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State Health Dept. gives go ahead for “High Risk” sports to proceed pending local OK
High risk sports including basketball, wrestling, football, volleyball, lacrosse and competitive cheerleading got the go ahead to proceed as of February 1 according to new guidance released this afternoon by the New York State Department of Health.
The new guidance permits practice and competition in games, meets, matches, scrimmages and tournaments pending approval by the local county health department.
The release states that “effective February 1 participants in higher risk sports and recreation activities may partake in individual or distanced group training and organized no/low contact group training and, further, may partake in other types of play, including competitions and tournaments, only as permitted by the respective local health authorities (i.e. county health departments).”
“It’s certainly a step in the right direction,” said Medina High Athletic Director Eric Valley.
Seahorses had long wait for first home win
Contributed Photos – Swimmers take off from the blocks to begin Medina’s first ever home meet in the new community pool against Roy-Hart during the 1984-85 season.
Medina’s varsity swim program began competition in 1975 but it was a full decade later before the Seahorses were able to host their first true home meet.
From 1975 through the 1983–84 season’s Medina’s practices and “Home” meets were held at Roy-Hart. It was a very generous and neighborly agreement by Roy-Hart that made the Medina program possible.
Finally, with the completion of Medina’s long awaited community pool, the Seahorses were able to have their first true home meet in late January 1985 and fittingly Roy-Hart was the opponent.
Pre meet ceremonies were highlighted by the pouring of a large jar of Roy-Hart pool water into the new pool by Medina Superintendent Tom Schirmer and Roy-Hart Superintendent Bill Bassett signifying the close ties of cooperation between the two programs. It also included the firing of the starting gun for the first event by retired Medina teacher, coach and administrator Ozzie Martin for whom the pool was named.
Roy-Hart, which went on to claim the Niagara-Orleans League title with a 10-0 record won the meet 54-29.
The honor of being the first Medina winner in the pool went to Chris Hendee in the 50 Freestyle. He also won the 100 Backstroke.
Medina’s first win in the new pool came early in the following season (1985-86) when the Seahorses downed rival Albion 47-36.
Hendee was a double winner in the 200 Free and Backstroke to lead the Seahorses whose other individual winners were Kevin Huth in the 100 Breaststroke and Mark Pregmon in the diving competition.
Ironically, it was also a win over Albion by a 91-81 margin at Middleport two years earlier during the 1983-84 season, that enabled the Seahorses to snap a lengthy seven year long losing streak.
School record efforts by Tom Draper in diving and Eric Fuller in the 100 Butterfly highlighted the win for the Seahorses which also got individual event wins from Jim Tarr in the 100 Freestyle and Hendee in the Backstroke.
Medina swimmers celebrate their first ever home meet victory by downing Albion during the 1985-86 season.
Albion native inducted into NYS Athletic Administrators Assoc. Hall of Fame
Contributed Photo – Michael Monacelli
Albion native and former long time Caledonia-Mumford High varsity football coach and Athletic Director Michael Monacelli has been inducted into the New York State Athletic Administrators Association Hall of Fame.
“It came as quite a surprise when I was notified last fall,” said Monacelli who noted that there will be a Virtual induction ceremony next month in Saratoga.
Monacelli, who received his B.S. Degree at Eastern Kentucky University and his M.S. in Education degree and post masters studies in Educational Administration at SUNY Brockport, taught and coached at Cal-Mum for 44 years before retiring in 2014. He coached football for 39 years as served as Director of Athletics for 11 years.
During his 23 years as head football coach Cal-Mum compiled a won-loss record of 186- 50 which including winning four state championships and 10 Section V titles.
He previously has been inducted into the Section V Football Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Frontier Field Walk of Fame in Rochester in 2010.
In addition, he received the Gerald R. Ford Coaching Excellence and Power of Influence Award in 2004 from the American Football Coaches Association and American Coaches Foundation. Also in 2004, he was a nominee for the National High School Athletes Association Coach of the Year award.
He was a member of the Chapter 5 Executive Committee and an original member of the Chapter 5 Concussion Management Team.
