From left: Watkins Glen's Jessica Brogdon, Bradford's Jesse Houck, O-M's Sydney Eberhardt, and Trumansburg's Alex Gatch

Top Drawer 24

The Brian J. O'Donnell Schuyler County Scholar-Athlete-Citizen Team

By Charlie Haeffner

ODESSA, May 28, 2012 -- It is time once again for an annual rite -- the unveiling of the Top Drawer 24 team. This is the seventh such team, and this year it is dominated by seniors.

The Top Drawer honorees are area high school students selected by a committee based on a combination of academic, athletic and social achievements.

The 24 attend the Watkins Glen, Odessa-Montour, Trumansburg and Bradford high schools -- each of which has student population within Schuyler County. Most of the honorees come from Watkins Glen since it has the largest number of students within the county.

As is traditional, anyone in grades 9 through 12 was eligible for consideration. However, no freshmen made the team this year, nor in the past five years. No sophomores were on it last year, but one is this year. There are 19 seniors and four juniors this time.

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.

Input was also provided by teachers, coaches and administrators.

The team's subtitle is The Brian J. O’Donnell Schuyler County Scholar-Athlete-Citizen Team, named in honor of the former Watkins Glen High School principal and current Watkins Glen School Board president (pictured at right).

Mr. O'Donnell has embraced the idea of this team from the start. Accordingly, he will introduce each member at the ceremony honoring them -- to be held June 7 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 such as fruits, vegetables, cheese, cupcakes, sandwich wraps, bottled water and lemonade will be provided in a setting prepared by local school and park officials.

A traditional highlight will be a walk taken by the honorees with O'Donnell, who will impart wisdom to them in private.

When we unveiled the first such team six years ago, we did so in a low-keyed fashion, announcing its members publicly only after a party honoring them was held. In the past few years, we have announced the selections well ahead of 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.

Speakers Dennis Kayser and Katey Cheplick

Speakers for the program include National Football League executive Dennis Kayser, Bradford High School Principal (and newly appointed Canaseraga Superintendent) Kelly Houck, and former four-time Top Drawer honoree Katey Cheplick, a junior and two-sport athlete this past year at Penn State Altoona.

A group photo of the 24 honorees will be taken during the gathering and published on this website. Each member of the Top Drawer team will receive a medallion with a lanyard color-coded to his or her number of years on the team, and certificates of achievement are expected from the offices of Congressman Tom Reed, State Senator Tom O'Mara and Assemblyman Chris Friend.

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

WGHS

12th Grade

Taylor Chaffee -- volleyball, basketball, softball -- 3rd year on the Top Drawer team
Haley Tuttle -- swimming, basketball -- 2nd year on the Top Drawer team
Jessica Stansfield -- volleyball, basketball, softball -- 3rd year on the Top Drawer team
Angela Keough -- soccer, basketball -- 3rd year on the Top Drawer team
Austin Stephany -- soccer -- 3rd year on the Top Drawer team
Chelsea Lehman -- soccer, basketball -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Alec Moore -- football, basketball -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Nick Sorensen -- cross country, indoor track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Robert Rondinaro -- cross country, indoor track, track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Dustin Cummings -- cross country, wrestling, track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Jessica Brogdon -- volleyball, tennis -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

11th Grade

Chelsea Kennard -- swimming, bowling, tennis -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

10th Grade

Matt Gill -- cross country, indoor track, track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

O-M

12th Grade:

Matt Kautz -- soccer, basketball, golf -- 2nd year on the Top Drawer team
Taylor Carey -- volleyball, basketball, track -- 2nd year on the Top Drawer team
Joe Markley -- football, track -- 2nd year on the Top Drawer team
Erin Terry -- soccer, basketball, track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

11th Grade:

Brittany VanAmburg -- soccer, basketball, track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team
Sydney Eberhardt -- soccer, basketball, softball-- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

Trumansburg

12th Grade

Alex Gatch -- football, baseball -- 2nd year on the Top Drawer team
Brianna VanSoest -- cross country, indoor track, track -- 1st year on Top Drawer team
Makenzi Swartwood -- cross country, indoor track, track -- 1st year on Top Drawer team

Bradford

12th Grade

Jesse Houck -- soccer, basketball -- 2nd year on the Top Drawer team

11th Grade

BreOnna Leonard -- soccer, track -- 1st year on the Top Drawer team

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From left: Watkins Glen's Matt Gill and Dustin Cummings, and O-M's Matt Kautz.

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Thumbnail sketches of the honorees.

