SCHENECTADY, NY — Michelina Lombardi, a senior from Averill Park High School, and Colleen Quaglia, a senior from The College of Saint Rose, received Grand honors at the Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Event held at the GE Theatre at Proctors on Monday evening, August 8, 2022.

Lombardi was named the Grand Scholastic Woman of the Year and Quaglia was named the Grand Collegiate Woman of the Year. The event also honored 11 other female student-athletes from the region, who made up the 2022 Class of the Capital District Sports Women of the Year. CDSWOY honors excellence in academics, athletics and community service.

The virtual guest speaker was snowboard cross star Lindsey Jacobellis, an Olympic Gold medalist, six-time world champion and 10 time X Games gold medalist. Entertainment was provided by members of the Empire State Youth Orchestra.

Academically, Michelina Lombardi ranked eighth in the Averill Park Class of 2022 (which includes 225 students). She recorded a 4.0 GPA and earned High Honor Roll recognition in all four years. She is a National Honor Society Member, Presidential Award Recipient, and received Academic Achievement Awards in Algebra, English, Spanish, Chemistry, Physics, and Human Brain. She was also a member of the Journalism Club, International Club, and Student Government. Michelina served as Class President all four years of high school and was a member of the New Visions Scientific Research and World Health Program her senior year. She also served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council for two years and was the President in 2021-22. Michelina was a Suburban Council Girls Basketball Scholar-Athlete Award Recipient as well as a LeMoyne College Heights Award Recipient (through Averill Park High School, which featured a $60,000 scholarship).

Michelina excelled in three sports. On the basketball court she was a four-year varsity starter and helped lead Averill Park to three Section 2 Class A Championships and the New York State Class A Championship in 2021-22. She was a Suburban Council Girls Basketball Scholar-Athlete Award Recipient. This past season, Michelina was named a News Channel 13 All-Star, an Albany Times Union Second Team All-Star, and a Daily Gazette All-Area Third Team All-Star. She was also named a Suburban Council Second Team All-Star and earned a Spectrum News Scholar Athlete of the Week Award this past season. In soccer, Michelina started for three and a half seasons. She was Averill Park’s girls soccer MVP for the second straight year in 2021. All-star honors included New York State Class A 3rd Team All-State, Section 2 Class A Goalkeeper of the Year, Suburban Council First Team All-Star, and Times Union Girls Soccer 1st Team All-Star. In the spring competing in outdoor track and field, Michelina completed her second season in 2022. She is ranked second all time in the shot put, in the top five all time at Averill Park in the 800 meters, 6th all-time in the high jump, and ranks in the top ten all time for the 400 meters.

Michelina’s community service includes volunteering with Young’s Pharmacy to conduct COVID-19 vaccine clinics at Algonquin Middle School, the Sand Lake Fire Department, and senior living centers. She also enjoys volunteering at her parish, St. Jude the Apostle. Michelina volunteers with Faith Formation and brings Thanksgiving food baskets to the needy and hungry at St. Joseph’s House. She provides assistance at both the St. Jude’s Fall Festival and Fair Trade Festival. Lastly, she also is a volunteer Coach for the St. Jude’s CYO Basketball Team, and volunteers at the Averill Park Capital District Youth League clinics.

Academically, Colleen Quaglia is a three-time CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) First Team Academic All-American. She recorded a 4.00 GPA both as an undergraduate and graduate student in Accounting and received the 2022 Northeast 10 Conference Female Scholar Athlete of the Year award. Colleen is a two-time CSCAA (College Swimming Coaches Association of America) Scholar All-American. The NE10 also awarded her the 2021-22 Sports Excellence Award as the women’s swimming and diving top scholar-athlete. She was named the 2022 Saint Rose Athletics Department Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Colleen is a member of Delta Mu Delta National Honor Society and appeared on both the Saint Rose Dean’s List and NE 10 Academic Honor Roll in each of her semesters. She has also twice earned the NE10 Elite 24 Award for having the highest GPA among all student-athletes at the conference championships.

Colleen is a three-time All-American. She won the 500-yard freestyle, the 400 individual medley, and the 200 butterfly, while meeting NCAA provisional qualifying standards in each event at the 2022 NE10 Championships. Colleen holds eight individual Saint Rose school records and is part of three record holding relay teams. She was named the NE10 Women’s Swimmer of the Week six times this past season. Colleen recorded the fastest NE10 times in the 200 and 500 freestyles, 50 backstroke, 200 fly and the 400 individual medley in 2021-22.

