More than 200 teens throughout Long Island have been recognized as their school’s top physical education students.
In Nassau County, 102 students were selected to receive the 2025-26 Outstanding Physical Education Student Award from the New York Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance’s Nassau Zone. In Suffolk County, 108 students were selected to receive the 2026 High School Health & Physical Education Leadership Award from the association’s Suffolk Zone.
Local schools were invited to nominate two graduating seniors based on criteria including academic achievements and extracurricular leadership in school. Award recipients are also role models for their peers in health and physical education and demonstrate behavior such as citizenship, confidence and good character, association officials said.
“Physical education plays a vital role in shaping healthy, active lifestyles and building character,” said L. Zeelika Pieters-Klatsky, president of the association’s Nassau Zone. “These individuals we honor have demonstrated excellence in physical education. We encourage our awardees to take this commitment to physical literacy long into adulthood.”
Nassau County winners and their high schools: Fahiem Jenkins and Amanda Aguiluz, Baldwin; Christopher Jenal and Michaela Perillo, Bethpage; Scott Presti and Delaney McGrath, Sanford H. Calhoun in Merrick; Vito Piccirillo and Andrea Arias, H. Frank Carey in Franklin Square; Justin Lai and Grace Esposito, Carle Place; Joseph Di Gesu and Madison DeLeon, W. Tresper Clarke in Westbury; Daniel Smith and Abigail Gregory, Division Avenue in Levittown; Thomas Primrose and Kayla Lederer, East Meadow; Sean Smith and Valerie Sirchia, East Rockaway; Videsh Muneshwar and Christina Bayne, Elmont; William Herbert and Gianna Recine, Farmingdale; Connor Jones and Ashley Battista, Floral Park; Avriel Ramos-Lopes and Karen Cente Recinos, Freeport; Gianluca Ingrassia and Kaitlyn Santopietro, Garden City; Mark Reeves and Alyssa Weigand, Glen Cove; Zack Davis and Madison Coates, Great Neck South; Julian Vicioso and Kimberly Perez, Hempstead; Khalel Montemayor and Samantha Hogan, Herricks; Daniel Baum and Claudia Lee, Hewlett; Daniel Winn and Gabrielle Howell, Hicksville; Maximus Dyckman and Kayla Portes, Island Trees; Michael Moskalev and Daniella Ferdico, Jericho; David Gurewich and Hailie Siegler, John F. Kennedy in Bellmore; Liam Baker and Sophia Georgiopoulos, Locust Valley; Timothy Miller and Julia DiGiorgio, Long Beach; Jack Green and Sophie Deifel, Lynbrook; Thomas Murphy and Kaleigh Huggard, General Douglas MacArthur in Levittown; Jayden Jungra and Makayla Boubert, Malverne; Henry Jervis and Harper Lambert, Manhasset; John Neary and Sophia Bolognini, Massapequa; Ryan Lechleitner and Kailey Harrison, Wellington C. Mepham in Bellmore; Amanda Baker and Julianna Plunkett, Mineola; Brendan Rooney and Angela Vlavianos, New Hyde Park; Christian Noboa and Lilly Moore, Oyster Bay; Joseph Manfre and Madison Callow, Plainedge; Matthew Fitzgerald and Dylan Katz, Plainview-Old Bethpage; Kevin Castillo Escobar and Giselle Delcid Martinez, Roosevelt; Maxwell Lippman and Sophia Papadopolous, Roslyn; Jorge Olivares and Abigail Phillips, Paul D. Schreiber in Port Washington; Jimmy Wu and Alyssa Trentacosta, Seaford; Adrian Ayau and Tamia Williams, Sewanhaka in Floral Park; Ryan Healey and Maeve Britt, South Side in Rockville Centre; Lucia Gambina and Lily Onorato, St. Dominic in Oyster Bay; Dylan Santucci and Layla Abraham, Syosset; Nelson Frias and Gabriella Rivera, Valley Stream Central; Jonathan O’Reilly and Tiffany Melendez, Valley Stream North; Makai Villanueva and Sarah Young, Valley Stream South; Carter Loughman and Katelyn Baudo, Wantagh; Samuel Aristilde and Daniella Healy, West Hempstead; Bastian Arriaza and Katherine Lobo, Westbury; and Matan Caracciola and Shannon Flachner, Wheatley in Old Westbury.
