From left: Elmira Notre Dame's Mackenzie Maloney, Mia Herlan and Alivia Clark.

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Top Drawer 24

Here is the 11th annual Scholar-Athlete-Citizen Team of students
representing schools in Schuyler and Chemung counties

ODESSA, May 30, 2016 -- It is time once again for an annual rite -- the unveiling of the Top Drawer 24 team. This is the 11th such team, and this year it is dominated again by seniors.

This time, 10 schools are involved: Watkins Glen, Odessa-Montour, Trumansburg, Spencer-Van Etten, South Seneca, Elmira Notre Dame, Horseheads, Elmira, Thomas A. Edison, and Twin Tiers Christian Academy.

The Top Drawer honorees from those schools were selected by a committee and through consultation with administrators, teachers and coaches.

The Top Drawer program continues to maintain tradition by considering anyone in grades 9 through 12 as eligible for consideration. However, no freshmen made the team this year, nor in the prevous nine years. While sophomores are occasionally represented, none was on the team last year, nor is one this year. There are 18 seniors and 6 juniors among this year's honorees.

Committee members, in considering potential honorees, took into account academic accomplishments, achievements on the playing fields, and the ability of the students to engage the world through civic endeavors or to leave behind them positive consequences from their positive actions.

The team will be honored Monday, June 6 at the Watkins Glen State Park pavilion (near the south entrance). A social hour begins at 5:00 p.m. The weather won't alter the locale, since the site provides shelter.

Finger foods and beverages will be provided in a setting prepared by local school and park officials.

A traditional highlight will be a team picture taken outside the pavilion by this website and by any parents who wish to do so. Speakers during the ceremony will include Pittsburgh Steelers Scouting Director Mark Gorscak, Penn State Altoona volleyball coach Phil Peterman, and former Top Drawer honoree Allison Stamp. (More about the speakers can be found at the bottom of this page.).

Emcee for the evening will be Renata Stiehl (pictured at right), news anchor on WENY-TV. She will, near the end of the ceremony, introduce the honorees one by one, describing their accomplishments. Each will receive a medallion and certificates of achievement from government representatives.

The honorees are encouraged to bring as many people with them to the celebration as they wish; there is no limit, and there is no charge.

Awards for the Odessa File Athletes of the Year at the Watkins Glen and Odessa-Montour High Schools -- plaques sponsored by the E.C. Cooper insurance firm -- will be presented before the Top Drawer ceremony begins.

The second annual Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Notre Dame Coach Mike D'Aloisio (pictured at right), who in his coaching career has amassed more than 200 victories in football and boys basketball, and this past season led the girls varsity basketball team to division and IAC titles and to the Section IV semifinal. He has also guided the Notre Dame boys golf team with great success. (For more on Mike, go to the bottom of this page.)

And as in recent years, the annual Susan Award will be presented as part of the evening's ceremony. The award is named after Odessa File editor-publisher Charlie Haeffner's late wife, Susan Bauman Haeffner, and is presented each year to a student-athlete who embodies sportsmanship amid life's adversities -- and possesses a core of kindness. Past winners have included Sally Wilcox, Courtney Warren, Sophie Peters, Ian Remmers, John Blaha, Devon Shaw, Sam Richardson, Ashley Tieppo, April Ruda, Nicole Colunio, Felicia Johnson, Megan O'Dell, Joe Collins, and Lucy Craig.

The selectees on the Top Drawer 24 team are as follows, by school and grade:

------ Top Drawer 24 ------

WGHS

12th Grade:
Ian Chedzoy -- football, wrestling, lacrosse -- 3rd year on the Top Drawer team
Margaret Bond -- cross country, basketball, track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Katherine Meehan -- swimming, basketball, softball -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Brandon Gould -- wrestling, lacrosse -- 2nd year on the Top Drawer team

11th Grade:
Patrick Hazlitt -- cross country, indoor track, track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

Trumansburg

12th Grade:
Zachary Ives -- soccer, basketball, baseball -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Trevor Rumsey -- football, basketball, baseball -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

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(Photo at right: Trumansburg's Zack Ives (left) and Trevor Rumsey.)

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South Seneca

11th Grade:
Sarah Albro -- soccer, basketball, track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Adam Wagner -- soccer, wrestling -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

O-M

12th Grade:
April Dunn -- soccer, basketball, track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

11th Grade:
Sage Garrison -- soccer, basketball -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

Elmira Notre Dame

12th Grade:
Mia Herlan -- soccer, basketball, track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Alivia Clark -- tennis, basketball, softball -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

11th Grade:
Mackenzie Maloney -- soccer, basketball, softball -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

Spencer-Van Etten

12th Grade:
Kelsey Pierce -- field hockey, basketball, track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

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Photo at right: Kelsey Pierce with the S-VE Panther.

