WILTON — Evan Rosettie, representing the Saratoga-Wilton Elks Lodge, finished in a three-way tie for first place in the Boys’ 12-13 Year Old Division, and won the tiebreaker at the New York State Elks Association Hoop Shoot Competition in Syracuse this past weekend. 

He will next compete in the Northeast Central Region 5 Hoop Shoot on March 21 in Wilkes-Barre, PA, where he will go up against the State Champions from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. If he is successful there, he will move on to the National Hoop Shoot Finals in Chicago on April 18.

Evan’s Mom, Kara Rosettie, posted this on facebook: “This has been such an amazing experience for my son, Evan. Looking forward to moving into Tri-State in two weeks and representing the Saratoga Wilton lodge!”

Congratulations to all the NYS Hoop Shoot Champions!

SARATOGA SPRINGS ­— While most people feel at home cooking in their kitchen or sitting on their couch, Haley Waghorn feels at home when she plays shortstop on her college softball team. 

A graduate from Saratoga Springs City School District, Waghorn is now a freshman at Saint Michael’s College. An avid athlete, she played on her high school softball and field hockey team, but decided to focus solely on softball when she started in college.

“I absolutely love the school and softball is going great. I love the team, everyone is really supportive and it’s been an immediate family,” Waghorn said. “Honestly the people and the atmosphere and just walking around the campus I feel right at home and the coach was super nice, just like the previous coaches I’ve had.”

Waghorn said the biggest difference between high school and college is the atmosphere. She said she feels right at home when she walks around campus. 

At Saint Michael’s she plans to pursue a biology major and a minor in chemistry.

“I was originally thinking to go into ophthalmology but that might change…” Waghorn said. 

Ophthalmology is a branch of medicine and surgery that deals with diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.

When Waghorn isn’t attending classes or doing homework, she practices five times a week with her softball team. She said the team is constantly working in the cage and in the indoor facility. She likes to play shortstop and third base.

“I’ve been playing shortstop for a while and I feel at home there. I play a little bit of third [base] too and those positions have been my home base. I think that just experience is what made me that player in those positions,” Waghorn said.

This past fall, Waghorn said the team played a few games and practiced outside. Now that softball is in season, the team has played a few games.

Waghorn said he biggest supporter is her dad, Brian Waghorn.

“He taught me so much. He’s been my coach for a while so I definitely have the sport connection with him. He teaches me a lot about the mental game as well. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Spa Catholic Saints are back and ready for their best season yet! With an award-winning record of 24 league championships, five sectional championships, three regional championships, one state runner-up, and 12-20 win seasons. Good luck, Saints!

The Saints will be participating in the 1st Section 2 benefit game for ALS. It is called the Lou Gehrig Classic “Strike out ALS”…The game will be played at Veterans Memorial Field and co-hosted By both Saratoga Catholic and Saratoga Springs HS. 

Saratoga High plays Niskyuna at 4:15pm and Saratoga Catholic plays Tamarac at 7:00pm. All proceeds go to ALS Association of Upstate NY. 

Gymnasts from Stepping Star Gymnastics Compete in the World Class Spring Challenge
BALLSTON SPA — Gymnasts from Stepping Star Gymnastics in Ballston Spa competed in the World Class Spring Challenge on February 29. The Level 5 and Level 6 teams from Stepping Star both placed first and several gymnasts took first place on individual events. Gymnasts Competing: Ayla Skinner, Lucy Rubinstein, June Amiteye, Juliana Judge, Angie Pierre, Juliana Marchesielle, Priya Raso, Julia Gillson, Ali Maguire, Cailyn Bodkin, Amelia Anderson, Gianna Milo INDIVIDUAL PLACING GYMNASTS: LEVEL 5S Ayla Skinner: 3rd place vault, 1st place bars, 2nd place floor, 3rd all around. Lucy Rubinstein: 1st place beam June Amiteye: 3rd place vault, 2nd place beam, 2nd place floor, 2nd place all around Julia Gillson: 2nd place vault, 1st place bars, 1st place floor, 1st place all around Angie Pierre: 2nd place bars, 1st place beam, 1st place floor, 2nd place all around LEVEL 6S Juliana Judge: 2nd place vault, 2nd place beam, 2nd place floor, 3rd place all around Juliana Marchesiello: 1st place vault, 2nd place bars, 1st place beam, 1st place floor, 1st place all around Priya Raso: 3rd place vault, 1st place bars, 3rd place floor, 2nd place all around