Colleen’s community service featured her work with Cleaning for a Cause, raising money and cleaning cancer patients’ homes. She was a member of the Saint Rose Business Professionals & Sales Organization Pasta Drive, helping to acquire more than 5000 pounds of pasta for shelters in the area. With that organization, Colleen raised money for childhood cancer for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Along with working for Reach Out Saint Rose, which cleaned and helped to close a church camp for the winter, Colleen was a member of the Saint Rose Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and served as the co-chair.

Here are the other members of the CDSWOY Class of 2022 who were honored at the Awards Gala:

• Brigid Duffy, Queensbury High School
• Katie Falotico, University at Albany
• Rebecca Hall, Maple Hill High School
• Grace Heiting, Union College
• Kelsey Meca, Mayfield High School
• Zionna Perez-Tucker, Mohonasen High School
• Carlie Rzeszotarski, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School
• Heather Schmidt, Niskayuna High School
• Cameryn Shultes, Middleburgh High School
• Ayaka Suesada, Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School
• Sadie Tavares, Schuylerville High School

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ALBANY, NY – Members of the acclaimed Empire State Youth Orchestra will perform at the Capital District Sports Women of the Year 2022 Awards Gala on Monday, August 8 at 7 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors.

Tickets are now on sale for the event at the Proctors Box Office or at proctors.org. 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.

Empire State Youth Orchestra engages more than 600 youth from across New York’s Capital Region and Western New England in the joyful pursuit of musical excellence. Guided by outstanding teaching artists, coaches and conductors, members explore their potential alongside like-minded peers in an environment that is musically daring and fun.

“We are honored to be joined by talented young ladies from the Empire State Youth Orchestra to entertain our recipients and our audience during this year’s CDSWOY Awards Gala,” said Eric McDowell, President of the Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization. “I would like to thank Dr. David Bebe, the Director of Education for ESYO, for his assistance and we all look forward to be entertained with the talents of Georgia, Madilyn, Faith and Kate.”

Georgia Burtt has been a violinist for 13 years and a pianist for 15 years. She just completed her seventh and final year in the Empire State Youth Orchestra, being awarded the Helen Cha-Pyo Baton Award for her work in the organization and community. She will be attending the University of Miami Frost School of Music this Fall as a Violin Performance Major under the direction of Scott Flavin. She enjoys playing chamber and orchestra music, composing music, and conducting. In her spare time, she likes to bake, swim, dance, and golf.

Madilyn Connor is a flutist and a graduate of West Canada Valley High School. She has performed in All-County and Area All-State Bands on both flute and piccolo, and she was a flute soloist in the NYSBDA Virtual Honor Band in December 2020. Madilyn performed at Kodak Hall in Rochester as principal flutist in the Conference All-State Symphonic Band last December. She was a member of ESYO performing in the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall and here at Proctors. Madilyn’s ESYO season ended in June 2022 with a performance at Tanglewood’s Ozawa Hall. She will pursue a musical performance degree at Ithaca College this fall. Madilyn is a student of Leslie Kubica.

Faith Borkowski has been playing violin for 14 years. A recent graduate of Niskayuna High School, she will be attending Manhattan School of Music in the fall to major in classical violin while studying with Peter Winograd. During the past eight years, she has performed with the Empire State Youth Orchestra, serving as concertmaster of Symphony for the past three years. When not playing music, she enjoys playing video games, watching shows, and hanging out with friends.

Kate Szumowski began her work with ESYO in the eighth grade and graduated from Broadalbin-Perth High School as salutatorian and the first person in her school’s history to attend an All-State convention. She has performed in 25 musicals: co-directing, musically directing, and working as a crew member in several others. Kate takes great pride in her summer vocal studio, in which she provides private vocal instruction to aspiring performers. She teaches music to drama students and helps them learn the basics of stage performance. In June, she received ESYO’s Barry Richman Careers in Music Scholarship and will study French horn performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland; one of the top three performing arts schools in the world.

