Collingswood Athletes Showered with Praise, Scholarships

feted its star athletes at its annual athletic banquet Tuesday night, acknowledging the individual achievements of MVPs, Colonial Conference all-stars and multi-sport athletes with a small ceremony and numerous awards presentations.

“This is the culminating activity of our sports year,” said CHS principal Ed Hill. “We recognize student-athletes in all sports, all grades.”

Among the outstanding achievers of the group were eight four-year, three-sport athletes: Andrew Brandley, Allison Hawco, Braheem Ingalls, Christopher Michael, Daniel Pennisi, Sirelle Torres, Anthony Valianti and Krystal Valianti.

Each of those students was awarded a commemorative lifetime pass to all Collingswood athletic events and a special medal that he or she will wear at graduation. Two—Michael and Pennisi—were specially acknowledged for having earned 12 varsity letters. That’s one per sport per athletic season (the high school has fall, winter and spring sports seasons) in each of their four-year high school athletic careers.

A number of graduating senior athletes were given a financial leg up from the Collingswood Athletic Hall of Fame, an alumni booster organization that awarded $70,000 in scholarships to 15 student-athletes at the end of the evening.

“There are more than 50 kids in college they’re supporting right now,” Hill said.

The biggest awards went to Michael and Hawco, who will each receive $12,000 (in $1500 per-semester stipends) towards a four-year college education. Star wrestler Anthony Giancola was awarded $10,000 in scholarship money; Pennisi and baseball/football player Jacob Tackett were each awarded $8,000.

Giancola and Hawco both took home the 2012 Howard T. Irvine Award, the top honor Collingswood High School grants its graduating male and female athletes.

The banquet was sponsored by and was catered by the Shamrock Deli of Audubon.