Fall Athletes Recognized in Deer Park

Deer Park High School honored nine sports teams at the school’s fall athletic awards ceremony during a Dec. 9 Board of Education meeting, attended by many of athletes and proud family members.

The recognized student-athletes were presented with certificates by Athletic Director Dominick Fontana and Superintendent Eva J. Demyen.

A total of seven outstanding teams – boys cross-country, kickline, boys varsity soccer, girls varsity soccer, girls swimming and diving, varsity girls tennis and varsity volleyball – were recognized as Scholar/Athlete teams for their successful commitment to both athletics and academics. Teams given this honor by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association are required to have five players or more and earn a cumulative team GPA of 90 percent or higher.

The varsity girls tennis team, led by Kristy Vitucci (All-League, All-Division, All-County) and three additional All-League players (Burcak Bas, Hope Mahon and Alyson Michalek) finished the season as undefeated League IV champions and playoff qualifiers, with head coach Caryn Kaplan named League IV Coach of the Year.

The boys varsity soccer team – boasting numerous top players including Nkosi Burgess (All-League, All-Conference), Salvatore Castiglione (All-League), Frank Crescuillo (All-League, All-Conference), Greg Giglio (All-League, All-Conference, All-County), Jesse Reutzel (All-League), Jeremy Rodriguez (Academic All-County), Char Senlik (All-League, All-Conference) and James Walsh (NSCAA Senior Excellence Award) – were League IV champions, earning a playoff spot.

The varsity volleyball team included Sabrina Grunseich, who earned All-League and Academic All-County honors, while yet another undefeated season was in the cards for Deer Park’s junior varsity volleyball team, who finished 13-0.

The varsity girls soccer team earned the leagues’ Sportsmanship Award as well as the NSCAA Gold Sportsmanship Award, with individual honors going to Taylor Brennan (All-League), Kristen DeBiase (All-League), Allison Khare (All-Conference), Taylor Kwintner (NSCAA Senior Excellence Award) and Emily Melendez (Academic All-League).

The varsity football team, a League II playoff qualifier, included five All-Conference winners: Johnathan Bisono, Andrew Ciejka, Kyle Lessick, Christopher Tavella and Jasawn Thompson. The latter two also earned All-Conference, while Thompson was named the winner of the Rob Burnett and Bob Collotta awards.

The boys cross-country squad included All-Leaguer Alvin Sime and All-League and All-Division winner Joseph Ranni; while Deer Park’s girls swimming and diving squad included three All-Leaguers: Amanda Heinz, Catherine Pfundstein and Christina Seem.

Photos by Deer Park School District:

Photo 1: (From left) League IV Coach of the Year Caryn Kaplan was honored along with members of Deer Park High School’s undefeated League IV champion varsity girls tennis team Hope Mahon, Alyson Michalek, Kristy Vitucci, Brigid Nugent, Stephanie Schleyer and Samantha Weeks, at the school’s fall athletic awards ceremony.

Photo 2: Members of Deer Park High School’s varsity boys soccer squad were recognized as League IV champions at the school’s recent fall athletic awards ceremony.