ALBANY, NY – Larissa Lee, a senior at La Salle Institute, has been named as one of the 10 scholastic award recipients for 2025 by the Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization.

Larissa, who competes in soccer and softball, will be recognized at the Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala on Monday, August 4 at 7:00 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady. Tickets will be available soon online at Proctors.org.

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, Larissa was the Valedictorian of the La Salle Class of 2025. She was the President of the National Honors Society and the Spanish Club. Larissa was the Executive Officer of the Symphonic and Jazz Bands and is a dual enrollment student at Hudson Valley Community College.

Athletically, Larissa was a four-year captain of the softball team and a three-year captain of the soccer squad. She started the first girls basketball team at La Salle. Larissa received the Monica Bentley Memorial Award, which is presented to a student athlete at La Salle who was outgoing and caring to others on their teams. In soccer, she won the Coaches Award, which recognizes players who demonstrate exemplary qualities beyond just athletic ability, often focusing on leadership, team spirit and positive contributions to the team’s success. Larissa was Most Valuable Player for the softball team.

Larissa’s community service includes serving with the 518 Ukrainians Helper program, the Media Ministry at St. Nicholas Church (streaming the mass every Sunday), and visiting the Van Rensselaer Manor Nursing Home for the Lasallian Youth program. She organized a Dress Down Day fundraiser at La Salle to raise money for Ukraine and is an aid for Ukrainian preschoolers. Larissa also tutors at Sunnyside Daycare, assists in the La Salle Business Program Bottle Drive every month, volunteers for the Troy Turkey Trot and is a La Salle ambassador and tour guide.

Larissa becomes the first La Salle Institute student-athlete selected by CDSWOY.

A total of 10 high school and four college female student-athletes will be honored at the August 4 event. The next recipient will be announced on July 1.

ALBANY, NY – Mira Ginsburg, a senior at Shaker High School, has been named as one of the 10 scholastic award recipients for 2025 by the Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization.

Mira, who competes in basketball, bowling and swimming, will be recognized at the Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala on Monday, August 4 at 7:00 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady. Tickets will be available later this month.

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, Mira is the President and Founder of the Include the Blue (inclusion) Club at Shaker High School. She founded the organization in 10^th grade and has served as President since the founding of the club. She received a Kids Care Award as the North Colonie Central School District Student of the Month and has a 92 GPA. Mira studied AP (advanced placement) Government and Economics, AP Language and Composition and AP Statistics.

Athletically, Mira was the unified bowling captain and participated for both years the sport was offered. She was a unified basketball captain and participated in all four years the sport was offered. Mira was a unified physical education participant and partner.

Mira’s community service includes serving as the Founder and Board President of the BBYO (B’nai B’rith Youth Organization) Capital Region. She is the Regional President of the Special Olympics Youth Activation Committee (via Special Olympics New York) and the Inaugural Committee Board Member. She also served as the President of Mifgash Community High Program. Honors include the Lenore Bellin Leadership Award from the Albany Jewish Community Center, the Albany Tulip Queen and Court Scholarship and the Maccabi Teen Leadership Award from the Capital Region Board of Rabbis.

Mira becomes the second Shaker High School student-athlete selected by CDSWOY. She joins Leonni Griffin (2024).

A total of 10 high school and four college female student-athletes will be honored at the August 4 event. The next recipient will be announced on June 30.

ALBANY, NY – Keeley Kristel, a senior at Scotia-Glenville High School, has been named as one of the 10 scholastic award recipients for 2025 by the Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization.

Keeley, who competes in basketball, softball and volleyball, will be recognized at the Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala on Monday, August 4 at 7:00 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady. Tickets will be available later this month.

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, Keeley has achieved high honor roll or honor roll recognition every quarter since entering sixth grade. She is a member of the Junior National Honor Society. Keeley was selected to represent Scotia-Glenville as the Scholar Athlete for Women’s Basketball for Section 2. Her body of work led her to being accepted early decision to attend Springfield College, where she will major in Sports Management.

Athletically, Keeley received many honors in her three sports and will play softball at Springfield. In her senior volleyball season, she was a Foothills First Team All Star and Booster Club MVP and was named the Athlete of the Month in October. She previously earned first Team and Honorable Mention awards in her volleyball career, as well as a Hitting Excellence Award. On the basketball court this past season, Keeley was a Foothills Second Team All Star and was a Section 2 Scholar Athlete. She is a two-time Foothills Honorable Mention selection and won a Coaches Award for basketball. Keeley was a Foothills All Star in softball in 2025, and previously in her career she made First Team twice. She has been named an Albany Times Union all-star team honoree twice previously in her career. Kristel was selected to the NYSSCOGS 36th Annual All State Softball team, as a Fourth Team selection for Class A.  

