Rich Becker – Page 2

2021 Twelve-Season Award Winners Announced

Despite the additional hurdles posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, 14 Guilderland High School senior student athletes still achieved twelve-sport status – three different sports over their four-year career at Guilderland High School. For that, those 14 are Twelve-Season Award winners, presented by the Guilderland Lettermen Foundation and the Guilderland Athletic Department.

Those student-athletes will be honored by having a banner emblazoned with their name and sports hanging a from the rafters of the Guilderland High School gym commemorating their achievement.

“To earn a Twelve-Season Award at anytime is remarkable,” said Lettermen Foundation Vice President Greg Barcomb, a 2007 Guilderland High School graduate. “To do it in the middle of a pandemic takes drive and perseverance. The Lettermen Foundation is proud to be able to honor the fantastic achievement of this 14 seniors.”

The 2021 award winners include:

Savannah Adami (cross-country, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field)
Madalyn Altieri (diving, gymnastics, outdoor track and field)
*Pratul Amineni (cross-country, nordic skiing, tennis)
Patrick Bruno (football, basketball, baseball)
Caitlyn Caulfield (field hockey, nordic skiing, lacrosse)
Nicole Czaban (cross-country, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field)
Jane Leader (soccer, indoor track and field, lacrosse)
Thomas McDonough (cross-country, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field)
*Grace McFerran (cross-country, basketball, outdoor track and field)
Life Nieves (football, cheer, outdoor track and field)
Bianca Simeone (field hockey, nordic skiing, softball)
*Ava Thomson (field hockey, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field)
Jaxon Wicks (football, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field)
Gwen Wronoski (cross-country, basketball, outdoor track and field)

* denotes Guilderland Lettermen Foundation award winner

Award winners were introduced at Guilderland’s annual athletic awards night, which was held virtually, and will be recognized again at the Lettermen Foundation’s annual golf outing, the Guilderland Classic, on August 6, 2021 at Orchard Creek Golf Club in Altamont.

Caroline Burns Wins 2021 Mark Burlingame Dutchmen Spirit Award

The 2021 Mark Burlingame Dutchmen Spirit Award winner is Caroline Burns.

Co-presented by the Lettermen Foundation and Troy Miller and Christopher McCabe of CM Fox Real Estate, the Dutchmen Spirit Award is named for former Lettermen board member and Guilderland High School three-sport star athlete Mark Burlingame.

Caroline earned six varsity letters in cross country and indoor and outdoor track, serving as captain in each of those three sports. A National Honor Society member and officer, she’s won numerous awards for her academics including the Board of Education Award and AP Scholar. Caroline has been a teen ambassador for Ronald McDonald Hour, a camp counselor at Tawasentha and volunteered at area running events.

She joins her sister, Emily, who won a Lettermen Award in 2015.

The Dutchmen Spirit award is named in honor and memory of one of Guilderland’s all time greatest athletes. “Burls” excelled in soccer, track, basketball and especially baseball, where he played professionally in the Yankees organization. But it was through his kindness, character, positive spirit and loving nature that he touched all who knew him. The award in his name annually goes to a student-athlete who has demonstrated the highest qualities of true Dutch spirit and sportsmanship; a person who gives unselfishly of time and talents for the benefit of others. The award is chosen by the high school coaching staff.

As part of Caroline’s nomination portfolio, one coach said, “she was all about supporting her teammates. They came first. She knew every kid and had kind words of support. She has improved every year that she was on the team, which is awesome for the younger athletes to see that hard work pays off.”

Caroline will attend Fairfield University in the fall.

Photo credit: Mike Koff/Altamont Enterprise

Lettermen Foundation on Social Media

Guilderland Lettermen Foundation Announces 2021 Award Winners

The Guilderland Lettermen Foundation, now in its 24^th year, is proud to present its class of 2021 Lettermen Award winners – seven recently graduated Guilderland High School seniors who have earned this prestigious recognition as outstanding multi-sport, community-minded student athletes.