The release announcing his induction notes that “Mike realized the need to have his district be on task with concussion protocols. He developed and implemented this new district policy. As a result of this, in May of 2010, Mike appeared before the House Committee on Education and Labor in Washington, D.C., presenting on how the districts’ concussion management policies were integrated into the school’s master plan. Caledonia-Mumford’s Concussion Management Protocols were eventually used as a template for local high schools as they developed their own.”
The release adds that “in his years as Director of Athletics, Mike developed and implemented new district policies: Coaching manuals, Middle School Athletic Policies and Procedures, Coaching Evaluations, Contest Management Procedures and Security Protocols.
“Caledonia-Mumford is a small district comparatively, but when I was asked to the Athletic Director position I saw a need to get us into the 21st century with our polices and protocols,” said Monacelli. “I was fortunate at the time to have school administrators backing my moves that allowed me to attend state and national conferences, take administrative classes, time off to be involved in local, state, and national level committees. Not many have the forward thinking to spend the money to have stipend personnel do this. I always brought back something that helped our district’s athletic program. And of course, helped the most important component of that – our student-athletes.”
“Being on the initial Section 5 Concussion Management Committee and then attending a conference presentation – I was able to bring back and institute our concussion management program in our district. One of the first in section 5,” he added. “Now it seems to be an everyday discussionable item – not so in 2008.”
“All the projects I was involved in I surely wasn’t seeking any accolades. Just trying to help our coaches and student-athletes be better and safer,” he said.
Over the years Monacelli has also been very active in the Caledonia-Mumford community having served as the village recreation director and as a member of the Lions Club, the Knights of Columbus and the Sons of the American Legion.
Albion has had three long N-O swim title runs
Contributed Photo – Albion’s 1995-96 Niagara-Orleans League champion girls swim team included, in front, Megan Troy and Jennifer Callard. In the second row are Jennie Olles, Katie Navarra, Patti Schraven, Lizebeth Doherty and Kadi Diminuco. In the third row are Maggie Glassner, Kristen Messmer, Megan McKenna, Coach Randy Knaak, Michelle Quivey and Jennifer Wells. In the back row are Karrie Syck, Elizabeth Buckner, Kelly Szklany, Jamie Allport and Frances Erway. The title was the second of six in a row the Purple Eagles girls team captured. The girls later also had a big five year title run beginning with the 2004-05 season. The Albion boys likewise had a big run of seven straight N-O titles starting with the 1999-2000 season.
Sometimes it only takes one to get things rolling and that was certainly the case when the Albion High boys and girls swim teams each captured their first Niagara-Orleans League championship.
The Albion girls claimed their historic first N-O championship during the 1994-95 season. The Purple Eagles kept the momentum as they went on to also win the next five in a row.
The Albion boys squad did likewise, as after capturing their historic first N-O title during the 1999-2000 season, the Purple Eagles went on to win the next six in a row.
The Albion girls went 9-0-1 to claim their first title edging out Akron (8-1-1) At the All-League meet the Purple Eagles got wins from Megan McKenna, Jamie Allport, Michelle Quivey and Frances Erway in the 200 Medley Relay; from McKenna, Erway, Elizabeth Buckner and Quivey in the 200 Free Relay and from Quivey in the 100 Freestyle.
The Albion girls went on to repeat as N-O champions by going 10-0 during the 1995-96 season, 9-1 in 1996-97, 10-0 in 1997-98, 12-0 in 1998-99 and 10-1-1 in 1999-2000 as they shared the title with Barker.
The Purple Eagles enjoyed two huge dominating efforts at the All-League meet during that lengthy run capturing 8 of 11 events at the 1996 meet and 9 of 11 at the 1998 meet.
At the 1996 meet Albion got individual event wins from Megan McKenna (100 Free, 100 Backstroke), Michelle Quivey (500 Free, 100 Breaststroke), Kristen Messmer (200 Individual Medley) and Frances Erway (50 Free). McKenna, Quivey, Messmer and Erway also teamed up to win both the 200 Medley and 400 Free Relays.