Keeley’s community service includes volunteering with KPM Restoration since Covid, with donation days providing free disinfectant solution to anyone in the community in need. She volunteered at various locations in the region. Keeley has served as a youth basketball official and with various youth camps.

Keeley becomes the first Scotia-Glenville student-athlete selected by CDSWOY.

A total of 10 high school and four college female student-athletes will be honored at the August 4 event. The next recipient will be announced on June 25.

ALBANY, NY – Leah Madore, a senior at Russell Sage College, has been named as one of the four collegiate award recipients for 2025 by the Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization.

Leah, who competes in softball, will be recognized at the Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala on Monday, August 4 at 7:00 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady. Tickets will be available later this month.

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, Leah graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 3.9 GPA in Psychology at Russell Sage. She received three awards in her major, the Cogswell Award, the Phyllis Van Fleet Award for Excellence in Psychology and the Nancy Parker Neumann Travel Award while also earning Honor Society recognition during her collegiate career. She was an Academic Peer tutor for two years and was selected to be the President of the Psychology Club. Leah served two years as the Vice President of the undergraduate student body at Sage.  

Athletically, Leah was a Second Team All-Empire 8 Conference selection in each of her last two seasons. She led the Empire 8 in strikeouts in the 2025 season. She finishes her career at Sag as the school’s all-time softball leader in appearances, wins, complete games, strikeouts and innings pitched, all in a three-year career.

Leah’s community service includes serving as a Women’s Institute Ambassador and a caregiver for a Spartanburg, South Carolina area mental health center, where she assisted clinicians in all aspects of the job. She also served Suzy’s Little Peanuts, Every Campus a Refuge (ECAR) program, and served as a caregiver in Newfane, Vermont.

Leah becomes the fourth Russell Sage College student-athlete selected by CDSWOY. She joins Amy Stevens (2024), Hallie Klosterman (2021) and Megan Flynn (2020).

A total of 10 high school and four college female student-athletes will be honored at the August 4 event. The next recipient will be announced on June 24.

ALBANY, NY – Rachel Chen, a senior at Shenendehowa High School, has been named as one of the 10 scholastic award recipients for 2025 by the Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization.

Rachel, who competes in soccer, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field, will be recognized at the Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala on Monday, August 4 at 7:00 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady. Tickets will be available later this month.

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, Rachel was the Valedictorian of a class of over 700 students at Shenendehowa. She was the Founder of the Korean Cultural Connections Club. Rachel received the Suburban Council Excellence in Leadership Award and was a leader in several national honor society clubs.

Athletically, Rachel was a very diverse player for the soccer team and had an excellent career in track. She broke long-standing records in the long jump and 4×55 shuttle hurdle relay. She also was a state qualifier for multiple years and finished 8^th at the NBNI Championships in her sophomore season.

Rachel’s community service includes serving as a Student Faculty Administration Senate member. She was also a National Honor Society tutor for younger students and was a member of the Key Club and Leo Club.

Rachel becomes the first Shenendehowa High School student-athlete selected by CDSWOY.

A total of 10 high school and three college female student-athletes will be honored at the August 4 event. The next recipient will be announced on June 18.

ALBANY, NY – Annabelle Goyette, a senior at Lansingburgh High School, has been named as one of the 10 scholastic award recipients for 2025 by the Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization.

Anabelle who competes in football, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field, will be recognized at the Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala on Monday, August 4 at 7:00 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady. Tickets will be available later this month.

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, Annabelle had a GPA of 98.625 and was ranked third in her class at Lansingburgh. She received Merit Scholarships from both Clarkson and the Rochester Institute of Technology. Annabelle, who earned High Honor Roll recognition in every quarter of her high school career at Lansingburgh, also received the Women in Engineering Merit Award. She was a member of the New Visions program and also the first female to receive the Scholar Athlete Award from the Capital District Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

Athletically, Annabelle lettered in indoor & outdoor track and field, football, volleyball, basketball and junior varsity softball. She owns two outdoor track records at Lansingburgh in throwing. In 2025, she won the Top Form Lift Off, breaking a 29-year-old school record. She has served as a Colonial Council Leadership Summit Representative. Annabelle plays for the New York Knock Out, a women’s tackle football team which is part of the Women’s Football Alliance. She also competes in USA Powerlifting.

Annabelle’s community service includes Troy Patriots Night, Cahrenger Stadium clean up, volunteering for the Burgh Basketball Association, and making Thanksgiving dinners for those in need.

Annabelle becomes the second Lansingburgh High School student-athlete selected by CDSWOY. She joins Ariana Dingley, who was selected in 2024.

