High School Notes: Juniors commit to Division I teams

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jim Schiltz

Junior basketball standouts Tehresa Coles of Colonie and Katie Roth of Maple Hill have made verbal commitments to play for Siena College and the University of Hartford, respectively. Both are NCAA Div. I programs.

Coles was superb in her third varsity season, averaging 14.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.8 steals and 3.1 assists in leading Colonie to a 17-3 record and a spot in the Section II Class AA semifinals.

Among the 5-foot-9 guard’s noteworthy performances was a 17-point, nine-rebound showing when Colonie dealt state champion Averill Park its only loss of the season, 63-62. Aside from her selection to the Gazette All-Area first team, Coles was named to the Section II Class AA all-tournament team, the Suburban Council first team and the all-state third team.

She’ll play for Siena coach Gina Castelli. Siena went 8-10 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and 11-18 overall last season.

Roth powered Maple Hill to the Section II Class C championship and a spot in the state semifinals, with the 6-2 center averaging 18.2 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.1 blocks. She was the Patroon Conference most valuable player for the second time, and earned all-state second team recognition.

Roth will play for Hartford coach Jen Rizzotti, the former Connecticut star. Hartford went 16-0 in the America East Conference and 27-5 overall last season after a first-round loss to LSU in the NCAA Division I tournament.

On the mend

Academy of Holy Names junior lacrosse star Shelby Wood, who scored 12 goals in a game and piled up 59 on the season, is recovering from knee surgery and says she plans to be up and running before winter.

Wood tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in a May 8 game against Greenwich, scoring her 58th and 59th goals before being sidelined. The 17-year-old Capital District High School Lacrosse League all-star had surgery May 24.

“It’s something I have to deal with and work through,” said Wood, a Duanesburg resident who has aspirations of playing college ball. “I really want to get back by the fall.”

Wood had several games of note this season, topped by her 12 goals and 13 points in a 17-15 double-overtime win against Schenectady. The attacker scored the game-winning goal, and her 12 in a single game is believed to be a Section II record.

“It’s a feeling I never had in a game before, and I’ve played a lot of lacrosse,” Wood said. “I felt like I did something good not just for me, but also for the team.”

Wood also had games with nine and eight goals, and twice scored seven. She collected her 59 goals (and six assists) in 11 games.

“It’s something I put my mind to,” Wood said of her short though productive season. “I went out there and tried to do my best every game.”

Amorosi’s records

Senior Joe Amorosi set a Schalmont single-season record with a .562 batting average and tied another school mark with three shutouts in leading the Sabres to their first Colonial Council baseball championship since 1996.

The pitcher/second baseman had 41 hits in 73 at-bats with seven home runs, nine doubles and two triples. The four-year varsity performer also had a .607 on-base percentage.

On the mound, the right-hander went 7-1 (1.51 ERA) with shutouts against Glens Falls, Cobleskill-Richmondville and Lansingburgh. Amorosi pitched a one-hitter against Cobleskill-Richmondville in one of his school-record five career shutouts.

All-Americans

Guilderland senior goalkeeper Amanda Santandrea and Lady Dutch senior defender Casey Gerety have been named to the US Lacrosse High School Girls All-American Team.

Santandrea and Gerety helped lead Guilderland to its fourth straight Section II Class A championship. They are joined on the All-American team by sophomore midfielder Kayla Treanor of Section II Class B champ Niskayuna, senior midfielder Caroline Gersuk of Section II Class C titlist Albany Academy for Girls, junior midfielder Adrianne Devine of Shaker and senior attacker Sarah Campbell of Saratoga Springs.

Junior midfielder Lexi Brannigan of Colonie was selected an honorable mention All-American.

Football classic

Dan Scalo threw touchdown passes to Monroe-Woodbury schoolmates Pat Laird and Jared McFarlin as the Downstate team beat the Upstate team, 36-7, in the inaugural Empower New York State High School Football Classic a week ago Sunday at the Carrier Dome.

Dean Marlowe of Holy Cross intercepted three passes for the Downstate team, and Lewis Edney of New Rochelle and Jawara Dudley of Roosevelt returned interceptions for touchdowns. Travon Burke of Corcoran ran for the Upstate team’s lone touchdown.

An estimated crowd of 2,800 attended the all-senior showcase.

Van Wie honored

Al “The Dutchman” Van Wie, a 1946 graduate of the former Nott Terrace High School in Schenectady, received the Distinguished Alumni Award from The College of Wooster this past weekend.

Van Wie was the college’s men’s basketball coach for 21 years from 1961-82 and guided the Scots to a 302-216 record and three NCAA Division III tournament appearances. Four of his teams won 20 games or more including his 1970-71 edition (23-3) that captured the Ohio Athletic Conference championship. His 1976-77 and 1977-78 teams won OAC North Division titles.

A World War II veteran and 1952 graduate of Wooster, Van Wie also coached football, track and tennis at the college while serving as a professor of physical education and athletics. He also chaired and later directed the college’s athletic department.

Van Wie was an advocate for parity in women’s sports long before Title IX became a federal mandate, and served on the NCAA’s Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Committee. He also created Ohio’s first basketball camp for boys, and is a member of four hall of fame, including Wooster’s.

Record run

Duanesburg freshman Madaline Kenyon broke a 32-year-old school record in the 400-meter run with a 59.20 (FAT) at the recent Section II Division II state meet qualifier at Knox Field in Johnstown.

Kenyon’s time bettered the 60.1 for 440 yards run by Swiss exchange student Maryke Dessing at the 1978 Class CDE sectionals. Kenyon played second to Caitlin Ableseth (58.21) of Voorheesville.