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Twin Tiers Christian Academy

11th Grade:
Ashley Schouten -- soccer, basketball, volleyball -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

Thomas A. Edison

12th Grade:
Mckenzie Slaven -- volleyball, softball -- 2nd year on the Top Drawer team
Chris Becker -- cross country, basketball, baseball -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

Elmira High School

12th Grade:
Abbey Wheeler -- cross country, indoor track, track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Joe Cerio -- soccer, lacrosse -- 1st year on Top Drawer team

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Photo at right: Elmira honorees Abbey Wheeler and Joe Cerio.

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Horseheads

12th Grade:
Mia Strollo -- soccer, basketball, lacrosse -- 2nd year on the Top Drawer team
Ian Cook -- basketball, lacrosse -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Rachel Stermer -- tennis, basketball, track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Marianne Cites -- cross country, basketball, track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

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Twin Tier Christian Academy's Ashley Schouten (left) and Horseheads' Rachel Stermer.

Thumbnail sketches of the honorees.

Maggie Bond is a Watkins Glen High School senior who carries a 100.08 weighted average and is ranked No. 1 in her class. She is a member of National Honor Society and the Student Council, and competes in cross country (where she was team MVP in 2015 and on sectional championship teams in 2013 and 2014) and track, and was a member of the school's two-time Section IV, Class C championship basketball team. Widely noted for her sportsmanship, she plans to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and pursue a career in Biomedical Engineering.

Katherine Meehan (pictured at right) is a Watkins Glen High School senior with a 94 grade-point average who excels in swimming -- winning Section IV, Class C titles in the Breaststroke in her junior and senior years. She was also a key member of the two-time Section IV, Class C championship girls varsity basketball team, and MVP on the varsity softball team. She plans to attend Cazenovia College, competing in swimming and softball, and wants to become a Physician's Assistant.

Ian Chedzoy is a senior at Watkins Glen High School, where he is 11th in his class with a 95 average. He is a standout in three sports, earning Odessa File all-star status in football, wrestling and lacrosse. He was The Odessa File's co-Schuyler Winter MVP for his wrestling achievements, which included second place at 182 pounds in Division II at the New York State meet. He is a member of Band and Chorus and of the National Honor Society, and participates in a church youth group. He plans to attend Alfred University and play lacrosse there, while pursuing a career in Ceramic Engineering.

April Dunn is an Odessa-Montour High School senior who is ranked 7th in her class with a 91.06 grade-point average. She was inducted into the National Technical Honor Society and received a Future Conservationist Award from BOCES. She was a forward on the varsity soccer team, where she was a significant offensive threat as the squad won the IAC Small Schools title. She also competed on the varsity basketball team as well as on the track squad, where she has run (and often won) distance events. She earned Senior All-Star status in soccer, and was an Odessa File All-Star in both soccer and track. She plans to attend Tompkins Cortland Community College and major in Biotechnology.

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Watkins Glen's Patrick Hazlitt and South Seneca's Sarah Albro.

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Brandon Gould is a senior at Watkins Glen High School, where he carries a 90 average. He has been a key member of the varsity lacrosse team, and a standout in wrestling, winning four Mike Watson Invitational Wrestling Tournament titles and three Section IV, Class C championships, and placing third this year at the State Wrestling Tournament at 132 pounds. He was The Odessa File's co-Schuyler Winter MVP for his wrestling achievements. He plans to wrestle at the Division 1 level at the University of Buffalo, and would like a career as a college wrestling coach.

Patrick Hazlitt is a Watkins Glen High School junior with a 92 average who is a member of National Honor Society and Interact Club, and a standout in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track, earning Odessa File First Team All-Star ranking in all three sports. He was key to Watkins Glen's Section IV, Class C boys cross-country title, and placed 11th individually at the State Cross Country Championships. He also recently set a school record in the 1600 Meter Run outdoors, won the IAC and Section IV, Class C titles in that event, and won the Class C title in the 3200 Meter Run.

Sage Garrison is an Odessa-Montour High School junior who is 4th in her class with a 93.45 grade-point average. She is a member of National Honor Society and the school's Leadership Committees, as well as a Peer Tutor to underclassmen, a school office aide and Class Secretary. She led the O-M varsity soccer team with 20 goals this year as it won the IAC Small Schools title, and was a member of the varsity basketball team before a leg injury sidelined her. She has also played club soccer, is a U.S. Soccer Certified Referee, and has served as a coach in O-M's elementary school basketball program.