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Tickets for the 2022 Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala are now on sale. The event will take place on Monday, August 8 at the GE Theatre at Proctors at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets for the 2022 CDSWOY Awards Gala are on sale at this link:
https://www.proctors.org/event/capital-district-sports-women-of-the-year-awards-gala-2/
or through the Proctors Box Office. Box Office representatives are available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. through 6 p.m. via phone (518-346-6204) and in person at Proctors. The box office location is Robb Alley inside Proctors Arcade, 432 State St., Schenectady, NY 12305.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for students while tickets for toddlers aged 2 and under are not available online. All tickets are general admission tickets and will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis.

A special ticket package will also be offered. The “FAMSPORTS” Package provides the opportunity for one complimentary adult ticket with the purchase of three adult tickets. Individuals can enter FAMSPORTS in the coupon code when purchasing four adult tickets online.

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.

Lindsey Jacobellis, an Olympic gold medalist and six-time world champion snowboarder, will serve as the virtual guest speaker for this year’s event. A four-time Olympian, Lindsey is the most dominant SBX (snowboard cross) rider of all time. She is a six-time world champion and 10-time X Games gold medalist. After winning the World Cup for the 31st time, she became the winningest snowboarder in history. She is a member of the U.S. Snowboardcross Team and is the inspirational leader and mentor for Super Girl Snow Pro.

Entertainment at the 2022 CDSWOY Awards Gala will be provided by members of the acclaimed Empire State Youth Orchestra. Learn more about our ESYO performers here.

ALBANY, NY – Sadie Tavares, a senior at the Schuylerville High School, has been named as one of the 10 scholastic award recipients for 2022 by the Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization.

Sadie, who competes in basketball, field hockey and lacrosse, will be recognized at the Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala on Monday, August 8 at 7:00 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady. Ticket information is to be announced.

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, Sadie earned an Advanced Regents Diploma with Honors Designation and Mastery in Math & Science. She had a GPA of 99.05, was the valedictorian of her class and Senior Class President. In 2022, Sadie received The Post-Star Teen Excellence Award, was a CASDA Capital Region Students and Teachers Who Make a Difference Recipient and received scholarships for New York State Elks Most Valuable Student, Carl Silverman Saratoga County Medical Society, and the New York State Facilities Association Engineering Award. She earned First Place in District 3 for the FFA Senior People in Agriculture and FFA Agriculture Issues programs. She was President of the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) program for two years and President of the Spanish Club this past academic year. She had previously been involved in the Math League, Environmental Club and Student Council and was a member of both the National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society this past year while earning High Honor Roll recognition. Sadie received the Rensselaer Medal & Scholarship for outstanding achievement in math and science.

Sadie played three sports for Schuylerville and was a captain in basketball and lacrosse in 2021-22. She was named a Foothills Scholar-Athlete and Section 2 Scholar-Athlete in 2022. Prior to her junior year, she played soccer.

Sadie’s community service included work with the Notre Dame Visitation Church, where she worked on the capital campaign, the Souper Bowl, the Valentine Basket program, and served as an usher and reader. She was an instructor, referee and umpire for the Old Saratoga Athletic Association and assisted in field clean up and seasonal equipment setup and removal. Sadie assisted in fundraising for the basketball, lacrosse, and soccer teams and worked as a tutor with students on various New York State required courses for graduation. She provided peer mentoring and assisted a youth lacrosse coach.

A total of 10 high school and three college female student-athletes will be honored at the August 8 event.

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ALBANY, NY – Katie Falotico, a graduate student at the University at Albany, has been named as one of the three collegiate award recipients for 2022 by the Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization.

Katie, who competes in softball, will be recognized at the Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala on Monday, August 8 at 7:00 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady. Ticket information is to be announced.

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, Katie was selected to the 2022 CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) Academic All-District First-Team and was the 2022 Elite-18 Award Winner (owns the highest GPA of all student-athletes competing in the America East championship for their respective sport, as she competed in the conference’s softball tournament). Katie was a four-time America East All-Academic Team honoree and made the UAlbany Dean’s List for the seventh time in 2022. She also was named to the America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the fourth time this year. Katie graduated undergraduate school in January 2021 with 3.92 GPA in Business Administration (minor in Communication) and graduated from graduate school in May of 2022 with a 4.0 GPA for a master’s in Organizational Communication,

Athletically, Katie was a three-time America East First Team selection after her 2022 season honor. She also earned a player of the week award this season, the third in her career. This spring she ranked 10th in NCAA Division I softball rankings in doubles per game and 37th in triples per game. In America East play, Katie led the league in doubles and triples, was second in hits and ranked third in batting average, slugging percentage, RBIs, and total bases. She helped lead the Great Danes to a top-three ranking in most major statistical categories for the second straight season.