A total of 10 high school and three college female student-athletes will be honored at the August 4 event. The next recipient will be announced on June 17.

ALBANY, NY – Emma Baccellieri, a staff writer at Sports Illustrated, will serve as the virtual guest speaker at the 2025 Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala on Monday, August 4, 2025. The event will be held at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady, NY. The event will begin at 7:00 p.m.

The Capital District Sports Women of the Year program (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. Ticket information will be announced later in June.

Baccellieri has been a staff writer at Sports Illustrated since 2018. She has written for the magazine about everything from chess to sandlot baseball to competitive lifesaving—but much of her favorite work is centered on women’s sports. She received an honorable mention for the first-ever Billie Jean King Award for Excellence in Women’s Sports Coverage in 2024, with a portfolio including coverage of softball, basketball and soccer. Baccellieri has discussed her work and commented on women’s sports on television venues such as PBS NewsHour and the BBC.

Earlier in her career, Baccellieri’s work focused on baseball. She has written for six editions of The New York Times-bestselling Baseball Prospectus Annual, covered five World Series, and received several awards from the Society of American Baseball Research. She is the author of the forthcoming Court Queens: The Rise and Reign of Women’s Basketball, a photographic history of the sport that will be released by Hachette next March. Baccellieri is a graduate of Duke University and lives in Washington, D.C.

“We are blessed that Emma will be speaking to our recipients and their families and friends at this year’s Awards Gala,” said Eric McDowell, President of CDSWOY. “Her enjoyable prose at major events and her engaging features with Sports Illustrated provide inspiration to our award winners. We appreciate her time and look forward to her thoughts.”

The announcements of the 2025 Capital District Sports Women of the Year honorees will take place during the months of June and July prior to the CDSWOY Awards Gala on August 4 at Proctors. Announcements will be made from June 16 to July 15 at 3:00 PM Eastern time on CDSWOY.COM.

ALBANY, NY – The 2025 Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala will take place on Monday, August 4, 2025, at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady, NY. The event will begin at 7:00 p.m.

The Capital District Sports Women of the Year program (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. Ticket information will be announced in June. Recipients will be announced throughout June and July at CDSWOY.COM.

CDSWOY conducted voting from a committee of media professionals, and the selections will be announced throughout June and July.

“Five years ago, we began a program to recognize exceptional high school and college female student-athletes in our region,’ said Eric McDowell, President of CDSWOY. “Since our inception over 60 students have been honored. We are excited to welcome 13 more special individuals as we announce them throughout the summer. We look forward to bringing these new teammates together for a memorable evening for them and their families at our Awards Gala at Proctors.”

Candidates for CDSWOY recognition come from institutions in Section 2 in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association and colleges that feature athletics in the Capital District. The Athletic Director from each institution was provided the opportunity to nominate one female student-athlete for CDSWOY recognition. The 2025 CDSWOY Awards Gala at Proctors will feature three collegiate and 10 scholastic honorees, with a Grand Collegiate Sports Woman of the Year and Grand Scholastic Sports Woman of the Year announced that evening.

Capital District Sports Women of the Year 2025 Schedule of Announcements

The announcements of the 2025 Capital District Sports Women of the Year honorees will take place during the months of June and July prior to the CDSWOY Awards Gala on August 4 at Proctors. Announcements will be made from June 16 to July 14, at 3:00 PM Eastern time on CDSWOY.COM.

Here is the schedule for the 2025 announcements:

June 16 – High School Honoree             July 1 – College Honoree
June 17 – High School Honoree             July 2 – High School Honoree
June 18 – High School Honoree             July 7 – High School Honoree
June 23 – College Honoree                   July 8 – High School Honoree
June 24 – High School Honoree             July 9 – College Honoree
June 25 – High School Honoree             July 14 – High School Honoree
June 30 – High School Honoree
August 4 – Grand Scholastic Woman of the Year and Grand Collegiate Woman of the Year (at CDSWOY Awards Gala)

ALBANY, NY — Nominations for the Capital District Sports Women of the Year 2025 honors are now open. Athletic Directors from Section 2 can nominate one female student-athlete by May 23, while Athletic Directors from Capital District colleges and universities also may nominate one female student-athlete by May 23.

Nominations are only accepted from the Athletic Directors through a special private portal where they enter the required information.

CDSWOY, which began with the first 13 inductions five years ago, honors outstanding young women for excellence in academics, athletics and community service. Since 2020, a total of 64 recipients have been recognized at the annual CDSWOY Awards Gala in August.

This year’s honorees will be recognized on Monday, August 4, 2025 at the GE Theatre at Proctors.

Recipients are announced throughout the summer on CDSWOY.COM as well as in Capital District media channels.