A sweep of the three relays then highlighted Albion’s dominance at the 1998 meet. McKenna, Kelly Szklany, Messmer and Erway teamed up to take the 200 Medley; Messmer, Erway, Krystal Cooper and Karrie Syck the 200 Free and McKenna, Cooper, Syck and Erway the 400 Free. In addition, McKenna took first in the 200 Free and 100 Back, Messmer in the IM and 100 Free, Erway in the 50 Free and Jessica Webster in the 100 Breaststroke.
The Albion girls later also had another impressive streak of five straight N-O championships from the 2004-05 to the 2008-09 season posting a perfect 90-0 record during that stretch.
Rebounding strongly from a 1-11 campaign the year before, the Albion boys squad posted a perfect 12-0 record to claim their first N-O title during the 1999-2000 season.
Capping off the big season the Purple Eagles took two of three relays at the All-League meet. Brett Kast, Jeff Baron, Dale Pearce and Nathan LaCroix teamed up to win the 200 Medley. Kast, Pearce and LaCroix later combined with Paul Makowski to take the 400 Free. Kast also won the 500 Free.
The Purple Eagles biggest All-League meet capped off the 2005-06 season as they won 8 of 11 events including all three relays. Chad Brooks, Colin Wilbert, Marty Stirk and Brent Davis teamed up to win the 200 Medley; Wilbert, Jason Witkop, Mike Hughson and Davis the 200 Free and Chad Bierdeman, Hughson, Dustin Davies and Brooks the 400 Free. Wilbert also won the 200 Free and 100 Butterfly, Davis the 50 Free and 500 Free and Brooks the Backstroke.
The Purple Eagles also won 7 of 11 events at the All-League meeting capping off the 2004-05 season again including a sweep of the relays. Brooks, Matt Saeva, Davis and Wilbert took the 200 Free while Wilbert, Saeva, Steve Blake and Davis teamed up to win both the 200 Free and 400 Free. In the individual events Brooks took the 100 Free and 100 Back, Wilbert the 200 Free, Davis the IM and Marty Stirk the 100 Breaststroke.
In all, the Albion boys compiled a perfect 90-0 record during their seven year reign going 12-0 during the first five years and 15-0 during the final two (2004-05 and 2005-06).
After a decade, Albion Running Club dissolves and hands off races
Organization donates $5,000 for walking/running trail at Bullard Park
Photos by Tom Rivers: Brian Krieger, executive director of the Albion Running Club, addresses about 120 participants during the Run for Wayne on March 23, 2019. That race and the Strawberry Festival 5K and 8K will now be managed by Wolfpack Multisport.
ALBION – A club that helped motivate people to take up running and also managed local races has dissolved after about a decade.
The Albion Running Club has handed off management of two local races – the Run for Wayne in March and Strawberry Festival 5K and 8K – to Wolfpack Multisport, led by Bert Gallmon. He is planning for the races to continue in-person this year. If that isn’t possible due to Covid, Gallmon said they could be held virtually, with people running the distances on their own and not in a group race.
“We felt it was a good time for new blood to take over the events and grow them,” said Brian Krieger, the Running Club president and chief executive officer.
Before the Running Club closed out its financial books, it wrote a check for $5,000 to the Village of Albion towards a walking/running trail along the perimeter of the park near Sandy Creek.
Brian Krieger and Lindon Morici (center), members of the Albion Running Club, last week presented the $5,000 check to Albion Mayor Eileen Banker for the running and walking trail at Bullard.
Krieger said the Running Club donated about $52,000 the past decade with donations to the Care Net Center of Greater Orleans, Community Kitchen, Albion Free Methodist Church Missions trip, Hospice, Holley Youth Center, Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern, Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County, Re-Build Bullard Park, Wayne Burlison Scholarship and several fundraisers for community members.
He thanked many local businesses and sponsors for supporting the events, and the many volunteers who stepped up to on race days or in other ways.
File photos – Sheila Lemcke of Albion was The Strawberry in the 2014 race.
The Running Club also secured grants to buy sneakers for about 100 people and run a “Fit in 50” program with weekly gatherings to exercise and promote healthy living.
The club organized Run for God, a 12-week program that was like a Couch to 5K training plan, taking people who haven’t been running to completing a 5K. About 400 people did the Run for God in seven years. The program includes a spiritual aspect with lessons from the Bible.
