Contributed Photos – Niagara-Orleans League All-State field hockey honorees include, from left, Madison Brege (Akron), Madison Gancasz (Barker) and Lacey Berghorn (Akron).

Three Niagara-Orleans League players have been named to the Class C All-State field hockey team.

The trio includes Akron sophomores Lacey Berghorn and Madison Brege and Barker senior Madison Gancasz.

Berghorn, an attacker who scored a Section VI leading 33 goals, and Brege, a midfielder who netted 12 goals, helped lead Akron to the Section VI Class C championship.

Gancasz, scored 9 goals and added 6 assists for Barker which finished second in the Class C sectionals after sharing the N-O championship with Akron.

Berghorn, Brege and Gancasz also all recently earned first team All-Western New York honors.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Alexis Bouie, shown here in action for the University at Buffalo, helped lead Albion to its first N-O volleyball title in 1999.

Ending a 25 year title drought Albion captured its memorable first Niagara-Orleans League volleyball championship in 1999 and the Purple Eagles did it in dominating fashion by going 14-0.

Albion finished the N-O campaign five matches ahead of runners-up Barker and Medina, both at 9-5.

Leading the Purple Eagles was the senior first team N-O All-League trio of Alexis Bouie, Markeya Drisdom and Janie Howard.  Bouie who was named the N-O League’s MVP, went on to play Division 1 college volleyball at the University at Buffalo.

Coach Ann Capacci’s roster also included seniors Jill Hart, Jody Kelly, Aline Lyra, Stacey Pinopoulos, Megan Szyikowski along with juniors Kelly McGaffick, Lisa Persia, Lysa Woolston and sophomores Sarah Meisner and Erica Passarell.

It took a tense come-from-behind five set win over Roy-Hart (11-15, 15-11, 14-16, 15-11, 15-10) to complete the perfect league campaign.

The Purple Eagles also had to go five sets two other times earlier in the season trimming rival Medina 15-7, 12-15, 15-8, 8-15, 15-6 and Barker 7-15, 15-10, 8-15, 16-14, 15-12.

Albion’s previous best finish over the first 25 years of the N-O league came in 1996 when the Purple Eagles finished second at 11-3 to undefeated champion Roy-Hart (14-0).

It did not take Albion 25 years to claim another N-O title as the Purple Eagles captured the championship in 2009 sharing the crown with Roy-Hart at 11-1.

In fact, Albion went on to capture the N-O crown outright four of the next six years going 12-0 in 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Nine Niagara-Orleans League senior athletes have been named to the Section VI All-Western New York Scholar-Athlete Individual Award team by compiling an average of at least 90 over the last six semesters.

The N-O honorees include Medina’s Alwyn Cayea (Cross-Country) and FaithAnn Vanderwalker (Field Hockey), Roy-Hart’s Carter Green (Golf), Akron’s Kayla Murray (Cross-Country), Barker’s Lena Fazzolari (Field Hockey) and Carla Stoloski (Cross-Country), Newfane’s Trevor Heschke (Soccer) and Wilson’s Olivia Mocarski (Field Hockey) and Kaylee Healy (Cross-Country).

The N-O also had a large number of student-Athletes receive Honorable Mention. Listed by School they are as follows:

Albion – Madalynn Snook (Soccer), Bonnie DiCureia (Soccer), Brittany Spies-Hunt (Soccer), Claire Squicciarini (Soccer), Colburn Spierdowis (Soccer), Christopher Shabazz (Soccer) and Zac Albright (Soccer).

Medina – Jack Rutkowski (Soccer), Abigail Blount (Field Hockey), Sophia Cardone (Field Hockey), Hannah Kenward (Field Hockey), Suvi Biesinger (Cross-Country), Sarah Sones (Golf), Brooklyn Brown (Soccer) and Carina Kingsbury (Soccer).

Barker – Thomas Jowdy (Cross-Country), Madison Gancasz (Field Hockey), Ella Gooding (Field Hockey), Elinore Voss (Cross-Country), Jessalyn Coen (Soccer) and Chloe Lee (Soccer).

Roy-Hart – Jeffrey Lovewell (Cross-Country), Dominic Peracciny (Soccer), Aidan Bligh (Soccer), Bradley Voelker (Soccer), Rebecca Berner (Field Hockey), Miah Glena (Field Hockey), Lexiss Diel (Field Hockey), McCarthy Lang (Golf), Mya Quinn (Soccer), Clara Jones (Soccer) and Cecilia Santos (Soccer).

Akron – Dylan Scotch (Cross-Country), Adam Mietz (Soccer), Evan Lazzazero (Soccer), Jacob Mazza (Soccer), Madison Henning (Soccer), Olivia Kreher (Soccer), Natalie Karmazyn (Soccer), Ava Martina (Soccer) and Sydney Hall (Soccer).

