The Wheatley School’s boys varsity and girls varsity indoor track, fencing, basketball and boys varsity wrestling have been recognized by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association for academic excellence in its Scholar/Athlete Recognition Award Program.
This program, which was initiated by athletic association 20 years ago, recognizes athletic teams from across New York State for the exemplary academic performance of its team members. Based upon a composite of the grade point averages among team members, team champions are selected for each varsity sport from those high schools across New York State that enter the competition.
The teams have demonstrated athletic excellence on their fields of play and academic excellence in the classroom. Each team is vying for the crown of New York Scholar/Athlete State Champion in their respective sport. The Wheatley School has received this prestigious recognition for fifteen state championships since entering the program in 2000-2001.
The girls’ varsity basketball team, coached by Brian McConaghy and lead by captains Megan Murphy and Olivia McCracken, had a grade point average of 94.451.
The boys’ varsity wrestling team, coached by Joe Cerulli and lead by captains Matt DeBenedittis and Kyle Castoria, had an average of 91.057.
The boys’ varsity basketball team, coached by Jim Curcio and lead by captains Chris Gould and Bryan Wilson, had an average of 94.883.
The boys’ indoor track team coached by Dan Walsh and lead by captains William Schiela and Joe Giunta, had an average of 93.588.
The girls’ indoor track team coached by Joe Kelly and lead by captains Jackie Stagnari, Sofia Mancini, Jamie Forrest, Michelle Kalish, Stephanie Cheung and Ariana Beague, had an average of 95.748.
The girls’ fencing team, coached by Terry Grace and Aerin Hohensee and lead by captain Amy Lessoff, had a near perfect average of 99.016.
The boys’ fencing team, coached by Terry Grace and Aerin Hohensee and lead by captain David Skwiersky, had an average of 98.589.
The Wheatley School is proud of the recognition the team members have earned and offers its congratulations to the members of the teams and their parents. This remarkable accomplishment is a credit to the athletes who have had to balance the demands of a rigorous academic schedule with long hours of practice and competition required to successfully compete in interscholastic athletics at the varsity level.