Suffolk County winners and their high schools: Eghosa Ojo and Sydney McPherson, Amityville; James Fisher and DeLaney Busch, Babylon; Zareb Gonzalez and Diamond Scruggs, Bay Shore; Luke Jensen and Kailey Bruckner, Bayport-Blue Point; Brendan Fitzgerald and Meghan Maragioglio, Bellport; Cris Peralta and Gabriella Asare, Brentwood; Daniel Gilroy and Emma Gold, Center Moriches; Cemal Tastan and Madelyn Madrigal, Centereach; Jimmy Gaston and Lianna Mills, Central Islip; Luke McDonough and Bianca Paszel, Commack; Daniel Cappiello and Grace Peyman, Comsewogue; Vincent Feraca and Alexandra Patsos, Connetquot in Bohemia; Joshua Henry and Sofia Dunlap Chacon, Copiague; Thomas Wesnofske and Giovanna Luppy, Deer Park; Livs Kuplins and Hailey Welsch, East Hampton; Thomas Buchan and Danielle Simonetti, East Islip; James Talamini and Tayvin Mann, Eastport-South Manor; Chris Scarola and Daniella Rehren, Elwood; Shepherd Odell and Liliana Sanchez, Greenport; Ryan Shulman and Amanda Burack, Half Hollow Hills East in Dix Hills; Luke Taff and Kira Schwartz, Half Hollow Hills West in Dix Hills; Taylor Meyers and Edie Cabrera, Hampton Bays; Tyler Tom and Florence Fisherman, Harborfields in Greenlawn; Matias Lakaitzis and Katelyn Oliveto, Hauppauge; Jack Kamenstein and Jolie Weinschreider, Huntington; Kieran Freelin and Riley Haynes, Islip; Nico Bruno and Emily Bland, Kings Park; Justin Gries and Grace Healy, Lindenhurst; Tyler Lorentzen and Sarah Vrljicak, Longwood in Middle Island; John Scarfogliero and Mackenzie Burger, Miller Place; Dontae Spadaro and Mia Betancourt, Mount Sinai; Jason Krol and Lily Kolasinski, Newfield in Selden; Jordan Peck and Amaya Carson, North Babylon; Peyton Hamada and Charlotte Cuneo, Northport; Colin Jennings and Lilly Lepre, Patchogue-Medford; Matthew Cadicamo and Hannah Pflaster, Earl L. Vandermeulen in Port Jefferson; Dillon Zaleski and Adriana Martinez, Riverhead; David Xavier and Ava Almeida, Rocky Point; Dominick Rienzi and Hannah Barkin, Sachem East in Farmingville; Henry Sarro and Alyssa Tappin, Sachem North in Lake Ronkonkoma; Dominick Mazzeo and Clio Halweil, Sag Harbor; Shane Meehan and Sophia Buffardi, Sayville; Lio Napoles and Keili Osorio Lopez, Shelter Island; James Huxtable and Brooke Simonetti, Smithtown East; Christopher Sweeney and Kalia Wheeler, Smithtown West; Nate Barbour and Ava Rosalia, Southampton; Travis Sepenoski and Francesca Santacroce, Southold; Kritz George M. Taku and Isabella Galindo, Walt Whitman in Huntington Station; Elliot Burgueno and Abigail Desimone, Ward Melville in East Setauket; Julian Cruz and Melanie Jastrzebski, West Babylon; Ayden Wefering and Francesca Tofano, West Islip; John Paul Peters and Addison Celi, Westhampton Beach; Ja’quan Thomas and Emma DiMaio, William Floyd in Mastic Beach; and Juan Majano-Carbajal and Lauren Alfaro, Wyandanch.
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR’s platform safety issues.
