Kellenberg Memorial High School Honors Its Varsity Athletes

During May Kellenberg Memorial High School honored its Varsity Spring Athletes. Here is what the coaches had to say about the team members from your hometown. Here are the awards given to our athletes. The Most Improved Player Award is awarded to the athlete who displayed the greatest amount of improvement and growth in their skills which contributed to the success of their team. The Bernie Ward Commitment Award is named after our beloved former faculty member, coach, and colleague Bernie Ward is for the athlete who has displayed the most passion and commitment towards bettering themselves and their teammates during the season. The Most Valuable Player Award is awarded to the athlete whose contribution to the team contributed most towards that team’s success during the season.

Lacrosse: Ali Bigilin has been named this year’s MVP for the Girl’s Varsity Lacrosse team. This past season, Ali was an example of a true team leader on and off the field. She showed extreme commitment and devotion to the team each day. As a key defender, our team greatly relied on Ali to guard many of the top-opposing players. She had many caused turnovers and interceptions in games that were crucial to our success as a whole. She excelled in many ways and will be greatly missed each day. We wish Ali luck as she takes her talents to Mercy College next year.

Volleyball: Kevin Begis has been with the Volleyball program for two years. Kevin is naturally a soccer player; however, when he came into the program, the coaches were excited about his potential. Last year we began to work on his footwork, his approach, and finally his arm swing. This year Kevin came into the season with an eagerness to learn how to become not just our outside hitter but an all-around player and leader on the floor. Each day he constantly worked on improving his hands and footwork to become not only our outside hitter but one of our captains. It has been a pleasure to watch the enjoyment Kevin has had in making this transition, and we can only wish him the best in the future. The program is forever grateful for your hard work, dedication, and positivity. This year’s Most Improved Award goes to Senior Floor Captain Kevin Begis.

Volleyball: Christian Coleman (C.C.) has been with the Volleyball program for two years. Ever since he entered the program, he was always eager to be a part of something bigger than himself. Last year we eased him into being a defensive specialist, and he was a key member of our back row with his consistent serves. However, this year Christian worked hard in the offseason and wanted a larger responsibility, so we gave it to him. His commitment to this club and his heart to put others before him makes him the ultimate teammate. This year he was truly the heart and soul of this program. No matter the situation, you could watch his mannerisms on the floor and feel the excitement when he made a play that would get the rest of the team so pumped up. He was one of the few players that were given the opportunity to play all the way around, which means that he was never subbed out. It is my pleasure to give this year’s Bernie Ward Commitment Award to Senior Captain Christian Coleman.

This year’s most valuable award goes to a boy who used to play volleyball growing up but due to his rigorous soccer schedule and passion for baseball didn’t try out for Volleyball until he was a junior. After consistent nagging by a certain coach to play, he decided to make a comeback. In the beginning, he was a bit rusty, but after we worked on his hands, footwork, and touch, he looked like he never missed a beat. He became our setter, our leader, and our captain. Some of his career highs included a 42 assist game in the league semi-finals that helped us upset league rival St. Anthony’s. He has put together a fantastic career over the past two years, and his services will truly be missed next year. The 2018 Boys Varsity Volleyball Most Valuable Player is Senior, All-League, and Captain Nick D’Amato.