Alex Gatch is a Trumansburg High School senior who has earned All Star status as a running back in football and a catcher in baseball. He is a superb student with a 94.91 grade-point average, is well-mannered, and is highly recommended by his teachers. He is a football and basketball youth coach, a Summer Recreation counselor, and a Salvation Army bell-ringer, and is involved in the Earth Day Cleanup, a church youth group, and tutoring Middle School students. A member of Ski Club, French Club and the National Honor Society, he will attend Hobart College with plans to become a dentist. This is his second year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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Jesse Houck is a Bradford High School senior who has been attending Corning Community College this year, earning a 3.97 grade-point-average. He has been a standout member and captain of Bradford's varsity soccer and basketball teams this year, carries top academic ranking in his class with a 94.01 average, and is a class officer, a member of Student Council, president of the National Honor Society, and an Elmira College Key Award winner. This is his second year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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Chelsea Lehman is a Watkins Glen High School senior who excels at soccer and basketball. She was an IAC First Team basketball pick as her team won the IAC Large School title for the second straight year, and an Odessa File All-Schuyler pick in soccer and basketball. She is a High Honor student, and a member of National Honor Society, Varsity Club and Yearbook Club. She served on the prom committee, was a youth basketball coach, and was recently inducted into the Business and Marketing Honor Society. She plans to attend Corning Community College to pursue a nursing career. This is her first year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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Jessica Stansfield is a Watkins Glen High School senior who is a consistent High Honor student and an outstanding athlete -- excelling at volleyball, basketball and softball. She was an IAC All-Star and an Odessa File All-Schuyler selection in all three sports. She is involved in the Interact Club and is a member of Varsity Club, Yearbook Club, Student Council and the National Honor Society. She was a youth basketball coach, served on the prom committee, and was recently inducted into the Business and Marketing Honor Society. She plans to attend Corning Community College to study Early Childhood Development. This is her third year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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Angela Keough is a Watkins Glen High School senior who is a soccer and basketball standout and a consistent High Honor student, carrying a 93.88 average. She was an IAC All-Star and Odessa File All-Schuyler pick in both soccer and basketball, and is a member of the Interact Club, Varsity Club, and the National Honor Society. She served as a youth basketball coach, was on the prom committee, and was a member of the Model United Nations class that competes annually at Cornell University. She plans to attend Ithaca College to study Physical Therapy. This is her third year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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From left: Watkins Glen's Chelsea Kennard, Angela Keough and Chelsea Lehman.

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Taylor Chaffee is a talented athlete who has won The Odessa File Athlete of the Year Award at Watkins Glen High School three times. She was an IAC All-Star this year in volleyball, basketball and softball, the leading scorer on the IAC Large School champion basketball team, the basketball division MVP, The Odessa File co-Schuyler Winter MVP, and a Second Team All-State basketball selection. She is an Honor student and a member of the Interact service club, Varsity Club, Student Council, Yearbook Club and the National Honor Society. She will attend Binghamton University, where she was recruited to play softball and where she plans to study Physical Therapy. This is her third year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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Austin Stephany is a Watkins Glen High School senior who is a High Honor student and a gifted soccer player. He was an IAC First Team All-Star for the fourth straight year as he captained the varsity soccer team to a successful season. He has amassed 45 goals and a school record 66 assists in his varsity soccer career, and a school record 156 total points. Outside of school, he plays soccer nationwide for the U.S. Development program. He is a member of the Rotary-affiliated Interact Club and of the National Honor Society, and has been a New York State Scholar Athlete for four straight years. He has also been an outstanding member of the Model UN class that competes annually at the Cornell Model UN conference. He plans to attend the University of Buffalo, where he will be playing Division 1 Soccer and majoring in Biology. This is his third year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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Haley Tuttle is a Watkins Glen High School senior who is a High Honor student with a 95 average. She was an IAC All-Star in swimming, a key member of the IAC Large School Champion girls basketball team, and an Odessa File All-Schuyler pick for her swimming and basketball achievements. She was on the prom committee, and served as a youth basketball coach. She is president of the National Honor Society, and is a member of Interact, Student Council and the Model United Nations program. She is, says one teacher, "an academic and moral leader in our school." She plans to attend Niagara University and major in English and Special Education. This is her second year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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Matt Kautz is an Odessa-Montour High School senior who excels at soccer, basketball and golf, earning IAC All-Star and Odessa File All-Schuyler status in all three sports. He is a High Honor student with a 96.38 average, and is a member of the National Honor Society, Tech Club, Student Council, SADD, Interact and the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and was a Rotary Club Student of the Month. He is also a member of the school's Envirothon Team that won the Schuyler County title this year. Says one member of the O-M staff: "Matt works very hard and gives 110% to everything." He plans to attend Alfred State College and study to become an engineer. This is his second year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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Taylor Carey is an Odessa-Montour High School senior who earned IAC All-Star status in volleyball, was the IAC Small Schools South Division MVP in basketball, and played a key role on her school's track team. She was The Odessa File co-Schuyler Winter MVP for her basketball exploits, and was also an Odessa File All-Schuyler pick in volleyball and track. She was a Rotary Club Student of the Month in December, is a High Honor student with a 93.95 grade-point average, and is a member of Interact Club, Student Council, the National Honor Society and SADD. She is vice-president of the Senior Class, and has served as a youth basketball coach. She will attend SUNY Oneonta in the fall. This is her second year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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From left: O-M's Joe Markley, and Watkins Glen's Rob Rondinaro and Nick Sorensen.

