Athletics

GOOD LUCK to the 16 athletes who are representing Minisink Valley with grit and tenacity at tomorrow's NYSPHSAA State and Federation Championships, which will be held at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island! Ladies and gentlemen: YOU GOT THIS!

Congratulations and best wishes to Girls Varsity Basketball seniors Helena Sopin and Adriana Vareikaite, who were honored for their dedication and many contributions to the team's success at the recent Girls BasketBall Senior Night!

Kelsie Doller’s Modified Girls Basketball team recently went on the road for an amazing workout at The Pilates Club in Middletown, NY! The girls loved trying a new form of strength training that challenged them in new ways while improving flexibility, core strength, and overall athletic performance! Take a look! Pilates is a type of exercise that focuses on controlled, precise movements designed to strengthen one’s core muscles, improve flexibility, posture, and balance. It’s considered a full-body workout with a primary emphasis on core engagement and can be adapted to different fitness levels. Often, pilates is performed on a mat using specialized equipment like reformers. It was developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century.

The Boys Varsity Basketball Team honored its seniors for their dedication and commitment to the team at the team's recent Senior Recognition Night! Congratulations and best wishes to: Max Earl, Nashaun Green, Angel Rodriguez, Nick Hughes, Jeremiah Phanor, Ian Tanous, Nik Marrero, Jaiden Calcano and Dominic Marasco!

And....they're off! Thank you to everyone who took part in this afternoon’s CLAP OUT to wish our eight wrestlers competing in the inaugural NYSPHSAA Girls Wrestling Championship good luck, best wishes and much success at tomorrow’s tournament! You got this, ladies, and we’re thrilled you’re representing Minisink Valley in this first-ever girls wrestling championship tournament! We're rooting for you! Please share your good wishes below!

Congratulations and best wishes to members of the senior members of the Varsity Cheer team, who were honored and recognized for their many contributions to the team’s success during their recent Senior Night and Cheer Showcase: Jillian Babcock, Natalie Christiano, Sara Delmar, Cara Durlester, Emma Gutzeit, Kaitlyn Howell and Mia Lockowitz! Members of the Minisink Youth Cheer program and the team showcased their routines during this gathering!

The varsity girls and boys indoor track & field programs capped their invitational season in winning style this past weekend at the Garden State Open, hosted by The Armory Track & Field Center. The teams had nine podium finishers and six event winners in their final tune-up for the Section IX State Qualifier. Minisink Valley once again drew on the strength of its relays, sweeping the boys' and girls' 4x400 meter relays to close the meet, outdueling Section IX rivals Monroe-Woodbury in both races. The girls quartet of Zoey Terpak, Kaleigh Murphy, Lyla LaBarbera and Ferrah Hill eased to the win in 4:07.07, good for #1 in the section this season. Not to be outdone, the boys' squad of Benjamin Spevak, Robert LaBarbera, Jon Mausling and Samuel Anderson stormed to victory in a thrilling lean at the tape, establishing a new program record and New York #2 mark of 3:21.02 in the process. Also earning gold medals for Minisink Valley were Samuel Anderson (:48.75, 400-meter dash), Ella Michelitch (5' 6", high jump), and Delila Kronimus (11' 6") and Logan Schupner (15' 6") in the pole vault. Tyler Cloidt (11' 6", pole vault) and the girls 4x200 team of Murphy, Chloe Beck, Terpak and Kessler Hirsch earned fifth place medals, while Michelitch nabbed the final podium position in the long jump (16' 3"). The teams now have their eyes set on advancing individual athletes and relay teams to the NYSPHSAA/Federation Championships, with the Section IX State Qualifier to be hosted by The Armory Track & Field Center on Saturday, March 1.

Girls Modified Basketball Coach Kelsie Doller is proud to tell everyone about her teams’ work, passion and drive this season! “What makes this team truly stand out is their coachability—they’re always ready to learn, improve, and support each other,” she said. “That kind of mentality doesn’t just make great basketball players; it builds strong, determined young women who will go far in whatever they do. I have no doubt that their futures—both on and off the court—are bright.”

