Brooklyn represented at the Wingate Awards last week at St. Francis College. Here’s a roundup of the winners in four differnet sports:
Softball
Two players that have met in three of the last four softball titles games, Tottenville center fielder Victoria McFarland and James Madison pitcher Kayla Hill, shared the PSAL Wingate Award, given annually to the top senior in a given sport.
Though the rivalry between their two teams has been at times bitter, McFarland and Hill laughed and joked like old friends during the dinner.
“I don’t think it’s strange,” McFarland said. “She’s a great player. She’s great to split the award with.”
Basketball
In a world where sixth and seventh graders are being ranked by recruiting services and an eighth grader’s recruitment to a high school feels like a college process, Ashley Gomez took a much more modest path.
She came into Murry Bergtraum three years ago with little fanfare and played sparingly her first two seasons. Even last year, as a junior, she was a key reserve, but little more on a loaded basketball team.
“It’s just shocking being from where I started from freshman year to now,” Gomez said. “It’s a big change from not playing at all into being the Wingate winner.”
Handball
Midwood is the capital of handball in the PSAL.
The Hornets boys team won their third title in four years last month and the girls earned the top seed in the playoffs before falling in the semifinals. On Monday, Jack Wong of the boys team and the girls team’s Serena Wu took home the PSAL Wingate Award, given annually to the top senior in a given sport.
“It says that we’re really determined and dedicated to winning,” Wu said. “Hopefully we’ll win more championships.”
Soccer
For the first three years of her illustrious high school career, Niri Halperin was Brooklyn Tech’s unquestioned star. That didn’t change her senior season, but there was added responsibility on a roster that included just six seniors around a bulk of sophomores.
It was Halperin who helped put the small Brooklyn school on the girls soccer landscape in New York City. Her character and high level of play earned the PSAL’s girls soccer Wingate Award.
“I feel like not as accomplished as all these people,” she said. “I feel really honored to be among them.”