Katie’s community service includes a three-year term as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Community Engagement Chair, leading the community service efforts for all UAlbany student-athletes since the fall of 2019. During that term she was named a Helping Hands Award winner from the America East Conference. She led the student-athletes in efforts including a toy drive, a can drive, and local elementary school readings and organized student-athlete events including but not limited to SAAC’s annual cornhole and dodgeball tournaments. Katie also helped organize events at the conference level including but not limited to the Spread Respect Games and the annual Food Frenzy.

CDSWOY will announce the final student-athlete recipient on July 18. A total of 10 high school and three college female student-athletes will be honored.

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ALBANY, NY – Brigid Duffy, a senior at Queensbury High School, has been named as one of the 10 scholastic award recipients for 2022 by the Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization.

Brigid, who competes in basketball, lacrosse, and soccer, will be recognized at the Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala on Monday, August 8 at 7:00 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady. Ticket information is to be announced.

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, Brigid was in the top 25 in her class. She is a National Honor Society member with a 95 GPA, and a member of the Future Business Leaders of America. Due to her attending the United States Military Academy at West Point in her first year, she will not be able to attend the Awards Gala but will be represented by her parents, Gretchen and Tim Duffy.

Athletically, Brigid competed in three sports at Queensbury. In soccer she was a five-year varsity player and earned All-America East Region recognition as well as Second Team All-State honors. In lacrosse, she was the Section 2 Class A Player of the Year, the Foothills Council MVP, and an Albany Times Union Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year and a Times Union Large School All-Star. Brigid set the single-season school record with 89 goals and added 43 assists. She became the all-time career assists leader at Queensbury (120) and finished second in career scoring with 206 goals, leading Queensbury to a sectional title and a state championship game appearance. On the basketball court, she was a three-year varsity player and a Foothills Council All-Star. Brigid was named to the USA Lacrosse U18 National Team and earned All-American honors during her career while starting for the varsity in five seasons. Outside of school, Brigid was a Foothills Council All-Star in ice hockey and had previously been selected to the USA Hockey National Camp.

Brigid’s community service features volunteering with the Queensbury Parks and recreational youth soccer and basketball. She is a OLA Catholic Church school participant/volunteer.

CDSWOY will announce the next student-athlete recipient on July 15. A total of 10 high school and three college female student-athletes will be honored.

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ALBANY, NY – Cameryn Shultes a senior at Middleburgh High School, has been named as one of the 10 scholastic award recipients for 2022 by the Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization.

Cameryn, who competes in bowling, soccer and softball, will be recognized at the Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala on Monday, August 8 at 7:00 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady. Ticket information is to be announced.

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, Cameryn is the Salutatorian of the 2022 Middleburgh senior class. She is a member of both the National Junior Honor Society and the National Honor Society. She earned NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete recognition in all three sports. She served as the Athletic Association Treasurer and worked with the New Visions Health Careers program.

Athletically, Cameryn was the 2022 Mohawk League Girls Soccer Defensive MVP this past season and earned Section 2 First Team All-Star honors for the second time. She was an NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete throughout her soccer career. She also was named to the Western Athletic Conference All-Star First Team for the second time. Cameryn was a Section 2 First Team All-Star in Bowling and WAC First Team selection in every season of her career at Middleburgh, plus was an NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete since 2016. She was the league MVP in bowling, had the league’s highest average and made the Albany Times Union Bowling All Star team in 2022. On the softball field, Cameryn earned her third NYSPHSAA scholar-athlete honor of her career in 2022.

As a part of the National Honors Society, Cameryn is required to get 10 plus hours of community service per year but most often exceeds that each year. Thus, she has been involved in numerous community service projects. In 2022, she has volunteered at St. Peters Hospital making Christmas/Holiday gift baskets for all SPHP staff. She also volunteered at Becky’s House, cleaning the house and yard. Becky’s House is affiliated with St. Peters Hospital and provides housing for families with relatives or children in the hospital for extended periods of time. Cameryn is also volunteering at the St. Peters Cancer Care Center

CDSWOY will announce the next student-athlete recipient on July 13. A total of 10 high school and three college female student-athletes will be honored.

