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Watkins Glen's Jacob Carocci, left, and Patrick Hazlitt.

Top Drawer 24

Here is the 12th annual Scholar-Athlete-Citizen Team of students
representing schools in Schuyler and Chemung counties

ODESSA, May 30, 2017 -- It is time once again for an annual rite -- the unveiling of the Top Drawer 24 team. This is the 12th 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 previous 10 years. While sophomores are occasionally represented, none was on the team the past two years, nor is one this year. There are 16 seniors and 8 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.

This year's squad is an impressive mix of academic achievement, citizenship and athletics -- with state champions in the realms of basketball, cross country, track and field, and softball.

The team will be honored Monday, June 5 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 former Congressman Jim Gerlach, Elmira Attorney Christina Sonsire, and former Top Drawer honoree Matt Gill. (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.

When we unveiled the first such team 11 years ago, we did so in a low-keyed fashion, announcing its members publicly only after a party honoring them was held. Since those early days we have announced the selections before the party, and are doing so again this year in order to encourage attendance by friends, relatives and coaches of the honorees, as well as attendance by administrators, School Board members, area dignitaries and the general public.

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 Male and Female 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 retired Watkins Glen swim coach Kate LaMoreaux (pictured at right), who in her coaching career amassed 231 wins, 17 losses and one tie. Her teams won nine league and 10 sectional championships, and for seven years they were ranked the #1 Class C swim team in New York State. She was featured in the Sports Illustrated Faces in the Crowd section in January 2003. (For more on Kate, 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, Lucy Craig and Brewster Marshall.

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

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

Watkins Glen

12th Grade:
Patrick Hazlitt -- cross country, indoor track, track -- 2nd year on the Top Drawer team
Jacob Carocci -- cross country, indoor track, golf -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Amanda Pike -- volleyball, basketball -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

11th Grade:
Emmie Bond -- volleyball, basketball -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Mariah Gonzalez -- volleyball, basketball -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Hanley Elliott
-- volleyball, golf -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team


Trumansburg

12th Grade:
Samuel Ives
-- Cross country, indoor track, track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

South Seneca

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

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

Odessa-Montour

12th Grade:
Sage Garrison
-- soccer, basketball, track-- 2nd year on the Top Drawer team
Nick Sgrecci -- soccer, basketball, track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

11th Grade:
Gillian Clark
-- soccer, basketball, golf -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

Elmira Notre Dame

12th Grade:
M
ackenzie Maloney
-- soccer, basketball, softball -- 2nd year on the Top Drawer team
M
olly Craig
-- swimming -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Pat Brown -- football, basketball -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

Spencer-Van Etten

12th Grade:
Daniel Deppe -- football, basketball, baseball -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Anthony Chiusano -- football, basketball, baseball -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

Twin Tiers Christian Academy

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

Thomas A. Edison

12th Grade:
Kevin Harmer
-- cross country, basketball, baseball -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

Elmira High School

11th Grade:
Daniel Fedor
-- football, basketball, track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Charlie Mahon
-- football, wrestling -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

Horseheads High School

12th Grade:
Cameron Murray -- diving, track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Tatum Benesh -- tennis, basketball, lacrosse-- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Jenna Richmond -- basketball, softball -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

Thumbnail sketches of the honorees.

Watkins Glen's Amanda Pike, left, and Mariah Gonzalez.

Patrick Hazlitt is a Watkins Glen High School senior with a 92.60 average who is a member of National Honor Society, Interact Club and Debate Club, and is a standout in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. A member of The Top Drawer 24 in 2016, as well, he has earned Odessa File First Team All-Star ranking in all three sports this year and The Odessa File Schuyler Fall MVP Award. Named The Odessa File WGHS Athlete of the Year in 2016, he has now been named its WGHS Male Athlete of the Year in 2017 for his key role in leading the cross country team to the school's first-ever Class C State Championship and the state's Federation title, as well as for his record-setting season in track. That included a school record in the 800 Meter Run and, later, the IAC title in that event. He has also been presented Sportsmanship Awards for both cross country and indoor track. He plans to attend the University of Buffalo, where he will compete in cross country and track, and pursue a career in business.

