Back in 2018 we created our Tom Whelan All-Sports Awards to honor a longtime champion of scholastic athletics and highlight a select list of winners from the previous school year. Tommy was an old-school character who's ability to share compelling stories made him welcome on any sideline or any barstool. He could recite names and numbers of the countless athletes he chronicled across multiple generations. Whelan made everyone feel important.
So with a nod to the example our late colleague set back in the day, here are the winners of the seventh-annual Tom Whelan All-Sports Awards, chosen by Journal News/lohud staff writers Mike Dougherty, Nancy Haggerty, Eugene Rapay and Debbie Schechter:
Athlete of the Year
In this corner of the basketball world, a one-name introduction is all that's required.
Johnuel "Boogie" Fland is this year's Athlete of the Year. The five-star recruit helped keep Stepinac in the national spotlight all season, averaging 19.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.6 steals per game.
Boogie led led the Crusaders to a 26-4 record along with the CHSAA AA Intersectional championship for the second year in a row.
Fland was named Mr. Basketball in New York state and was the CHSAA AA MVP. He was again the lohud Player of the Year in Westchester. Fland participated in the McDonald's All-American game, the Nike Hoops Summit and the Jordan Brand Classic after the season. He originally committed to Kentucky, but eventually followed coach John Calipari to Arkansas. Fland is just getting settled on campus, but he's already showing up in the first round of numerous 2025 NBA Mock Drafts.
Previous winners:
2018: Katelyn Tuohy, North Rockland
2019: Katelyn Tuohy, North Rockland
2020: Katelyn Tuohy, North Rockland
2021: Clevmer Lubin, Suffern
2022: Daniel D’Ippolito, Somers
2023: Daniel Picart, Pleasantville
Finalists:See who's in the running for Tom Whelan All-Sports Awards
Readers Choice
Athlete of the Year Poll
Michaela Fay, Suffern 8,483 votes
Chris Iuliano, Rye 4,646
Logan McCormick, White Plains 3,290
Stella Perini, Harrison, 1,548
Daniel Picart, Pleasantville 810
Large School of the Year: Scarsdale
Public schools with enrollment numbers of 700 or greater located in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties were considered.
It's a repeat for the Raiders who finished with armfuls of hardware, winning Section 1 titles in boys soccer, boys volleyball, girls tennis, girls flag football, boys golf and girls golf. The Raiders won regional championships in boys soccer and girls flag football and NYSPHSAA titles in boys soccer and girls golf.
Past winners:
2018: North Rockland
2019: John Jay-Cross River
2020: Rye
2021: Suffern
2022: Somers
2023: Scarsdale
Small School of the Year: Rye
Public schools with enrollment numbers of fewer than 699 located in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties were considered.
Rye teams knew what to do when the playoffs began. The Garnets won Section 1 and regional titles in football, girls soccer, boys lacrosse and girls lacrosse. The football and girls soccer team both brought home NYSHSAA titles.
Past winners
2018: Pleasantville
2019: Ardsley
2020: Valhalla
2021: Bronxville
2022: Bronxville
2023: Bronxville
Private School of the Year: Stepinac
Catholic and private schools located in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties were considered.
Capping a memorable basketball season with a repeat CHSAA AA Intersectional win is the highlight. The Crusaders went 26-4, finishing 13th in the ESPN SCNext Top 25 national rankings. The lacrosse team pulled a playoff upset, taking down Iona Prep in the CHSAA NY Championship and went on to win a state title. Stepinac went 8-4 in football, beating rival Iona Prep in the regular season before falling to Cardinal Hayes in the CHSFL semis. The Crusaders also went undefeated and won CHSAA championships in swimming and bowling.
Past winners:
2018: Stepinac
2019: Stepinac
2020: Iona Prep
2021: Iona Prep
2022: Iona Prep
2023: Iona Prep
Sportsmanship Award: Able Athletics student/athlete volunteers
Award presented to a school, team or athlete that plays the game the right way on and off the field.
This organization has grown exponentially and continually draws an enthusiastic crowd. Able Athletics provides an inclusive and immersive experience for children whose learning, attention, physical and intellectual differences might otherwise prevent them from experiencing the joys and challenges of athletics. Numerous teams from across the region have jumped into the action, making all of the participants feel part of a team.
Here is the list of programs that provided assists this year:
Boys lacrosse: Fox Lane, Lakeland/Panas, Yorktown, Bronxville, Scarsdale, Greeley, Somers, Edgemont, Iona Prep, Blind Brook.
Girls lacrosse: Bronxville, Kennedy, Scarsdale, Blind Brook, Holy Child, Edgemont, Fox Lane, Yorktown.
Girls flag football: Somers, Carmel, Scarsdale, John Jay-Cross River.
Football: Harvey, Fox Lane, Scarsdale, Somers, Stepinac.