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From left: O-M's April Dunn, Watkins Glen's Ian Chedzoy and O-M's Sage Garrison.

Trevor Rumsey is a Trumansburg High School senior with a 3.7 grade-point average who is a member of National Honor Society. He has played football, basketball and baseball, and was honored last year as the ESPN Night of Champions Baseball Player of the Year and as an All-State fifth team selection for his role as a pitcher/third baseman on the school's IAC championship team. Among his pitching achievements this season: a no-hitter against Marathon in which he struck out 19 batters, and a one-hitter against Notre Dame. He has volunteered for the Food Bank, Earth Day Cleanup and Salvation Army, and served as a youth basketball and baseball coach. He plans to attend St. John Fisher College, play baseball there and pursue a career as a veterinarian.

Zack Ives is a Trumansburg High School senior who is 7th in his class with a 3.8 average while playing baseball (on the IAC Championship team in 2015), basketball (on the 2016 Section IV championship team) and soccer. A High Honor Student, a member of National Honor Society, and the recipient of academic awards in Physics and Business, he has volunteered as a Salvation Army bell ringer and for Earth Day Cleanup, the Feed My Starving Children program and Boston mission work. He plans to attend Ithaca College, play baseball there, and pursue a career as a Sports Analyst or a Sports Scout.

Sarah Albro is a South Seneca Central School junior ranked 6th in her class with a 3.8 grade-point average. A High Honor student and member of National Honor Society, Band, Jazz Band, Chorus, Vocal Jazz and Marching Band, she has served as student body Vice President and Class Secretary, and has won English, Science, Math, Spanish, Music and Writing awards. She plays soccer, is a pentathlete in track, and was on the Class C State Championship basketball team. A Food Pantry and mission-trip volunteer, she plans to attend SUNY Oswego or the University of Binghamton, hopes to play college soccer, and is eyeing a career in Psychology.

Adam Wagner (pictured at right) is a South Seneca Central School junior ranked No. 1 in his class with a 98 average. As a member of National Honor Society, he has provided volunteer hours to the Red Cross and the Adopt an Angel program. He has also mentored youth wrestlers. He is captain of the school's soccer and wrestling teams, and in the latter sport finished fourth in New York State in the 138-pound class this past winter and led his team to the Finger Lakes West title. He has won awards in all of his class subjects, and plans to attend college, and possibly wrestle there, though he has not selected a school. A number of colleges have been contacting him regarding recruitment.

Kelsey Pierce is a Spencer-Van Etten senior ranked No. 2 in her class with a 100.5 weighted average. She is a member of National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society, Student Council, Band, Jazz Band and Yearbook Club, and has served as Class President and Student Council Secretary and Vice President. She has earned numerous academic and music awards as well as competing in Field Hockey, Basketball and Track, earning All-Star status in Field Hockey three times and Basketball once. She recently won first place in a state HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) competition, and plans to attend William Smith College, where she will play Field Hockey and major in Biology with an eye toward attending a medical school.

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Joe Cerio is an Elmira High School senior who is a consistent High Honor student with a 92 average. He has played varsity soccer and lacrosse, the latter since the sport's first year at Elmira in 2012, serving as one of the team's top scorers and its top faceoff specialist. He has earned various lacrosse awards, including Offensive MVP and All-Leader 2nd Team, and is a 2016 Male Athlete of the Year nominee in his school. He has also served as a volunteer coach for Travel Lacrosse. He signed a letter of intent in November to attend Mercyhurst University, where he will play lacrosse, and hopes eventually to work in the CIA.

Abbey Wheeler is an Elmira High School senior in the top 10% of her class with a 91.63 average. She is a member of National Honor Society, and excels in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. She has been an All-American twice in cross country (placing 17th and 10th at Nike Nationals, and earning a state sportsmanship award), was an All-American three times and won three Sectional MVP awards for indoor track, and is a section record holder at 1,000 Meters. She has won state running medals 10 times, and holds 7 school records. She plans to attend Providence College with a goal of earning All-American track status there and ascending "the podium with my collegiate team in cross country."