“We sparked a bit of a running revolution in Albion from people of all walks of life,” Krieger said. “It’s been an incredible experience.”
The Club formed initially to manage the Strawberry Festival race after Judy Christopher stepped down after leading that event for 19 years. He pushed to make the race a fun event. Krieger would find someone each year to wear a Strawberry costume. Runners get a special prize if they beat “The Strawberry.”
That 5K/8K was one of the biggest road races in the rural GLOW counties, attracting 200 to 300 runners.
Krieger urged people to take the first step in getting active and healthy. He is hopeful some of the Run for God participants will help keep that program going, or set up weekly times for people to run together.
Krieger led the initial Run for God groups with his friend, Wayne Burlison, an Albion elementary music teacher. They organized the Run for God with it usually starting in early March and culminating with people completing the 5K course at the Strawberry Fest the second Saturday in June.
Burlison was also friends with Gallmon, the new race organizer, through their participation together with The Patriots, a drum corps band.
Burlison was diagnosed with colon cancer in December 2013 and he passed away at age 36 on was 36 on March 26, 2014.
The “Run for Wayne” honors his memory. The race has been modified to be the Wayne Burlison Colon Cancer Awareness 5K. This year race is planned for March 27. Gallmon would like to do the in-person race as a group. It had 120 participants in March 2019. Last year’s race was cancelled due to Covid.
These Run for God participants pose for a group picture before the 2013 Strawberry Festival race.
The race could also be virtual only or perhaps be limited to 50 people with others going virtual. Gallmon also said race organizers this year may be looking to have runners go in waves on race day, to spread them out.
“It is a little stressful not knowing,” he said. “I still want to do a live event.”
The Burlison race starts on Clarendon Road near the elementary school and goes to Mount Albion Cemetery and back.
Gallmon runs other events through Wolfpack Multisport, including a triathlon at Silver Lake in Wyoming County. He would like to bring a triathlon to Orleans County in the future.
He praised Krieger and the Running Club for putting on two popular races with the Wayne Burlison Colon Cancer Awareness 5K and the Strawberry Festival 5K/8K.
“With the Wayne race we are honoring his memory and highlighting colon cancer, which is a real problem,” Gallmon said.
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States.
Gallmon will be looking to have race committees help with the events in Albion and Orleans County.
For more information on Wolfpack Multisports, click here.
Editor’s Note: Orleans Hub editor Tom Rivers was a member of the Running Club’s board of directors.
State Federation Basketball Tourney cancelled
In a decision that was expected after the New York State Public High School Athletic Association had already cancelled its state boys and girls basketball championships for this year the Federation Tournament has also now been cancelled.
The New York State Federation of Secondary Schools Athletic Association (NYSFSSAA) announced this morning “the cancellation of its 2021 Boys and Girls Basketball Tournament of Champions at Fordham University due to the impact of COVID-19.”
The Federation’s release stated “The NYSFSSAA Basketball Tournament of Champions is an event comprised of representatives from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA), the New York City Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL), Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA), and the New York State Association of Independent Schools Athletic Association (AISAA) in Classes AA, A, and B.”
The release continued that “Due to the continuing public health emergency related to COVID-19, the Federation Executive Board unanimously voted to cancel this year’s Federation Basketball Championships,” said Jim Foster, NYSFSSAA Executive Secretary. “It’s a disappointing announcement but the Board felt it was in the best interest of student-athlete safety and furthermore, it is an unknown if Fordham University will even be open for events utilizing the college facilities in March.”
Additionally the release noted that “none of the four associations that comprise the NYS Federation are conducting winter championships; therefore, there would not be any teams qualifying to participate in a culminating Federation event.
“Fordham is scheduled to host the tournament in 2022 which is the final year of its three-year bid. However, Fordham officials have offered the Federation to host the event in 2023 on its campus and are also in discussions about hosting in 2024 to provide Fordham a full three-year term.
“The 2020 basketball tournament at Fordham and the boys/girls golf championships at Bethpage were also cancelled last spring. In October, the Federation announced the cancellation of its cross country championships, typically held in November at Bowdoin Park, due to COVID. The boys/girls Federation golf championships remain scheduled for this June.
