Belle Vernon celebrates senior athletes
The Belle Vernon Area Athletic Department held its annual senior sports banquet April 20 at the St. Spyridon Hellenic Center in Monessen.
All senior athletes received awards with several student athletes receiving special awards. Thirty five sports seniors received special recognition, capturing sport-specific awards along with the Donald Asmonga Foundation’s Mighty Leopard Award.
The foundation – founded in memory of the school’s legendary basketball and baseball coach who died in January of 2014. The foundation marks its 10th anniversary this year by awarding $10,000 in scholarships.
Receiving $2,500 scholarships were Mighty Leopard Award winners Adam LaCarte and Sienna Steeber.
“I am not kidding when I say, it is so difficult to pick the scholarship winners. Each applicant is deserving of this recognition. BVA’s coaches, educators, parents, and administrators should be incredibly proud of these young leaders,” says Donald Asmonga Jr., foundation board member.
This year, the foundation also recognized its runner- ups with scholarships of $1,250 each. Those awards went to Dylan Holliday, John Bellissimo, Lily Shahan and Ava Zubovic.
Luke Bryer was named the winner of the Richard O. Dolfi Scholar-Athlete Award as the senior football player with the highest grade-point average. The award was named for the top Rostraver High School student and football player who died on Oct. 22, 1961, as a result of head injuries suffered during a game the previous night. Tyler Bell and Kataira Rhodes took home the Paul Sasko Awards. Scholarships are awarded to a senior boy and girl annually, determined through an application process in memory of the late girls soccer coach.
Evan Metz and Rhodes were winners of the Jason Demko Scholarship, in honor of the late Jason Demko, who was active in the high school soccer program.
Winning athletes must display the characteristics of dedication, excellence, persistence and achievements athletically and academically.
Girls soccer player Kalin Lezama took home the Thomas Zubritsky Heart of Courage Scholarship.
The award goes to the girls soccer player that completed the application process and maintains a grade-point average higher than 3.0.
The John Granish Award, named for the man instrumental in starting the boys soccer program, was award to Metz. It’s presented to a three-year letterman with the highest GPA.
Girls basketball player Kenzi Seliga was named the winner of the Sasha Zuro Award. It’s presented by the family of Sasha Zuro, who died tragically in a fire in her early 20s.
The Mike Fenyar Memorial Softball Scholarship honors the former coach in Washington Township for many years before becoming the middle school head coach in 2002.
Gracie Sokol was named the winner, honoring the coach who showed so much dedication to the sport. He ran pitching clinics almost year-round. Fenyar passed away after a long battle with cancer. The scholarship was created in 2011 by his wife Cindy and daughters, Lauren and Jocelyn.
The Kourtney Gavatorta Scholarship went to Talia Ross. Ross, who missed most of the season this year due to an Achilles injury, took home the award that is given to a player who played at least two years of middle school softball and three years of high school softball and is in good academic standing.
John Bellissimo and Paula Vukelja were winners of the Chris Williams Award.
The award is presented to a baseball and softball player with two years of service and the highest GPA. Williams was an outstanding baseball player for the Leopards that died of cancer at the age of 26.
The Ryan Moravec Memorial Award was awarded to Holliday and Tessa Rodriguez. The award goes to a male and female track and field athlete determined the winner through an application process.
Unsung heroes for Leopards’ sports teams earn the Leopard Grit Award. The winners demonstrate leadership, discipline and coachability.
Winners of the Grit Awards were Tanner Moody (football/ baseball), Nina Francia (cross country/basketball/ track), Lily Shahan (volleyball/ track) and Luke Bryer (football, wrestling and baseball).
The BVA Alumni Swim Award is awarded to swimmers with a 3.0 GPA and an athlete that was a middle school swimmer and member of the high school squad. This year’s winners were Martyna Maley and Melina Stratigos.
Other awards dished our were the Heart and Soul Award (Austin Hoffman – wrestling), Spirit Award (Jocelyn Perry – cheerleading), Eagle Award (Rogan Maloney – golf), Ace Award (Shyann Dongilli – volleyball), Amur Award (Braden Laux, Jake Gedekoh – football).
Winners of the annual Block Paw Award were three-sport athletes: Bell (soccer, swim, track); Bryer (football, wrestling, baseball); Emma Fitch (cheerleading, cross country, track); Joe Fox (cross country, swimming, track); Francia (cross country, basketball, track); Hoffman (golf, wrestling, baseball); Caroline Lee (cross country, basketball, track); Gianni Pesi (cross country, swimming, track); Perry Riggle (football, wrestling, track); Melina Stratigos (cross country, swimming, track); and Sienna Steeber (cross country, track, gymnastics).
A special part of the ceremony was held for Janice Sandy, the longtime athletic department secretary, who is retiring.
“Janice is the glue that holds everything together,” athletic director Matt Humbert said.
Sandy was awarded a framed block paw letter for her dedication.
Additional special recognition was extended to Bryer and Shahan for the John Collins WPIAL nomination, LaCarte and Steeber for the Westmoreland County Scholar Athlete nomination, and Ross and Laux for the Mid Mon Valley Sports Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete recognition.
