High school notes: Hanks secures spots on U.S. under-19 team

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jim Schiltz

Carrie Hanks felt good about her performance at last week’s tryout camp for the USA Field Hockey under-17, under-19 and under-21 junior teams. At least most of it.

“The second day, the first practice didn’t go as well as I wanted it to,” said the recent Niskayuna High School graduate and two-time all-state selection. “Before the third day, I wrote down on my hand all the things I needed to do better.”

Hanks did enough good things at her new defensive position to earn a start at the National Junior Camp’s final scrimmage, and the former midfielder never came off the turf at the Spooky Nook Sports Complex in Lancaster, Pa.

“The last thing we did was play that game. They kept me in for the whole game, and I thought I played pretty well,” Hanks said. “That’s when I thought I might make it.”

She found out the good news Friday, making the under-19 2014-15 junior team roster. Hanks had a previous stint with the under-17s, and a knee injury kept her from competing for a spot last summer.

“It was up on the web site. I was so excited when I saw my name,” Hanks said Friday evening, before a workout with the ADK Field Hockey Club. “I’m not sure what’s next because I just found out. I still can’t believe it.”

The 18-year-old Hanks played left back and center back during the four-day tryout that concluded Wednesday.

“I’ve always been a feeder. The national coaches saw me as a defender and put me back there,” said Hanks. “Outletting the ball, I’m comfortable. I’m still getting comfortable pressuring the ball.”

Hanks believes she will play a defensive position at the University of Maryland. Her bio on the Terrapins’ team page has her listed that way.

“I’ve been working hard to make sure my fundamental skills are strong, so when I get there, I can focus on the tactical stuff,” said Hanks. “Going in, I want to be at a level they need me to be at. I know they don’t expect me to be perfect, but I want to be ready.”

The journalism major will be joining a Terrapins program that won five NCAA Division I championships from 2005-11, and reached the national semifinals the last two seasons.

Hanks’ Niskayuna teams won three Suburban Council titles and reached four Section II title games. She set up the game-winning overtime goal when the Silver Warriors beat Shenendehowa for the 2012 area crown and advanced to the state final four for the first time.

Hanks made the USA Field Hockey under-19 indoor travel team in 2013, and this past March landed a spot on the national women’s indoor squad.

Academic honors

Previously lauded for their on-field exploits by US Lacrosse, Nicole Beardsley of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, Morgan Hardt of Guilderland and Shaker’s Julia Lennon and Eva Torncello have earned Academic All-America honors from the sports’ governing body.

Forty-nine Section II girls received Academic All-America nods, including five from Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, Colonie, Columbia, Emma Willard, Saratoga Springs, Shaker and Shenendehowa.

Beardsley, Hardt and Lennon were selected both All-America and Academic All-America for the second year in a row.

This year’s US Lacrosse Jackie Pitts Award winner from Section II, Sarah Cheney of Shaker, was among several others who made the Academic All-America team for the second time.

Cheney, Lennon and Torncello helped Shaker win the Section II Class A championship. The Harvard-bound Lennon scored 100 goals including the game-winner when the Blue Bison beat Guilderland for the area title.

In late spring, Shaker, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake and Guilderland were among 14 Section II girls’ lacrosse teams that achieved scholar-athlete status from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. The Northwestern-bound Beardsley and fellow Academic All-Americans Emily Ankabrandt, Emily Clark, Aubrey Kamppila and Ashley LaMere helped Burnt Hills finish sixth in the state in the NYSPHSAA awards competition.