“The NYSFSSAA boys tournament was held in Glens Falls for 30 years (1981-2010) while the girls tournament was held in Glens Falls for 16 years (1995-2010) before both went to the Times Union Center in 2012. Fordham won the bid for the event in 2019 and was scheduled to begin hosting in 2020.”
Practice begins for N-O swim season
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – This was one morning when students did not mind coming to school on a holiday as practices got underway at several Niagara-Orleans League schools for the upcoming swim season. It marks the first team activity for N-O student-athletes since early November when the fall season ended. Here members of the defending champion Roy-Hart boys teams put in some warm up laps. Roy-Hart is also the defending N-O girls champion. The league is scheduled to begin what will be a season of “virtual” swim meets on January 28 when the match ups will have Roy-Hart vs. Newfane, Barker vs. Albion and Medina vs. Akron. The “virtual” meet will have each team swimming in its own pool with a computer program to be used to determine the individual event winners and the overall team winner. Albion also began practice this morning while Medina is scheduled to begin on Tuesday. Click here to view video from this morning.
Roy-Hart has a rich history of N-O swim titles
Contributed Photo – Roy-Hart swimmers celebrate their first ever win over Akron which keyed the Channel Cats to their first Niagara-Orleans League swim championship during the 1978-79 season.
On Monday Roy-Hart’s boys and girls swim teams will begin practice to defend their Niagara-Orleans League championships.
The Channel Cats in fact have compiled a very rich history of title seasons over the N-O League’s first 45 years of swim competition.
Last year’s title was the 20th for the boys team and the fifth for the girls squad.
In addition, the Channel Cats claimed four titles during the N-O League’s early years of co-ed team swim competition (1976-86).
Roy-Hart’s first N-O title came during the 1978-79 season keyed by two victories over rival Akron, which had claimed the league’s first three championships going undefeated each year.
The Channel Cats capped off the historic season by winning five events at the All-League meet. John Ramming, who won the 100 Backstroke and Mark Willard, who took the 200 Individual Medley, were also both members of both the winning 200 Medley and 400 Freestyle Relays.
When the league split into separate boys and girls teams during the 1986-87 season the Roy-Hart boys went undefeated (10-0) to capture the championship as again two wins over runner-up Akron (8-2) proved to be the difference.
Again the Channel Cats capped off the season in a big way winning nine of 11 events at the All-League meet. Mike Treadway doubled in the IM and 100 Butterfly and Mark Whalen in Diving and the Backstroke while Ben McDonald took the 50 Free, Brian Austin the 500 Free and Matt Derry the 100 Breaststeoke. Brian and Matt Austin were also both members of the winning 200 Medley and 400 Free Relay teams.
The boys squad went on to win the N-O title six of the next seven years.
Roy-Hart later would claim a league record 11 straight N-O boys championships from the 2006-2007 season to the 2016-17 campaign. The Channel Cats went 109-0 during that memorable run.
Roy-Hart’s most unusual title though came during the league’s final season of co-ed team competition (1985-86).
The Channel Cats shared the crown that season with Starpoint at 9-1. The co-championship resulted from Starpoint’s premature victory celebration in a key late season meet at Roy-Hart.
Trailing 40-33, Starpoint had sprinted to a 1-2 finish in the final relay for an apparent 42-41 victory to remain undefeated. However, before the final relay quartets could reach the finish line several over enthusiastic Starpoint team members jumped into the pool to celebrate the apparent title clinching victory. It was a disastrous victory plunge though as all of Starpoint’s entrants in the event were disqualified allowing Roy-Hart to earn a bizarre 42-41 victory which resulted in the teams sharing the N-O crown.
Now the defending champion Roy-Hart boys and girls teams are scheduled to begin defense of their title on January 28 in what is planned to be a season of virtual meets.
Albion student breaks school record by lifting 605 pounds
With gyms closed, Dominic DiGiulio trained by carrying heavy boulders in his backyard
Photo from Albion Central School: Dominic DiGiulio lifts 605 pounds on Thursday, to break the school record in the dead lift of 585 pounds, which was set by his cousin Jonathan Trembley in 2013.
