Leading off today: Six days after becoming her school's first Section 2 singles champion, Shenendehowa freshman Jolie Chichak earned the
NYSPHSAA title with a straight-sets victory at the Billie Jean King USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing.
Chichak defeated Great Neck South eighth-grader Gabrielle Alexa Villegas of 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 in the final.
Chichak dropped just one set over the course of five matches in three days. That came in Tuesday's semifinals, in which she rallied past top seed Stephanie Marcheret of Syosset for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory.
Marcheret claimed third place with a 6-0, 6-2 triumph vs. Shakura Hino of Keio Academy.
• In the doubles final, sisters Michelle and Daniella Rosenblit of Horace Greeley defeated the Saratoga Springs duo of Addison Jones and Clare Dooley 1-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Voorheesville's Sapienza set to step down
Long-time Voorheesville coach and AD
Joe Sapienza has revealed he is stepping down from both positions.
Sapienza, who has been the football coach since 1993, will continue to serve as athletic director role through the Blackbirds' spring sports season.
His coaching record is 158-135-2 heading into a Week 9 contest vs. Coxsackie-Athens.
Section 1 launches impressive new website
Kudos to Section 1 for the very impressive rollout of
SectionOneAthletics.org, a website aimed primarily at delivering the most current information about sectional postseason action.
It's a go-to site for everyone from school administrators to athletes to fans, featuring tournament brackets, postseason protocols and ticketing information, awards and links to live broadcasts.
"We believe this new website will provide everyone in the Section One community with the tools and information they need in one centralized place," Executive Director Todd Santabarbara said in the announcement.
My only quibble thus far is that it would be helpful to see the scores of contests included in the brackets rather than just seeing which teams have advanced to the next round. That aside, the site instantly became the standard that the other NYSPHSAA sections -- not to mention the CHSAA and PSAL -- should be striving to match.
Rye boys soccer team is an international effort
The Rye boys soccer team, which plays Pleasantville on Saturday for the Section 1 Class A championship, is a fascinating mix of nationalities. According to
LoHud.com, 13 players on the roster hail from outside the United States. Japan, England, Sweden, Mexico, Australia, Israel, South Africa, Brazil, and Switzerland are all represented.
"My dad got a contract offer to work in the city for a few years, so we moved,” said senior William Christiansson Molin, who arrived from Stockholm in 2022. "I'm graduating this (school) year, but my family seems to want to stay."
His story is similar to that of several other foreign students on the roster. With an approximate 40-minute commute, Rye is a popular residential community for foreign tech and financial employees relocated to Manhattan by their companies.
