Huntington High School senior Anthony Martin was honored at the 51st Blue Devil senior athletic awards banquet in Louis D. Giani Gymnasium.
Martin was presented with the varsity wrestling team’s Coaches Award for his contributions to the program over the years. He was joined at the dinner by his mother and father, Dawn and Tony.
“The Huntington wrestling staff would like congratulate Anthony Martin for his desire, discipline and determination to the wrestling program,” Blue Devil head coach Louis R. Giani said. “Anthony has been wrestling in our program since the seventh grade. The coaching staff would like to recognize Anthony’s dedication by presenting him with the Coaches Award.
Martin also played on the Blue Devil golf and lacrosse teams. He has not yet finalized his college plans, but he intends to play lacrosse wherever he decides to attend.
Blue Devils Win Section XI Sportsmanship Awards
When it comes to high school athletics, it isn’t just about winning – it’s about being good sports, too. In that category, three Blue Devil teams are tops, having won spring season sportsmanship awards.
Section XI, the governing body for interscholastic athletics in Suffolk County tabulated ratings filed by opposing coaches after each game and announced the Huntington varsity baseball and junior varsity girls’ lacrosse and boys’ lacrosse squads all garnered recognition.
“Congratulations are extended to all the coaches and athletes involved with these teams,” Huntington Director of Athletics Georgia D. McCarthy said. “It’s a credit to each of them that opposing coaches recognized their fine sportsmanship and assigned them such high ratings. Good sportsmanship is an important component of our athletic program.”
Gary Barash is All-County in Discus
Incoming Huntington senior Gary Barash threw his way to All-County in discus this past spring. The teenager threw a personal best distance of 148 feet to finish fourth in Suffolk. He placed sixth in shot put with a toss of 49’10 feet. “We are very happy that he is returning for another year,” Huntington boys’ track and field head coach Ron Wilson said.
H-ton Girls’ Soccer Senior Awards
Huntington varsity girls’ soccer coach John Walsh presented special honors to three of the team’s seniors at the 51st Blue Devil Senior Athletic Awards Banquet in Louis D. Giani Gymnasium.
Paige Lennon (Most Valuable), Kiara Rafailan (Most Improved) and Natalie Gonzalez (Coaches Award) were all recognized before a crowd of about 225.
Ms. Lennon is headed to the US Military Academy at West Point. Ms. Rafailan has earned a full scholarship to St. John’s University, where she has enrolled in a joint BA/MA elementary teacher preparation program. Ms. Gonzalez will be studying nursing at SUNY College at Plattsburgh.
Erika Varady Captures All-American Honors
Erika Varady secured a spot among the Blue Devil girls’ track team’s immortals, covering herself in glory by capturing All-American honors at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor Championships at Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Huntington High School finished sixth in the nation in the 3000m race-walk.
Ms. Varady has been a Huntington track mainstay for many years. Named a Distinguished Senior earlier this spring, she is the president of the French Honor Society and an award winning artist, is a Natural Helper and sings in the chamber choir. She has captained the Blue Devil cross country and track teams.
The senior is headed to Worcester Polytechnic Institute to study aerospace engineering.
Blue Devil Girls’ Track Wins Suffolk Division II Crown
The Blue Devil girls’ track and field team captured the Suffolk Division II championship this past spring. Huntington amassed 92 points to edge runner-up West Babylon (90.33 points). The rest of the 16 team Suffolk Division II field trailed far in the distance.
Huntington’s highlights included:
- Freshman Analisse Batista easily won the 400m dash in a time of 55.95 seconds.
- Freshman Olivia Conte placed seventh in the 100m hurdles in a time of 16.91 seconds. It was the best finish of any freshman or sophomore.
- Junior Alicia Brooks finished second in the 100m dash in a time of 12.37 seconds, a mere 2/100ths of a second behind champion Cherish Love of North Babylon.
- Senior Hadley Clayton placed fifth in the 800m run in a time of 2:24.16.
- Senior Alicia Brooks took third place in the 200m dash in a time of 25.73 seconds, not far behind the first and second place finishers.
- Huntington’s 4x100m relay finished second in 49.01 seconds.
- Huntington’s 4x400m relay finished second in 3:59.91 seconds.
- Senior Alicia Brooks won the long jump with a leap of 18-04.25 feet.
- Senior Nephar Durand won the discus throw with a toss of 103-10.00 feet. Senior Grace McKenna was second (96-06.00 feet) and junior Mya Davis (89-03.00 feet) was fifth.
- Senior Hadley Clayton placed third in the 2000m steeplechase in a time of 7:44.33. Sophomore Valerie Rogel was fifth in a time of 7:58.58.
- Senior Nephar Durand finished second in shot put with a throw of 35-10.50 feet. Senior Grace McKenna was seventh with a toss of 32-03.00 feet.
- Senior Erika Varady placed fourth in the 1500m race-walk in a time of 7:20.48. Keily Rivas finished sixth in 7:25.94