US Lacrosse

Academic All-Americans

Emily Conway, 2014, M, Bethlehem; Mary Kate McDonough, 2014, G, Bethlehem; Emily Miron, 2014, D, Bethlehem; Maeve Owens, 2014, D, Bethlehem; Emily Ankabrandt, 2014, M, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake; Nicole Beardsley, 2014, A, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake; Emily Clark, 2014, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake; Aubrey Kamppila, 2014, M, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake; Ashley LaMere, 2014, D, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake; Ally Herald, 2014, D, Colonie; Katie Higgins, 2014, A, Colonie; Jessica Ricciardi, 2014, M, Colonie; Briela Tollisen, 2015, M, Colonie; May Wang, 2015, D, Colonie; Ashely Aupperle, 2015, A, Columbia; Carolyn Cimo, 2015, D, Columbia; Samantha Gladd, 2015, G, Columbia; Helena Masiello, 2015, M, Columbia; Alexandra Massey, 2015, D, Columbia; Elspeth Campbell, 2015, A, Emma Willard; Kiki Cunningham, 2015, A, Emma Willard; Erin Hogan, 2015, D, Emma Willard; Talia Segal, 2015, A, Emma Willard; Annika Wells, 2015, D, Emma Willard.

Courtnie Harrington, 2015, M, Greenwich; Alexandra O’Brien, 2015, D, Greenwich; Meko Peregrim, 2014, D, Greenwich; Kaitlyn Becker, 2014, M, Guilderland; Morgan Hardt, 2014, A, Guilderland; Kaitlyn Hess, 2014, G, Guilderland; Carli Weinberg, 2014, D, Guilderland; Katelyn Harrison, 2014, D, Hoosick Falls; Isabel Curro, 2015, M, Niskayuna; Christie Raymond, 2015, M, Queensbury; Zoie Cavotta, 2014, G, Saratoga Springs; Ann Mahoney, 2014, M, Saratoga Springs; Hannah Wendell, 2015, G, Saratoga Springs; Hanna Wise, 2015, A, Saratoga Springs; Maria Zinter, 2015, A, Saratoga Springs; Sarah Cheney, 2014, M, Shaker; Julia Fitzgerald, 2015, D, Shaker; Julia Lennon, 2014, M, Shaker; Julia Maloney, 2014, G, Shaker; Eva Torncello, 2014, D, Shaker; Paige Byrne, 2014, D, Shenendehowa; Nicole daCunha, 2014, M, Shenendehowa; Olivia Pickett, 2015, A, Shenendehowa; Madison Shea, 2014, M, Shenendehowa; Claire Virkler, 2014, D, Shenendehowa.

Munn remembered

Longtime Broadalbin and Broadalbin-Perth coach and administrator Bob Munn, who served as president of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association from 1996-98, passed away July 2 in Rochester at the age of 67.

Munn’s 38-year high school run included stints as a football, basketball and baseball coach. He taught physical education and served as athletic director, principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent before retiring in 2006. Munn was inducted into the Broadalbin-Perth Athletic Hall of Fame that year and the school gymnasium was named in his honor.

Munn was the NYSPHSAA vice president before taking the leadership role, and was president of Section II and a longtime member of the Section II Executive Committee.

BCANY awards

Jim Giammattei of Scotia-Glenville and Dan Calhoun of Hoosic Valley have earned overall boys’ Coach of the Year honors for Class A and Class C, respectively, from the Basketball Coaches Association of New York. Giammattei and Calhoun guided their teams to NYSPHSAA titles, and Giammattei’s Tartans capped a 27-0 season with two more wins at the Federation Tournament of Champions. . . .

Daily Gazette All-Area first-teamers Joe Cremo of Scotia-Glenville, Jamil Hood Jr. of Green Tech, Carly Boland of Shenendehowa and Nicole Riddick of Colonie made the Best of BCANY Top-50 teams. Cremo was previously tabbed the New York State Sportswriters Association Class A Player of the Year. . . .

The boys’ Section II roster for the Aug. 1-3 BCANY Summer Hoops Festival in Binghamton will include Dyaire Holt (Troy), Zach Radz (Troy), Ty’Jon Gilmore (Watervliet), John Sica (Bethlehem), Jahlil Nails (Columbia), Isiah Dobere (Green Tech), Dasir Lukes (Green Tech), Anquan McLean (Green Tech), Raquis Harris (Catholic Central), Jeremy Nixon (Bishop Maginn) and Hamier Wright (Albany Academy).

Holt made the All-Festival team last year after scoring 16 points in Adirondack/Capital’s 77-75 overtime win against Hudson Valley in the championship game.