Every season, the Shoreline Conference honors a handful of athletes who have demonstrated consistent proficiency in their sport. Athletes have the opportunity to be awarded First Team, Second Team, or Honorable Mention. These All Shoreline awards are competitive, and many players strive to earn them. Recipients are chosen by the coaches of all the Shoreline Conference teams, who gather together and hand pick the athletes that they feel deserve these awards. Each sport also recognizes a “Coach of the Year”. However, the most prestigious award is “The Player of the Year” award, given to the highest performing athlete in the conference.
This year, Old Saybrook Girls Basketball’s senior captain, Kylie Lake, was awarded Shoreline Player of the Year at The Shoreline Conference Award Ceremony on February 25th. Kylie is the first Old Saybrook player in at least 20 years to have received this award. Kylie says, “I feel proud of myself and the time and dedication I have put into this season.” Kylie was not expecting this award and says, “I didn’t really think of winning Player of the Year at all.” She dedicates her hard work to her coach, Coach Woods. Kylie winning Player of the Year has always been a goal for Coach Woods. Kylie commented, “Before every game [Coach Woods] told me to dominate and not to be afraid to go to the basket.” However, Kylie was not the only player to receive an award that night. Senior captain Bree Cooke earned a spot on the All Shoreline First Team and senior Lauren Kapp was recognized in the All Shoreline Honorable Mention group. Kylie also dedicates her award to her teammates, “This season was so much fun and I could not have succeeded without them.”
The ceremony for the Old Saybrook Boys Basketball team was held the same night at Polson Middle School in Madison. This Year, senior captain Brendan Cassella was a part of the Honorable Mention group. Brendan has been a part of the Old Saybrook Basketball Program all four years of high school and has been a key part of the team. “Receiving this award was a nice way to end my career off. I felt it really solidified my hooper status around the halls,” Brendan said.
In addition to basketball, the Shoreline Conference gives out awards to the top track athletes. This is a very respected achievement due to the large number of track athletes in the conference. This season, senior Everett Miller received Honorable Mention for Boys Track and Field. In addition, Jameli Jara-Velez, Vy Ngo, Talia Bauer, and Katie Berner were a part of the Girl’s Second Team All Shoreline, while Emily Clifford, Erin Nygard, Hannah Belknap, Marie-Therese Morosky, Cassandra Garcia and Cali Morelli were all a part of the All Shoreline Honorable Mention group.
Sophomore Skylar Harrison was also a part of the First Team All Conference for gymnastics. She was a key member in the Shoreline Co-Op team that consisted of gymnasts from Old Saybrook, Westbrook, and H.K. She was specifically awarded for her success on the vault. Skylar says, “I am really happy about my award because it was a reflection of the successful season that I had.” This is also Skylar’s first year on a high school team as she competed last year as an individual. She dedicates her hard work and success to her new team and says, “[Being on a team] motivates me because I was not just doing it for myself, but I was doing it for my team too.”