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Joe Markley is an Odessa-Montour High School senior who is an outstanding football player and a track standout who holds school records in the 800 Meter Run, the Steeplechase, and several track relays, and was an Odessa File All-Schuyler pick in both sports. He is a High Honor student with a 93.73 grade-point average and is a member of the Interact Club, Student Council, and the National Honor Society. He is the 4-H Club treasurer, and part of the school's Envirothon team that won the Schuyler County title this year. He also had a key role, as the voice of the monster plant, in the school's spring musical, "Little Shop of Horrors." He plans to attend Alfred State and major in Mechanical Engineering. This is his second year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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BreOnna Leonard is a Bradford High School junior who is No. 1 in her class academically, a member and captain of the varsity soccer and track teams, a class officer, and a member of Student Council, the National Honor Society and the Academic All Stars. She has broken numerous school records in track, and holds a Steuben County track record. She also works a full-time job to help support her and her mother. She is, says the school's principal, "poised, reserved, and an outstanding young woman." This is her first year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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Nick Sorensen is a Watkins Glen High School senior who was co-captain of the Section IV champion Cross Country team, where his coach said "Nick helped us to find heart -- the ingredient that makes life work." He was an Odessa File All-Schuyler selection for his cross country exploits, and was a key member of the school's Indoor Track team. He is a High Honor Student, a member of Student Council, Interact, and the Save Our Schools student movement, and a talented videographer. He was also honored this year as a Rotary Club Student of the Month. He plans to attend Finger Lakes Community College in Pre-Med. This is his first year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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Robert Rondinaro is a Watkins Glen High School senior who is a standout in the school's Model United Nations program, a High Honor student, and a leader in the Save Our Schools student movement. He was on the Section IV champion Cross Country team, and has competed in indoor and outdoor track. He is also an historian who, on his senior trip, offered a talk on Gettysburg to his fellow students while riding the bus to Washington, D.C., prompting an ovation. He is a member of the National Honor Society, Interact, and Student Council, and was a Rotary Student of the Month. He plans to attend Corning Community College and then the University of Buffalo and medical school for a career in biomedical research. This is his first year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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From left: Watkins Glen's Jessica Stansfield and Austin Stephany, and Trumansburg's Makenzi Swartwood.

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Dustin Cummings is a Watkins Glen High School senior who excels at wrestling and at track, where he specializes in the Pole Vault. He was also a member of the Section IV champion Cross Country team, whose coach said "he was the phenomenal number eight runner who pushed everyone to be faster -- at every practice, every day, and that is a big deal." He is a member of Interact and Varsity Club, and is a youth wrestling coach. He is a High Honor Student, and a person described by one teacher as possessing "a humble integrity and kindness that is unmatched." He plans to attend Keuka College on scholarship to study sign language. This is his first year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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Jessica Brogdon is a Watkins Glen High School senior who earned All-Star status this year on the varsity volleyball team, played on the tennis team, was part of the school's Model United Nations team, and was stage manager for the spring musical "Mame." She is a High Honor student with a 98 average, co-president of the service-oriented Interact Club, and a member of the National Honor Society, the Business and Marketing Honor Society, Student Council, and Yearbook Club. She plans to attend the University of Rochester to study Epidemiology and possibly minor in Russian, and hopes to play volleyball there and ride on the school's equestrian team. This is her first year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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Erin Terry is an Odessa-Montour High School senior who has been a member of the varsity soccer, basketball and track teams, and holds a school record as part of a 1600 Meter Relay team. She is a High Honor student with a 91.4 grade-point average, is a member of the National Honor Society, Student Council, Interact and SADD, had a role in the school musical "Little Shop of Horrors," and was honored by Rotary Club as a Student of the Month. She plans to attend Nazareth College to major in Physical Therapy. This is her first year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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Brittany VanAmburg is an Odessa-Montour High School junior who excels at track and was a key member of the varsity soccer and basketball teams. She earned Odessa File All-Schuyler Second Team status this year in track, where she advanced to the State Qualifier in the Pole Vault. She is a High Honor student with a 92.52 grade-point average, a New York State Scholar-Athlete, and a member of the National Honor Society. She plans to attend Nazareth College to study Physical Therapy. This is her first year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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From left: Watkins Glen's Alec Moore, Bradford's BreOnna Leonard, Watkins Glen's Taylor Chaffee, and Odessa-Montour's Taylor Carey.