Jacob Carocci is a Watkins Glen High School senior with a 97.32 grade-point average, which earned him Salutatorian status. He was a member of the New York State, Class C champion cross country team, which also won the state Federation title, and was a key member of the varsity indoor track and golf teams, winning the sectional Indoor High Jump title. He has served as president of the National Honor Society and as chapter president of the Health Occupation Students of America and is a member of the National Technical Honor Society, Student Council and the Rotary-sponsored Interact Club. He is a Biomedical Debate state champion, and plans to attend the University of Vermont on scholarship to pursue a career as a physician.

Amanda Pike is a Watkins Glen High School senior who excels at volleyball and basketball. She was a key player as the school's volleyball team won the IAC Large School championship and was the top scorer (17.2 points per game, with a maximum of 33) as the girls varsity basketball team won its third straight Section IV, Class C title and then won the state Class C championship. She was subsequently named the Class C Player of the Year in New York State. A multiple Odessa File Athlete of the Week honoree, she was also named its Schuyler Winter MVP (encompassing all winter sports), and is winner of this year's Odessa File WGHS Female Athlete of the Year Award. A volunteer coach in youth basketball and a teacher in Bible school, she plans to attend East Stroudsburg University in the fall to play basketball and pursue a career in Hotel, Tourism and Restaurant Management.

From left: Watkins Glen's Hanley Elliott, Trumansburg's Samuel Ives, WG's Emmie Bond

From left: Twin Tiers Christian Academy's Darren Smith and Edison's Kevin Harmer.

Hanley Elliott is a junior at Watkins Glen High School, where she has a 97.18 grade-point average. She was a key player -- the setter -- on the school's IAC Large School champion volleyball team, and was an IAC All-Star in both volleyball and golf, as well as a member of The Odessa File All-Schuyler All-Star First Team in both sports. She has also been honored with sportsmanship awards in both volleyball and golf, and has qualified four times for the New York State Golf Championships. A member of National Honor Society, she is on the Student Council, and is vice-president of Varsity Club and president of her class. She hopes to attend Binghamton University and become an orthopedic specialist and surgeon.

Mariah Gonzalez is a junior at Watkins Glen High School, where she carries a 97.14 grade-point average and is in the Top 10 of her class. She excels at two sports: volleyball, where she was the IAC Large School South Division MVP as her team won the IAC Large School championship; and basketball, in which she was the leading rebounder as the team won its third straight Section IV, Class C crown and then captured its first-ever state championship. She was a 4th Team All-State pick in basketball, and an Odessa File First Team choice in both volleyball and basketball. She is a member of Diversity Club and Varsity Club, volunteers for Seneca Santa, serves as a youth basketball coach, and has been on the High Honor Roll all through high school. She plans to attend the University of New Hampshire with an eye toward a career in law enforcement.

Emilia Bond is a Watkins Glen High School junior who carries a 97 average and is ranked No. 8 in her class. She was a member of the school's Class C state championship basketball team, earning MVP honors at the state Final Four. She was also a key player on the IAC Large School championship volleyball team, and was an IAC Second Team pick in both sports. A class leader, she is a member of National Honor Society, secretary of the junior class, president of Varsity Club, Debate Club secretary, and has been on the High Honor Roll throughout high school. She went on a Missions Trip to Washington, D.C. in 2015, and will be traveling to Guatemala on another Missions Trip in late June. She is hoping to attend the United States Coast Guard Academy, and is considering the Intelligence Analysis field.

From left: Odessa-Montour's Nick Sgrecci, Sage Garrison and Gillian Clark.

Gillian Clark is an Odessa-Montour junior with a 93.90 grade-point average. She excelled as a goalie on the girls' soccer team, was the high scorer on the varsity basketball team, which was ranked 24th among Class C schools in the state, and was the school's leading golfer. She is a member of National Honor Society, the Rotary Interact program and Student Council, and is class treasurer. She was the IAC Small School South Division basketball MVP the past two seasons, surpassing 1,000 career points this year, and an IAC defensive MVP in soccer this year. She has been an Odessa File Athlete of the Year at O-M in both her sophomore and junior years, and has been honored by ESPN Ithaca as an Athlete of the Week. She has qualified for States in golf for four years, and was an All-State 9th Team selection in basketball this year. She participated in this year's high school musical, and has coached Odessa youth basketball. She plans to attend college, but has not decided where yet.

