Poll: Vote for the Journal's Feb. 6-12 Athletes of the Week
Several athletes won sectional wrestling and track and field titles, a local gymnast earned a berth on the Section 1 state tournament team, and there were a handful of spectacular basketball performances as the regular season in that sport comes to a close. With that, we’ve got a packed list of worthy nominees.
Last week’s winners were girls basketball players Danica Valente of Highland and Ketcham’s Jaylyn Chorba. Valente received 8,610 votes to win the small-schools poll and Chorba got 5,878 votes to top the large-school poll.
Voting is open until 4 p.m. Tuesday. This week’s nominees:
Large-school nominees
Emma Dwyer, Wappingers gymnastics
The eighth-grader placed fifth in the all-around - including fourth on the vault - in the Section 1 championships, clinching a spot on the all-section team that will compete in the state tournament.
Matt Masch, Ketcham wrestling
The senior captured a Section 1 championship, winning the 145-pound Division I title on Sunday. Masch defeated North Rockland's Tyce Vandergroot in a 9-6 decision in the final.
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Damani DeLoatch, Beacon track & field
He won the boys triple jump title at the Section 9 Class A championships with a distance of 43 feet, 9 inches - finishing more than two feet ahead of second place.
Ashley Buragas, John Jay girls basketball
The senior joined the quadruple-quadruple club last week, surpassing 1,000 career rebounds last Tuesday against Mahopac. Buragas also has more than 1,000 career points.
Abigail Kowalczyk, Ketcham track & field
The sophomore won the girls 1-mile in 4:58.63 at the Ocean Breeze Invitational on Staten Island. Kowalczyk also became the first girl in the Wappingers Central School district to break a sub-5:00 mile.
Dylan Kastanis, Arlington boys swimming
He took sixth in the 100-yard breaststroke at the Section 1 tournament, but his 1:01.18 finish qualified the senior for the state championships.
Small-school nominees
Aidan Ifkovits, New Paltz track & field
The junior was a double-winner at the Section 9 Class B championships, winning the boys shot put (40 feet, 10 inches) and dominating the weight throw. His distance of 60 feet, 4 inches was five feet ahead of second place.
Simone Pelish, Lourdes girls basketball
The junior had 37 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, leading the Warriors to a 68-58 upset of powerhouse Wallkill last Friday.
Citrus Triplett, Red Hook wrestling
She won the Section 9 girls 132-pound title, pinning Saugerties' Gillian Mills in 52 seconds.
Justin Coiteux, New Paltz wrestling
The junior won a Section 9 championship for the second straight season, pinning Saugerties' Isaiah Hockx in the final to capture the 145-pound title. Coiteux was also named the Division II tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Luke Daniels, Red Hook wrestling
He proved why he was deserving of the top seed in a competitive 285-pound bracket, winning a Section 9 Division II championship. Daniels topped defending champion Logan Ormond of New Paltz in 5:13 of the final and helped Red Hook secure the team victory.
Alexandria North, Lourdes track & field
The junior continued her triumphant return from injury and captured a Section 9 Class B title, winning the girls 600 meters in 1:38.02 - better than six seconds ahead of second place.
Nolan Kozera, Millbrook track & field
The senior won the boys 300 meters (36.99) at the Section 9 Class B championships. He also took third in the 55-meter dash.
Emily Grasseler, Millbrook girls basketball
The senior, who recently committed to play for the United States Merchant Marine Academy, had 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Blazers in a win over Ellenville last week.
Juliana Juras, Marlboro track & field
She won the girls shot put at the Section 9 Class B tournament with a distance of 34 feet, 4 ½ inches and took second in the weight throw, behind teammate Victoria Maher.
Nasir Snell, Spackenkill boys basketball
He had 20 points, eight assists, seven steals and six rebounds for the Spartans in a win over Dover last Tuesday.
Julianne Hickey, Pawling track & field
The senior won the girls 55 meters in 9.58 seconds at the Section 1 Class C championships last week.
Lily Sturgis, New Paltz girls basketball
The senior had 16 points and 13 rebounds, leading the Huguenots in a 37-33 win over Rondout Valley for their first victory of the season.
Matteo Cervone, Haldane boys basketball
He scored 30 points, including the go-ahead basket with 51 seconds left, leading the Blue Devils in a 65-61 win over rival Putnam Valley last Tuesday.
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Vote for the Journal's Feb. 6-12 Athletes of the Week
