ALBANY, NY – Leyla Bhusri, a senior at Shenendehowa High School, has been named as one of the 10 scholastic award recipients for 2026 by the Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization.

Leyla, who competes in cross country and track & field, will be recognized at the Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala on Monday, August 3 at 7:00 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady. Tickets will be available online at Proctors.org soon.

The Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization (CDSWOY) honors the best and brightest female student athletes from high schools and colleges in the Capital District of New York State. The student-athletes will be recognized for their achievements in academics, athletics, and community service. More information is provided at the website: cdswoy.com.

Academically, Leyla recorded a GPA of 96.2%, which was in the top 10 in her class of 750 students at Shenendehowa. She had high honor roll status in all four years and is a member of the math and science honor society. Leyla, who took AP and other college level classes, earned the Chemistry Academic Excellence Award and was a national Latin exam award winner for three years. She received a scholarship to attend the University of Notre Dame.

Athletically, Leyla was the New York State Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year in 2025. She was 12^th in the nation at the NXN Nationals in that season and was a Federation Champion winner. On the track, Leyla was a four-time All-American and won state and national championships. She is a Section 2 record holder and holds numerous school and section records as well as many sectional championships. At the 2026 New Balance Outdoor Track & Field Nationals at prestigious Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Leyla and three teammates took second in the 4 x 800 relay after leading the first half of the race. They put together a time of 8:52.23 as Shenendehowa’s time was the third-fastest in Section 2 history. Leyla and three teammates also recorded the third-best time for the 4 x Mile relay in Section 2 history, 19:52.09, to finish second in that event.

Leyla’s community service features her work with the Best Buddies Program, which pairs general education students and students with disabilities in fun and enriching activities.

Leyla becomes the second Shenendehowa High School student-athlete selected by CDSWOY. She joins Rachel Chen (2025). A total of 10 high school and three college female student-athletes will be honored at the August 3 event. The next recipient will be announced on June 24.