ELMIRA KIWANIS CLUB HANDS OUT END OF THE YEAR AWARDS (June 8, 2023)Southern Tier Sports ReportELMIRA — The Elmira Kiwanis Athletes of the Year were recognized during a luncheon on Thursday afternoon.
Elmira’s Vicky Mordvinova was the Bee Stephens Female Athlete of the Year and Elmira’s Alex McKerrow was the Dick Senko Male Athlete of the Year.
Edison baseball coach Chris Bennett was the Mike D’Alosio Male Team/Coach of the Year and Notre Dame softball coach Mike Maloney was the Elmira Kiwanis Club Patti Perone Female Team/Coach of the Year.
Elmira’s Bryce Mashanic was the Joel Stephens Baseball Player of the Year and Edison’s Gabby Milazzo was the Junker Johnston Softball Player of the Year.
A bio look, provided by the schools, of each of the athletes honored.
VICKY MORDVINOVA: Highlights: Cross- Country- Vicky won both the Bob Greene and the Owego Invitational. She placed 2nd at the McQuaid Invitational and the Marathon Invitational. Vicky placed third at the STAC Championships and was the Section IV Class A Runner-up. Vicky medaled at the New York State Public High School Championships with a 16th place finish. Vicky ran and placed 9th at Nike CrossRegionals and was 1 of 5 individuals who qualified for Nike Cross Nationals in Portland Oregon. Vicky placed 85th out of 195 runners in Oregon.
Vicky was listed as 1st Team STAC All-Star 2022. She was selected as an All-State Team Honorable Mention in 2022, Section IV Sportsmanship Award Winner in 2022. Star Gazette Elite 8 Athlete for Cross-Country in 2022. Vicky was named Regional Athlete and Southern Tier Athlete of the Week by the Southern Tier Sports Report
Indoor Track-
Vicky was undefeated in 1000m this season until the New York State meet. Vicky set the Meet record at the Jack Reed Showcase at Nazareth College in the 1000m. Vicky won the Section IV Class A title in both the 1000m and 1500m in 2023. Vicky placed 5th at the New York State Meet Public High School race in the 1000m and 6th in the Federation meet in 2023. Vicky qualified for New Balance indoor Track Nationals in the 800m, 1 mile and 2 mile (she was unable to compete because she was sick).
Vicky was named a Section IV All-Star in both the 1000m and the 1500m. Vicky’s time at the State meet of 2:53.72 is the number 2 all time fastest time ever run by a Section IV runner. Vicky was named the Track and Field Athlete of the Year by the Star- Gazette in 2023, Vicky was the Section IV Sportsmanship Award Winner Representative at the State Meet.
Outdoor Track-
Vicky holds the Elmira school record (2:13.7) in the 800m. At this point in the season, Vicky is undefeated in the 400m, 800m, 1500m. Vicky placed second at STAC Championships in the 3000m with a 10:10. Vicky will compete in both the 800m and the 1500m at the State qualifier meet. She has qualified for New Balance Nationals in the 1 mile and the 2 mile.
On May 23rd she won the Section IV Class A Championship in the 800m. Lowering her school record to 2:13.70. A week later she competed at the Section IV State Qualifier Championships where she won the 800m and again lowering her school record to 2:11.77 and she also won the 1500m in 4:40.53. She will compete at the State meet in Middletown, NY for both events. The 800m is on Friday and the 1500m is on Saturday.
School/Community Activities: Vicky is a member of National Honor Society. She is the President of FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America). She is a member of the National Technical Honor Society and FCCLA. Vicky also interns at the student branch of the Corning Credit Union. Vicky has volunteered at local races for the Southern Tier Running Club.
Additional Comments: Vicky was the Captain of Cross-Country, Indoor and Out Track & Field. She will attend Binghamton University next year where she will major in Accounting and run both Cross-Country and Track & Field.
ALEX MCKERROW: College choice: Division III Keystone College (La Plume, Pennsylvania) for football.
Accomplishments: Starting offensive lineman allowing Elmira to have 3 running backs at or close to 1,000 yards this season for a total of 3835 rushing yards and 45 TDs . with him on the field.