Mia Herlan is an Elmira Notre Dame senior who is consistently on the Honor Roll with a 90.8 average. She is a member of National Honor Society and a Scholar Athlete honoree in all three of her sports: basketball, soccer and track. Captain of the basketball team in her junior and senior years, she earned IAC First Team all-star status this year, as well as a spot on the New York State, Class C ninth team while helping lead Notre Dame to division and league titles. She was an IAC soccer all-star, too, as her team reached the state finals. She has volunteered at the SPCA and for the Food Bank, and plans to attend Ithaca College, playing basketball there and eyeing a career in the field of medicine.

Left: Edison's Mckenzie Slaven and Chris Becker. Right: Watkins Glen's Brandon Gould.

Mckenzie Slaven is a senior at Thomas A. Edison High School, where she ranks 10th in her class with a 91 average and excels in two sports -- volleyball and softball. She has been a division MVP in volleyball, and earned 2014 and 2015 berths on All-State softball teams for her pitching (which recently included wins in the IAC division and Large Schools title games). She is a member of the National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society, volunteers her time for Arctic League, the Food Bank and other organizatons, and was named a First Heritage WENY-TV Everyday Hero. She plans to attend Elmira College with an eye toward a career as a fertility specialist.

Chris Becker is a senior at Thomas A. Edison High School, where he ranks 9th in his class with a 92 average. He is a member of National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society, plays basketball and baseball and has competed in cross country and soccer. He earned IAC First Team All-Star status in baseball as his team won IAC Large School titles in his junior and senior years. A volunteer at the Food Bank and Arctic League, he has attended Boys State, worked in conflict management, and served as a referee for CVSA. He plans to attend Alfred University and hopes for a career in Mechanical Engineering.

Alivia Clark is an Elmira Notre Dame senior with a 92 average and membership in the National Honor Society. She is a softball pitcher/shortstop who made the All-State First Team and 2nd Team North East Region in 2015, has been on a Section IV champion tennis team (2015), a State championship softball team (2011) a State runnerup softball team (2015) and a Section IV champion basketball team (2012) -- and was named the 2016 Elmira Kiwanis Club Female Athlete of the Year. She has served on Youth Court, at Arnot Ogden Hospital, and as a tutor, received a Hands of Christ Award, and served as a class officer. She plans to attend St. John Fisher College, where she will play softball and pursue a degree in Business Marketing.

From left: Horseheads High School's Marianne Cites and Mia Strollo.

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Mia Strollo is a Horseheads High School senior with a 3.9 grade-point average who is a member of National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society, is Varsity H Club president, and has received the Hands of Christ Award and Scholar Athlete honors. She has played soccer, basketball and lacrosse, served as captain on all three teams, earned All-State 7th Team status in soccer, was a Section IV division all-star, defensive MVP and All-Leader pick in lacrosse, and played on STAC and sectional championship teams in basketball. She plans to attend Nazareth College, play soccer there, and pursue a career as a Nurse Practitioner.

Mackenzie Maloney is an Elmira Notre Dame junior who is on the High Honor Roll with a 97 average, a member of National Honor Society, and a Scholar Athlete in all of her sports. She has competed in soccer, basketball, softball and track. She has been named All-State in softball and All-State in soccer on teams that made the State finals in 2015, and was on the IAC division and league champion basketball team this year. She is a volunteer for the SPCA, Arctic League and Food Bank, and a member of Youth Court. She is considering attendance at Cornell, where she would play softball and pursue a career in Biomedical Engineering.

Ashley Schouten is a junior at Twin Tiers Christian Academy, where she carries a 3.5 grade-point average and is a member of National Honor Society, the Student Leadership Council and the Academy Singers, and is a class officer. A three-sport athlete, she was voted an All-Star in both basketball and soccer, and was named the team's most outstanding player in basketball and volleyball. She plans to attend college in her home state of Missouri, majoring in Biology and minoring in Photography, while playing basketball and possibly soccer. Her career goal is to become a zookeeper and work her way up to a management position at a zoo. She also wants to use her camera skills to photograph animals inside and outside of the zoo.

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From left: Horseheads High School's Ian Cook and Watkins Glen's Maggie Bond.

Ian Cook is a Horseheads High School senior with a 90 grade-point average who is a member of National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society and New Visions Honors Academy, and is a Scholar Athlete who has played volleyball, basketball and his specialty, lacrosse. He has participated in school musicals, and has volunteered with Chemung ARC, the Chemung County Fair and the Food Bank, as well as at various community service events with the Varsity H Club. He has served as lacrosse captain for three years, scoring 160 goals and assisting on 116 others in his career -- and was named the 2016 Elmira Kiwanis Club Male Athlete of the Year. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to play lacrosse at Division 1 Binghamton University.