The varsity girls and boys indoor Track & Field programs opened their postseason schedule with the Section IX Class A Championships, hosted by the United States Military Academy at West Point this past Saturday. The Minisink Valley squads each competed in 18 event areas against the 13 other largest districts in the section, with the boys' placing fifth and the girls' finishing 8th! Well-done to everyone! The boys amassed a total of 40 points and crowned three individual sectional champions, earning event area victories from: • Samuel Anderson (600-meters, 1:22.35) • Robert LaBarbera (300-meter dash, :36.03) • The 4x400 meter relay team of Anderson, LaBarbera, Jon Mausling and Benjamin Spevak (3:26.50). Also turning in top-six, point-scoring performances were Tyler Cloidt (second-place, pole vault), LaBarbera (fifth-place, 55-meter dash) and the 4x200 meter relay team of Vaughn Hill, Rogan Lynch, Jordan Mabra and Angel Mendez (sixth-place). With a total of 24 points, the girls team scored podium finishes from the 4x400 meter relay team of Ferrah Hill, Lyla LaBarbera, Kaleigh Murphy and Zoey Terpak (second-place), the 4x200 meter relay team of Chloe Beck, Kessler Hirsch, Olivia Sierra and Julia Kronimus (third-place), Delila Kronimus (third place, pole vault and fifth place, 55-meter hurdles) and Beck (fifth-place, long jump). Prior to contesting the Section IX State Qualifier the first weekend in March, the teams will prepare for the peak of the winter season with a pair of invitationals at The Armory Track & Field Center. SEE MORE PHOTOS on the district's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MinisinkValleyCSD

Hopefully everyone remembers that Senior amd Varsity Flag Football quarterback Vanessa Tepper was selected by the New York Giants organization as its 2024 "Heart of a Giant" award recipient! As part of her award, the district is receiving a $10,000 grant for its Flag Football Program. And...Vanessa was given a trip and tickets for two to the game! She took her dad, Varsity Flag Football Coach Mike Tepper with her! We know they had the best time at the game and represented Minisink Valley with distinction!

Congratulations and best wishes to the senior members of the Girls Varsity Wrestling Team: Patricia Deslandes, Giavanna Gangi, Shelby Potter and Vanessa Tepper! They were honored for the many contributions to the team’s success during the team’s Feb. 4 Senior Night!

The varsity boys and girls indoor track and field teams closed January in grand style at the recent New York International Showcase, hosted by the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex! In one of the final big invitationals prior to the ramping up of post-season competition, the teams brought home a number of medals and program records across the event areas. Leading the charge again was senior Samuel Anderson, whose blistering season continues, within with two records in the same race! Running in the invitational section of the 800-meter run, Anderson stormed to a third-place finish in 1:52.41, trailing only the US #2 and #4 competitors. In the process, he smashed the previous Minisink Valley mark --- which had stood for more than 15 years -- by over two seconds, while also breaking a 40-year Section IX record! Also establishing new program marks for Minisink Valley were Robert LaBarbera in the invitational 300-meter dash (13th place in a time of :35.82), Kathryn Jones in the varsity 1,600- meter run (2nd place, 5:32.68) and Zoey Terpak in the varsity 400-meter dash (7th place, 1:01.26). Additional medal winners were: Logan Schupner (2nd) in the varsity high jump; Tyler Cloidt (3rd) in the varsity pole vault; Ferrah Hill (3rd) and Lyla LaBarbera (5th) in the varsity 500- meter dash. WELL-DONE, everyone!

Congratulations and best wishes to the senior members of the Boys Varsity Swimming and Diving team, who were honored for their contributions to the team during the team’s Jan. 30 Senior Night: • Anthony Cucuzza • Drew Jashembowski • Christopher Rickard • Lukas Struble

And....they're off! Thank you to everyone who took part in tonight's CLAP OUT to wish our Section IX Boys Varsity Dual Meet champions good luck, best wishes and much success at Saturday's NYSPHSAA Dual Meet Championship meet! You got this, gentlemen! We're rooting for you!

The Girls Varsity Wrestling Team competed fiercely at the recent, inaugural New York Girls State Dual Wrestling Championship, earning third place! They continue to be a powerhouse! Well-done to all!

