NYSPHSAA Recognizes Huntington as School of Excellence

The Huntington Blue Devil athletic program has been recognized as a School of Excellence by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, Inc. To earn this designation requires that at least 75 percent of a school’s varsity teams qualify for the scholar-athlete team award.

To receive team recognition, the squad’s average GPA for 75 percent of the roster must be equal to or greater than 90.00. Higher athlete GPAs can be used offset lower ones. However, only students with a 90 or above receive scholar-athlete pins, even if a student with a lower GPA was used in the calculation.

Twenty-nine of Huntington’s 31 varsity teams used in the calculation garnered state scholar-athlete team award honors, qualifying the Blue Devils for the School of Excellence Award. (Note: Huntington has 34 varsity sports, but the combined girls’ gymnastics team and the two Unified teams are not used in the calculation.)

Huntington athletic officials credited the Blue Devil student-athletes and coaching staff members for being as diligent in the classroom as they are in the athletic arena. The group will now strive to attain School of Excellence status. That will require every Blue Devil varsity team to attain the scholar athlete team award.

To be recognized as a School of Distinction, a school must apply for the honor and have 100 percent of its varsity teams earn the Scholar-Athlete Team Award during their respective sports seasons. The School of Excellence designation is awarded to schools that apply and have at least 75 percent of their varsity teams achieve this same academic recognition.

“Congratulations to our Schools of Distinction and Excellence,” said Dr. Robert Zayas, NYSPHSAA executive director. “These prestigious honors represent the culmination of a school year marked by outstanding achievement in the classroom. These accolades would not be possible without the dedication, hard work, and commitment of the student-athletes, coaches, and administrators whose efforts these awards proudly recognize.”

This year, 110 schools earned the School of Distinction Award and 221 schools earned the School of Excellence Award. The purpose of the awards is to unite athletic departments in challenging their teams to achieve a statewide academic honor.

Huntington will receive its commemorative award at the NYSPHSAA fall athletic director workshop in September at Section XI in Farmingville.