The Top Drawer 24 pose at Thursday's gathering. Kneeling, from left: Jesse Houck, Alex Gatch, Joe Markley, Matt Kautz, Alec Moore, Nick Sorensen, Austin Stephany, Rob Rondinaro, Matt Gill and Dustin Cummings. Standing, from left: BreOnna Leonard, Makenzi Swartwood, Brianna VanSoest, Sydney Eberhardt, Erin Terry, Brittany VanAmburg, Taylor Carey, Brian J. O'Donnell, Taylor Chaffee, Haley Tuttle, Jessica Brogdon, Chelsea Kennard, Jessica Stansfield, Angela Keough and Chelsea Lehman. (Photo by Don Romeo)

Top Drawer 24 honored

Speeches, awards mark 7th annual gathering

WATKINS GLEN, June 8 -- For the seventh consecutive year, two-dozen outstanding student-athlete-citizens from four area high schools were honored Thursday night as members of the Top Drawer 24. They were presented medallions and certificates in a party at the Watkins Glen State Park Pavilion attended by about 220 people -- a record for the event.

The group was selected by a committee based on a combination of academic, athletic, and personal 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 WGHS since it has the largest student population within the county.

As it is every year, the evening was highlighted by speeches -- this time from National Football League executive Dennis Kayser, from former four-time Top Drawer honoree Katey Cheplick, and from Bradford High School Principal Kelly Houck, who will soon take over as superintendent of the Canaseraga School District. Also present was Dave Murray, head football coach at Alfred University who played college football for Kayser when the latter coached at Springfield College, and who was on a Kayser-led coaching staff years later at Cortland. Murray, who hadn't seen Kayser in years before Thursday, gave a short speech while introducing his old friend to the Top Drawer audience.

After the speeches, each of the Top Drawer honorees was called forward, one by one, to receive a medallion, along with certificates of achievement from the offices of Congressman Tom Reed, State Senator Tom O'Mara and State Assemblyman Chris Friend.

The night also featured the presentation of the eighth annual Susan B. Haeffner Schuyler County Sportsmanship Award -- named after the late wife of Odessa File Editor/Publisher Charlie Haeffner. The honor went to two people: Watkins Glen High School student April Ruda and Odessa-Montour High School student Nicole Colunio.

Also presented were the annual Odessa File Athlete of the Year Awards, sponsored by the E.C. Cooper insurance firm. They went to Matt Gill at Watkins Glen High School, and to Taylor Carey and Morgan Shutter at Odessa-Montour.

Honorary Top Drawer membership was granted to three people important to the operation through the years: super fan John James, Rev. Beverly Karr-Lyon, and former WGHS Principal and current Watkins Glen School Board President Brian J. O'Donnell -- whose name is affixed to the Top Drawer 24 subtitle: the Brian J. O'Donnell Schuyler County Scholar-Athlete-Citizen Team.

The speeches were for the most part aimed at the honorees, urging each of them (in the case of Kayser) to have a game plan for the future and to find a career path "you are extremely excited and passionate about," and suggesting (in the case of Cheplick) that they try different things in life; that they be prepared to "reinvent" themselves as time and circumstance dictate.

"Don't be afraid of failure," said Kayser. "If you get knocked down, just pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back in the thick of it."

"Being young is about taking risks. Challenge yourselves," said Cheplick, who has altered course several times in a thus-far successful academic and athletic career -- including leaving a local AAU basketball program to join one in the Cleveland area in high school; transferring from one high school to another; and transferring from one college to another. She played two sports -- volleyball and basketball -- at Penn State Altoona this past school year.

Houck pointed out some of the benefits that arise from athletics: increased confidence, improved socialization skills, improvement in school work, teamwork, increased self-esteem, and character development.

Photos in text:

Top: Makenzi Swartwood of Trumansburg High School receives certificates and a medallion from Watkins Glen High School Principal Dave Warren.

Middle: Keynote speaker Dennis Kayser, a National Football League executive. (Photo by Don Romeo)

Bottom: Honoree Austin Stephany.

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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. (Pictured at right)

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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Photos in text:

Top: Honoree Jessica Brogdon

Bottom: Honoree BreOnna Leonard gets a hug from her Bradford High School principal, Kelly Houck. (Photo by Don Romeo)

For thumbnail sketches of the honorees, click here.

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More photos from the Top Drawer 24 party

The Odessa File Athletes of the Year were presented plaques before the Top Drawer ceremony. Standing with their plaques in front of the Watkins Glen State Park pavilion -- and flanked by Mike Stamp of the sponsoring E.C. Cooper insurance agency, left, and NFL executive Dennis Kayser -- are (from left) Taylor Carey, Morgan Shutter and Matt Gill. (Photo by Don Romeo)

From left: Speaker Katey Cheplick; and Brian J. O'Donnell, who introduced each honoree during the ceremony.

Left: Honoree Dustin Cummings. Right: Honoree Sydney Eberhardt is congratulated by Watkins Glen teacher Marie Fitzsimmons.

Left: Watkins Glen School District Superintendent Tom Phillips, who offered introductory remarks. Right: Bradford High School Principal Kelly Houck, who presented a speech.

Left: Honoree Erin Terry. Right: Honoree Rob Rondinaro is congratulated by WGHS Principal Dave Warren.

Trumansburg honorees (from left) Brianna VanSoest, Makenzi Swartwood and Alex Gatch arrive at the ceremony.

Honorees Nick Sorensen (left) and Alec Moore.

Ceremony speakers and old friends (from left) Dave Murray, Dennis Kayser and Craig Cheplick.

Left: Montour Falls Mayor John King. Center: April Ruda, recipient of a Susan B. Haeffner Schuyler County Sportsmanship Award. Right: Top Drawer 24 honoree Matt Kautz.

Honorees Jesse Houck and Brittany VanAmburg.

Nicole Colunio, left, upon receiving a Susan B. Haeffner Schuyler County Sportsmanship Award. She was introduced by Watkins Glen teacher Kelly Muir, right.

Left: Honoree Chelsea Kennard. Right: Honoree Joe Markley is congratulated by WGHS Principal Dave Warren.

WGHS girls basketball coach Chris Clark with the team's five starting players, each of them a Top Drawer 24 honoree. From left: Taylor Chaffee, Jessica Stansfield, Clark, Chelsea Lehman, Angela Keough and Haley Tuttle.