Award Winners: Jarrett Pond (Team MVP), and Haley Pond (Sportsmanship Award)
The Golf Team concluded their season with a team scramble followed by the awards banquet on Tuesday at Elkdale. The team finished with a 7 – 5 league record, good for third place. Their overall record of 10 – 7 was much improved over last year’s 5 – 15 overall record.
The team bids farewell to its senior laden roster. Team captain Brandon Milanowski competed in 92 matches over his five year career. He is a two-time team MVP and been a league all-star the past three seasons. He finished second on the team with a 45.7 stroke average and was the medalist in 3 matches this year. Nyles Panus, Leya Slade, and George Gillman have been on the team for a couple seasons, and first year golfer Bryce Taylor will also be graduating.
Jarrett Pond had an outstanding sophomore season, with a 10 stroke improvement from last year. He was a first team all-star (42.8 stroke average), and led the team with being the medalist in 13 matches. Coach Jankowski states “Jarrett told me early on that he was going to shoot well all season. I figured there would be a bump in the road for a match or two, but that never happened. He led the team in every category. I am excited to see more improvement the next two years.”
Haley Pond was chosen for the Team Sportsmanship Award. “Haley is a great person and has been there for us when we needed her the past two years. She is a great competitor and we will certainly miss not having her on the team next year,” states Coach Jankowski. “This might be the first time in school history that we have had siblings win the two end-of the season awards for us. I know it has not happened since I started coaching in 2009. They are pretty close and it is not uncommon to see them working on their golf game together.”
Team “Fore”tisimo won the scramble with a 2 over par score of 37. George Gillman and Justin Blakesslee recruited Mr. Scott Bean (Band Director) to play with them. “It was great to Mr. Bean there. A lot of our golfers are in band so they were happy to hang out with him during the dinner and banquet,” adds Coach Jankowski.
2018-2019 Roger Crandall Warrior Pride Awards:These awards honors Mr. Roger Crandall, a coach, physical education teacher and athletic director for over 20 years here at SHS. This “Warrior Pride” Character and Courage Award is presented annually to one or two multi-sport male or female athletes who exhibit the highest degree of character and courage while competing in athletics
Brandon Milanowski & Haley Pond:
Brandon Milanowski:Our male “Warrior Pride Award” was a four-sport letter winner. He participated in Soccer, Bowling, Tennis and Golf.
In Soccer – he exemplifies Warrior pride in a number of ways. As an athlete, he is dedicated to his craft and willing to put in the time and effort to improve. He showed a tremendous amount of heart and passion on the field. He was an unquestionable leader on our team. He was a tremendous example for younger athletes on how to be a Warrior-- excelling in the classroom and on the field.
In Bowling – He has bowled for six years, starting in 7th grade. He started his career with the highest bowling average for a seventh grader in school history. He was a two-time second Team All-Star, and a three-time First Team All-Star. His teams had 230 wins, which includes three league championships, a Sectional Title, and two Sectional Runner-ups …, he also won the League Sportsmanship Award in 2016 and has been the Team MVP the past two seasons.
In Tennis – He was a big part of the team’s success this year; they achieved a 12-2 record. He played doubles and qualified for the county tournament. He was also selected as a scholar/athlete.
In Golf – He has golfed for five years. On the Golf Course for the Warriors, he has been a 4-time league all-star, and he competed at the State Qualifiers the past three seasons. He was the Team MVP for the Warriors in 2018.
As impressive as he is as an athlete, he always “got the job done in the classroom!” He is #3 in his senior class. This year he was an All-WNY Scholar Athlete in Bowling and he was a key member of the Golf Team, which was recognized as an All-NY Scholar Athlete Team.
Haley Pond:
Our female “Warrior Pride Award” was a four-sport letter winner. She participated in Tennis, Basketball, Lacrosse and Golf.
In Tennis – She has been a member of the tennis team for the last five years. She has been a team captain and has competed at the county tournament. She played second singles this year and has been selected as a scholar/athlete all five years. She has been a great role model for our younger players and displayed great sportsmanship all season.
In Basketball – Her basketball coach said she demonstrates what it means to have Warrior Pride. She was a captain for the girls’ varsity team. In this role, she led by example, showing up each day, putting in 100 % every second she was on the floor.
In Lacrosse - she played for the past 2 seasons on the lady warrior’s lacrosse team. Her positive attitude and willingness to always try new things led her to be a true leader on and off the field.
In Golf – She has been a member of the Varsity Golf Team for the past three seasons. She has a great work ethic and lots of determination. She always tries her best and will practice on her own to get better. She improved her golf game by ten strokes from last season. She is respected by her peers both on the team and in the classroom. Her academic success helped the golf team earn All WNY Scholar Athlete Team recognition this year. She was also the team recipient of the Sportsmanship Award.
The Harry Nelson Award – honors Harry Nelson who played three years of varsity baseball here at Salamanca and later coached and officiated baseball at many levels. This is given annually to a senior baseball player who demonstrates a true love for the game and dedication to the craft and team.
Male and Female Athlete's of the Year
The Lou Foy Male Athlete of the Year Award is named after the late Lou Foy, who was a coach of many sports, the athletic director and teacher at Salamanca for many years.
The Anita Oyler Female Athlete of the Year Award is given in honor of Anita Oyler, who was a physical education teacher, one of the first girls’ coaches, and an overall pioneer of girls’ sports at Salamanca school.
Tyler Hedlund
Our male “Athlete of the Year” was four-sport letter winner. He participated in Football, Basketball, Lacrosse and Track. This athlete has excelled in all four sports.
In Football - He was a three-year starter. He was selected to this year’s first team all-league as a defensive back, and was selected to the Big 30 team. He also won the Defensive Player of the Year award at the annual Salamanca Gridiron banquet. Mr. Haley stated, his dedication and leadership has helped turn the program around.
In Basketball – He was a 3-year varsity basketball player, serving as captain for his final two seasons. He helped the basketball program win 36 games in his three seasons, and he was twice named a CCAA East-1 Honorable Mention All-Star. Over the last three seasons, he led the program in assists and was second in rebounds.
In Lacrosse – This was his first year playing lacrosse and he played an important role on the first team midfield unit. His coach said “his overall effort on both ends of the field lead to the team’s success.
In Track - He has been on the track team since he was in seventh grade (six years). The last three years, he has been selected as a CCAA League All-Star. His coach said, “He has been an asset to the track & field program all six years”.
Mushirah SheppardOur female “Athlete of the Year” was four-sport letter winner. She participated in Swimming, Wrestling, Lacrosse and Track.
In Swimming – She has been a member of the swim team for the last six years. She has been a team captain and has competed at the county and sectional meets, placing in both meets. She has been a top diver in the county and is one of the few divers who can complete multiple high degree dives. She holds both the school and pool diving records.
In Wrestling – She has been wrestling since she was in 7th grade. She started out on the modified team and then moved to the varsity in 8th grade. During her varsity career, she placed in class tournaments and qualified for sectional competition. She had 88 career wins. She was the first girl to ever win a section six title at her weight class in the inaugural section six girls wrestling tournament. During the tournament, she was undefeated (5-0) with no points scored against her.
In Lacrosse - This was her first year playing for the lady warrior’s lacrosse team. In her seven games played, she scored five goals and assisted her teammates with many others.
In Track – She has been a member of the track team since she was in 7th grade. She qualified for the Super 8 meet all six seasons and has been the “Most Valuable Player” on the team the last four years. She has been a CCAA All-Star every year since her 8th grade year and has been a section six qualifier for the last six years. She has represented Salamanca and section six at the New York State Championships the last four years. With her best finish being 3rd in 2018.