Field hockey: Pleasantville, North Salem, Edgemont, Fox Lane, Harrison, Horace Greeley, Rye, Nanuet, Somers, Brewster, Valhalla, Harrison, Yorktown, Irvington, John Jay-Cross River.
Boys basketball: Somers, Yorktown, Scarsdale, Port Chester, Croton-Harmon.
Girls basketball: Somers, Port Chester, Nyack, Scarsdale, Fox Lane.
Boys volleyball: Fox Lane, Scarsdale.
Girls volleyball: Mahopac, Port Chester, Scarsdale, Brewster, Fox Lane, Blind Brook, Lakeland.
Past winners
2018: Keio
2019: Mount Vernon
2020: Yonkers
2021: Darrin and Daniel Santos, Haldane
2022: Sound Shore athletes who helped clean up after Hurricane Ida
2023: Luke Green, Pelham
2023-24 Section 1 champions
FALL
Football
Class AA: Carmel
Class A: Somers
Class B: Rye
Class C: Bronxville
Class D: Haldane
Boys soccer
Class AAA: Arlington
Class AA: Scarsdale and Eastchester
Class A: Byram Hills
Class B: Keio
Class C: North Salem
Girls soccer
Class AAA: Arlington
Class AA: Somers
Class A: Rye
Class B: Briarcliff
Class C: North Salem
Field hockey
Class A: Mamaroneck
Class B: Lakeland
Class C: North Salem
Girls volleyball
Class AAA: North Rockland
Class AA: Greeley
Class A: Byram Hills
Class B: Putnam Valley
Class C: Tuckahoe
Class D: Keio
Boys volleyball
Division I: Scarsdale
Division II: Eastchester
Girls swimming
Eastchester
Boys cross country
Class A: Arlington
Class B: Pearl River
Class C: Bronxville
Class D: North Salem
Girls cross country
Class A: Arlington
Class B: Tappan Zee
Class C: Bronxville
Class D: Tuckahoe
Girls tennis
Division I: Scarsdale
Division II: Bronxville
WINTER
Boys basketball
Class AAA: Mount Vernon
Class AA: Peekskill
Class A: Byram Hills
Class B: Woodlands
Class C: Haldane
Class D: Greenburgh/North Castle
Girls basketball
Class AAA: Ketcham
Class AA: Albertus Magnus
Class A: Walter Panas
Class B: Putnam Valley
Class C: Tuckahoe
Wrestling
Dual meet championships
Division I: Yorktown
Division II: Sleepy Hollow
Section 1 championships
Division I: Byram Hills/Valhalla/Briarcliff/Westlake
Division II: Edgemont and Nanuet
Ice hockey:
Division I: Suffern
Division II: Byram Hills
Boys bowling
Division I: North Rockland
Division II: Hendrick Hudson
Girls bowling
Division I: North Rockland
Division II: Nanuet
Gymnastics
Somers/Yorktown/Pawling/John Jay-Cross River/Hen Hud
Boys indoor track and field
Class AA: North Rockland
Class A: Greeley
Class B: Nanuet
Class C: Bronxville
Girls indoor track and field
Class AA: North Rockland
Class A: Suffern
Class B: Tappan Zee
Class C: Bronxville
Boys skiing
Greeley
Girls skiing
Greeley
Boys swimming
Greeley
SPRING
Baseball
Class AAA: Ketcham
Class AA: Eastchester
Class A: Nanuet
Class B: Croton
Class C: Tuckahoe
Softball
Class AAA: North Rockland
Class AA: Harrison
Class A: Pearl River
Class B: Albertus Magnus
Class C: Tuckahoe
Boys lacrosse
Class A: Mamaroneck
Class B: Yorktown
Class C: Rye
Class D: Pleasantville
Girls lacrosse
Class A: Suffern
Class B: Greeley
Class C: Rye
Class D: Bronxville
Boys track and field
Class AA: North Rockland
Class A: Greeley
Class B: Nanuet
Class C: Bronxville
Girls track and field
Class AA: North Rockland
Class A: Suffern
Class B: Tappan Zee
Class C: Bronxville
Girls flag football
Division I: Scarsdale
Division II: Brewster
Boys tennis
Division I: Mamaroneck
Division II: Bronxville
Boys golf
Scarsdale
Girls golf
Scarsdale
2023-24 NYSPHSAA champions from Section 1
Football
Class A: Somers
Class B: Rye
Boys soccer
Class AA: Scarsdale
Girls soccer
Class A: Rye
Field hockey
Class A: Mamaroneck
Girls tennis
Division I: Scarsdale
Division II: Bronxville
Girls swimming
Eastchester
Girls basketball
Class AA: Albertus Magnus
Ice hockey:
Division I: Suffern
Boys swimming
Greeley
Boys tennis
Division II: Bronxville
Girls golf
Scarsdale
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