Yellowjackets athletes show perseverance and courage

TED WADDELL
Posted 6/20/18

ELDRED, NY — It was really a story about perseverance in overcoming adversary. Those roadblocks life sometimes throws in your way, even as a teenage athlete gearing up to graduation after …

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Yellowjackets athletes show perseverance and courage

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ELDRED, NY — It was really a story about perseverance in overcoming adversary.

Those roadblocks life sometimes throws in your way, even as a teenage athlete gearing up to graduation after taking to the field of athletic completion.

On Tuesday, June 5, Eldred held its annual varsity athletic banquet in the William “Coach” Werneke Gym, aka the “Hive” of the Yellowjackets.

Josh Santoro pinch-hit for athletic coordinator J.J. Gass, who was rather busy on baby-watch as his wife was expected to give birth to their child at any time.

The audience was all abuzz, as he described Mother Nature dishing up what he called “the worst year in sports I’ve ever seen… it’s been a heck of a ride… it was a tough one.”

Attended by more than 140 folks, the banquet paid tribute to the efforts of the various 2017-18 sports teams, announced the most valuable players for each team and recognized the stellar accomplishments of Kayla Maas as Outstanding Female Athlete and Joseph Santoro as Outstanding Male Athlete.

“Our female senior athlete of the year has gone to states six years in a row for cross country,” said junior-senior high school principal Virginia Keegan of the track and field records set by Mass.

The 17-year-old senior has been Eldred’s fastest runner since she was a seventh-grader, posting a total of eight league and Section IX championships, won the sportsmanship award in spring track and received a scholar athlete award at Eldred. 

Eldred’s head track and field coach, Don Drewett, sang the praises of Maas, as he listed her numerous accomplishments in three categories in additional to her MVPs and outstanding athlete honors: cross county (six-time qualifier to the NYSPHSAA state championships, two-time Section IX individual champ, three-time Section IX individual runner-up, member of the 2014-15 Section IX Championship Class D team, and top-scoring runner for all six years); winter track (OCIAA Division VI 1500 meter champion); and spring track (Section IX champ in the 3000 meter, Section IX runner-up in pole vault, 800 meter and 1500 meter runs).

In taking to the podium, Mass talked about the meaning of perseverance, that ability to get outside of oneself and focus on achieving personal goals, regardless of what stands in your way.

“Receiving this award is such an honor, due to the fact there are so many other girls in my grade who could have received it… they deserved it just as much as I did,” said Maas.

What about perseverance?

According to Maas, a few years ago she developed what she described as “a medical issue in my legs and muscles that caused severe cramping during and after the races.”

“It really affected my times, my physical body as well as my emotional attitude… that’s when I came to know perseverance and get through those times and keep my head up… in order to achieve what I always wanted to….”

After graduating high school, Maas plans to attend Siena College, an independent Roman Catholic liberal arts institution in Loudonville, NY to study either biology or pre-dental.

In announcing Joseph Santaro as this year’s outstanding male athlete, interim superintendent John C. Morgano noted that the 17-year-senior played four years of varsity soccer, three years of varsity basketball, and spent three years on the varsity baseball team.

The Eagle Scout and member of the Coach’s All-Star Team “was the center and a crucial part of the Section IX boys championship basketball [team], which was the first championship Eldred won in almost 20 years,” said Morgano.

Santoro, who will be attended Rochester Institute of Technology, to study computer science told the assemblage about overcoming Tourette’s Syndrome, a common neuropsychiatric disorder, through the discipline of sports and a lot of support from his folks, teammates and the local community.

“My brain sends these nerve impulses to my body… at first it was very difficult because it was new, something I couldn’t control. I had no idea what was going on… I was scared and I was young,” he said, matter-factly describing facing the issue head-on through athletic competition.

“When I’m doing sports like basketball and soccer, it takes my mind off it, and I get into my own zone… everyone’s always supportive of me,” added Santoro.

His take on the award?

“It was a little emotional… I saw all these other athletes go before me… it’s a tremendous honor; it’s a wonderful thing,” replied Santoro.

Graduation, eldred, track

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