Last week, the BNL Athletics Department gathered to celebrate the 2026 Winter Sports Season in the Berlin Middle High School Auditorium. BNL’s Berlin Athletic Director Mrs. Meghan Reynolds led the ceremony, speaking also on behalf of BNL’s New Lebanon Athletic Director Mr. Corey Brown, who was unable to attend due to a joyful family matter, praising the student-athletes for their sportsmanship, grit, and academic success throughout the winter season and thanking the coaches for their flexibility and commitment throughout the season. Though the weather posed some obstacles, the BNL coaches and athletes persevered, making every practice, meet, match, and game count, giving their best effort in every opportunity they had to practice or compete.

The student-athletes showed an outstanding balance of school and sport, with four Varsity BNL Winter teams – Girls Varsity Basketball, Girls Varsity Wrestling, Varsity Swim, and Boys Varsity Volleyball – receiving the New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s Scholar-Athlete Team Award for the Winter 2026 sports season.
Congratulations also go to BNL senior athletes Anna Ward and Cameron VanDyk for being awarded Scholar-Athletes by the Section II Scholar-Athlete Committee. Read more about the academic awards below.

At the winter awards ceremony, coaches spoke of the achievements of their whole team and awarded individual awards to athletes who went above and beyond in their growth, performance, and sportsmanship.
Please find a list of these award winners and highlights below.

Thank you to the BNL Booster Club for providing refreshments for the evening, with a special shoutout to Nothing Bundt Cakes (Wolf Rd.) for their donation of sample platters for the athletes to enjoy with their families and teammates after the ceremony.

 

Bowling

Most Improved JV – Jameson Hawkins

JV High Average – Mikhael Florada  

Coaches Award (Varsity) – Noah Bonesteel

Sportsmanship Award (Varsity) – Kaylee Ferrarin

Most Valuable Player- Myra Snyder 

 Wasaren League Second Team All Star – Myra Snyder

 

Boys Varsity Volleyball

Sportsmanship – Finn Buckenroth

Coaches Award – Luke Spears

Most Valuable Player- Michael Ligotti

New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s Scholar-Athlete Team Award

Swim

Rookie of the Year – Lorali Spears

Record Breaker – George Lamphere-Webster 

Most Valuable Swimmer – Lance Schroder

New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s Scholar-Athlete Team Award

All-Berkshire Team: Cadence Ward & Gunnar Schroder- 200 Free Relay, Grace Kalisz- 500 Freestyle, George Lamphere-Webster- 200 Individual Medley, Lance Schroder- 200 Freestyle.

Girls Varsity Basketball

Most Valuable Player- Ari Degroff

Most Improved Player –  Bella Ovitt

Sportsmanship Award –  Savannah Hammon

New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s Scholar-Athlete Team Award

Anna Ward – Section II Scholar-Athlete

Modified Girls Basketball

Most Improved Player – Demi Kormos

Sportsmanship –  Quinnrose Hastings

Most Valuable Player –  Lilly Bonesteel

Varsity Boys Wrestling

Most Outstanding Wrestler –  Louis Gabriele

Most Improved Wrestler –  Xavier Lamica 

Coaches Award –  Adam Ford 

Patroon Conference All-Star –  118 Louis Gabriele

Varsity Girls Wrestling

Most Outstanding Wrestler –  Mia MacMillen

Most Improved Wrestler –  Vinny Deschamps

Coaches Award –  Lilly Gabriele

  Team Runner Up in Patroon Conference

New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s Scholar-Athlete Team Award

Patroon Conference All-Stars: 107 Vinny Deschamps, 138 Holly White, 145 Vivienne Powers, and 165 Mia MacMillen

Modified Wrestling

Most Outstanding Wrestler –  Alex Cerniglia

Most Improved Wrestler –  Devin Hammett

Coaches Award –  Gunnar Powers

Cheerleading 

Coaches –  Giana Thompson-Hauser

Sportsmanship –  Maya Sykes Gundlach

Most Valuable Player –  Nahjalont Chapman

Varsity Boys Basketball

Sportsmanship –  Josh Albee

Coaches Award –   Jack Mace

Most Valuable Player-  Seth Hendricks

Modified Boys Basketball

A-Team Awards

Sportsmanship –  Josh Albee

Coaches Award –   Jack Mace

Most Valuable Player-  Seth Hendricks

 Most Valuable Player-  Trent Hastings

 Sportsmanship – David Ovitt

 Most Improved – Brandon Kinnon     

 B-Team Awards

Most Valuable Player – Jay Kreutziger

Sportsmanship –  Bentley Eriole

Most Improved – Gregory Gendron 

New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s

Scholar-Athlete Awards

Congratulations to our BNL athletes who were named All-Stars in their leagues. BNL participates in the Berkshire League for swimming, Patroon League for wrestling, and Wasaren League for bowling! Shout out to these outstanding athletes!

Varsity Bowling Wasaren League All Star
Myra Snyder – Second Team All Star

Varsity Girls Wrestling Patroon Conference All-Stars
107 Vinny Deschamps
138 Holly White
145 Vivienne Powers
165 Mia MacMillen

Varsity Boys Wrestling Patroon Conference All-Star
118 Louis Gabriele

Varsity Swimming All-Berkshire Team
Cadence Ward & Gunnar Schroder- 200 Free Relay
Grace Kalisz- 500 Freestyle
George Lamphere-Webster- 200 Individual Medley
Lance Schroder- 200 Freestyle

The BNL 2026 Spring Season is underway with JV & Varsity sports starting today and modified starting on Monday, 3/16.

Let’s Go Mountain Lions!

photos: BCSD Communications