Sage Garrison is an Odessa-Montour High School senior who is 4th in her class with a 93.1 grade-point average. She is a member of National Honor Society and the school's Leadership Committee, has served on the sound crew for school plays, and has coached Odessa youth basketball. She led the O-M varsity soccer team in scoring this year, was a member of the varsity basketball team that was ranked 24th among Class C teams in the state, and is a runner on the varsity track team. She holds the school records for career soccer goals and points, has been honored as an athlete of the week on WETM, ESPN Ithaca, and The Odessa File, has been a Rotary Student of the Month, has won an RPI Engineer Scholarship Award, and has been both an IAC soccer division MVP and a 7th team all-state soccer pick. She has also played club soccer, and is a U.S. Soccer Certified Referee. She plans to attend Tompkins Cortland Community College, where she will play soccer, and is eyeing a career as a strength and conditioning coach.

Nick Sgrecci is an Odessa-Montour High School senior who is ranked third in his class with a grade-point average of 93.3. He is a three-sport athlete -- captain of the soccer, basketball and track teams -- and is a member of National Honor Society, the Rotary Interact Club, Student Council and the school's Leadership Council, as well as a class officer. A Peer Tutor, he was a Rotary Student of the Month, and attended Boys State. He has received the Elmira College Key Award, the RIT Computing Award, the University of Rochester Xerox Award, and the Triple C Award. He was an IAC First Team All-Star in soccer, where he played the sweeper position, and was on a division-winning track team for three years. He plans to attend Corning Community College.

Samuel Ives is a Trumansburg High School senior on the High Honor Roll with a 95.29 grade-point average. He is Student Council president and a member of the National Honor Society, the School Improvement Team and his church youth group, and is stage manager of the Drama Club. He participates in indoor track and outdoor track, and was a state-level competitor in cross country, as well as serving as captain in all three sports. He was the school cross-country MVP this year, and has earned the True Blue Raider and school Sportsmanship awards. He is a musical volunteer at Bethel Grove Church, and a volunteer in Peewee track and Peewee cross country programs. He plans to attend Ithaca College, where he will compete in cross country and track while pursuing a career as a biology and neuroscience professor.

South Seneca honorees Emily Lavarnway, left, and Skylar Shaulis.

Emily Lavarnway is a South Seneca Central School senior who led her basketball team to the state Final Four this year after playing a key role as it won the state championship in her junior year. She averaged 9.6 points and 11.3 rebounds in her senior season, and earned a New York 6th Team All-State berth in the process. She was also named Co-Player of the Year this season by the Finger Lakes Times. She played defense on the school soccer team, and has been an exceptional track athlete, winning the New York Division 2 Pentathlon title last year and earning a Number One ranking this season. She also won Section V track titles this year in four events: the 100 Meter Hurdles, 800, High Jump and Long Jump. She has volunteered for various community service projects through her church, including a mission trip to Philadelphia in her freshman year. She plans to attend SUNY Geneseo and compete in basketball and track, but is thus far undecided on her career goal.

Skylar Shaulis is a South Seneca Central School junior who is a High Honor Roll student with a 94 grade-point average, and is a member of the National Honor Society. She was the point guard and a shooting guard on the school basketball team that reached the state Final Four this season as well as part of the starting five on the state championship team the year before. She was the MVP in this year's basketball sectional tournament after earning the Sportsmanship Award the previous year, and was named a Finger Lakes Times Basketball All-Star this season. She is also a fullback on the school's soccer team and the softball team's second baseman, and plays AAU basketball. She has not decided yet on which college to attend, but hopes to enter the nursing profession.

From left: Elmira High School's Dan Fedor, left, and Charlie Mahon.

Charlie Mahon is an Elmira High School junior who carries a 97 grade-point average and is a member of National Honor Society. He excels in football and wrestling, earning All-State Honorable Mention in football at fullback, and two Section IV wrestling championships. He was a member of a Section IV champion football team, and was a Middle Atlantic Wrestling Association Eastern National champion. He serves as a volunteer coach for both wrestling and soccer. He is undecided on a college, but plans to continue in either wrestling or football, and foresees a career in the medical field.