“The pandemic has turned the senior season upside down for all high school student-athletes,” said Lettermen Foundation President Mark Williams, a 1982 Guilderland High School graduate. “Despite that, the pool of applicants we saw this year was one of the strongest we’ve ever seen. Outstanding athletes, with excellent academic achievement and community service to match, our winners are exceptional representatives of their class, Guilderland Schools, and their families. We are pleased to honor them.”

Award winners for 2021 include Molly DiCaprio (soccer, indoor and outdoor track and field), Grace McFerran (cross-country, basketball, indoor and outdoor track and field), Hannah Risko (lacrosse, field hockey), Sophia Sericolo (field hockey, lacrosse) and Ava Thomson (field hockey, indoor and outdoor track and field).

The 2021 Hal McCarthy Award winner, which goes to the person whose application receives the most points in evaluation by the Board of Directors, is Pratul Amineni (cross country, swimming, tennis, indoor track and field). The Hal McCarthy Award is named in memory of the long-time Guilderland teacher, coach and superintendent.

The 2021 Mark Burlingame Dutchmen Spirit award winner is Caroline Burns (cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field). The prestigious Burlingame award, presented in partnership with Troy Miller and Christopher McCabe of CM Fox Real Estate, is named for former Lettermen board member and Guilderland High School three-sport star athlete Mark Burlingame. The Award recognizes a student-athlete who’s demonstrated the highest qualities of Dutchmen spirit and sportsmanship.

Each awardee receives a certificate of recognition and a financial award to assist them with their college education. In 24 years, the Lettermen Foundation has awarded more than $125,000 to deserving Guilderland student athletes.

Award winners were recognized during Guilderland’s virtual athletic awards night, will be featured individually on the Lettermen Foundation’s social media platforms and website (www.guilderlandclassic.com), and will be honored at the Lettermen Foundation’s annual fundraiser, the Guilderland Classic golf outing, August 6, 2021 at Orchard Creek Golf Club.

For more information about the Guilderland Lettermen Foundation, please visit our website or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/guilderlandclassic and Twitter (@LettermenFDN).

Photo caption: (l-r) top row – Pratul Amineni, Caroline Burns, Sophia Sericolo, Grace McFerran. Bottom row – Molly DiCaprio, Hannah Risko, Ava Thomson. Photo credit to Mike Koff/Altamont Enterprise.

Lettermen Foundation, GHS Athletics Recognize 2020 Twelve-Season Winners

To maintain three different sports over a four-year career at Guilderland High School is a remarkable achievement – one that the Guilderland Lettermen Foundation and the Guilderland Athletic Department recognize with a Twelve-Season Award.

In 2020, the Lettermen Foundation, now in its 23nd year, is collaborating with the Guilderland High School athletic department to honor the achievement of nine student athletes, hanging a banner in the student-athletes name that will commemorate their achievement.

“It’s an honor for the Lettermen Foundation to support these great representatives of our athletic program,” said Lettermen Foundation Vice President Greg Barcomb, a 2007 Guilderland High School graduate. “As a former Guilderland athlete, I have great respect for those who show such great effort and consistency in different sports across an entire high school career.”

The 2019 award winners include (l-r in photo):

Kasia Fahsel (cross-country, nordic skiing, outdoor track and field)
*Caitlin Mooney (field hockey, nordic skiing, lacrosse)
Victoria Ewing (cross-country, indoor track, outdoor track)
Vincent Lia (football, indoor track, lacrosse)
*Daniel Spanbauer (cross-country, indoor track, outdoor track)
*Sean O’Brien (cross-country, indoor track, outdoor track)
Ian Avery (cross-country, indoor track, outdoor track)
Tyler Howard (cross-country, indoor track, outdoor track)
Joseph Kenney (cross-country, indoor track, outdoor track)

* denotes Guilderland Lettermen Foundation award winner

Award winners were introduced at Guilderland’s annual athl

etic awards night, which was held virtually and recognized again through the Lettermen Foundation’s social media sites in lieu of recognition at the Foundation’s annual golf outing, the Guilderland Classic, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament, which supports the annual Lettermen Foundation awards and other philanthropic activities in the Guilderland community, will return in 2021.

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