Speaking Of Sports
95 Athletes Lauded
At CCS Sports Banquet
COOPERSTOWN – With nine league championships, five sectional championships, two regional crowns, a state title and a state runner-up, there was a lot to celebrate last night at the Cooperstown Sports Booster Club banquet.
Jack Lambert, named Player of the Year by the NYS Sportswriters Association, received the John Terry McGovern Sportsmanship Award, while Kate Trosset won the Ann I. Pink Sportsmanship trophy. The Booster Club awarded four Lester “Red” Bursey Outstanding Athlete Awards to Jesse Furnari, Delaney Holohan, Noah Lifgren, and Lauren Vibbard. The Robert James Welsh Award went to Emilie Perez and Kyle Santello. Delilah Griger and Sam Bonderoff received the Director’s Award.
A new tribute, the Robert D. Snyder Community Service Award was bestowed upon three seniors, Hayley Seamon, Baileigh Behan and Erik Deysenroth. Snyder, a member of the class of ’77 recently stepped down after serving as the president of the Booster Club for 30 years.
Coaches of each team chose one or two Most Valuable Players from their team to receive the MVP award. Those winners were:
• Boys’ Soccer – Sam Bonderoff and Noah Lifgren
• Girls’ Soccer – Delaney Holohan
• Girls’ Cross Country – Kara Gildea
• Girls’ Swimming – Delilah Griger
• Volleyball – Caitlin Curtis
• Girls’ Basketball – Piper Seamon and Kate Trosset
• Boys’ Swimming – Maddox Armini
• Boys’ Bowling – Eric Deysenroth
• Golf – Jack Lambert
• Girls’ Track & Field – Nora Jensen
• Softball – Lauren Vibbard and Hayley Seamon
• Baseball – Kendall Haney and Chris Ubner
• Don Howard Boys’ Track & Field Award – Isaiah Johnson
• Christopher T. Gentile Tennis Award- Will Weldon
• William Eldridge Cross Country Award – Ryan Lansing
• Kimberly S. Thering Memorial Cheerleading Award – Emilie Perez
• Thomas P. Ashford Boys’ Basketball Award –Jack Lambert
• John Winslow Wrestling Award – Avery Leonard
• Kevin Belrose Defensive Player Award (Football) – Cameron Waymon
• Walter P. Eggelston Football Award – Isaiah Johnson
Special mention was made of the boys’ basketball team and a picture of the banner, which is to be hung in the gymnasium, was shown. There was also a picture of the banner celebrating Jack Lambert being named Class C Player of the Year in basketball. Matt Hazzard, Booster Club vice president, noted that Coach John Lambert won the state title in his first year as varsity coach and long-time coach Frank Miosek made his first state title game this year after 31 years of coaching baseball at Cooperstown.
The Booster Club gives a very special award every year to someone in the community for dedication and commitment to athletics at Cooperstown High School. This year, the Ken Kiser Good Sport Award was given to Katie and David Sanford. Both Cooperstown graduates, they raised their two children in the district and have continued to support the Hawkeyes year after year at all sorts of athletic events.
The evening was capped by a showing of Ted Spencer’s video tribute to the senior athletes and a history lesson. Footage of Jim Brophy as quarterback in high school as well as John Lambert’s glory days as a high school basketball player and his wife Katie Lambert as a high school soccer player opened the show. Copies of the video are made available to all seniors.