Dan Fedor is an Elmira High School junior who carries a 95 grade-point average and is a member of National Honor Society. He excels at football, where, as a 6-foot-7, 270-pound offensive tackle, he was an All-State Class AA 2nd Team pick for an Express team that averaged 38 points per game and posted an 8-2 record and a sectional championship. He is also an All-Division honoree on the school's basketball and track teams. He volunteers as a youth football and basketball coach, and in the soup kitchen. He is undecided on which college to attend, but has scholarship offers from several of them, including Cornell. He hopes to eventually work as a General Manager in a sports franchise.

Darren Smith is a junior at Twin Tiers Christian Academy, where he carries a 3.65 grade-point average and is a member of National Honor Society. He is a member of the Youth Group at church, and was also a Youth Salute Recipient. He plays soccer (as goalie) and basketball (as a forward), receiving All-League honors in both sports. He also received the school's Coach's Award for soccer and its Outstanding Player Award in basketball, where he averaged 12 points and 12 rebounds per game. In addition, he had the lead role this year in the school play, "Papa Was a Preacher." He has been accepted into the BOCES New Visions Academic Honors Program for his senior year, and plans to attend Tompkins Cortland Community College with an eye toward owning his own business.

From left: Notre Dame's Molly Craig, Mackenzie Maloney and Pat Brown.

Molly Craig is an Elmira Notre Dame senior with a 96.48 grade-point average who is a member of National Honor Society, Key Club, the Mercy Mission Club, the Symphonic Band, the school newspaper, and the Go Green Club. She is on the school's varsity swim team, and was a state finalist this year in the 200 Individual Medley (finishing fourth) and the 500 Meter Freestyle (finishing 6th). She is the Section IV record-holder among all classes in the 200 IM, set IAC and Section IV, Class C records in 2016 in the 100, 200 and 500 Free and the 200 IM, owns 10 area pool records, and received a Section IV Sportsmanship Award. She is a volunteer swim instructor, and a volunteer at the Arnot Art Museum, the Food Bank, and with a children's literacy program, and received a George Eastman Young Leaders Award and a Kiwanis scholarship. She was actively recruited by many NCAA swim programs, and committed to attend Williams College, where she will swim and pursue a career in Biomedical Science.

Pat Brown is an Elmira Notre Dame senior with a 97.13 grade-point average and membership in National Honor Society. He is president of the Student Council, the School Band vice president, and a judge on the Elmira City Youth Court, and was named Kiwanis Male Athlete of the Winter. He was captain of his football and basketball teams, and earned 1st Team All-IAC status in basketball and 1st Team All Section IV in football. He volunteers at local basketball camps, serves as a student tutor, and helps nursing home residents Christmas shop. He has been named a National Hispanic Scholar and received the RIT Creativity Award and the Hands of Christ Award. He plans to attend the University of Notre Dame with an eye toward a career in Finance.

Mackenzie Maloney is an Elmira Notre Dame senior with a 97 average who is a member of National Honor Society, Student Council, Key Club, the Go Green Club and the student newspaper, and is a repeat Top Drawer honoree. She has competed in soccer, basketball, softball and track, and was on a state runnerup soccer team in 2015 and a state championship softball team in 2016. She was 3rd Team All-State in soccer in her junior year and 1st Team this year, and an IAC 1st Team soccer pick for three years. She has been named All-State in softball three times, including 1st Team, and an IAC All-Star in basketball. She holds school records in softball for most hits and highest batting average in a season, and in soccer for most shutouts and lowest goals per game as a goalie. She is a volunteer for the SPCA, Arctic League and Food Bank, recipient of a Hands of Christ Award, and an RPI medalist. She is planning to attend the University of Pittsburgh, where she will pursue a career in Biological Engineering.

Spencer-Van Etten's Daniel Deppe, left, and Anthony Chiusano in front of their school.