Newfane – Lilleeane Clark (Soccer), Cora Harding (Soccer), Rachel Chunco (Soccer), Philip Stevenson (Cross-Country), Marah Sheehan (Field Hockey) and Taylor Heschke (Cross-Country).

Wilson – Allan Schultz (Cross-Country), Samuel Georgal (Golf), Jared Jacques (Golf), Matthew Ash (Soccer), Benjamin Lyman (Soccer), Dakota Wagner (Soccer), Rachel Elledge (Field Hockey), Gianna Marchetti (Field Hockey), Taylor Mielke (Field Hockey), Alycia Thompson (Field Hockey), Megan Wawrzynski (Field Hockey), Anna Meyers (Field Hockey), Jennifer Reagan (Cross-Country), Kenzie Beyer (Soccer), Megan Musall (Soccer), Madelyn Seeley (Soccer) and Lilly O’Lay (Soccer).

Contributed Photos – Flora Posson looks over one of her old yearbooks during a 2010 interview.

The Medina High athletic program lost a very special alum on Sunday evening with the passing of Flora Posson at the age of 106.

Flora was a key member of the Medina’s first Golden Era of girls basketball, which saw Coach Thelma Baldwin’s teams compile an incredible 60-0-1 record over five seasons from 1930-34.

She was a four starter and scoring leader for the first four years of that memorable run during the era of six on six girls basketball (three on offense and three on defense). Her four teams went 47-0 and the following year her successors continued the run by going 13-0-1 to extend the streak to 60-0-1.

Flora Posson was a member of the undefeated 1932-33 Medina High girls basketball team. In front are Harriet Tillman, Alice Bates, Helen Montgomery, Flora Posson and Gladys Tinney. In the middle row are Esther Shurgour, Margaret Posson, Margaret Stocking, Barbara Gill, Inez Perry and Alberta Bateman. In back are Abigail Cromwell, Coach Thelma Baldwin and Eleanor Welch.

Flora along with her sister Margaret Posson, Margaret Stocking, Lorraine Garrett, Verna Verbridge, Pauline Hise, Alice Bates, Alberta Batema, Dorothy Sechowski, Gertrude Arnett, Helen Montgomery, Abigail Cromwell and Harriet Thomas were among the regulars on those squads which went 9-0 during the 1929-30 season, 11-0 in 1930-31, 13-0 in 1931-32, 14-0 in 1932-33 and 13-0-1 in 1933-34.

The team’s offensive leader for four years her efforts included scoring 42 points in a 58-7 win over Holley during the 1929-30 season, 38 in a 55-14 win over Holley (1930-31) and 35 in a 54-13 win over Bergen (1931-32).

Flora’s love of basketball continued after her graduation from MHS as she went on to play basketball at Skidmore College for four years.

Unfortunately within five years of Flora’s graduation from MHS girls basketball was reduced to just intramural competition. It wasn’t until the mid 1970’s when Title IX legislation was enacted mandating equal scholastic and collegiate sports opportunities for boys and girls that girls interscholastic basketball competition returned.

Three Albion High varsity fall sports teams have earned New York State Public High School Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete Team Awards.

Those teams, which qualified by having 75 percent of the team hold a 3.7 grade point average or higher include Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer and Girls Gross-Country.

In addition, 13 Albion student/Athletes have been recognized individually as Scholar-Athletes by having a 3.7 GPA or higher for the fall season. They include James Beach, Bailey Blanchard, Jett Conn, Caleb Fox, William Freeman, Dameon Lattimer and Nik Newton from the Golf team and Josh Bovenzi, Rowan Ford, Jordan Marshall, Philip Monska, Reuben Rivers and Sam Williams from the Boys Cross-Country team.

Listed by team, members of the three Scholar-Athlete teams are as follows:

Girls Soccer – Emily Harling, Elisa Bropst, Nicolina Creasey, Kenzi Hapeman, Claire Squicciarini, Bonnie DiCureia, Brittney Spies-Hunt, Olivia Bieber, Charley London, Kailey Merrill, Abby Scanlan, Sydney Mulka, Leah Pritchard, Lauren Wehling, Alyson Knaak, Maddy Snook and Aurora Serafin.

Boys Soccer – Zac Albright, Carson Bader, Sawyer Braley, Jeffrey Brown, Anthony Freeman, Alex Gibson, Tyler Gibson, Orion Groth, Riley Hollenbeck, Caleb Hyde, Kyle Kuehne, Jack Ludwick, Josh Martin, Declan McCue, Zach Olles, Jahmeek Riley, Christopher Shabazz, Aiden Smith, Presley Smith, Colburn Spierdowis, Blake Stornelli and Jacob Thom.

Girls Cross-Country – Gabriella Dobo, Alexis Hess, Alanna Holman, Lillian Mathes, Meganne Moore, Mia Olles, Melissa Robinson, S’koi Sanders and Gina Sidari.

All six of Roy-Hart’s fall varsity teams have earned New York State Public High School Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete Team Awards by compiling a composite grade point average of at least 90.

