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Seventy-five Belle Vernon Area School District senior athletes representing 16 varsity sports and cheerleading were honored at the annual awards banquet at the Willow Room in Rostraver.

Special awards winners at Belle Vernon Area's Senior Athletic Banquet were - Front (l – r): Samantha Mendicino; Caitlin Caldwell; Sarah Simsic; Kaitlyn Faiola; Bria Rathway; Lauren Planey; and Kaitlyn Slagus. Back (l – r): Isaiah Engstrom; Nick Thayer; James Yantko; Daniel Mraz; Bobby Anna; Zachary Spate; and Travis Snyder. Josh Godzin is missing from photo.

Many of those members of the BVA Athletic Department's Class of 2015 also received the National Student Athlete Foundation Award certificates for academic achievement as well as their participation in sports.

More than a dozen special awards and scholarships were presented, including the inaugural Donald Asmonga Mighty Leopard Award in honor of the school's first and most winning coach in basketball and baseball and the only one to win a WPIAL basketball championship (1978).

His widow, Bernice Asmonga, was among family members who presented $1,000 scholarships to both a female and male athlete who were recommended by coaches and who met criteria established by the recently-formed Donald Asmonga Foundation in memory of the legendary coach.

The recipients were James Yantko and Samantha Mendicino, both of whom played soccer, basketball and track. Coincidentally, both are candidates for Westmoreland County Judge Driscoll scholarships.

Yantko also was chosen for the Atheltic Department's "Inspiration Award" as well as the Delance Stanley Award for his role in boys basketball. Mendicino also received the Ryan Moravec Award for girls track-and-field while Robert Anna was chosen for boys track-and-field in memory of Moravec, an elite runner who lost his life in a traffic accident.

Here's a list of other special awards winners:
• Richard O. Dolfi Award for football – Zachary Spate.
• John Granish Award for boys soccer – Daniel Mraz.
• Thomas Flook MVP Ward for girls soccer – Caitlin Caldwell
• Sasha Zuro Scholarship for girls basketball – Kaitlyn Slagus
• Heart and Soul Award for boys wrestling – Joshua Godzin
• Chris Williams Memorial Awards – Isaiah Engstrom for boys baseball and Sarah Simsic for girls softball.
• Mike Fenyar Memorial Softball Scholarship – Kaitlyn Faiola
• U.S. Marines Student Athlete Awards – Nick Thayer (male) and Bria Ratherway (female)
• U.S. Army Student Athlete Awards – Travis Snyder (male) and Lauren Planey (female)

Awards: S

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