Anthony Chiusano is a Spencer-Van Etten High School senior who carries a 100.6 grade-point average, is ranked fourth in his class, and is a member of National Honor Society. He was the football team's quarterback, a shooting guard on the basketball team, and a pitcher on the baseball team, and was captain of both the football and baseball squads. He was named an IAC First Team All-Star in baseball, and plays travel baseball. He was class president in 10th and 11th grades, and is a class officer this year. He received the Clarkson Leadership Award and the Rochester Institute of Technology Innovation and Creativity Award, and plans to attend RIT, majoring in Computer Engineering Technology with an eye toward a career as a computer engineer.

Daniel Deppe is a Spencer-Van Etten senior who has a 98.25 grade-point average and is ranked fifth in his class. He is the school's Quiz Team captain, and is First Chair in the school Jazz Band. He plays football, basketball and baseball, was captain of the football and basketball teams, and earned IAC Second Team All-Star status in basketball. He is a member of the Senior High Youth Group, and a Community Food Cupboard volunteer. He has received the Elmira Key Award and the Clarkson Achievement Award, and plans to attend Binghamton University, majoring in biology with an eye toward a career in sports medicine and orthopedic surgery.

Kevin Harmer is a Thomas A. Edison High School senior who is valedictorian of the Class of 2017 with a 98.21 grade-point average. He is a member of National Honor Society and the school's Concert Band and Key Club, and is the Student Council vice president, a Junior Rotarian, and a participant in the school play and Boys' State. He competes in cross country, basketball and baseball, was MVP of the basketball team the past three years, and was an All IAC 1st Team pick in both basketball and baseball as well as a member of the All Elmira Region basketball team. He has received the RPI Medical Award, a Clarkson Leadership Award, a DAR Good Citizen honor, the Brad Sanford Excellence in Sportsmanship Award for cross country, and the Edison Student of the Year award. He plans to attend Villanova University, studying astrophysics.

From left: Horseheads High's Tatum Benesh, Jenna Richmond and Cameron Murray.

Jenna Richmond is a senior at Horseheads High School, where she carries a 91 grade-point average and is a member of National Honor Society, the National Technical Honor Society, Varsity H Club and the Rotary Interact Club. She was captain of the varsity basketball team, leading the team in scoring and earning All Region honors as the Raiders completed a run of four straight STAC West Division titles, along the way winning the sectional title in the 2015-16 season. She is also captain of the varsity softball team, where she has played for four years as a pitcher and outfielder, earning All Conference honors. She has done extensive volunteer work -- at St. Joseph's Hospital, at Robert Packer Hospital, at the Food Bank, and as a Community Kitchen Worker. She has also volunteered at Varsity H camps and at softball and basketball clinics. She has signed to play softball at Division I St. Bonaventure University, and is eyeing a career track in Special Ed with a triple major of Special Ed, Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education.

Cameron Murray is a Horseheads High School senior with a 91.12 grade-point average and membership in National Honor Society and the Varsity H Club. She is a state-ranked diver, winning the Section IV, Class A title her senior season and competing at States in both her junior and senior years, and excels as a hurdler in both indoor and outdoor track. She served as captain of all three of her varsity sports. She is a youth coach in both diving and track, and is heavily involved in a sister city exchange program with Nakagawa, Japan, serving as ambassador and organizer of the first ever Jogging to Japan 5K Run to help create a scholarship account for the program. She is a member of the Rotary-sponsored Interact Club, a Varsity H representative, and volunteers for the Food Bank, for Ridge Road School events, at St. Mary Our Mother Church, and at area runs like the Wineglass Marathon. She will attend the Division I University of Rhode Island on academic and athletic scholarship, where she will compete in diving and pursue a major in Environmental Science.

Tatum Benesh is a Horseheads High School senior with a 93.32 grade-point average who is secretary of National Honor Society, vice president of Student Council, a member of the Varsity H Club, and served as the Make A Difference Day student coordinator. She plays lacrosse, basketball and tennis, and has signed to play lacrosse at Division I University of New Hampshire in Durham. She is a member of the Section IV Class B champion lacrosse team and was recently named the sectional tournament MVP. She has been honored in basketball as a member of the Star-Gazette Elmira All Region Team in 2016 and the STAC West All-Division Team in 2016 and 2017, and in tennis, where she was a Section IV doubles champion in 2015 and singles champion in 2016. She has volunteered for the Coaches vs. Cancer Clinic, for Varsity H camps, and at the Horseheads Animal Shelter. She decided to attend the University of New Hampshire for its "great kinesiology/exercise science major, which I'm really excited to pursue."

