Athletes honored at year-end banquet

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Another banner year for Baldwin athletics was culminated on June 8 during the Varsity Scholarship Banquet at the Coral House. Athletes, coaches, parents and administrators were on hand to help celebrate the successful year for the Bruins, as 16 teams made playoffs and 112 athletes were given recognition.

In total, all 24 varsity sports teams were honored as 22 scholarships were doled out and 27 awards were given to athletes who made substantial impacts to their teams. The Booster Club provided $10,000 in scholarships to the athletes, as well as paid for all athletes to attend, according to Athletic Director Ed Ramirez, adding that the Booster Club raised more than $19,000 this year.

Each of the 24 varsity teams were represented at the banquet, in addition to a strong showing from members of the school community. Ramirez said he was happy with the success of the banquet. “This year we were able to provide approximately $50,000 in scholarships through the Booster Club and outside donors,” he said. The outside donors included family members of Bill McGinley and then Baldwin High School class of 1967.

At the end of the night, the four biggest awards were announced. The Ethel T. Kloberg Award was presented to a “senior girl in recognition for outstanding leadership in athletics, organization, and participation in extracurricular activities.” It is given in honor of Kloberg, who was a pioneer in the inclusion of female sports, not just in Baldwin, but all across Long Island. This year’s award winner was Kelsey Cohen, who will play lacrosse at the University of Cincinnati next fall. The George Craig Award, which is given to a boy who has earned at least two varsity letters in his senior year and is considered to be an outstanding athlete, was given to Nick DeLuca, who plays football and lacrosse and will continue his playing career at New York Institute of Technology in September.

The last two awards, the Marion Mickey Waldman Award and the Frank Zachman Memorial Award, are given to the best female and male athlete, respectively. The 2015 Marion Mickey Waldman Award was given to 13-time varsity athlete Jade Aponte, who will attend Hunter College in the fall and play both basketball and softball, her two favorite sports. The Frank Zachman Memorial Award was given to Jared Warner, who will play lacrosse next year at the University of Pennsylvania. Receiving this award truly meant a lot to the entire Warner family, as older brother Tyler won the same award last year and mother Ernestine is the president of the Booster Club.

The graduating seniors are leaving a huge hole to fill, Ramirez said at the end of the night, but it’s now time for the next group of athletes to step up. “The torch has officially passed on to the next generation of Bruins,” he said.