Huntington High School senior Christopher Maichin is this year’s Fred Cambria Award recipient. The teenager plans to attend Colby College in Maine in the fall.
The Blue Devil lacrosse star was formally presented with a handsome plaque and $200 stipend at the 54th annual Blue Devil senior athletic awards ceremony in the high school auditorium. Mr. Cambria’s wife, Betsy and son, Fred were on hand for the festivities.
“It was nearly impossible to attend a Huntington athletic event and not find Fred Cambria somewhere near the sidelines,” master of ceremonies Michael Schwendemann told the crowd. “The Blue Devils’ biggest fan was especially enthusiastic when it came to football and lacrosse. His son Fred played on the Syracuse lacrosse team that won the 1983 national championship. Even when his children weren’t directly involved in a sport, you would still see him providing his support.”
The Fred Cambria Award “is dedicated to a man who understood the meaning of respect, sportsmanship and community.” The Cambria Award is presented “to a player who shows great sportsmanship and enjoyment toward the game of lacrosse.”
Mr. Cambria, who passed away suddenly many years ago, continued to support the Huntington lacrosse program even after his own children had graduated. He was known throughout the community and by the Blue Devil coaching staff as a pleasant man with a lively and upbeat personality.
Mr. Maichin, widely known by the nickname, Crippa, has embraced every moment of his time at Huntington High School. He captained the varsity lacrosse and mock trial teams. Co-president of the National History Day club, president of the Social Studies Honor Society and member of six separate academic honor societies, he has been on the high honor roll every academic quarter since seventh grade. A graduate of the district’s dual-language program, he has earned the New York State Seal of Biliteracy.
The teenager’s academic and athletic honors include being named an All-League and All-Division lacrosse midfielder; Virtual Enterprise National Business Competition finalist; multiple National History Day awards at the local and regional levels and Suffolk County mock trial champion and state finalist.
Mr. Maichin volunteers with the Huntington Village Lacrosse program as a junior coach. He has been interning with social studies teacher Lauren Desiderio in an Advanced Placement World History class. He works for the Town of Huntington’s Department of Maritime Services. He has been recruited to play lacrosse at Colby College, where he will prepare for a career in law and politics with a major in government and a minor in Spanish.