Rachel Stermer is a Horseheads High School senior who carries a 95 average and is a member of National Honor Society and the Varsity H Club. She competes in basketball, tennis and track, and among her honors earned Corning Leader 2nd Team status in basketball this past season. She played on Section IV, Class AA championship basketball teams in 2014 and 2015, and was a STAC West Division All-Star and on the Star-Gazette All Area basketball team this year. She has also won STAC singles and doubles All-Star status in tennis, was on STAC championship tennis teams in three different years, and was a Section IV, Class A Doubles Champion and state semifinalist in 2015. She plans to attend Suffolk University and play basketball there while working toward a career as a lawyer.

Marianne Cites is a Horseheads High School senior with a 97 grade-point average and membership in National Honor Society, Chorus, and Varsity H Club. She has served as a class officer and was on the Prom and Homecoming Courts, and competed in cross country, basketball and track. A current nominee for her school's Athlete of the Year award, she was cross country MVP in 2014 and team captain in 2015; a STAC West basketball All-Star in 2016 while serving as team captain, and a member of sectional basketball champions in 2014 and 2015. In track, she has won Class A titles at 1500 Meters in 2013 and in the 4-by-800 Relay in 2014. She plans to attend the University at Buffalo and study Mechanical Engineering.

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That's all of them -- two-dozen notable people who share at least one thing in common: by excelling in unique and impressive ways, they have earned the admiration of the selection committee and a seat on this team. They have successfully embraced many athletic, academic and social opportunities in high school, and thus prepared themselves for life's many challenges.

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The lineup of speakers:

Pittsburgh Steelers Scout Mark Gorscak

Mark Gorscak is starting his 22nd year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is an area scout whose focus is mainly in the South, but he has scouted the whole United States in his career. His team has been to four Super Bowls in his career, winning in Super Bowl XL and XLIII.

Gorscak (pictured here on the left with Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin) previously spoke twice at Top Drawer celebrations, and was a huge hit.

A high school and college coach for 16 years, he saw sideline action first at Perkiomen (Pa.) Prep School, and followed that with coaching assignments at Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College), Dickinson College (his alma mater), Gulliver Prep (Fla.) High School, and two tenures at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah.

In 1987, between stints at Weber State, he became the first general manager of the Pittsburgh Gladiator in its inaugural season of the Arena Football League. Additionally, he has been an athletic administrator at Dickinson College and Weber State.

He graduated with a degree in psychology from Dickinson and received a master’s degree in sports administration from St. Thomas University in Miami, Fla. In 2010, he was inducted into the Mid Mon Valley Hall of Fame.

Gorscak has also served as the Starter for the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and can be seen on the NFL Network. Also, ESPN the Magazine profiled him in the 2010 NFL Preview magazine as one of the 90 Faces of the NFL.

He is a native of Donora, Pa., and currently resides in Pittsburgh.

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Phil Peterman is the coach at Penn State Altoona for the women's and men's varsity volleyball teams.

An Altoona native and Saint Francis University alumnus, Peterman was named head coach of the Penn State Altoona women's volleyball program before the 2008 season. He was the third head coach in the program's 10-year history as a member of the NCAA.

He also took the reins of the school's Men's Volleyball club team in 2008 and remained head coach when it became a varsity squad in 2012 -- the 16th varsity sport offered at the campus. (He is in the center of the photo at right.)

Peterman was a member of St. Francis's 2001 Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association championship squad and graduated that same year with a degree in Elementary and Special Education. He also has a Masters Degree in Education from SFU.

He has also passed along his volleyball knowledge to younger players, coaching high school and Keystone State Games teams for several years before taking the job as Women's Volleyball Coach at Penn State Altoona. He led the women's squad to its second-ever Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference championship in 2011, qualifying for the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Peterman also guided his women's team to Eastern College Athletic Conference Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2010. During the 2010 campaign, the Lady Lions recorded a program-best 23 wins and advanced to the semifinal round of the ECAC Tournament.

In 2014, he reached a milestone as Women's Coach by posting the 100th win of his career.

Penn State Altoona, with the third largest enrollment of the 24 locations making up the Pennsylvania State University, is a full-service, four-year, residential campus located less than 45 miles from the research campus at University Park. Penn State Altoona offers baccalaureate degree programs, associate degree programs, and the first two years of course work for more than 180 Penn State majors that can be completed at other Penn State campuses.

Penn State Altoona’s primary conference affiliation is with the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC), while being an associate member of the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) for the sport of men's volleyball.

