Each of the area’s high schools was well-represented as their top performers on the field and in the classroom were honored June 8 during the Section III Scholar-Athlete Awards Dinner at Onondaga Community College’s SRC Arena.
The top male and female athletes from each Section III school were honored at the dinner, and more than $6,500 in scholarships were awarded. Since its inception in 1988, more than 3,200 students have received these awards.
To earn Section III’s highest individual honor, one must maintain a 90 or better average and participated in at least one varsity sport. Also taken into account is community service, exemplary citizenship and other extracurricular activities.
Bishop Grimes chose Teresa Shattuck and Matt Miller for these honors. Shattuck starred on strong girls soccer and basketball teams at Grimes, and also played lacrosse for the combined team with Bishop Ludden. While Shattuck attends SUNY-Oswego, Miller is headed for Penn State University following strong tenures in tennis and bowling.
Sarah Roberts and Tom Benz got chosen from Christian Brothers Academy. Roberts took part in tennis, volleyball and softball at CBA and is going to Providence College in Rhode Island this fall, while Benz, who led the Brothers’ baseball team to each of the last two Section III Class A finals while also taking part in football and basketball, attends Williams College in Massachusetts.
East Syracuse Minoa seniors Ashley Scalzo and Sam LeGro were chosen. Scalzo played three sports – soccer, basketball and lacrosse – for the Spartans and will attend Nazareth College in Pittsford. LeGro, who took part in soccer, golf, wrestling and baseball at ESM, is going to Hobart and William Smith College in Geneva.
Fayetteville-Manlius honored Amara Pulver and Jake Wittig. Pulver competed in volleyball, basketball and lacrosse and is attending Bryant University in Rhode Island. Wittig will continue his basketball career at the Univeristy of Rochester after setting F-M school records for assists and steals and scoring more than 1,000 career points, while also playing football and baseball for the Hornets.
Jamesville-DeWitt chose Jessica Rieger and Ryan Durkin. Long a part of the Red Rams’ swim and girls golf teams, Rieger is attending Marist College in Poughkeepsie, while Durkin goes to Bucknell University in Pennsylvania following a high school career that included a 2013 state championship in ice hockey and several Section III titles in lacrosse.
For Manlius-Pebble Hill, Maura Colley and Gerrit Church received sectional honors. Colley took part in soccer, volleyball and lacrosse before acceptance to Hamilton College, with Church on his way to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore after playing soccer, basketball and golf at MPH.
