Each year since 1984 the CAS-CIAC has honored hundreds of scholar athletes with a gala banquet at the Aqua Turf.
The event, one of the association’s biggest of the year, often draws close to 1,700 guests, with each of the state’s 183 member schools given the opportunity to honor a male and female student from their respective schools.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, CAS-CIAC needed to cancel the live celebration. However, staff members knew they had to come up with an alternative to honor this year’s scholar athletes. The award is for seniors.
“They’ve had enough disappointment,” said John Holt, who helped produce a virtual presentation which will appear Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. on GameTimeCT.com and Fox-61. “Mary Lee Weber was able to get us a place to air it, so we were very excited to be able to do it.”
The presentation runs 28 minutes, 30 seconds, with public service announcements featuring student-athletes at the start and finish.
There were some challenges, such as highlighting 358 student-athletes, presenting a keynote speaker, working with a master of ceremonies. Holt, a former sports anchor at WFSB, found a way to incorporate all aspects.
Holt conducted interviews with two student-athletes: Wright Tech’s Francisco Garcia and Weaver’s Olivia DeLeon-Gaston. Retired ESPN radio personality Bob Picozzi, who has hosted the event 32 of the past 35 years, interviews keynote speaker Anna Mahon, a former Olympian and current principal at Amity. And there will be profile feature on Maloney’s Haley Lespier, the 2020 Michael H. Savage Spirit of Sport Award winner. During each of those video segments, there will be a scrolling ticker across the bottom of the presentation, displaying photos of each of the student-athletes twice. There will be two other times during the presentation where larger versions of the photos will be displayed for a longer period of time.
“It’s been a busy few weeks, but well worth it,” Holt said. “It’s different than what the banquet would have been, but it allows us to do some nice story telling. There are some nice features involved. Anna talks about perseverance and resiliency. It’s a good message for all of us at this time.”
There are also special congratulatory messages from several Connecticut athletes, including Rebecca Lobo, Miami Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones (St. Paul) of New Britain, former Major League baseball player and manager Brad Ausmus of Cheshire, Olympian Donn Cabral of Glastonbury and former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky of Shelton. Ausmus and Cabral were both honored as scholar-athletes in high school.
The video presentation is taking place the same night the banquet was scheduled.
Along with the airing on Fox61 and GameTimeCT.com, the program will be available after its conclusion on the NFHS Network, CIACsports.com, the CAS-CIAC YouTube page, and on Hearst Connecticut Media’s platforms: nhregister.com, ctpost.com, thehour.com, greenwichtime.com, newstimes.com, stamfordadvocate.com, middletownpress.com and registercitizen.com
CAS-CIAC 2019-20 SCHOLAR ATHLETES
| School | Athlete 1 | Athlete 2 |
| Abbott Tech | Marisa Shiland | Cody Waterbury |
| Aerospace | Sabrina Porter | Aditya Patil |
| Amity | Laurella Marin | Raymond Lu |
| Ansonia | Anna Msciwujewska | Tyler Cafaro |
| Avon | Abigail St. Onge | Walden Yan |
| Bacon Academy | Veronica Krystofik | Matthew Voiland |
| Bassick | Safa Abbe | Quinshon Mckoy |
| Berlin | Audrey Feldman | Matthew Uryga |
| Bethel | Sophia Islam | Ryan Dudley |
| Bloomfield | Elicia Colon | Shawn Green |
| Bolton | Allison Bradley | Cody Fox |
| Branford | Karly King | Austin Bui |
| Bridgeport Central | Tessiny Colon | Alex Guzman |
| Brien McMahon | Alexandra Mills | Patrick Coulter |
| Bristol Central | Katherine Funk | Mark Petrosky |
| Bristol Eastern | Rebecca Bender | Drew Dauphinee |
| Brookfield | Jamie Hiatrides | Irfan Ajmeri |