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Former Top Drawer honoree Allison Stamp

Allison Stamp grew up in Montour Falls, and is a 2011 graduate of Odessa-Montour Central School, and a 2015 graduate of SUNY Geneseo. While at Odessa-Montour she was a three-sport athlete, competing at the varsity level in soccer, basketball and track. Chosen three times as a Top Drawer 24 scholar-athlete, Allison helped all of her high school teams to successful seasons, including multiple division-winning seasons in track, and two basketball Section IV finals.

Her favorite sport, though, is soccer, and after four years as the starting Odessa-Montour goalkeeper, in 2010 she helped O-M earn its first division championship. Graduating as her class Valedictorian, Allison still holds school records in girls' soccer for single-season shutouts and career shutouts.

Continuing her soccer career at SUNY Geneseo while earning her degree in History and Adolescent Education, Allison played for the Geneseo Blue Knights for four years. As goalkeeper in her senior year she helped lead the team to a SUNYAC championship, and to the second round of the Division 3 NCAA National tournament, earning several scholar-athlete awards in SUNYAC and NCAA women's soccer categories.

On campus she also participated in several organizations committed to helping other students through leadership training and classroom mentoring, and graduated with honors in 2015. Allison is currently pursuing her Master's degree in History at the University of Buffalo, and hopes to become a high school history teacher.

Photos in text: From the top of this section: Pittsburgh Steelers Scout Mark Gorscak with Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin; Penn State Altoona Coach Phil Peterman with his Men's Volleyball Team; and former Top Drawer honoree Allison Stamp.

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Lifetime Achievement Award

The Lifetime Achievement Award recipient at the Top Drawer 24 party was the subject of part of a column by Editor/Publisher Charlie Haeffner on The Odessa File -- the venue through which the honor was announced. That column read in part:

We will be honoring an amazing coach with our second annual Lifetime Achievement Award: Mike D'Aloisio (right) of Elmira Notre Dame. Mike has mentored kids for decades while carving out a long and distinguished coaching career in football and basketball. He is also an author, of 5 C Hero: The Joel Stephens Story, released in 2009 and chronicling the short life of the incredible Stephens, a Notre Dame athlete of remarkable abilities who died of colon cancer in 1998 at the age of 22. (The title refers to the Christianity, courage, compassion, character and commitment that Stephens stood for.)

D'Aloisio, a Notre Dame employee beginning in 1977, was already established as a successful football coach when I served as Sports Editor of the Elmira Star Gazette in the mid- to late-1980s. All told, he has totaled well over 200 wins on the gridiron, not to mention more than 250 wins while he served as coach of ND's boys varsity basketball team, winner of three sectional titles during his tenure. And he has served as girls basketball coach, taking his team to a sectional semifinal last season, and as golf coach.

(My favorite D'Aloisio story involved a sports reporter under my guidance at the Star Gazette who wrote a story critical of the condition of the Notre Dame athletic field back in the '80s. A school official -- a D'Aloisio superior -- was furious with the unwanted coverage, and thus called the paper and told me he would have the reporter arrested should he set foot on campus again. That was clearly an idle threat, since legal action in response to a news story (an accurate one at that) would be illegal and unwarranted, and only generate more unwanted publicity. Accordingly, I told the reporter to go there to cover the next Notre Dame football game -- and he, aware by then of the official's threat -- complained that he would be arrested. I told him: "If you are, it will make for a great story."

The reporter went to the game and, looking around, didn't see the official. But he feared he would at any moment, and so went to the sidelines before the contest started to tell the coach -- D'Aloisio -- about his predicament: how he might not be able to cover the whole game, jail beckoning as it was. D'Aloisio just laughed and told the reporter to stay near him, there on the sidelines, and he would take care of him ... make sure the official didn't follow through on his threat. And the reporter did as instructed.

The official never did try to have the reporter arrested. He ultimately knew better -- as D'Aloisio instinctively understood in that moment of kindly and wise laughter, and of encouraging protectionism. D'Aloisio in that moment created a buffer within which he realized the nervous reporter could function, and in functioning complete an appointed task.

That, I commented later at a news meeting at the Star Gazette, constituted both wisdom and leadership, and they are qualities for which Mike D'Aloisio has become well known across the years.)

D'Aloisio was inducted into the Section IV Hall of Fame in 2012. His upcoming lifetime award follows the inaugural one bestowed last year by the Top Drawer 24 program on longtime Horseheads volleyball coach Patti Perone.

Congratulations, Mike.

Photo in this section: Mike D'Aloisio