From left, West Orange Principal Oscar Guerrero poses with Distinguished Athlete Award winners Madison Phillips, Zekai Wimberly, Mikervens Auguste, Hunter Levine, Daniel Fajardo, Peter Tunnicliffe, Madison Cyrus and Mya Bushrod.
WEST ORANGE, NJ — The annual West Orange Athletic Awards, held June 6 in the Tarnoff Gym, recognized outgoing seniors in all sports with Mountaineer Pride awards, service awards and other outstanding athlete recognition. The evening began with a welcome from West Orange High School athletic director Stephan Zichella.
“This is a sad time, but also a time to celebrate our student-athletes and their accomplishments,” he said. Parents and guardians were recognized with Mountaineer Pride awards for their support and involvement in their athletes’ sports.
Following the parent awards, the coaches in each sport feted their top athletes with Mountaineer Pride awards. Track and field coach Damien Betances was recognized with the Coach of the Year award. Outstanding Scholar-Athletes and Distinguished Athletes were called to the podium next.
“I thank you for your contributions to West Orange High School,” said Principal Oscar Guerrero when addressing students. “You are our ambassadors to the community; you have represented us. Thank you for taking the responsibility seriously.”
In the most anticipated awards of the evening, Jack Dvorin (boys soccer) was named an Athletic Honor Roll/Outstanding Athletic Achievement recipient.
Jaiden Schultz (girls soccer), Josephine Locricchio (girls soccer and girls lacrosse) and Arthur Rosu (boys soccer/wrestling) were named West Orange Athletic Hall of Fame Athletes of the Year, and Jewelia Tayor (student council, girls soccer and boys basketball) and Rayel Hunter (football and boys lacrosse) received the Athletic Director’s Most Valuable Student Athlete Award and West Orange High School’s Gamechanger Award.
“I’m lucky to be the superintendent of a place where I know our kids are well taken care of – where they learn more than sports,” said Superintendent Hayden Moore. “They learn about character, as well. Thank you, parents, for entrusting us with your children. I’m proud to be a parent, beside you, and I’m always going to be a Mountaineer.”
In his closing remarks, Zichella noted, “Pay it forward, give back when you can, change the world, never forget that. Wherever you may wander, wherever you may roam, you’ll forever be a Mountaineer and…West Orange will always be your home. Once a Mountaineer, aways a Mountaineer. Wishing you a wonderful rest of the month and a long life of good health, great fortune and incredible happiness.”
Here is the list of recipients from the WOHS Athletic Awards:
Athletic Award Recipients
Mountaineer Pride Parent Awards
- Candace and Al Rosu – boys soccer, wrestling.
- Tom Orabona – baseball.
- Jennifer Tunnicliffe – boys volleyball.
- Denise Young – wrestling.
- Joy Burnett – girls basketball, fencing.
- Tamika Simmons – cross-country, track and field.
- Michele Schultz – girls soccer.
- Nayan and Cecelia Lassiter – girls lacrosse.
- Shaniquah and Antoine Chapman – girls basketball.
Service Awards
- Edwin Johnson – West Orange Recreation.
- Buddy Ciamillo – WOHS.
- Michael Schaaf – WOHS.
- Ana Marie Flores – WOHS.
- Diana Toto – WOHS.
Special Award to Foreign Exchange Student
- Niko Ronas Reyna – football and boys lacrosse.
Mountaineer Pride Awards
- Gabrielle Jaffe – girls tennis.
- Brody Mailman – boys tennis.
- Sean Harrington – boys wrestling.
- Cristina Pariona – girls wrestling.
- Ethan Young, Sean Harrington, Arthur Rosu – West Orange Wrestling Club.
- Jason-Lamont Jackson – Coach Award, track and field.
- Henry Pfeifer – boys cross-country.
- Nora McNamara – girls cross-country.
- Chaas Malloy – boys winter track.
- Daniella Malanga – girls winter track.
- Adonis White – boys spring track.
- Atiyya Simmons – girls spring track.
- Darnell Grant – Coach Award (2023)
- Myles Snead – football.
- Lucy Fishkin – girls soccer.
- Cameron Morgan – boys soccer.
- Jacqueline Cruz – Coach Award (10 years).
- Carlos Mojica – boys volleyball.
- Jaden Livingston – boys basketball.
- Richard Mapp – boys basketball and spring track.
- Adrienne Taylor Kamara – girls basketball.
- Alexa Chapman – girls basketball and ROTC.
- Robert Lomoriello – athletic department.
- Daniel Garber – boys fencing.
- Jade Burnett – girls fencing.
- Justin Risco – boys swimming.
- Kazuri Lateef – girls swimming.
- Nathan Rubinstein – ice hockey.
- Brielle Taylor – cheerleading (Mackenzie Fitschen Award).
- Morgan Drakes – cheerleading.
- Nyla LaMar – cheerleading.
- Elijah Cohen – baseball.
- Bryce Mengden – baseball.
- Michael Marini – Coach Award, softball.
- Mikayla Nathan – softball.
- Verrick Lipsey – boys lacrosse.
- David Perez – Coach Award, girls lacrosse.
- Skylar Lassiter – girls lacrosse.
- Stacy Folas – girls volleyball.
- Caleb Gattens – golf.
- Leila Smith – flag football.
Coach of the Year
- Damien Betances
Academic Awards (Scholar-Athlete)
- Amie Binan – NJSIAA, fencing
- Daniella Malanga – Essex County Athletic Directors Association, girls soccer and track.
- Jeremy Flitt – ECADA,boys soccer and tennis.
Distinguished Athlete Award
- Mya Bushrod – girls basketball.
- Madison Cyrus – girls soccer.
- Peter Tunnicliffe – boys volleyball.
- Daniel Fajardo – boys soccer and WOHS Sports Media.
- Hunter Levine – girls volleyball and softball.
- Zekai Wimberly – football.
- Mikervens Auguste – football, basketball, spring track.
- Madison Phillips – softball.
Athletic Honor Roll/Outstanding Athletic Achievement Award
- Jack Dvorin – boys soccer.
Athletic Hall of Fame
- Jaiden Schultz – girls soccer.
- Arthur Rosu – boys soccer and wrestling.
- Josephine Locricchio – girls soccer and lacrosse.
Athletic Director’s Most Valuable Student and Gamechanger Award
- Rayel Hunter – football and boys lacrosse.
- Jewelia Taylor – student council, girls soccer, boys basketball.
Photos Courtesy of Cynthia Cumming
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