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Makenzi Swartwood is a Trumansburg High School senior who was an All-Star this year on a divisional champion Cross Country team, and an outstanding member of the school's indoor and outdoor track squads. She has in past seasons been a member of a school-record-setting 4-by-400 relay team, a State Meet participant and a Section 4 All-Star. She is involved in the Earth Day cleanup, is a homework helper, has participated in a Guatemala Mission Trip, and has helped with youth sports. She is a member of the school's Concert Band, Jazz Band, Art Club, Student Council, National Honor Society, and Showcase Chorus. She carries a 95.08 grade-point average, and plans to attend St. John Fisher College to study physics. This is her first year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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Brianna VanSoest is a Trumansburg High School senior who has repeatedly been an IAC and Section 4 All-Star in Cross Country and a State Meet participant twice, and an IAC and Section IV All-Star in Indoor and Outdoor Track with multiple school records. She is a Southern Tier Food Bank volunteer, is involved in Pee Wee track and the Earth Day cleanup, and was a Guatemala Mission participant. She is a member of Chorus, Vocal Jazz, Art Club, French Club and the National Honor Society. She carries a 96.24 grade-point average, and plans to attend SUNY Geneseo for Pre-Med. This is her first year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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Sydney Eberhardt is an Odessa-Montour High School junior who played on the varsity soccer and basketball teams and was a standout on the varsity softball team as a centerfielder, earning IAC All-Star status. She is a High Honor student with a 92.79 average who draws high praise from coaches and teachers for her kindness and thoughtfulness. She is treasurer of the junior class, and is a member of the National Honor Society, Interact and Student Council. She played a role in the school musical "Little Shop of Horrors," was honored with her school's STAR Award, and was a New York State scholar-athlete in basketball. She plans to attend Ithaca College to pursue a degree in physical therapy. This is her first year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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Matt Gill is a Watkins Glen High School sophomore who is an All-Star competitor in Cross Country -- where he was a key member of the Section IV championship team -- and in indoor and outdoor track. He was The Odessa File Schuyler Fall MVP for his outstanding Cross Country season, and an Odessa File All Schuyler pick in both indoor and outdoor track. He is a High Honor student with a 94 average, and a member of Interact, Varsity Club, the National Honor Society, the Audio-Visual Club, and the Save Our Schools student movement. He is class president, and regarded as both highly responsible and a gentleman. He hopes to pursue degrees in Robotic Design and Engineering when he reaches college. This is his first year on the Top Drawer 24 team, and its only sophomore.

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From left: O-M's Erin Terry, Watkins Glen's Haley Tuttle, O-M's Brittany VanAmburg, and Trumansburg's Brianna VanSoest.

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Chelsea Kennard is a Watkins Glen High School junior who competed this year in swimming, bowling and tennis. She is a High Honor student with a 97 average, secretary of the National Honor Society, a class officer, co-president of Interact, and a member of Music Club, the Select Choir, the Flute Ensemble, the Concert Band, Student Council, the World Language Club, and the Save Our Schools student movement. She also performed in the school musical, "Mame." She plans to pursue a medical degree in college. This is her first year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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Alec Moore is a Watkins Glen High School senior who played key roles on the varsity football and basketball teams, earning IAC First Team All-Star status in basketball. He was also an Odessa File All-Schuyler pick in both sports. He is a High Honor student, a member of the National Honor Society and Varsity Club, and served as a youth basketball coach. He plans to attend Corning Community College and then Cornell University to study turf sciences. This is his first year on the Top Drawer 24 team.

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That's all of them -- 24 remarkable people who, at the heart of it, have one thing in common: they have convinced the selection committee that they belong on this team by excelling in unique and impressive ways.

They have successfully tackled many athletic, academic and citizenship opportunities in high school, and in so doing have prepared themselves well for life's many challenges. They will likely perform admirably in college and beyond.