B’Nai B’rith honors local student/athletes
Seven high school seniors and one Penn State Fayette Campus student/athlete will be honored at the 45th annual B’nai B’rith Sports Awards Night banquet, to be held Thursday at the Uniontown Jewish Community Center. As previously reported, Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Lawrence W. Kaplan will be guest speaker. Joseph C. Martinak of Perryopolis will receive the Penn State Fayette Campus scholarship and Kim Miller of Connellsville will receive the Special Olympics award.
The high school seniors were nominated by their schools as the best student/athlete in each school’s graduating class. Fayette Campus was added when the campus resumed fielding athletic teams.
This year’s list of honorees includes Lianne Bartock of Uniontown, representing Fayette Campus; Ryan Joseph Jenkins of Adah, representing Albert Gallatin High School; Holly Peters of Brownsville, representing Brownsville Area High School; Benjamin Mattlock Benzio of Connellsville, representing Connellsville Area High School;
Rachel Sparinga of Dawson, representing Frazier High School; William C. Gabonay of New Salem, representing Geibel Catholic High School; Nathan Forse of Hopwood, representing Laurel Highlands High School, and Terrance Vaughns of Uniontown, representing Uniontown Area High School.
Bartock, daughter of Cathy Bartock, is working toward a bachelor’s degree in Administration of Justice at Fayette Campus and plans to pursue a master’s degree in social work. She also played two seasons on the women’s volleyball team at Fayette Campus. The Geibel Catholic High School graduate played basketball and volleyball for the Lady Gators.
Jenkins, son of Jeff and Debbie Jenkins, lettered in baseball three years and basketball twice at Albert Gallatin, where he ranks 12th in the senior class. He was chosen student of the semester and is active in Debate Team, yearbook staff, Academic League, Math Team and Young Astronauts Club.
Peters, daughter of Fred and Anne Peters, earned four letters each in track and cross country at Brownsville, where she ranks first in her class. She was a PIAA cross country finalist and the team MVP. She served as captain for each team the last two seasons and her cross country team was undefeated section champion all four years in which she participated. She was All-Fayette County twice and a WPIAL medalist in cross country. She won the Hugh O’Brian award as the outstanding sophomore and is involved in Student Council, National Honor Society, Senior Class treasurer, Interact, Ski Club, Gateway Program, Student Forum, choir and Spanish National Honor Society.
Benzio, son of Ben and Donna Benzio, played football (four years), wrestled (two years) and ran track (three years) at Connellsville, where he ranks first in his class. He was the state winner and a national finalist in the Wendy’s High School Heisman competition and won the tri-sport award for two years. He was the Fayette County discus champion and placed third (discus and shot put) and fifth (shot put) in the county meet. He won the school’s weight lift-a-thon twice and was All-Conference honorable mention in football after leading his team in sacks and was a section runner-up in wrestling. Academically, he has never missed the honor roll and is active in the National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society and is past president of the National Junior Honor Society. He won the International Foreign Language Award and participated in the United States Achievement Academy.
Sparinga, daughter of Wayne and Lynne Sparinga, lettered three seasons each in basketball and volleyball at Frazier and captained each team as a senior. She ranks 11th in her class. She also was named All-Fayette County in both sports. The National Honor Society member is a certified coach in Special Olympics for basketball, volleyball, softball and tennis. She has been an alter server at her church, a Rotary student of the month and has served as president and vice president of the Interact Club. She worked on the yearbook staff and was involved with SADD, Ecology Club, Drama Club and band.
Gabonay, son of William J. and Christina Gabonay, lettered four years each in football and baseball at Geibel Catholic, where he ranks fourth in his class. He was chosen All-Fayette County twice in both sports, team captain as a senior and All-Conference in football as a junior. The National Honor Society member has received highest honors all through high school and was active in the Latin Honor Society (vice president), the Junior Classical League and American Legion baseball.
Forse, son of Ron and Thekla Forse, lettered three years each in basketball, football and track at Laurel Highlands, where he ranks 77th in his class. He was selected All-Section in football and basketball and first-team All-Area by the Herald-Standard in both sports. He participated in the Pittsburgh Hoops Classic. He will attend West Virginia University and hopes to make the football team as a walk-on.
Vaughns, son of Lisa G. Vaughns, lettered four years in basketball and one in football at Uniontown, where he ranks 40th in his class. His stellar basketball career, during which he scored 1,720 points, was capped by his selection to the Associated Press Big School All-State first team. He was a four-time selection to the Herald-Standard’s All-Area Big School Boys Basketball team and was named Big School Player of the Year after leading the Red Raiders to the PIAA Class AAAA championship game for the second time in three seasons. He played for the Pennsylvania team in the Pittsburgh Hoops Classic. Vaughns was a four-year honor student and was elected to the National Honor Society. He also was involved in Science Olympiad, Tomahawk newspaper staff, homeroom officer and Homecoming Court. He volunteers for the American Red Cross, is a voluntary reader for elementary school children and organized a youth basketball clinic.