Congratulations to the Girls Varsity Freestyle Wrestling Team, which delivered a standout performance at the recent "Dame of Thrones" Tournament, showcasing their skills and determination. The team won first place with a total of 317 team points! Individual Achievements ●Patricia Deslandes was the star of the day, earning first place in the A Bracket. Her powerful wrestling and tactical skill on the mat were unmatched, as she dominated her opponents to secure the top spot in her division. ●Jaida Macaluso wrestled her way to a strong third place finish in the A Bracket. Her tenacity and resilience were evident throughout the tournament, as she fought hard in each match and earned a well-deserved spot on the podium. ●Sara Pauls won second place in the A Bracket. Her determination to wrestle through tough competition paid off, and she showcased a blend of technical skill and grit. opponents. ●Kiera Filip also earned third place in the A Bracket. Her ability to keep her composure under pressure and execute her techniques effectively led her to a spot among the tournament's top wrestlers. Varsity Coaches Dan Gallo and Travis Edwards said these collective achievements are solidifying the team's reputation as one of the top regional wrestling teams!

GOOD LUCK to Class of 2010 alumnus Stefanie Dolson, who is competing in the inaugural season of the Unrivaled, a new 3-on-3 professional basketball league, which launched Jan. 17! Unrivaled features six clubs (Laces, Lunar Owls, Mist, Phantom, Rose, Vinyl) with six players per roster. Games will be played on a condensed full court with three seven-minute quarters followed by a fourth quarter played under "winning score". The winning score will be determined by adding 11 points to the leading team's score and the first team to reach that total wins the game. Stefanie is a member of the Laces. She led Minisink Valley to four straight New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Section IX championship appearances. Stephanie finished her Minisink Valley basketball career with 1,951 points and 1,607 rebounds. She was a McDonald’s High School All-American and participated in that All-Star game where she had 12 points and eight rebounds. A stellar collegiate career followed at the University of Connecticut, where she was a member of two NCAA championship teams along with a distinguished professional basketball career now leading to the Laces! All games in the 2025 season will be played at the new Wayfair Arena in Miami. The season will run through March 17.

Great sporting experiences come in many different ways! This past weekend, the Girls Modified Basketball team had an incredible time attending a SUNY Orange basketball game during Alumni Night! What made this event even more special was knowing that Modified Coach Kelsie Doller played on that very court! Seeing her connection to the program showed the girls where they are now, to where hard work and dedication can take them. The girls loved watching the SUNY Orange players in action and were amazed to see them doing many of the same warm-ups and plays they’ve been practicing. It was a great reminder that the fundamentals they’re learning now are essential at every level of basketball. To top it all off, the team had the chance to meet the SUNY Orange women’s basketball coach, who encouraged and inspired them even more!

Kudos to the Girls Varsity Wrestling Team, which won the team trophy at the Jan. 20 Frank Giampaolo Tournament on Long Island! In addition to the team trophy, there were also six individual highlights: •Zoe Ford, 94 lb. weight class finalist •Keira Filip, 114 lb. weight class champion ho also was also named“Most Outstanding Wrestler” •Madyson Thorpe, 120 lb. weight class finalist •Avery Wingen, 126 lb. weight class champion •Jaida Macaluso, 145 lb. weight class champion •Patricia Deslandes, 235 lb. weight class champion “Looking to face new competition, our team proved once again that all the hard work they have been putting in is paying off,” said Varsity Head Coach Dan Gallo. “On top of our six finalists, the team had place winners in nearly every weight and won the team trophy for first place.” This team tournament win follows other team and individual successes at the recent Eastern States Tournament! The team travels to Albany this weekend for a dual meet championship. Minisink is in the “Red Pool” and opens with matches against Phoenix and Rocky Point. Good luck to all!

Congratulations to the Boys Varsity Indoor Track team, which won the OCIAA Division II title this past Saturday at West Point! “The boys track team put in a lot of hard work leading up to the division championships,” said Varsity Coach James Beck. “They stepped out of their comfort zones, competing in events they don't typically participate in, and chasing every possible point. Their efforts paid off as they brought home the win.” Athletic Director Tim Bult added: “We’re so proud of our track program, as both the boys and girls teams have been building each season to become a perennial powerhouse across the OCIAA, Section IX and beyond.”