*****

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.

*****

The lineup of speakers:

Former Congressman Jim Gerlach

Former U.S. Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-PA) serves as the president and chief executive officer of the Business-Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC).

Rep. Gerlach served Pennsylvania’s Sixth Congressional District for 12 years, most recently on the House Ways and Means Committee and its Subcommittees on Health and Select Revenue. In the 113th Congress he was also the lead Republican on the Ways and Means Manufacturing Working Group. During his six terms in the House, from 2002-2014, Gerlach also served on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Financial Services Committee, and the Small Business Committee.

National publications, including National Journal and Roll Call, have recognized Gerlach’s record as an independent voice. He is no stranger to difficult campaigns. The 6th District was ranked as the most competitive district in the nation between 2002 and 2008, according to a University of Minnesota survey.

Prior to his tenure with the U.S. Congress, Gerlach also served four years in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and eight years in the Pennsylvania Senate. This public service was preceded by 10 years of private law practice in the Commonwealth.

Throughout his career, Gerlach always stood for free enterprise. He was repeatedly named a “Guardian of Small Business” while serving the citizens of Pennsylvania as a state legislator and a member of the U.S. Congress. While in Congress, he received perfect scores from BIPAC’s Outline for Prosperity, received the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Spirit of Enterprise award, and gained support from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).

Active in his community, Gerlach served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Brandywine Health Foundation, as well as a member of the Board of Directors of MECA (Mission for Educating Children with Autism), the Board of Trustees of Dickinson College, the Chester County Agricultural Development Council, the West Brandywine Township Zoning Hearing Board, and the Board of Directors of the Brandywine Hospital.

Gerlach attended Dickinson College, graduating cum laude in 1977 with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Education. He graduated in 1980 from the Dickinson School of Law with a Juris Doctor degree.

While at Dickinson in his undergraduate days, he was an outstanding football player, leading the MAC South Football Conference in rushing yards in 1974, when he was named First Team All-Conference. He was the team's co-captain in 1976.

*********

Attorney Christina Sonsire

Christina Bruner Sonsire is an attorney at the Ziff Law Firm in Elmira, which she joined in March 2008. She specializes in the areas of Medical Malpractice and catastrophic Personal Injury, and says she loves being in the courtroom.

Sonsire graduated from Georgetown University in 1998, earning dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Classics and International Relations and studying International Economics abroad at the University of Antwerp, Belgium.

She played on the Georgetown Women’s Soccer Team, where she served as the team’s captain during her junior and senior years. A prolific scorer, she held Georgetown’s records for the most career goals and assists from 1998 through 2010. She was inducted into the university's Hall of Fame earlier this year, the first women’s soccer player selected for the honor by the Washington, D.C., university. She has also been inducted into the Halls of Fame for Notre Dame High School, Chemung County, and Section 4 for her scoring prowess as a high school player. She has coached in the Chemung Valley Soccer Association and for the Soaring Capital Soccer Club, where she has been coaching a 7-and-under team.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in Classics and International Relations in 1998 from Georgetown, and went on to earn a law degree at the University of Montana.

She also served in Americorps’ National Civilian Community Corps, a volunteer program often referred to as the “domestic Peace Corps.” Serving in the NCCC for nearly three years and performing over 6,500 hours of community service, she had an opportunity to travel the country and work with a myriad of organizations.

Sonsire began her legal career at the Chemung County District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney. A felony prosecutor, she specialized in violent crimes against women and children and worked closely with Chemung County’s Child Advocacy Center to ensure the rights of victims were respected and the needs of families were met. She took a brief leave during her tenure at the District Attorney’s Office to work at Davidson and O’Mara, P.C., where she gained valuable experience from which she draws at Ziff Law. She has extensive courtroom trial experience and has successfully argued before New York’s Court of Appeals for the Third Department.

Sonsire lives in Elmira with her husband, Damian Sonsire, a Chemung County Assistant District Attorney, and their two daughters. She is a member of the Notre Dame High School Board of Trustees and the Arctic League Board of Directors. In recognition of service to her community, she was awarded the Jefferson Award for Public Service in 2007. In her spare time she enjoys running with the Finger Lakes Runners Club, riding her snowboard and hiking on the many trails running through the Southern Tier.