| Bulkeley | Zaida Cotto | Abedin Abedini |
| Bullard Havens Tech | Mea Davitt | Carlos Torres |
| Bunnell | Joseph Lumasag | Susan Poisson |
| Canton | Allison Celmer | John Freedenberg |
| Capital Prep | Brianna Westberry | Kobe Anderson |
| Career Magnet | Gabriela Soriano | Julius Pugh |
| Cheney Tech | Thaiyeba Mahzabin | Noah Pearson |
| Cheshire | Lindsey Abramson | Brendan Mellitt |
| Civic Leadership | Leah Coleman | James Henriquez |
| Classical Magnet | Amber Salmon | Collin Doyle |
| Coginchaug | Carolyn Cumello | Max Temple |
| Conard | Cate DiGiacomo | Peter Simplicio |
| Coventry | Ashley Oberlin | Brett Hurley |
| Cromwell | Kaedryn Pulling | Matthew Sbriglio |
| Crosby | Marissa White | Josel Pimentel Alves |
| Danbury | Christine Sangphet | Aidan Coleman |
| Daniel Hand | Chloe Thompson | Isaiah McNeilly |
| Darien | Sophia Talwalkar | Nicholas Derby |
| Derby | Kaitlyn Gerckens | Damian Caruso |
| E.O. Smith | Zoe Chafouleas | Kosta Boskovic |
| East Catholic | Julia Swanson | Andrew Ferruolo |
| East Granby | Emily Kowal | Kristian Kowalski |
| East Hampton | Maggie Donohue | Noah Gibson |
| East Hartford | Janaiya Cruz-Bermudez | Dante Talamini |
| East Haven | Samantha Schlottman | Michael Castellano |
| East Lyme | Sophie Taylor | Finn Power |
| East Windsor | Alyssa Saponare | Ryan Bell |
| Ellington | Ashka Patel | James Maznicki |
| Ellis Tech | Helena Fugazzi | Kyle O’Connor |
| Enfield | Jayonna Montigny | Wyatt Raymond |
| Fairfield Ludlowe | Hannah Johansson | James Flink |
| Fairfield Prep | Liam Wilson | |
| Fairfield Warde | Claire Cherniske | Gregory Vogt |
| Farmington | Sarah Hennig | Shrey Sharma |
| Fitch | Aria Lupo | Finn Koehler |
| Foran | Emma Bell | Gavin Paul |
| Gilbert | Maryellen Marino | Erik O’Meara |
| Glastonbury | Alexandra Bedard | Brett Schneider |
| Goodwin Tech | Korina Trammell | Kyle Chamberland |
| Granby Memorial | Catherine Mydosh | Samuel Attianese |
| Grasso Tech | Topaz Baker | Robert Holland |
| Greenwich | Kathleen Piotrzkowski | Justin Speaker |
| Griswold | Cheyenne Zvingilas | Matthew DePonte |
| Guilford | Ella Stanley | Ben Crair |
| Haddam-Killingworth | Lauren Miller | Zachary Houlton |
| Hale Ray | Jasmine Ziobron | Michael Quinn |
| Hall | Jenna Zydanowicz | Emily Cubbage |
| Hamden | Ella Bradford | Michael Aceto |
| Hartford Public | Joaneshly Marquez-Santana | Ta Mala Htoo |
| Hillhouse | Enyla Williams | Talib McBride |
| HMTCA | Abigail Rogers | Benjamin Chasse |
| Holy Cross | Tara Garden | Christopher Christiano |
| Housatonic Regional | Lindsey Clark | Shane Stampfle |
| Immaculate | Lauren Oskam | Sean Guiry |
| Innovation | Lydia Bishop | Marvin Owusu |
| Joel Barlow | Olivia Fassman | Colin Holm-Hansen |
| Jonathan Law | Kaitlyn McNellis | Jonathan Vitale |
| Kaynor Tech | Memunat Bilewu | Scott Dalesio |
| Kennedy | Britney Barton | Yasin Azizoglu |
| Killingly | Alexandra Purcell | Jonathon Creswell |
| Kolbe Cathedral | Sabrina DaSilva | Jaden Mclellan |
| Lauralton Hall | Alexandra Elliott | |
| Ledyard | Olivia Crawford | Xander Hutchins |
| Lewis Mills | Morgan Sokol | Harry Honig |
| Litchfield | Francesca Luzzi | David O’Hara |
| Lyman Hall | Hailey Bruneau | Matt Pettit |
| Lyman Memorial | Christina Clouser | Jacob Michele |
| Maloney | Annelise Montuori | Matthew Desimone |
| Manchester | Sarah Turley | Sean Moriarty |
| Masuk | Sarah Pfau | Steven Lee |
| Mercy | Jacqueline Egidio | |
| Middletown | Cierra Freer | Matthew Nenninger |
| MLC | Rachel Gordon-Robinson | Maurice Flowers |
| Montville | Sydney Winakor | Quinn Bond |
| Morgan | Annalyse Olcott | Andrew Daly |
| Naugatuck | Brielle Dorothy Behuniak | John Connor Mezzo |
| New Britain | Kiara Matias | Adam Gottner |
| New Canaan | Rianna Afshar | Christopher Carratu |
| New Fairfield | Hazel Hudson | Christopher Martins |
| New London | Francesca Ledoux | Derek Raymond |
| New Milford | Julia Colley | Ryan Murphy |
