^{OLLIE WASSON, BOB SNYDER AND BRAEDEN VICTORY (Photos by Tim and Lucy Hayes)}

Cooperstown Central School Honors Sports Award Recipients

COOPERSTOWN

Dani Seamon and Ethan Kukenberger won the top Booster Club Award, Lincoln diLorenzo and Claire Jensen won the top school awards and the Spencer-Victory family was honored three times for their community service at Cooperstown’s 64th annual All Sports Award Ceremony on Monday, June 12 in the N.J. Sterling Auditorium at Cooperstown Central School.

Hosted by the Cooperstown Sports Booster Club, the event gave out end-of-season awards, as chosen by the booster club, school officials, athletic coaches, and—in a first—a Students’ Choice Athlete of the Year Award, chosen by the varsity athletes.

In a rare win by a freshman, basketball phenom Miles Nelen won the Students’ Choice Athlete of the Year Award, along with senior Claire Jensen.

Lester G. “Red” Bursey Outstanding Senior Athlete Award: Ethan Kukenberger and Dani Seamon won the Booster Club’s award, which celebrates athletes who best exemplify versatility, passion, intense competitive drive and superior athletic ability.

Seamon was named an MVP for all three of her sports, soccer, basketball and softball, winning section titles in the latter two. Seamon plans to continue her athletic career at St. John Fisher, playing basketball and softball. She was given the award by Izabella Chase, daughter of Booster Club Vice President Alicia Chase.

^{BELLA CHASE AND DANI SEAMON (Photos by Tim and Lucy Hayes)}

“Dani’s a vocal leader, a leader by example and a leader through the force of her personality, occasionally willing her teams to victories,” Booster Club President Greg Klein said. “She’s an inspiration to many young kids in our community, including being the personal hero of our vice president’s 10-year-old daughter.”

Kukenberger was also named an MVP for soccer and baseball. He won a baseball section title in 2021 and was an essential defender for the soccer team during its historic run of back-to-back regional titles.
“As someone who has occasionally helped coach him, and who has known him for more than 10 years, I can say he is the epitome of what this award represents,” Klein said.

Ann I. Pink Memorial Sportsmanship Award: Claire Jensen won the school’s top award for female athletes, given in memory of Pink, a class of 1990 graduate. Jensen was named MVP of the soccer team and also won the Students’ Choice Award. In her CCS career as a sprinter, she made two podiums at the state track meet, won nine Section III Class C track titles and won team section titles in track in 2022 and basketball in 2022-23. Jensen plans to continue running at Williams College.

John Terry McGovern Sportsmanship Trophy: Lincoln diLorenzo won the school’s top award for male athletes, given in honor of the 1893 alumnus. An MVP winner in all three of his sports, cross country (William Eldridge Award), swimming and diving and track and field (Don Howard Award), diLorenzo plans to dive at Alfred University. Next month, he will be honored for achieving his Eagle Scout award.

^{BRAEDEN AND JEN VICTORY (Photos by Tim and Lucy Hayes)}

Ken Kiser Award for Good Sportsmanship: Jen Victory won the Booster Club’s award for a community member who is a good role model based on their support for youth and school sports. The award is named for Kiser, a passionate booster who died in 2005. Victory volunteers for the Booster Club and does extensive community service throughout Cooperstown, including working with the Girl Scouts, with local arts, and serving on her church’s leadership council. Her father, Ted Spencer, is a previous Kiser winner, and her daughter, Braeden, was also honored for community service at the event. Ted was also honored by several speakers, including his son, Lucas, as he presented his final video montage package of senior accomplishments. After 30 years giving DVDs to graduating seniors and presenting the video at the award ceremony, Spencer is retiring.

Robert D. Snyder Award for Community Service: Braeden Victory and Ollie Wasson won the Booster Club’s awards for seniors who have demonstrated leadership via community service. The award is named for Snyder, the longtime Booster Club president, who was on hand to congratulate Victory and Wasson. Victory was also named a volleyball MVP. She also excelled at track and field, winning a section title in 2022 in the high jump. Wasson was senior class president and one of the captains on the soccer team. His golden goal against Waterville won the 2022 Section III Class C title for the Hawkeyes. He ran track most of his high-school career and played tennis this spring.

Wasson and Victory were also celebrated for being named Section III’s Scholar Athletes from Cooperstown.
Robert James Welsh Award: Henry Loeffler and Izzy Martz were named Welsh winners by school officials. The award, given in memory of the 1943 CCS graduate, celebrates athletes who have been role models based on overcoming adversity to achieve their athletic success. Loeffler, who played football, baseball and wrestled, was also named the Kevin Bellicose Defensive Player of the Year for football. He plans to play football for Utica College.

Martz, who played soccer and volleyball, was celebrated for her passion, her support of her teammates, and her determination.

Director’s Awards: Meghan Niles and Colby Diamond were selected by Athletic Director Josh Wagner for his award, which highlights players who improved the chemistry of their teams by being positive role models and went above and beyond to ensure their teams’ success.

Niles, who was a soccer and basketball captain, went from being a ball girl on her father’s state championship team to an important player on his 2023 section title team. She made a key basket and defensive tie up in the final seconds of the section title win over Weedsport. Diamond, who was a soccer MVP and also played basketball and tennis his senior year, scored more than 50 goals in his soccer career. He was the leader on and off the pitch of the class of 2023 soccer boys, who won back-to-back regional titles. He had golden goal assists on two of the biggest goals in school history: Wasson’s section title goal against Waterville in 2022 and Luca Gardner-Olesen’s regional title goal against Greene in 2021.

In addition, the Cooperstown coaches made presentations and gave out the following team MVP Awards:

• Baseball MVP: Ethan Kukenberger and Kalen Dempsey
• Boys Soccer MVP: Colby Diamond, Ethan Kukenberger, P.J. Kiuber and Charlie Lambert
• Softball MVP: Dani Seamon and Katie Crippen
• Bowling MVP: Keenan Murphy and Kaden Card
• Girls Soccer MVP: Dani Seamon and Claire Jensen
• Thomas P. Ashford Award (boys basketball): Charlie Lambert
• Girls Basketball MVP: Dani Seamon
• Golf MVP: Max Jones
• Boys Swimming/Diving MVP: Lincoln diLorenzo
• Girls Swimming/Diving MVP: Emily Kane, Milford
• Volleyball MVP: Sophia Hotaling and Braeden Victory
• Christopher T. Gentile Award (tennis): Gunter Weldon
• William Eldridge Award (boys cross country): Lincoln diLorenzo
• Girls Cross Country MVP: Margaret Raffo
• Connie Herzig Award (girls track and field): Riley Green and Margaret Raffo
• Don Howard Award (boys track and field): Lincoln diLorenzo
• Kevin Belrose Defensive Player Award (football): Henry Loeffler IV
• Walter P. Eggleston Award (football): Bryson Whitaker
• John Winslow Award (wrestling): T. J. O’Connor, Milford