The Blue Chips Grand Slam Challenge high school baseball all-star game is back this year and will be renamed in honor of Commack coach Bryan Bonin.
The game has not been played since the pandemic, but is on year 16 and will continue in 2023 to play the best in Nassau and Suffolk against each other.
Bonin died in 2022 after battling melanoma.
The game is scheduled for Wednesday, June 14 at Farmingdale State. Tickets are $10 and the game starts at 7 p.m.
Pat-Med’s Josh Knoth won his second Yastrzemski Award as the top baseball player in Suffolk County.
He was awarded Monday night at the annual Suffolk County Baseball Coaches Association ceremony.
Knoth, who could be a first or second round MLB draft pick, has committed to play at Ole Miss. He graduates as one of the best pitchers in New York high school baseball history with a record of 17-3, 291 striketoues and a 0.90 ERA.
He is the third pitcher to win the award in consecutive years after Ron Whitmeyer from East Islip and Brian Morrell from Shoreham-Wading River.
Among other top honorees at the dinner were Ward Melville’s Charlie West who was awarded the Gibson Award as the top pitcher in the county and Thomas Charlwood, who earned the Silver Slugger Award as the top hitter with a .551 average.
In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Stefania Abruscato of Hauppauge High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade New York Softball Player of the Year.
Abruscato is the first Gatorade New York Softball Player of the Year to be chosen from Hauppauge High School. The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Abruscato as New York’s best high school softball player.
Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year award to be announced in June, Abruscato joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Jordyn Bahl (2020-21, Papillion-La Vista High School, Neb.), Megan Faraimo (2017-18, Cathedral Catholic High School, Calif.), Rachel Garcia (2014-15, Highland High School, Calif.) and Cat Osterman (2000-01, Cypress Springs High School, Texas).
The 5-foot-7 senior catcher batted .655 with nine home runs this past season, leading the Eagles (18-6) to the Class A, Section XI championship game. Abruscato scored 39 runs, drew 29 walks and struck out just once. Ranked as the nation’s No. 13 recruit in the Class of 2023 by Extra Inning Softball and a member of the USA Softball Under-18 National Team, she swiped 15 bases and drove in 42 runs while posting a .769 on-base percentage and a 1.431 slugging percentage.
Abruscato has volunteered locally at the Hauppauge Youth Organization and as a youth softball coach. She has also donated her time to multiple community service initiatives through her church.
“Stefania is a special ballplayer,” said Marie Racano, head coach of Deer Park High School. “She is physically strong and has a unique sense of the game, well above those she plays with and against.”
Abruscato has maintained a weighted A average in the classroom. She has signed a national letter of intent to play softball on scholarship at the University of Missouri this fall. The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.
The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.
Abruscato joins recent Gatorade New York Softball Players of the Year Atalyia Rijo (2021-22, Corning-Painted Post High School), Shannon Becker (2020-21 & 2019-20, Mahopac High School), and Makenzie Stiles (2018-19, Deposit High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.
Being a Gatorade Player of the Year means paying it forward for the next generation. Through Gatorade’s Play it Forward initiative, every Player of the Year receives a grant to give to one of Gatorade’s social impact partners, supporting Gatorade’s ambition to fuel the future of sport.
To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $3.5 million across more than 1,300 organizations. For nearly 40 years, Gatorade has honored high school athletes at the top of their game as teammates, supporting their communities and achieving academic success. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes and community leaders, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate studentathletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.
Island Federal Savings Bank Scholarship Award Winners Emma Parente from Sachem East and Andrew Beli from Ward Melville HS, pictured with Chris Murray from Island Federal Savings Bank during this year’s Section XI Nick DeCillis Awards Luncheon.
SCOPE scholarship award winner Natalia Altebrando from Miller Place pictured with AD Ron Petrie and Charles Giachetti from Ward Melville with AD Kevin Finnerty.
They are both joined by SCOPE Executive George Duffy.
Nice work!
Today Gipper Media Inc. (Gipper), the leading social media content creation and management platform for sub-professional sports, and Section XI Athletics, announced their partnership which includes an integrated marketing presence throughout the year, enabling Gipper to connect with and support the association’s members, many of whom are coaches or athletic directors.
With access to a wide range of ready-made templates that can be customized in seconds, on any device, and without needing any design experience, athletic administrators and coaches will be able to create and share more social media content than ever. As part of the partnership, Section XI member schools will receive professional development from the Gipper team in an effort to educate them about social media best practices and will be provided affordable access to all Gipper plans. Section XI member schools will be able to leverage Gipper to help drive participation, engage their community and fans, amplify their athletes, and drive revenue through sponsors.
“As Section XI continues to grow its audience on digital and social media platforms, we’re excited to partner with Gipper,” said Tom Combs, Executive Director of Section XI. “Gipper will enhance our assets and provide a smooth and consistent approach to our daily posts that drive significant engagement across Suffolk County. We’re looking forward to using the tool kit that Gipper offers.”
Gipper provides access to a wide range of ready-made templates that can be customized in seconds, on any device, and without needing any design experience. Section XI member schools can create and share more content than ever to promote their athletes and continue growing their programs.
“We are absolutely thrilled to sign this partnership with Section XI Athletics” said Matthew Glick, Founder & CEO of Gipper. “The Section XI is dedicated to serving their member Athletic Directors – which aligns with everything we do at Gipper. High school athletic departments have so many teams and student-athletes to cover, but lack the resources to do so effectively. Gipper allows ADs to save time, while creating professional sports graphics to better grow their program’s brand, promote their student-athletes, engage stakeholders, and drive revenue. We are excited to work with Section XI to expand our reach as the leading social media graphics solution platform in the K-12 industry.”
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After a seven-year hiatus, the Jack Curio Junior Olympics track and field competition was held at Brentwood High School on May 23.
The meet featured fourth- and fifth-graders from nine elementary schools in the district competing in sprints and relay races on the track of the high school’s football stadium. Additional competitions were held on the field for standing long jump and softball toss.
Winners received medals from the namesake of the meet himself, as Mr. Jack Curio was in attendance along with members of Brentwood’s Board of Education and Central Administration.
Southeast Elementary School took home the overall team title, with Southwest Elementary and Laurel Park Elementary rounding out the podium. Southeast Elementary physical education teacher Mr. Corona, who is retiring at the end of this school year, accepted the winners’ plaque.
Congratulations to Comsewogue’s Lori Matz on receiving the Judith A. Martens Secretarial Award of Excellence for her work.
She was recognized at the annual Section XI Nick DeCillis Awards Luncheon and is pictured with Comsewogue Athletic Director Matt DeVincenzo and Superintendent Jenn Quinn.
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND: Big weekend of Long Island championships, state tournaments and so many other big contests for many Section XI schools.
Full list of competitions here!
As always, LET’S GO SUFFOLK COUNTY and we hope for safe and exciting moments for all! 🏆
The New York State Public High School Athletic Association Inc. (NYSPHSAA) announces its Spring 2023 Scholar-Athlete teams and number of Scholar-Athlete individuals per team. Congratulations to all Section XI teams and student-athletes to make the lists!
For Spring 2023, NYSPHSAA recognized 3,024 Scholar-Athlete teams. Additionally, 45,762 students received individual scholar-athlete recognition by earning an individual GPA of 90 or above for the spring season, whether their team qualified or not.
The full list of Scholar-Athlete teams for the Spring 2023 season can be found here.
The number of Scholar-Athlete individuals per team for the Spring 2023 season can be found here.
School of Excellence and School of Distinction honors will be announced this summer to those schools who had superior academic achievements. Schools must apply to be recognized. The deadline to apply is Friday, June 30th.