ALBION – Dominic DiGiulio has had his eyes on breaking a school record in the dead lift for several years. His cousin, Jonathan Trembley, set the record with 585 pounds in 2013.
Dominic, 17, is a senior. It’s been a challenging and somewhat disappointing school year so far for him. No football, no wrestling, no homecoming – yet. The football season might start in March if the state gives it the OK. Dominic is a 230-pound lineman for the Purple Eagles. (Maybe homecoming could happen in the spring. The state hasn’t approved “high risk” winter sports including wrestling and basketball.)
Photos courtesy of Stephanie DiGiulio: Dominic DiGiulio built his strength carrying heavy boulders in his backyard.
Covid-19 has been disruptive for students and the community since last March. Students weren’t allowed in the school after March 13. That included the weight room. Even the local gyms were all closed by the state until late August.
For Dominic, that made it difficult to chase his cousin’s record in the dead lift. Last year, Dominic reached 505 pounds in a lift. At his home, he has about 200 pounds of weights to work with.
He found other ways to stay in shape and build strength. He picked up boulders in his backyard. He did pushups with heavy flat rocks on his back.
When gyms were able to reopen, he joined Studio Fit in Medina. The school district also launched an intramural program in early January with weight lifting an option. Dominic joined the program and last Thursday he set the school’s record in the deadlift at 605 pounds.
His cousin, the previous record holder, called to offer his congratulations.
“That wasn’t just me lifting that weight,” Dominic posted on the school’s Facebook page, when Albion shared a post about him setting the record. “It was my teammates, coaches, teachers, peers, the class of 2021. This school year has been tough on everyone, but covid picked the wrong class to mess with. #Albionstrong”
Dominic is hopeful there can be a return to normalcy at some point this school year, when all of his classmates are in the school building the same time. Right now they are split with a group Monday and Thursday, and another group Tuesday and Friday, with some also fully remote.
Dominic, plans to major in exercise science in college, started getting serious about weightlifting as a freshman. He topped 300 pounds in a lift that year, and has added about 100 pounds each year, passing 400 as a sophomore, 500 as a junior and now 605.
His next goal is 300 kilograms before he turns 18. That would be 661.387 pounds.
“I’m not done,” he said. “I’m just getting started.”
Dominic DiGiulio does a pushup with a rock on his back. He had to improvise when the local gyms were closed from mid-March through late August due to Covid-19 restrictions from the state.
High Risk winter sports are now waiting on further guidance from Albany
In mid December the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) announced the postponement of High Risk winter sports (basketball, wrestling, ice hockey) “until authorization is granted by state officials.”
Since that announcement on December 12 no further information and or guidance has been issued by the the state Health Department or the Governor’s office concerning the status of those “High Risk” sports.
And with time rapidly disappearing to get a winter sports season in the uncertainty of this situation is causing plenty of frustration for athletes and coaches as well as for school district, league and sectional officials.
This past week the New York State Athletic Administrators Association sent a letter to Governor Cuomo urging him to permit High Risk sports to begin playing and Section VI officials indicated their readiness to get High Risk winter sports going once they receive approval from Albany
In a broadcast interview on Friday Section V Executive Director Kathy Hoyt voiced some of those same concerns when she said “We’re waiting for the guidance. Depending on when it is given will determine what the season will look like. We just don’t know. The key here is when and if and at this point we have no indication when or if anything is going to happen.”
In voicing the concern and the frustration of many the problem Hoyt noted is that “we have heard nothing since mid December.”
She noted the information sectional officials have received is that “at this point they (the State Health Department) has no intention to reevaluate” the risk rating (low, moderate or high) of the various sports.
“Our goal is to give as many kids as possible the opportunity to participate in as many sports as possible,” she said. “When word is received our member schools will be ready to go. Everyone is prepared. If we get the green light our member schools can readily prepare our athletes and coaches” for the protocols needed to be followed for the season.
“We just want to stay positive and hopeful,” she added. “Some advocacy efforts are underway legislatively and locally to reinstate High Risk sports and that is awesome.”
For now athletes, coaches, school districts, league and sectional officials can only wait for that further guidance and information on the status of the “High Risk” sports to be forthcoming from Albany.
