By Ted Waddell
MONTICELLO — April 11, 2006 – The athletic director was as proud as punch, a bunch of student/athletes were on cloud nine and their parents were in seventh heaven.
On Friday, the Monticello Central School District held its annual scholar athlete luncheon at Mr. Willy’s restaurant to honor the accomplishments of the girls’ skiing team, which was named Scholar Athlete State Champions, and a group of students picked for the Scholar Athlete Team of 2005-2006.
For the ninth time in the school’s history and third time in a row, the girls’ ski team (alpine and cross-country combined) was selected as the best in the state in terms of the members’ academic and athletic performance. This winter, the Lady Panthers blistered the slopes and traveled the pristine countryside while maintaining a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in the classroom.
“We want to honor our student-athletes for not only performing on the playing field, but in the classroom,” Monticello Central School Director of Athletics Kenneth B. Garry said. “There should be a strong academic emphasis in sports, and these kids demonstrate that very effectively.”
Garry wasn’t without his own honors that day, as he was recently selected as president of the New York State Athletic Administrators Association.
The luncheon was held in close conjunction with National Student-Athlete Day, which was Thursday, April 6.
The Monticello coaches selected two varsity players, a junior varsity player and a player from the modified teams to be part of the 2005-2006 Monticello Scholar Athlete Team based on three factors: coach’s recommendation, a minimum GPA of 3.0 and “a significant contribution to their school or community.”
“This is a fine group of kids, who balanced academic success with athletic success,” Garry said. “It’s not one thing or the other, it’s a combination of the two… that’s what it’s all about.”
Monticello Central School Superintendent Eileen Casey, who is in her final year of leading the district, and will be replaced next year by Assistant Superintendent Patrick Michel, said it was a “great source of pride” to have the greatest number of scholar athletes in the state.
“It is my great pleasure to congratulate you on your outstanding athletic and academic success,” she told the assembled student-athletes.
Before handing out the awards, Joseph Altieri, who is the Assistant Director of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA), noted the Monticello girls’ varsity ski team had an average score of 97.71 and placed first in the state out of a total of 31 teams.
He also noted that this was the 29th Monticello team to be named a scholar athlete state champion since the program was established in 1991.
Other Monti varsity squads weren’t far behind the Lady Panthers’ alpine and nordic ski teams. The girls’ volleyball team posted a GPA of 93.87 last fall, while the girls’ soccer team had a GPA of 95.08, girls’ tennis (94), girls’ basketball (92) and boys’ skiing (91).
As all the awards were being handed out and parents lined up for a group photo, Joanna Goldfarb’s parents proudly watched the ceremony.
“I’m very proud of her. She’s just a great kid and great student, and she knows how to manage her time,” said Joanna’s mother, Helen Radon.
Joanna’s father James Goldfarb is Director of Campus Activities at Sullivan County Community College in Loch Sheldrake.
“I watch her run and am very impressed,” he said. “I just can’t believe the distance she goes.”
Their daughter is a 16-year-old junior who competes in three varsity sports: girls’ nordic skiing, girls’ tennis and track.
Come winter snows, the members of the Goldfarb family put on their skinny sticks, and goes cross-country skiing.
“She leaves us in the dust when we go cross-country skiing,” James Goldfarb commented.
Monticello’s top student-athletes of 2005-2006 included:
• Marisela Acevedo (girls’ modified track and field)
• Faith Alleva (girls’ junior varsity tennis)
• Jahde Barasch Grose (JV volleyball)
• Brandon Beckmann (modified wrestling)
• Chelsea Brennan (varsity cheerleading, modified softball)
• Jeffrey Brink (boys’ varsity soccer, varsity baseball)
• Alexis Brinkerhoff (girls’ varsity golf)
• Emma Cohen (girls’ varsity cross-country)
• Anthony D’Abbraccio (JV wrestling)
• Brendan Devine (boys’ varsity track and field, boys’ varsity cross-country)
• Charlotte Ference (girls’ JV cross-country skiing)
• Nicole Fox (girls’ varsity basketball)
• George Tyler Gilmour (boys’ varsity golf)
• Joanna Goldfarb (girls’ varsity cross-country skiing)
• Jared Goldstein (boys’ varsity alpine skiing)
• Thomas Gonzalez (boys’ modified basketball, boys’ modified cross-country)
• Tanisha Gray (varsity cheerleading)
• Keenan Hall (boys’ varsity indoor track, boys’ varsity track and field)
• Mandee Heal (girls’ modified basketball)
• Rachael Huffman (girls’ varsity alpine skiing)
• Dior Jackson (boys’ varsity basketball)
• Jennifer Kavanaugh (girls’ varsity soccer)
• Lauren Kirschenbaum (JV cheerleading)
• Krystian Krol (boys’ varsity soccer)
• Desiree Laguna (varsity softball)
• Meredith Levine (girls’ varsity tennis)
• Trevor Loughlin (boys’ modified baseball)
• Krista Mangabang (girls’ modified soccer)
• Gabriela Medina (girls’ varsity tennis)
• Brittney Morse (girls’ varsity golf)
• Andrew Moss (JV baseball, varsity wrestling)
• Anthong Ng (varsity wrestling)
• Pollyanna Palhano (varsity volleyball)
• Maria Pavese (girls’ JV soccer)
• Iris Robinson (girls’ varsity basketball, varsity volleyball)
• Jacob Rubin (boys’ JV soccer)
• Brianna Slutsky (girls’ modified cross-country skiing)
• Janelle Slutsky (girls’ varsity cross-country skiing)
• Jesse Smith (boys’ JV basketball)
• Ryan Smith (boys’ varsity tennis)
• Marissa Smithem (varsity softball)
• Ryan Sonnenschein (boys’ varsity alpine skiing)
• Todd Sonnenschein (boys’ varsity golf)
• Kristen VanHage (girls’ varsity alpine skiing)
• Michael Washington (boys’ varsity basketball, varsity baseball)
• Te’neshia Washington (girls’ varsity track and field)
• Matthew Young (boys’ modified soccer)
• Michael Zadorian (boys’ varsity tennis)
• Emily Zier (girls’ varsity soccer).