******

Former Top Drawer honoree Matt Gill

Matt Gill grew up in Schuyler County, graduating from Watkins Glen High School in 2014. He is currently a junior at Binghamton University studying Electrical Engineering and running at the Division 1 level for the university's cross country team.

He works as a Peer Advisor for the Watson School of Engineering, and says that in his free time, "I run Enhance VR, a startup I've created while at college."

Gill was a standout runner at WGHS, setting a number of distance running records. He was a member of the Top Drawer 24 in his sophomore, junior and senior years. Says Matt of WGHS: "The students, teachers, coaches and other people of Watkins Glen have all had an impact on how I've defined myself as an individual and as an athlete. I'm proud to say I wouldn't be where I am today without their support, as well as the support from my family."

*****

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 as follows:

This year the honoree is someone I think almost everyone in Schuyler County knows and respects, and that's Kate LaMoreaux, who taught and coached swimming in Watkins Glen for many years, and still in retirement serves as a swim official at many meets. I recall taking my boys, Jon and Dave, to her swim classes at the old WGHS pool when they were wee lads, but she certainly taught more receptive students.

An example would be the Warren girls, Kim, Michelle and Courtney, who swam for Kate on her high school teams. I covered the latter two in my early years running this website. Both had impressive high school swim careers, and Courtney -- who a quick look at available records shows was winning a sectional crown in the Backstroke as early as 2000, in the 7th grade -- went on to a Patriot League MVP crown while swimming for Bucknell University...

Kate spoke at our Top Drawer celebration at the State Park Pavilion in 2010, telling the honorees that while they had had a lot of help from parents, coaches, teachers, siblings and the community in general (which financially backs the sports programs), they had achieved special things -- things that were anything but normal.

"But who wants to be normal?" she asked. "Your normal classmates are not here to be honored; you are."

I present here a synopsis of Kate LaMoreaux, as told in a story that year, 2010, about the Top Drawer speakers in advance of the ceremony:

Kate LaMoreaux (is) a legendary sports coach who was featured in the Faces in the Crowd section of Sports Illustrated in January 2003 for her remarkable record as girls swim coach at Watkins Glen High School, where she teaches English. She had, at the time of that national publicity, led the WGHS girls squads to 109 consecutive dual-meet victories -- "a streak," the magazine noted, "that goes back to the middle of the 1994 season." The team, the magazine added, "has won league and sectional titles every year since 1995."

A graduate of SUNY Cortland in 1970 and recipient of a Masters in Education from Elmira College, she served as the Watkins Glen girls varsity swim coach from 1985 to 2002. Her career as varsity coach resulted in an overall record of 231 wins, 17 losses, and one tie. Her teams won nine league and 10 sectional championships, and for seven years they were ranked the #1 Class C swim team in New York State. Her coaching career ended with those 109 consecutive wins. These accomplishments resulted in her election to the Watkins Glen High School Sports Hall of Fame and the Section IV Hall of Fame. She continues to "keep her feet wet" as a certified New York State Swim Official.

A Red Cross Water Safety Instructor since 1968, she has annually taught developmental swim classes to infants, children, teens, adults and senior citizens. She also directed the Watkins Glen Summer Swim Program for many years, starting in 1973. Among the memorable stories relating to her was one in which a former summer swim student survived in the water off the coast of Indonesia for 17 hours after her ship sank -- and the woman credited Kate for helping her to help herself by teaching her how to turn her pants into a flotation device.

“I consider myself blessed by the wonderful students and athletes that have enriched my life during my career," Kate says. "As they have grown up, many have continued our tradition of team as extended family. I love 'my girls' and I’m so proud of the women they have become. It’s a funny thing about giving … the more you give of yourself to others, the more you receive in return."

Kate retired from the teaching profession at the end of that 2009-10 school year. But she has kept busy as a swim official and by playing the dulcimer at many events around the area.

Here's to you, Kate. You are one of a kind.

And I mean that in a very, very good way.

Photo in this section: Kate LaMoreaux

 

© The Odessa File 2017
Charles Haeffner
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Odessa, New York 14869

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