In the fall, Sarah Elizabeth “Ellie” O’Callaghan was an all-League forward on Rye’s championship field hockey squad.

By Mitch Silver

In the fall, Sarah Elizabeth “Ellie” O’Callaghan was an all-League forward on Rye’s championship field hockey squad. In the spring, you’ll find her at right attack for the Garnets’ varsity lacrosse team. When it’s cold outside, she’s the captain of Rye’s Girls’ Squash team. And now she’s Rye’s first Athlete of the Month in 2016, an award chosen jointly by Rye High’s Athletic Department and the Rye Lions Club.

Here’s what squash coach Tony Campbell has to say: “Ellie has been a dedicated top player on the Rye varsity squad all four years of high school. This season she has been an instrumental leader as captain — we’re a young team, playing four underclassmen in the seven spots.

“To stay undefeated in December, we had to beat two tough opponents, St. Luke’s and New Haven. And when we traveled to Yale to play New Haven, we were without our number one player. Ellie dug down and won both of her matches in convincing fashion to secure both team victories.”

A member of the National Honor Society with departmental awards in Global History, English, Algebra, and Trigonometry, Ellie still finds time to take in puppies for Guiding Eyes for the Blind. The pups stay four days with the O’Callaghans to socialize with people so they can later become full-fledged guide dogs.

January’s honoree also belongs to Rye High’s Breast Awareness Club and volunteers in Port Chester for Food to Grow On, a group that provides meals for elementary school children and their families. In addition, she’s devoted time to Adopt a Soldier, a group that supports Rye graduates in the military by sending care packages and organizing clothing drives.

Ellie will play squash at Trinity College, always one of the top-ranked collegiate squash programs in the country. Before that, though, in June she’ll join the other Athlete of the Month winners for the annual dinner at The Osborn, when Rye High’s Athlete of the Year will be announced.

Let’s give the final word to Coach Campbell. “Ellie O’Callaghan is always gracious in victory and defeat.”

A winner in our book.