McKerrow helped Express reach last two Section 4 Class AA championship games and earned selection to section's Division I all-star team and Big 44 Ernie Davis/Floyd Little All-Star Classic. . Elmira coach Jimmy McCauley.praised him as a "reliable and determined player”
On signing with Keystone: "They're connected with multiple different chiropractic schools and I want to be a chiropractor. Once I do my three years at Keystone I'm going to go to one of the three schools they're connected to and get my chiropractic degree. Another six, seven years of school won't hurt anybody."
Throws the discus and shot (6thall time discus thrower in Elmira history), 7- 1st place and 3-2nd place finishes in discus and shot Had a personal best in the shot put of 43’7.5” in the STAC Championships and a personal best in the Discus of 129’ 4” in the HH Blue Shoes Invite.
Wrestling: 24 wins, 8 losses, 19 pins, 2 decisions, 3 forfeits. Third-place finish at Section IV Wrestling Championships at 285 pounds.
School/Community Activities: 4 year member of the Elmira Trap team. Winner of the Everyday Heroes award
Additional Comments: Top 50 in his graduation Class
CHRIS BENNETT: Team went 16-2 on the year. They won the IAC Small School South Division Championship and the IAC Small School Overall Championship over Union Springs.
Bennett took over the Edison Spartans baseball program after being an assistant coach for 20 years. In his first year as head coach he faced an uphill battle having to replace eight seniors who graduated the year before. He also had to replace and assistant coaching staff that has been together for 20 years as well.
It was evident early in the season that both the coaching style he was implementing and the coaching staff he had assembled was going to be successful as they swept long-time rival Tioga in their first three games of the year.
The confidence gained early has carried into a very successful season with the Spartans winning their first IAC Division Championship in six years and their first IAC Overall Championship in eight years. The Spartans finished the regular season with a 16-2 overall record.
I think it’s safe to say that Chris Bennett, in his first year as head coach, has already made his mark on Edison baseball. Also, with Chris having Mike D’Aloisio for a coach himself in high school, it’s quite fitting that he receive the first ever, Mike D’Aloisio team/coach of the year award. Coach ‘D’ would certainly be proud.
MIKE MALONEY: Went 15-4 this year and won the IAC title. Career record of 45-12 as coach.
The Crusaders won the IAC Large School Championship and were the second seed for sectionals and finished as sectional runner-up.
Three-time defending IAC Large-School champions in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Coach Maloney has led a very successful softball program here at Notre Dame. He has won back-to-back-to-back large-school championships.
BRYCE MASHANIC: The junior was 6-1 on the mound. He struck out 67 in 42 1/3 innings, with a 1.98 ERA. He hit .368 with three home runs, a triple and 11 RBI.
For his career he is 11-2 on the mound with 122 strikeouts in 103 innings with a 2.39 ERA. He is currently the record holder at Elmira High School with 122 strikeouts and a 2.39 ERA and he is second in wins (11) and innings pitched (103), and he has the strikeouts in a game record. All while having a year left in his career.
He has several highlights, which include eating state ranked number 3 Corning in the 2022 sectional semifinals.
Mashanic has won several big games in his career and has been an all-conference pitchers.
School/community activities include challenger league buddy, youth camp counselor, volunteers for Elmira High School Booster Club.
Additional comments: Bryce is not only a tremendous pitcher, but he is a 96% in school. Bryce is a student of the game, who loves to study, work and be the best player he can be.
GABBY MILAZZO: In 16 games this year she had 23 hits, six doubles, a triple home run, 22 RBI, 19 runs scored and hit .523. She was 7-2 on the mound with 89 strikeouts and a perfect 1.00 fielding percentage.
School/community activities: Challenger Little League volunteer, Junior Rotarians and student council.
Thoughts from coach Liz Warren: I would like to nominate Gabby Milazzo. Gabby is an outstanding athlete and has really come into her own this season. She is at the top of the charts for nearly every state category this season. Beyond that, Gabby is a determined, conscientious, and hard-working individual who is dedicated not only to improving her own skill in the sport, but also to giving back to a broader softball community, volunteering with local youth teams when she can. Gabby is most deserving of the Kiwanis Softball Player of the Year Award.
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IN PHOTO: From left: Chris Bennett, Alex McKerrow, Bryce Mashanic, Vicky Mordvinova and Mike Maloney. Absent from photo: Gabby Milazzo. . . PHOTO COURTESY OF RYAN CAMPBELL/WENY TV.