| Newington | Reagan Pelton | Joseph Bohlke |
| Newtown | Cathryn Gregory | Jack Mulligan |
| Nonnewaug | Cassandra Barbino | Jackson Baker |
| North Branford | Ava Galdenzi | Joseph DeLucia |
| North Haven | Christina DeAngelo | Stephen Borrelli |
| Northwest Catholic | Allison Tessman | Dominick Mealha |
| Northwestern | Jana Sanden | Levi Delaney |
| Norwalk | Julia Dufort | Alex Francoeur |
| Norwich Free Academy | Emma Grace Ricketts | Zeb Carty |
| Norwich Tech | Kenna Riley | Roark Ryan |
| Notre Dame-Fairfield | Sophie Stachurski | Matthew Rohr |
| Notre Dame-West Haven | Matthew Consorte | |
| O’Brien Tech | Silvia DeSouza | Evan Mansfield |
| Old Lyme | Lydia Tinnerello | Nicholas Fava |
| Old Saybrook | Grace Hanratty | Cooper Pavlovich |
| Oxford | Emma Lobraico | Justin Nappi |
| Parish Hill | Elizabeth Sweat | Gavin Horning-Kane |
| Plainfield | Kate Carleson | Daniel Flanagan |
| Plainville | Olivia Wazorko | Mason Sarra |
| Platt | Haley Peacock | Andrew McCarty |
| Platt Tech | Andreina Barajas Novoa | Ian Valeta |
| Pomperaug | Madison Villa | Alec Zackin |
| Portland | Autum Tewksbury | Caden Charpentier |
| Prince Tech | Ashly Avila Soler | Salvatore LaPira |
| RHAM | Meredith Blinn | Stephen Buden |
| Ridgefield | Emma Langis | Simon Jupp |
| Rockville | Alyssa Sirianni | Thomas Rhoades |
| Rocky Hill | Elizabeth Stockman | Ishan Sheth |
| Sacred Heart | Elizabeth DeCrisanti | Nicholas Warner |
| Sacred Heart Academy | Meaghan Cameron | |
| Seymour | Ashley Sirowich | Jack Crocamo |
| Sheehan | Marley Esch | Derrick Arnold |
| Shelton | Haley Oko | David Niski |
| Shepaug Valley | Isabel Eddy | Owen Moore |
| Simsbury | Riley Peterson | Andrew Lech |
| SMSA | Rebecca Mayer | David Akinwole |
| Somers | Kylie Raymond | Andrew Skowronek |
| South Windsor | Lindsey Osit | Emmanuel Mokel |
| Southington | Sarah Meade | Jacob DelMonte |
| St. Bernard | Brigid Kunka | Sean Power |
| St. Joseph | Gabriella Gatto | Louis Tuccio |
| St. Paul Catholic | Natalie Millerick | Jeremy Rinaldi |
| Stafford | Angelina Gill | James Missell |
| Stamford | Hannah Bushell | Max Meister |
| Staples | Arianna Gerig | A.J. Konstanty |
| Stonington | Sarah Flakus | Rhys Hammond |
| Stratford | Chidima Anekwe | Samuel Schumann |
| Suffield | Nora Shanks | Charles Brydges |
| Terryville | Kassie McCarthy | Jacob Zappone |
| Thomaston | Briana Grecco | Chet Pierce |
| Tolland | Amy Lumia | Nathan Paolangeli |
| Torrington | Mariah Doyle | Justin Mattiello |
| Tourtellotte | Ashley Morin | Jack Merrill |
| Trinity Catholic | Sophie Thompson | Patrick Carlon |
| Trumbull | Jaime Tolk | Cyrus Asgari |
| University | Frances Flores | Kyle Vu |
| Valley Regional | Riley Millburne | Ryan Shasha |
| Vinal Tech | Alexandra Henderson | Frankie Romano |
| Wamogo | Sydney Marhefsky | Benjamin Roy |
| Waterford | Sabrina Chhorn | Lucas Brennan-Almaraz |
| Watertown | Aubrey Distefano | Daniel Ottowicz |
| WCA | Ally Nohmy | Jose Calles |
| Weaver | Olivia DeLeon-Gaston | Ellis Diaz |
| West Haven | Taylor Nowak | Brendan Carew |
| Westbrook | Sarah Davey | Ian Whitehouse |
| Westhill | Betsy Sachs | Alex Edwards |
| Weston | Samantha Godwin | John Jones |
| Wethersfield | Kayla Condon | Aaron Ky |
| Wheeler | Amanda Regine | Bowen Baker |
| Whitney Tech | Megan Calderin | Isaiah Colon |
| Wilbur Cross | Jung Joo Kim | Darius Esdaile |
| Wilby | Leeann Crespo | Jason Basant |
| Wilcox Tech | Chloe LaBissoniere | Nathan DeMaio |
| Wilton | Paula Perez Pelaez | Andrew Smith |
| Windham | Alyssa Dupont | Andrew Lambert |
| Windham Tech | Amber Peterson | Hendrik Kingo |
| Windsor | Emma Capuano | Tyler Ruff |
| Windsor Locks | Emily Tarko | Collin O’Brien |
| Wolcott | Kathryn Rodrigues | Vincent Zheng |
| Wolcott Tech | Michaela Scully | Marc Rich |
| Woodland | Emma Slavin | Nicholas DeLucia |
| Woodstock Academy | Avery Jones | Luis Miranda |
| Wright Tech | Jennifer Lopez | Francisco Garcia |
| Xavier | Luke Tischio |
