After football and wrestling season ended, Steve Mills had already checked off two of the prerequisite three sports to qualify for the sought-after Richard Van Norr Memorial Award given to Sachem’s top male senior athlete.
Always up for a challenge, and looking to catapult an already glamorous senior year, Mills took to track and field and went out for the discus and shot put events to complete the athletic trifecta.
Mills put the proverbial cherry on top of his senior campaign at Sachem after officially winning the Van Norr Award at the district’s annual athletic awards ceremony, held this year at Sachem East on Monday evening.
John Vigh, a three-sport athlete at Sachem East, won the honor for his school. Sachem North’s Danielle Levine and Sachem East’s Christina Schretzman were honored with the Linda Otten Award, presented to the top senior female athlete at each school.
Mills also took home the Thomas J. Sabatelle Senior Student-Athlete Award and the All-Star Awards Memorial Scholarship.
“It caps off a really great senior year, a dream come true,” said Mills, who will play football at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. next year. “I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I wanted to prove I was the top athlete in Sachem.”
Mills admits throwing track onto his resume wasn’t easy. Through it all, a Zellner Award as the top lineman in Suffolk County and a New York State Public Schools wrestling title, Mills has had a grand support system and he was quick to point that out.
“I have to give credit to all my coaches and teammates,” he said. “They’re the ones who pushed me and drove me and helped me become the athlete I am. I can’t thank them enough. I felt the same elation when I got the Zellner as I did when I was standing atop the podium upstate [for wrestling]. Those two are highlights of my life and athletic career up to this point.”
Vigh was a leader on the football, wrestling and lacrosse teams at Sachem East and will play lacrosse in college at Marist.
Schretzman, who will attend SUNY Oswego, said she did not expect to win the Otten Award. She played basketball and volleyball and ran track.
“I couldn’t thank my coaches and teammates enough for keeping me going,” she said. “I’m really happy I got to graduate with this.”
Levine, who will play basketball at SUNY Cortland and also played lacrosse and volleyball at Sachem, was also stunned with the news of winning the Otten Award.
“I’ve seen people win this in the past that are terrific athletes and I never thought I’d be up for this,” she said. “It’s a real honor.”
PHOTOS: CLICK HERE to see images from the 2013 athletic awards ceremony
Richard Van Norr Memorial Award, Outstanding Senior Male Athlete
- Steven Mills, North
- John Vigh, East
- East Nominees: Vincent Ciociari, Louis Ciullo, Thomas Ruppel, Joseph Pavlik III, Blake Vetrone
- North Nominees: Ryan Beierle, Brendan Chetuck, Gregory Coleman, Connor Harris, Jason Karpinski, Alex Lazarich, Thomas Olson, Christopher Penteck, Angelo Rinaldi, Nicholas Roden, James Trofa, Robert Yannotta
Linda Otten Outstanding Senior Female Athlete
- Danielle Levine, North
- Christina Schretzman, East
- East Nominees: Devan Classi, Madeline Egan, Rachel Emrick, Allyson Figalora, Jennifer Gazdick, Shannon Haberkorn, Diamond Jackson, Taylor Kern, Sarah LaPorta, Holly Lindoe, Christine Lurie, Ashley Mercado, Jacqueline Montague, Maeghan Murphy, Laurie Semetsis, Brittany Sepe, Essence Sterling, Gabrielle Trejo
- North Nominees: Brooke Foltmann, Kelly Ingarra, Kelly Lavan, Marysa Mullen, Siobhan O’Gorman, Kristina Schrepf, Jennifer Weiss
Thomas J. Sabatelle Senior Scholar-Athlete Award
- North: Gregory Coleman, Steve Mills and Brooke Foltmann
- East: Joseph Pavlik III and Laurie Semetsis
Fred Fusaro Football Alumni Scholarship: Tyler Witt, North
Sachem North Touchdown Club Scholarship: Connor Harris, North
Sachem Touchdown Club Award: Nick Califano, North
All-Star Awards Memorial Scholarship: Steven Mills, North
Michael A. Mignone Memorial Scholarship: Michael Marchello, East
Jeff Stone Memorial Scholarship
- Kelly Lavan, North
- Madeline Eagen, East
Lance Hugelmeyer Memorial Scholarship
- Thomas Olson, North
- Jordan Montero, East
Charles R. Johnson Memorial Scholarship
- Jennifer Weiss and Nicholas Roden
Bernard E. Brisson Memorial Scholarship
- Danielle Levine and Brendan Chetuck, North
- Christina Schretzman and Joseph Alexandrou, East
Golden Key Award winners
- North: Ryan Beirle, Brendan Chetuck, Gregory Coleman, Brad Danielsen, Brooke Foltmann, Jason Karpinski, Kelly Lavan, Alex Lazarich, Danielle Levine, Marysa Mullen, Siobhan O’Gorman, Margaret Palagye, Christopher Penteck, Angelo Rinaldi, Nichlas Roden, Kristina Schrepf, James Trofa, Jennifer Weiss, Robert Yannotta
- East: Vincent Ciociari, Louis Ciullo, Devan Classi, Mageline Egan, Rachel Emrick, Allyson Figalora, Kristina Garry, Jennifer Gazdick, Shannon Haberkorn, James Houghton, Diamond Jackson, Taylor Kern, Sara Laporta, Holly Lindoe, Christina Lurie, Melanie Mauro, Ashley Mercado, Jacqueline Montague, Jospeh Pavlik III, Christina Schretzman, Laurie Semetsis, Brittany Sepe, Essence Sterling, Gabrielle Trejo, John Vigh, Amanda Zaput
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro