Tuesday June 6, 2023 
Averill Park Sports By Issac Joseph
AVERILL PARK – Happy new year Warrior fans! Averill Park’s teams continued to have success in competition over the holiday break.
The boys basketball team defeated Queensbury 38-37 in the semifinals of the Walsh Memorial Tournament in Burnt Hills on 12/28. Nicholas Galuski hit the game winning free throw with four seconds left in the game. Galuski also led the team with nine points. The boys went on to win the tournament, defeating Burnt Hills 45-41 on 12/29. Dan Coiteux led the boys with 19 points in the win. Nicholas Galuski was named the tournament MVP and Brady Mazzeo made the tournament first team. The basketball team will face Shenendehowa in their next game on 1/7.
The girls basketball team lost to Pittsford Mendon on 12/29, with a 52-25 final score. Amelia Wood and Taylor Holohan each had 12 points in the loss. The girls turned it around, defeating Colonie 53-47 on 12/30. Taylor Holohan led the team with 15 points, while Amelia Wood and Bailee Lange added 13 and 12 points respectively. The girls team travels to Shenendehowa on 1/7 for their next game.
The CD Jets lost 5-0 against Bethlehem on 12/28. They will take on Rome Free Academy in their next game on 1/8.
I will be back next week to report on AP scores and highlights. Go Warriors!
Scholar Athlete Of The Week By Tyler Michaels
AVERILL PARK – This week’s Scholar Athlete is John ONeill-Knassick (OK). John is a sprinter for the Varsity indoor track team, where he also participates in pole vault and high jump. John also plays soccer in the fall and participates in outdoor track and field
in the spring; in addition, he plays on a travel baseball team outside of school. John began running track in eighth grade to follow in the footsteps of his two older sisters, who had run track previously. John runs and lifts weights in each season to prepare him for his next athletic season, and John ensures he stretches well and takes care of his body to prevent injuries and balance playing multiple sports. John’s favorite part about indoor track and field is the competitive aspect behind it. For John, his field events are the most difficult part about his sport. Both high jump and pole vault require a lot of practice and athleticism, and John works hard to meet these requirements. Last year, John placed second in the sectional meet for pole vault. In regular meets during the last outdoor track season and the current indoor track season, John has yet to be defeated in pole vault. In a recent meet, John achieved his personal pole vault record of 10’ 6”. This year, John wants to continue improving and jump higher in both of his field events.
In addition to his athletic success, John succeeds academically. John has a 4.0 GPA while taking a rigorous course load, including Advanced Placement Statistics. To help balance school and sports, John ensures he balances his time wisely. If he has time before practice John will work on homework in the library, and avoids procrastination so he hands in all work on time. John is also a member of the National Honor Society and Robotics Club. In his free time, John enjoys playing other sports with friends or playing video games.
John’s sister Katie serves as one of his role models. John admires his sister’s intelligence and pushes himself to match her intellectual prowess. John also strives to make a school record in the track and field seasons. The outdoor track and field team has a leaderboard for every event, and John hopes to bring himself towards the top of that board. John’s coaches also all help him excel in his various sports. His friends and family help push John by constantly supporting him and believing in his abilities. John would advise a younger athlete to “Take your time. You’re not going to learn all of the forms or be the quickest person in one day.” Next year, John plans on attending a four-year college where he hopes to double major in Finance and Accounting. John hopes to later get his MBA and Masters in Accounting. We wish John the best as he finishes his senior year and prepares for college.
