The best of the best for winter 2019-20 New Paltz and Highland sports

It was quite the Winter sports season on the local level, particularly on the New Paltz side, as the Huguenots won their third straight boys’ Section 9 basketball title and their first MHAL title in 20 years; crowned their first-ever wrestler to win both a Division 2 and Division 1 title; saw girls’ basketball have their best season in a decade; won both boys’ and girls’ Nordic ski titles; and saw a mini-resurgence in their once powerful gymnastics program. Yes, Winter 2019-20 was a very good season for New Paltz sports.

For Highland, only the wrestling program — which had five wrestlers in the Division 2 finals — had a successful Winter season, as boys’ basketball, hit hard by graduation, struggled and missed the Section tournament; and the girls, losing arguably the best player ever in the MHAL, played with the youngest roster in the league, struggled mightily, and had their first losing record in 20 years.

But we are here to celebrate all the Bests of this past season…so, here they are:

Best Game (individual)

New Paltz — Ethan Palanca in the Section 9 Division 1 wrestling tournament, where he won the 145-pound title; and Jackson Soper, who scored the game-winning three-pointer in the last seconds of overtime to beat Monticello and give the Huguenots their third-straight Section 9 boys title. and led the scoring with 22 points.

Highland — Peter Bender and Shamar Gittens, both finalists in the Section 9 Division 2 wrestling tournament, losing in close decisions.

Best Game (team)

New Paltz — Obviously, the overtime win over Monticello that gave the boys’ basketball team their third straight Section 9 Class A title.

Highland — the Section 9 Division 2 Tournament where the Huskies placed five wrestlers in the finals.

Best of The Unsung

New Paltz — Matt Simmons (boys’ basketball): the man who makes things go-go-go at the point; Katie Geisler (girls’ basketball): consistent rebounder, scorer, defender inside; Aidan Cuppett (wrestling): just missed making the Division 1 finals at 145, lost to teammate Palanca in a close semifinal match, garnered his 100th win; Finn Goldleaf (swimming): led a balanced team in the middle distance events, particularly the 200 IM; JoJo Tanzi (wrestling): won first all-girls Section 9 title ever; Wells Willett and Amelia St. John (Nordic ski): went to States as Section 9 champions; Jaden Thomas-Markarian and Anthony Stevens (indoor track): top flight jumpers in Section 9, high jump and long jump respectively.

Highland — Dontay Baker (boys’ basketball): ran the team, scored in double figures, tough defender; Katie Dauenheimer (girls’ basketball): had unenviable task of following in the footsteps of a great player at the point and had her moments in a difficult transition year; Shamar Gittens (wrestling): lost close in 285-pound finals in Division 2; Zoe Munson (gymnastics): placed sixth at States on the balance beam; Danielle Quirk-Hall (indoor track): top five in the sprints.

Best Defender

New Paltz — Matt Simmons (boys’ basketball): unarguably the best man-to-man coverage in Section 9, just shut top opposing players down completely.

Highland — Ethan Thompson (boys’ basketball): sole inside presence, solid against bigger opponents, top defensive rebounder.

Best From Out-of-Nowhere

New Paltz — Adi Laurie (gymnastics): the unheralded seventh-grader finished fourth all-around in the Section 9 Championships; and Jackson Soper (boys’ basketball): after a role-playing regular season had the two biggest games of his career in Section 9 wins over Minisink in the semifinal and in the final against Monticello.

Highland — Chris Gatto (wrestling): unheralded at the beginning of the season, finished third in Division 2 tournament.

Best of the Future

New Paltz — Justin DeMaria (boys’ basketball): top scorer for the Huguenots, solid rebounder, defender, three-point man; Ruby Santos (girls’ basketball): came into her own in the second-half of the season, including a 36-point game…the next 1,000-point career scorer; Cole Cuppett (wrestling): next in line of family dynasty, fast, dynamic, going for a title next season; Brady Saunders (swimming): came into his own in second-half of season, versatile, strong in mid-distances; Lake Willett (Nordic ski): runnerup for a couple years, next one a Section championship.

Highland — Zach Angelone (boys’ basketball): at season’s end putting up solid numbers…double-double land a permanent place; Grace Koehler and Bridgette Carle: Koehler (an eighth grader) came on in the last few weeks as a scorer and Carle (a freshman), who was the second scoring option to Bri Rozzi last season, missed this past season with a knee injury, all-around all-star potential; Logan Smith (wrestling): came on strong this season and made Division 2 finals at 145.

And now…the Big Three awards:

Best Team

New Paltz — how do you measure the boys’ basketball team against all others in New Paltz history? Three-straight Section 9 titles, that’s how. Also the first Class A team to win three straight. And no one really expected it. A great season!

Highland — the wrestling team that placed five wrestlers in the Section 9 Division 2 tournament finals. No champions, but five runner-ups and a third-place finish to boot.

Best Coach

New Paltz — Stu Robinson (boys’ basketball): truly his best coaching job of the three straight titles. taking a team that lost its two top players and molding a tough, defensive-oriented, no quit team out of solid role-players.

Highland — John McFarland (wrestling): the only coach the program has ever had, he just keeps at it, making the program — and his wrestlers — into the cream of the crop in Division 2.

Best of the Best

New Paltz — Ethan Palanca (wrestling): New Paltz, the smallest school in Division 1 produced the only wrestler to win Section 9 titles in both Divisions…Palanca, who won at 132 pounds two years ago in Division 2 and this season at 145 in Division 1. One of the best, and he’s only a junior.

Highland — Peter Bender (wrestling): the defending Division 2 champion at 113 pounds almost made it two in-a-row, but was decisioned 7-5 in the D2 120-pound final. And like his New Paltz counterpart…he’s just a junior.

So that’s it. All the best to those moving on and to those returning for the 2020-21 season…champs all!