Sports
Fort Lee Athletic Awards Banquet Honors Standout Student Athletes
Many people turned up last week to show their appreciation for the student athletes of Fort Lee High School
More than 340 people gathered at The Fiesta in Wood Ridge on June 8 to show their appreciation for those Fort Lee students involved in athletics along with their studies.
Numerous awards and honors were given out, and Fort Lee Superintendent of Schools Raymond Bandlow and high school principal Priscilla Church addressed the crowd.
The Nicholas Revello Award was given to basketball player Lindsey Clesmere. The award is given to an athlete who displays teamwork, sportsmanship and someone who is an excellent teammate and a great person inside the classroom, in the hallways and on the field.
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Congratulations also went to Coaches Phil Zappel, who coaches boys tennis and Sheri Steckler, who coaches girls tennis. Both Coaches received the Big North Conference Division 7 Coaches of the Year Awards. The Fort Lee Cheerleading squad were also recognized as the reigning three-time ECA National cheerleading champions.
Male and female Athlete of the Year awards went to soccer and basketball player George Padin and track standout Nancie Sophias respectively.
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Sophias broke the 33-year-old school record in the 800 meter race and became the first female runner in Fort Lee history to qualify for the New Jersey State Meet of Champions. Sophias is a senior and will be attending Syracuse University, where she plans to continue her track career.
Padin played varsity for the soccer team for three years and was known for his defensive tenacity. Head soccer Coach Bob Ciccone loved coaching Padin.
“I never had to tell George to work harder; he was self motivated--a natural leader, who led by example,” said Ciccone.
Padin also made an impact on the basketball court, where he was a three-year starter and two-time captain. He was the unanimous selection for Bergen County Scholar Athlete, becoming just the second athlete from Fort Lee to win that award.
First team all-league selections as announced at the Awards Banquet, which organizers described as a joyful and successful evening for all, are posted below:
1st Team All League Selections for the 2010-2011 School Year - Fall Season:
Football
- Tyler Iafelice
- John Hroncic
Cross Country
- Jenya Dyagilev
Girls Volleyball
- Nicole Farber
Girls Tennis
- Mina Hsia
- Emilia Leszkowics
- Elisabeth Podlubny
Girls Soccer
- Jenny Valdeon
- Kristina Leale
Boys Soccer
- George Padin
- Andrew Park
Cheerleading (Fall)
- Nadine Jun
- Michelle Pepe
Cheerleading (Fall)
- Michelle Dean
1st Team All League Selections for the 2010-2011 School Year - Winter Season
Indoor Track
- YuYu Fahmy
- Joe Kim
- Jonathan Spenst
- Soichiro Itagaki
- Jenya Dyagilev
- Nancie Sophias
- Ashley Jenq
Girls Bowling
- Yeliz Inalman
Wrestling
- Demir Radonic
Girls Basketball
- Brianna Mattessich
Boys Basketball
- Nick Gentile
1st Team All League Selections for the 2010-2011 School Year - Spring Season
Golf
- Sara Wi
- Alice Ji
Girls Track & Field
- Nancie Sophias
Softball
- Brianna Mattessich
- Morgan Romba
- Megan Gimson
- Amanda Maldonado
- Caitlin McKenna
Baseball
- Ross Fasman
- John Hroncic
- Pedro Lopez
Boys Tennis
- Jason Halpern
- Peter Chin
- Henry Huang
- Yuki Takahashi
- Andrew Lee
- Nicholas Wong
- Max LeBlanc