The Rams squads and their grade point averages include Field Hockey (99.91). Boys Cross-Country (95.07), Girls Soccer (94.93), Girls Cross-Country (94.01), Golf (93.47) and Boys Soccer (92.89).

Listed by team, the student/athletes who were members of these squads are as follows:

Field Hockey – Ashton Becker, Lorna Becker, Rebecca Berner, Brooklyn Bottorff, Lexiss Diel, Raychel Dunker, Miah Glena, Claire Halstead, Amanda Hill, Carmela Huntington, Justine Laverty, Isabella Santella, Marissa Scott, Gabriella Smith and Cheyenne Stilwell.

Boys Cross-Country – Calvin Fournier, Alexander Gagne, Jake Hagen, Gavin Heideman, Jay Heideman, Ronan Klug, Jeff Lovewell, Ryan Nicosia, Andrew Ossont, Max Stern, Chris Ulrich and Lawson Walworth.

Girls Soccer – Kara Choate, Maddy Colley, Ryan Hiller, Clara Jones, Amelia Konstanty, Ada Livergood, Brooke Livergood, Rileigh McCabe, Ava Owens, Grace Parker, Reanna Perkins, Mya Quinn, Cecilia Stantos, Nadia White, Hanna Willard and Shelby Wolf.

Girls Cross-Country – Shianne Beauman, Lilliana Kibbe, Samantha McIntrye, Kylie Mcomber, Julia Miles, Victoria Silsby and Alex Stern.

Golf – Bryan Baes, Nathan Beyer, Carter Green, McCarthy Lang, Jillian Ossont and Andrew Downey.

Boys Soccer – Hunter Babel, Aidan Bligh, Gavyn Boyle, Trent Choate, Dillen Giertz, Elijah Giroux, Aiden Guild, Landen Guild, Christian Lates, Zach Livergood, Peter Martillotta, Brandin Masters, Dom Peracciny, Brett Ricker, Noah Stern and Brad Voelker.

Contributed Photo – Medina’s 1984 Niagara-Orleans League and Section VI Class B championship volleyball team included, in front, Traci Preston, Bridget Hartway, Missy Gaygen and Sherry Tarr. In back are Carol Champlin, Pam Grimes, Wanda Pitts, Megan McGrath, Liz Monell, Kory Holman, Patty Fearby and Coach Scott Grimm.

Of late Akron has ruled the Niagara-Orleans League volleyball courts having captured the last four titles winning outright in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and sharing it with Wilson in 2019.

However, the distinction of having earned the most titles in the nearly 50 year long history of N-O volleyball goes to Medina as the Mustangs have claimed the crown a total of 13 times.

Interestingly most of those championships have come in two big runs. The Mustangs claimed the crown three straight years from 1975-77 and then six in a row from 1984-89.

Medina edged out Newfane and Starpoint for that historic first title in 1975. The Mustangs downed Newfane in straight sets in the league finale to claim the crown. Led by first team All-League honorees Cheryl Schnackel and Teal Meacham, Medina finished at 10-2 while Newfane and Starpoint wound up at 9-3.

The Mustangs made it two in a row by going 13-1 to retain the title in 1976 as Schnackel repeated as a first team All-League honoree.

It took a playoff victory over Newfane for Medina to successfully score a three-peat of the title in 1977. Medina and Newfane finished the regular season deadlocked at 12-2 but the Mustangs claimed the crown with a 16-14, 15-12 win over the Lady Panthers in the playoff match held at Barker. LouAnn Watkins, Pam Root and Robin Cooksey all earned first team All-League honors for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs also captured the Section VI Class BB title in both 1977 and 1978 .

Medina shared the N-O crown with Wilson in 1980 at 12-2 before putting together their record setting run of six straight championships. The Mustangs also claimed the Section VI Class B crown that season.

A perfect 14-0 campaign in 1984 ignited that huge title run as first team All-League honorees Bridget Hartway, Sherry Tarr and Megan McGrath led the way for the Mustangs.

Medina then edged out Starpoint for the 1985 title as the Mustangs finished at 12-2 and the Lady Spartans at 11-3. McGrath and Wanda Pitts both earned first ream All-League honors for the Mustangs.

Medina also captured the Section VI Class B championship in both 1984 and 1985.

Keeping the momentum, Medina went on to claim the N-O crown outright in 1986 going 14-0, in 1987 going 13-1 and in 1988 going 12-2. Wanda Pitts and Joanna Gardner both earned first team All-League honors in 1986 as did Gardner in 1987 and Liz Pitts and Lorraine Johnson in 1988.

Medina’s final year of that reign saw the Mustangs share the N-O crown with Wilson in 1989 as both teams finished at 12-2. Liz Pitts and Camilla Moore both earned first team All-League honors.

Since that lengthy run, Medina also claimed the N-O title outright in 1993 and 1995 and shared the crown with Starpoint in 2000.