Ballston Spa Student-Athletes, Wrestling Champ Celebrated 

BALLSTON SPA — Dozens of Ballston Spa High School student-athletes were honored during an annual college athlete recognition ceremony on June 3, including state wrestling champion Mia Collins. 

34 students were recognized in total, including athletes headed to Division I, II, and III schools. Six of them were three-sport athletes and 13 were two-sport athletes. Collectively, the group had a cumulative grade point average of 92%.

During the ceremony, State Senator Jim Tedisco and Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh honored Collins, the New York State 132-pound division wrestling champ. Collins is currently ranked eighth nationally in her weight class.

“Mia Collins is a trailblazer and a tremendous student scholar athlete whose state championship victory capped off an undefeated regular season record of 10-0, along with being the first New York State Girls Wrestling Champion from Ballston Spa High School,” Tedisco said. “With Mia being only a junior, I have a feeling her already incredible athletic career is just getting started.”

“I’m incredibly proud to see Mia reach yet another milestone in her athletic career,” added Walsh. “Maintaining a 98 grade point average as a senior and excelling at a sport as she has is an amazing accomplishment. I can’t wait to see what other glass ceilings Mia will shatter as she furthers her education at Columbia over the next four years. Who knows, maybe we’ll see her on ESPN or at the Olympics before her college career is done.”

Below is a list of the student-athletes honored at the ceremony, as well as the higher education institutions they’ll be attending:

Declan Bain — SUNY New Paltz, soccer

Jessica Bowens — Hartwick College, basketball

Gabrielle Bozeth — Marist College, track & field

Kaleigh Capasso — Vermont State University at Castleton,         volleyball

Mia Collins — Columbia University, wrestling

Nicholas Commisso — Hudson Valley Community College,                           
        baseball

Matthew Cook — SUNY Brockport, lacrosse

Brayson Cornick — Southern Connecticut State University,
        football

Emily Dierna — Loyola University of Maryland, crew

Kyle Fives — Mount St. Mary College, baseball

Kate Fletcher — Westfield State University, lacrosse

Ayla Hathaway — Lasell University, soccer

James Haughton — University of Rhode Island, baseball

Devin Hemraj — University of Buffalo, track & field

Nathan Hill — Stevens Institute of Technology, baseball

Kala’i Leahey-Makanani — University of Buffalo, track & field

Mariana Lefco — Massachusetts Maritime Academy, soccer

Nicholas Leonard — Pace University, football

Matthew Meerdink — Worcester Polytech Institute,
        track/cross country

Mariah Nowicki — SUNY Plattsburgh, soccer

William O’Connor — Hartwick College, football

Anthony O’Leary — SUNY Brockport, swimming

Isabella O’Leary — SUNY Oneonta, lacrosse

Madelyn Perrone — Mercy University, softball

Caleigh Richards — Hartwick College, basketball

Aidan Ryan — Utica College, football

Nicholas Sorbera — Barton College, baseball

Mallory Sprissler — Alfred State College, basketball

McKenna Szmarz — Fredonia State University, soccer

Ally Teitsch — Norwich University, cross country

Livia Wiltsie — Marist College, softball

Petrina Zborovszky — University of Buffalo, track & field

Anna Zito — Endicott College, soccer