Rye High School’s senior athletes perform as well off the field as on the field. They proved that last Wednesday during the annual senior sports dinner at Coveleigh Club.

 

By Melanie Cane

 

Rye High School’s senior athletes perform as well off the field as on the field. They proved that last Wednesday during the annual senior sports dinner at Coveleigh Club.

 

The purpose of the dinner, sponsored by the Parents’ Organization and led by Athletic Director Rob Castagna, is to recognize RHS senior athletes and retiring coaches, and single out several for their stellar athletic prowess.

 

The overall theme of this year’s dinner was not only did this class have some of the best athletes in the school’s history, but that as a group, the athletes are the nicest group of kids any of the coaches had the pleasure of knowing and working with. On May 30, nearly every senior athlete attended the dinner to support one another and demonstrate a sense of community. In prior years, due to low attendance, the dinners lasted 90 minutes. This year, it lasted 3½ hours, the bulk of the time spent recognizing each individual senior athlete. Each and every coach remarked that the best part of his/her day was meeting the team after school and that the Rye community was amazing.

 

Three senior athletes took the podium to discuss what their experience as a RHS athlete meant: Scott Hanley who played football and threw the shot put, girls’ lacrosse goalie Maddie Kinker, and Jeff Dempsey who lettered in football, wrestling, and baseball. Each speech ended with, “Once a Garnet, Always a Garnet!”

 

Ellie Friedmann received the first annual Craig Sandhaus Cross Country Award named after the retiring coach. Tori Virtue, a star in field hockey, indoor track, and lacrosse, won the first annual Mary Henwood Outstanding Female Athlete Award. Henwood retired as the girls’ basketball coach this winter after 25 years, 336 career wins, and a Section 1 title.

 

Annie Van Wagenen, who played field hockey and lacrosse, received the Del Layne Award; Joe Similacaj, a football and wrestling captain, won the Butch Nordstrom Award for Outstanding Male Athlete. And Dylan Lynch, a football captain and golfer, won the Garnet and Black Award.