived from his career in athletics that began in high school and continues on through college right to national and international acclaim as an Olympian.
Katz emphasized the valuable lifelong rewards of teamwork, reckoning with the thrills of victory and the agonies of defeat.
Athletic Director Timothy Bult presented Fallsburg Athletic Appreciation Awards to Michael Gallo, Chester Zalksy and Winnie Foertsch as well as Fan of the Year Awards to retired coaches Les Hyde and Timothy St. Lawrence.
Staff Sergeant Daniel Naughton and SSG William Stec of the US. Army presented the Army Reserve National Scholar Athlete Awards to Kristopher Williams and Lauren Elliott.
A musical slide show from sportsinsightsny.com that chronicled the fall, winter and spring seasons of Comet athletics drew cheers and hardy approval from the large audience that filled the auditorium.
Coaches came forth to laud their teams and give out a trio of awards to their most valuable players, most improved players and recipients of the “Roland Allen Sportsmanship Award.The biggest winners of the night were the recipients of the Senior Trophy Awards that include Lauren Elliott and Tyler McAuliffe as recipients of the Student Government Association Award presented by Michael Weiner, Susan Moody and Andrew Moore as recipients of the Fallsburg Comet Booster Club Award presented by Patricia Bertholf and Kathleen Orlan and Kristopher Williams as the Outstanding Senior Athletes, an honor presented by Timothy Bult.
A full list of the award winners is presented below. Highlights of this year included: Boys soccer: sectionals for second straight year, an 11-7 record, Dustin Foertsch’s 200 saves and five shut outs recorded in goal. Boys golf: Rich Elliott won the OCIAA championship. He and Mike Scuderi qualified for the Section Nine tourney. Elliott’s fine performance there propelled him back to states for the second straight year. Football: Fallsburg played its first-ever varsity season with the youngest team in Section Nine. Fall Cheerleading: First time out for this new enterprise and great resliency in all kinds of weather.Girls tennis: solid performance by the combined squad with T-V.
Volleyball: MVP’s Shanice Mack’s 43 aces and six blocks. Boys basketball: ten team members on honor roll or Superintendent’s honor roll. All players returning next season. Great win over S.S. Seward at home, sectionals for second straight year. Girls basketball; In third year of Coach Redmond’s tenure team went from two win and four wins in first two years to nine this season and a sectional berth. Basketball cheerleading: great performances at competitions in Monticello and the OCIAA.
Wrestling: Debut of varsity wrestling combined with Eldred. Beat T-V, Liberty, Goshen and Millbrook. Team had two fourth place finishers at the Section Nine tourney. Alpine skiing: girls were 38-10 and second in Division I, its best performance since 2000. Lauren Elliott made it to states along with Kendra Erts. Team lost to Warwick in sectionals. Baseball: while one tough inning seemed to be the issue in many games this season, outgoing coach Mike Weiner feels the nucleus of the team can turn things around. MIP’s went to twin brothers Ryan and Cory McKeon. MVP junior captain Jim Bertholf hit .424.Girls golf: Undefeated 12-0 record brought second consecutive Div. III title, this year held alone as opposed to last year’s shared honors with Monticello and Sullivan West. Two golfers qualified for Section Nine tourney and are going on to states in Kathleen Orlan and Danielle Stratton. Girls golf team was a NYSPHSAA Scholar Athlete Award recipient with a combined GPA of 92.3.
Track and field: great increase in participation sent four Comets to state qualifier meet. Michael Robinson was the triple jump champion in Section Nine Class C. Great performances by Blaine McDuffie in the triple jump who Coach Mke St. Lawrence noted, “led by example.”
McDuffie was fifth in the triple jump, fourth in the long jump and third in the 400 relay at sectionals. Andrew Moore was third n the shot put and seventh in the discus. Kai Jackson repeated as the team MIP. He was fifth in the 110 hurdles and the high jump and third in the triple jumpande 400 relay. The girls were led by sprinter Candhace Forrest who was solid in the 100 and 200 as well as the long jump. Forrest was a model of consistency in her 100 times. Liz and Violeta Loarca were deemed Co-MIP’s. Softball: girls won their first games in the past five years.
A full list of winners is posted below:
For a full album of award winners CLICK HERE:
