Baliber & Marroquin Garner Courtney O’Bryan Scholarships

Courtney O’Bryan was a delightful young woman. Smart, enthusiastic and loyal, she was a kind and considerate friend to so many. She was loved by everyone that knew her. The 2011 Huntington High School graduate will always be remembered at her alma mater, where her contagious smile and happy personality made a lasting impression.

A starter on the Blue Devil varsity girls’ soccer and basketball teams, Ms. O’Bryan displayed a take-no-prisoners tyle of play. Devoted to her studies, she was admired and respected by the high school’s faculty. Her intellect, engaging personality and easygoing nature along with an often hilarious sense of humor all joined together to win over classmates, coaches and teachers in record time.

Ms. O’Bryan, who moved to Huntington from Lynbrook as a fifth grader, graduated near the top of her class and moved on to Penn State University, where she dived into campus life, participating in the school’s IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, better known as THON, which raises funds to battle pediatric cancer.

The largest student-run philanthropy in the world, THON has raised more than $236 million since 1977 for The Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. A large chunk of the monies have been collected during so-called “canning” weekends, which see Penn State students fanning out into other cities and states to solicit donations for the THON initiative.

After visiting her family in Huntington for Thanksgiving and stopping at the Huntington High School gym to shoot baskets with her former teammates and coaches, Ms. O’Bryan returned to the Penn State campus for a week of classes.

On Friday, December 2, 2011, the Blue Devil alum was a passenger in a car on its way to Buffalo for a canning weekend to raise money for THON and pediatric cancer research. At about 8:30 p.m. the car reportedly hit an icy patch of roadway in Lewis Run in northern Pennsylvania, careening out of control, flipping over, sliding down a highway embankment and crashing into a tree.

Ms. O’Bryan, who was riding in the backseat of the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder, was fatally injured and four other students in the car were hospitalized. The accident occurred on State Road 219, about one mile south of State Route 59 according to the Pennsylvania State Police.

The news hit Huntington like a knockout punch. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Ms. O’Bryan’s family created a scholarship to perpetuate her memory and promote the qualities she so splendidly displayed.

The Courtney O’Bryan Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to senior male and female athletes who are college bound and who participated in more than one team sport “exemplifying character, leadership, strong school spirit and sportsmanship.”

Two Seniors Capture $2,000 in Scholarships

This year, graduating seniors Jannel Marroquin and Harrison Baliber were chosen by Ms. O’Bryan’s parents, Bill and Lisa and family members as the recipients of twin $500 scholarship awards along with attractive plaques. Ms. O’Bryan’s parents were both on hand to announce the 2024 honorees at the 56th Blue Devil senior athletic awards ceremony in the high school auditorium.

Both of the teenagers were named Distinguished Seniors after compiling academic grade averages in excess of 90 during every semester of high school.

Huntington coaches submitted 10 separate nominations for this year’s scholarships. The award is annually held in high esteem.

Ms.Marroquin excelled on the cross country, winter and spring track and field teams. She plans to study biology/biological sciences at Providence College. A top student academically, she developed a project for the National History Day contest that advanced to the state level.

“Getting to know Jannel on a personal level, beyond the student-athlete perspective, has been an absolute joy,” girls’ varsity cross country head coach Elizabeth Andersen said. “She is an extremely well-rounded young lady with a motivating and positive personality. Her optimistic nature paired with an unrelentingly strong work ethic will guide her to much success in her educational journey and beyond. I can say with certainty that she is one of the best team leaders I have seen in all my years of coaching. She quickly became a role model for teammates and younger peers. During practices, Jannel always welcomed a challenge. As a coach and teacher, I admire her in so many ways. Jannel is such a coachable kid, and a person who possesses heart, grit, and determination. She is ready to conquer the world and her long list of positive qualities should be recognized.”

Blue Devil varsity boys’ basketball coach Peter Lipka called Mr. Baliber a “true competitor” and said he is “fearless on the playing field. He certainly showed the most courage. Harry was always positive with teammates and at the same time pushed them to be better. He is one of those few athletes that accepts coaching and uses it as fuel to become better.”

A National Honor Society member, Natural Helper and volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, Mr. Baliber has been recruited by SUNY New Paltz to play on the college’s baseball team. He plans to study business.

“Harrison Baliber is a true Huntington Blue Devil,” varsity baseball head coach John Romano said. “His work ethic on and off the field is contagious to his peers. Throughout our six months of off-season workouts, Harry put in extra hours of work after our training sessions by going to his own trainers and hitting coaches to perfect his skills. He is a true leader and exemplifies what a captain should be. He leads our baseball team on a daily basis and is a huge part of the turnaround throughout the program. While doing all of this he is a stellar student.”