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ALBANY, NY – Heather Schmidt, a senior at Niskayuna High School, has been named as one of the 10 scholastic award recipients for 2022 by the Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization.

Heather, who competes in basketball and crew, will be recognized at the Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala on Monday, August 8 at 7:00 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady. Ticket information is to be announced.

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, Heather was selected as an NHSCA (National High School Coaches Association) Academic All-American, the only student selected from New York State. She recorded a 96.791% GPA. With the RIT Project Lead the Way, she studied Intro to Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering and Computer Integrated Manufacturing. She was in the top 5% of the graduating class. Heather is a National Honor Society member, took all AP and Honors level classes and took two languages, Latin and German.

Athletically, Heather was a three-year starter on the Niskayuna varsity girls basketball team. She served as captain at each level and was the Varsity Captain for two seasons. She was a Section 2 Scholar Athlete Award recipient. In crew in 2021, she was the State Scholastic Champion in W2x (women’s double) and W1x (women’s single) and was the Stotesbury Cup Champion and SRAA National Champion in W2x held in Philadelphia. Heather was the Youth National runner up in W2x in Sarasota, Florida. She was a u19 (junior) National Team member and competed in u19W4x (under 19 women’s quad) in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, becoming the first Niskayuna female student to ever make the national team. Heather placed sixth at the Junior World Rowing Championships in Bulgaria, the first time the u19W4x has made it to the grand final in four years. She was a fifth-place finisher at Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, MA (the current best placement of any Niskayuna crew member at this event in history) and was a US Junior National Team and represented the USA in Bulgaria at the World’s Rowing event.

For her community service, Heather is a Volunteer National Ski Patrol member, as she is a first responder to accidents, assisting in treating and transporting individuals to a higher level of care, and assisting in the opening and closing of mountain trails and the marking of trail hazards. As an ARC tutor, Heather helps students with homework. She is a Junior Warriors Basketball Coach, teaching young girls from elementary to middle school the skills and drills of the sport and also serving as an official. She is the Secretary of the Outing Club, a member of the Women in STEM Club and a certified lifeguard.

CDSWOY will announce the next student-athlete recipient on July 11. A total of 10 high school and three college female student-athletes will be honored.

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ALBANY, NY – Grace Heiting, a senior at Union College, has been named as one of the three collegiate award recipients for 2022 by the Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization.

Grace, who competes in ice hockey and lacrosse, will be recognized at the Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala on Monday, August 8 at 7:00 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady. Ticket information is to be announced.

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, Grace was a finalist for ECAC Hockey’s Mandi Schwartz Student-Athlete of the Year Award and was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District first team in the Women’s At-Large category. She was accepted to the Beckman scholars Program for exceptional undergraduate students in chemistry or biological sciences and received the Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology Section Travel Award at the annual Experimental Biology Meeting in Philadelphia. Grace received Union’s Lee, William, Dr. Norman ’43 and Dr. George ’53 Wrubel Memorial Prize, given to a senior preparing for dentistry or medicine, based on both academic achievement and character. She was a three-time Liberty League All-Academic Team honoree and a four-time ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team selection. Grace was accepted at the University of Maine where she will pursue a certificate in Arts & Humanities in Medicine while finishing her collegiate hockey career.

Athletically, Grace received the Robert M. Ridings Memorial Award, presented to the Union senior female athlete for her attitude, ability, participation, and achievement in intercollegiate sports. She played NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey and Division III women’s lacrosse. She had one of the best offensive seasons in Union women’s lacrosse history in 2022, scoring 61 goals and adding 22 assists for 83 points in 16 games to rank first all-time at Union in single-season points per game in addition to third in total points and fifth in goals. An IWLCA All-Region and All-Liberty League first-team selection, she also finished top-40 in Division III by averaging a conference-best 2.38 caused turnovers per game. On the ice with the women’s hockey team, Heiting led the Dutchwomen in goals with eight and totaled 13 points on the season, her third straight season leading the team in either goals or points.

Grace’s community service included helping match at least 10 potential donors for transplants through Gift of Life. She also served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and as an athlete mentor with Strong Girls United. Grace also was a member of the school’s Honor Council.

CDSWOY will announce the next student-athlete recipient on July 8. A total of 10 high school and three college female student-athletes will be honored.

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