Athletics

The Varsity Flag Football's season record improves to 5-0 after a massive 25-0 win over Warwick! Coach Michael Tepper is proud to share these highlights: --- Vanessa Tepper: 4 touchdown passes --- Ava Semco: 2 receiving touchdowns --- Ariana Junca:j 1 receiving touchdown and an extra point. --- Kate O’Neill: 1 receiving touchdown

Congratulations to Senior Varsity Lacrosse Goalie Isabella Odland, who recorded her 200th career save against Pine Bush on April 3! Starting in goal for the last three seasons, Isabella has been a pillar on a team that has won three of the last four Section IX titles, and was one goal away from defeating eventual State Semi-finalist Horace Greeley last season. She was "lights-out" late in the recent Pine Bush game, shutting down a Pine Bush run with some very impressive one-on-one saves. She has committed to Division I Wagner College this fall!

The Girls Lacrosse Program is off to a fabulous start! Varsity Assistant Rory Boice reports that the Varsity and Junior Varsity teams’ recent games against Pine Bush ended with the Varsity team beating Pine Bush in a 17-10 final! The team created an offensive onslaught that Pine Bush had difficulty containing! “The team left it all on the field,” Varsity Head Coach Jessica Gurrieri said. “It was a great day!” Additionally, the Junior Varsity team ran away in their Pine Bush game, besting that Junior Varsity team which beat them the last two consecutive in a 20-2 final. Junior Varsity Coach Samantha Woodward’s squad was unselfish with the ball offensively and stingy on defense, as they displayed their skills. To top things off, the Modified team beat Warwick in an 8-7 final! “We demonstrated excellent ball movement, control, teamwork and communication,” added Modified Coach Rachael Moran.

Kudos the Varsity Softball team, who were gracious hosts at the March 29 softball scrimmage at our Slate Hill campus! Teams from Valley Central, Saugerties, Port Jervis, Pine Bush, Middletown , FDR/Hyde Park and Delaware Valley joined Minisink Valley in taking part in a great skills development and enhancement day!

It's another huge win for the Varsity Flag Football team! They beat Highland 40-0 this past Friday! Coach Mike Tepper is proud to share these highlights: •Vanessa Tepper: 3 passing touchdowns; 1 rushing touchdown •Kate O’Neill: 2 receiving touchdowns; 1 passing touchdown • Ava Revella: 1 receiving touchdown •Jaida Macaluso: 3 interceptions; one interception touchdown •Ariana Juncaj: 1 receiving touchdown •Extra points: Ava Downing (2), Vanessa Tepper, Ava Semco and Catherine Cucuzza •Interceptions by: Jaida Macaluso (3), Kylie Depeau and Sam Kassel

Sunny snow showers? No problem! The Varsity Flag Football team defeats Washingtonville in the season opener, 32-0! Kudos to Vanessa Tepper, who rushed for two touchdowns and threw for two touchdowns; Ava Revella, who had a receiving touchdown; and Ariana Juncaj, who had a receiving touchdown and an interception for a touchdown! Next game: Tomorrow at Minisink Valley against Highland! Join them!

Girls Varsity Basketball Coach Jim Golden is proud to share that his team made a very inspiring run to the recent Class AA Final Four game as part of their season play! "The team dominated in three must-win league games in the final weeks to qualify for the Section IX playoffs," he said. "Our players’ skill and toughness were on full display when they traveled to FDR and won a very physical game against a bigger team in front of a very intense FDR crowd. The girls were very impressive in their play and their composure." Congratulations to the team on a remarkable season!

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