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Winter athletes honored by Board of Education

At its April 1 meeting, the BC Board of Education recognized several student-athletes and teams for their achievements during the winter sports season.

Athletics Director Len Kies introduced the athletes and coaches, praising them for an outstanding season. Board of Education President Holly Dellenbaugh and Superintendent Jody Monroe presented each athlete with an Eagle pin in recognition of their accomplishments.

Girls Basketball

team posing for photo

The Bethlehem girls basketball team capped off a remarkable postseason run with a trip to the Class AA state championship game, overcoming an inconsistent regular season to emerge as one of the top teams in New York.

After finishing the regular season with an 8-11 record (6-7 in league play), the Lady Eagles entered Section 2 playoffs as the Class AA No. 4 seed. The BC team gained momentum at the right time, defeating Mohonasen in the opening round of the tournament before upsetting the top-seeded team, Columbia, in the semifinals.

The Eagles then secured the program’s first sectional title since 2015 with a thrilling 58-56 victory over Troy, sealed by last-second heroics.

Senior Makaya McCann was named the Section II Class AA Tournament Most Valuable Player for her standout performance throughout the postseason. Bethlehem carried its success into regional play, earning a decisive 64-41 win over Section III champion Oswego to advance to the Class AA Final Four. In the state semifinals, the Eagles defeated Section I champion Nyack, ranked No. 3 in New York State with just one loss entering the game, by a score of 50-46. The Eagles’ season ultimately concluded in the state championship game, where they fell to a talented North Tonawanda team, finishing a memorable playoff run as state finalists.

Team members

  • Sophie Bordell
  • Katie Ryan
  • Makaya McCann
  • Lily Griesbach
  • Ella McCarthy
  • Natalie Sherman
  • Elizabeth Kearney
  • Eden Sanchez
  • Abby Okeke-Kitchen
  • Macy Young
  • Niki Palas
  • Brynn Elfeldt
  • Trish Piccini, Head Coach
  • Hannah Mazzeo, Varsity Asst. Coach
  • Tim McDermott, JV Coach

Boys Swim & Dive

team posing for photo

The Bethlehem boys swim and dive team delivered a historic season, capturing the Section 2 championship after completing an undefeated dual meet campaign. The title marks a significant milestone for the program, which had not gone undefeated since 1997 and had not claimed a sectional championship since 2001.

Bethlehem dominated the Section II meet with a team score of 388 points, finishing well ahead of Shenendehowa (289) and Niskayuna (287).

A key contributor to the Eagles’ success was their performance in relay events. The 200-yard medley relay team of Ewan Izzard, Bhargava Janga, Jacob Hershberg and Eli German captured the sectional title. At the state meet, a slightly different lineup (Ewan Izzard, Bhargava Janga, Jacob Hershberg and Jack Keating) set a new school record in the same event.

Individually, Jacob Hershberg had a standout postseason, winning both the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke at sectionals. He went on to set school records in both events at the state championships.

Bethlehem also claimed the sectional title in the 200-yard freestyle relay, with a team of Mikolaj Wloszczynski, Ewan Izzard, Ian Savage and Jack Keating.

Several Eagles represented the program at the state meet, including Keating in the 50-yard freestyle, German in the 100-yard butterfly and Janga in the 100-yard breaststroke.

Bethlehem’s strong showing throughout the season and postseason underscores a resurgence for the program, highlighted by both team achievements and individual excellence.

Coaches – Tom Kearney (recognized as Times Union Section 2 Coach of the Year) and Jennifer Van Horne

Team members

  • Mason Bergeron
  • Jack Buenau
  • Maxwell Connolly (Diver)
  • Victor Franco
  • Eli German
  • Levi German
  • Jacob Hershberg
  • Tahir Hocalar (Diver)
  • Jacob Hussar
  • Ewan Izzard
  • Bhargava Janga
  • Jack Keating
  • Ezra McIlvain
  • Lucas Peters
  • Ian Savage
  • Alexander Skuza
  • Kai Uruga
  • Alex Wang
  • Mikolaj Wloszczynski
  • Dayou (Ben) Zhang

Boys Bowling

three people pose for photo

At the Section 2 bowling championships, grade 9 student Carter Martin emerged as the top overall bowler in the tournament, scoring an average of over 244 per game over six games. Martin finished 19th overall in the New York State tournament (6 games – 211 average).

Girls Indoor Track & Field

four people pose for photo

Senior Anna Chrapowitzky delivered an impressive performance at the NYSPHSAA Track and Field State Championships, earning a fifth-place finish in the 1,500-meter run. Chrapowitzky, who competes for the Eagles’ girls indoor track and field team, capped off a standout season with new school records in the 800-meter, 1,500-meter and 3,200-meter events. 

Coach – Tucker Chrapowitzky

Boys Indoor Track & Field

five people pose for photo

Several athletes earned top honors and qualified for the New York State meet this season. Jonathan Radcliffe led the way with a standout performance, capturing the Section 2 title in the 55-meter dash. He also qualified for the state championships in both the 55-meter and 300-meter dash events.

Calvin Howard earned a spot at the state meet as a qualifier in the 1,600-meter run.

Lucas Nalbone qualified as part of the intersectional relay team, competing in the 200-meter leg.

Coach – Andrew Rickert

Gymnastics

group photo

Three students competed at the New York State tournament as members of the Section 2 team:

  • Brynn Colwell, a sophomore, competed in floor exercises;
  • Caroline Cronlund, a senior, competed on bars; and
  • Jade Fountain-Roesser, a sophomore, competed on vault, beam, and floor exercise. Fountain-Roesser earned a top-10 podium spot for vault.

Coaches – Kylie Sullivan and  Stephanie Cook

Girls Wrestling

five people pose for photo

Junior Charleigh Eick made program history by becoming the first to achieve the milestone, finishing the season with an impressive 36-7 record. Katie Huang also delivered a standout season, placing second in Section II at 152 pounds. She concluded the year with a 25-8 record and an overall career mark of 55-16. Both wrestlers qualified for the NYSPHSAA State Championships, where each earned a seventh-place finish, highlighting their success against the top competition in New York State. Both wrestlers were NYSPHSAA State qualifiers, each finishing the tournament in 7th place.

Boys Wrestling

four people pose for photo

Senior James Nalbone was named the Section 2 Division 1 Most Outstanding Wrestler. Nalbone earned the award after winning the boys wrestling Section championship in the 132-lb weight class. 

Nalbone’s sectional win was the first Bethlehem boys individual wrestling championship since 1998. Nalbone has 145 career wins.

Congratulations, Winter Scholar Athlete Teams!

  • Boys Basketball
  • Girls Basketball
  • Girls Bowling
  • Boys Swim & Dive
  • Boys Indoor Track & Field
  • Girls Indoor Track & Field
  • Boys Wrestling
  • Girls Wrestling
  • Gymnastics