Griffo And Miller Honor Athletes From New Hartford And Sauquoit

Senator Joseph Griffo and Assemblyman Brian Miller honored athletes from the New Hartford and Sauquoit Valley School Districts on Thursday.

Griffo and Miller recognized several local middle and high school athletes who won state championships.

Those recognized included:

• Charlie Tibbitts, a Sauquoit Valley Central School senior who, while wrestling for New Hartford Central School, captured the 285-pound Division I wrestling title at the NYSPHSAA Wrestling Championships in February. Dave Caruso was Tibbitts’ coach.

• Grayson Gall, an eighth grader at New Hartford Central School, who won the 2022 NYSPHSAA Girls Gymnastics All Around Championship in March. Gall was coached by Danielle Cerminaro.

• The New Hartford High School Girls Varsity Soccer Team who captured the 2021 NYSPHSAA Soccer Class A Championship in November.

Members of the team include Savannah Cole, Abby O'Connor, Sophia Vitullo, Grace Serafin, Katelynn Truax, Alex Volo, Meghan Kolb, Mia Roberts, Amanda Graziano, Talia Vitullo, Kacey Richards, Caroline Sekula, Willa Pratt, Carina Wu, Anna Rayhill, Biddie Clive, Makenzie Desmarais, Erin Cahill, Olivia Vitullo, Allison Falvo and Natalie Smith. The head coach of the team is Frank DuRoss Jr, with Rich Dobrodziej, Bethany Truax and Peyton LaReaux serve as assistant coaches.

“I am pleased to honor the hard work, dedication and commitment of these student athletes and their coaches and to recognize their respective state championships,” said Griffo. They have all made their families, schools, communities and the region very proud and deserve to be commended for their accomplishments. The lessons that they have learned, the character that they have built and the memories that they have made will stay with them and position them to do extraordinary things in their lives.”

Griffo and Miller presented the athletes with resolutions that commemorated and celebrated the achievements of the athletes and team.