Blue Streaks Hockey
SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Wednesday, Feb. 26, the Blue Streaks played Shenendehowa and won, 3-0. Andrew Blanchard, Charlie Leary, and Mack Ogden each had three goals; goalie Brad Blake had 19 saves. On Saturday, Feb. 29, the Blue Streaks played CBA and won, 4-2. Will Detora had two goals and Michael Montague and Luke Shapiro each scored a goal as well; goalie Brad Blake had 21 saves.

SRYMCA/Saratoga Honda Youth Basketball Scores
JR DIVISION: PBA v. Blend Realty PBA-56: Nick Scalo-16, Isaac Ryan 12 Blend Realty-29: Jacob Alexander-12, Riley Baumeister-7 Olsen Associates v. Cudney’s Cudney’s-26: Ben VanValkenburg-10, Ian O’rourke-9 Olsen’s-23: Xavier Rusico-8, Lilly Mauer-5, Jacob Hernadez-5
SR. DIVISION: Spa Café v. Vahanian & Associates Financial Planning Spa Café-67: Brian McCarthy-17, Charlie Didonato-16 Pashley’s Construction v. Village Photo Pashley’s -58: Raymond Garcia-16, Nate Siewert-15 Village Photo-54: Jacob Krygowski-20, Patrick Deshane-14

Saratoga Recreation Department Happenings
• Gearing Up for Summer Fun: The Saratoga Springs Recreation Department will begin registration for summer camps and programs March 16. • Department Intro to Ice Skating Program: Learn ice skating basics or improve your skills. Everyone age 3-Adult is welcome. • Year Round Skating Fun: Visit SaratogaRec.com for the schedule. • Get in the Ring with the Boxing Program: Everyone age 8-15 is welcome. Learn proper boxing technique and receive conditioning tips. • Meet at the Net with the Volleyball Program: Everyone age 8-14 is welcome. Develop your skills and learn the rules and strategy of the game. • It’s Batter Up with the Tiny T-Ball Program: Everyone age 3-5 is welcome. Participants learn basic hitting, throwing, and base running. •Play Ball with the Jr. Sluggers Baseball Program: Everyone in grades K-7 is welcome. Learn baseball fundamentals and build your skills for the spring season. • Spend Spring on the Pitch with the Soccer Program: Everyone age 3-Adult is welcome. Learn soccer fundamentals and progress to game play. • Leave no Pin Standing with the Bowling Program: Everyone age 5-14 is welcome. This co-sponsored program with Saratoga Strike Zone will introduce participants to bowling fundamentals and techniques through discussion, demonstration, and practice. Rental ball and shoes will be provided. Online program registration: Instructions for registering for programs can be found by visiting SaratogaRec.com. Contact 518-587-3550, ext. 2300 or recreservations@saratoga-springs.org. with questions.

SARATOGA YOUTH WRESTLING Finishes 2020 CDYWL Season in Impressive Fashion
SARATOGA SPRINGS — In just their second year in the Capital District Youth Wrestling League, Saratoga finished the season with a 4-1 record. Coached by Brendan Polcare and Lance Matter, Saratoga has the best record in the league (8-2) over the last two years and is the only team to finish in the top 5 in each of the last two seasons. Saratoga lost only to eventual champion, Shenendehowa, by a three-point margin, and defeated Ballston Spa and Burnt Hills to finish 2nd in the North Division and advance to the championship rounds. They defeated Corinth 30-12 and cruised past the defending champions from Cobleskill 37-6. Brendan Stoutenburg earned the most team points for Saratoga and Jackson Wood won the Scholar Athlete Award.
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SCHUYLERVILLE —
Orion Anderson, a 2018 graduate of Schuylerville High School who took Saratoga County by storm when he was a NY state wrestling champion not once, but three times and a four-time state finalist, is a sophomore wrestler at University of Maryland where he has a full scholarship. Anderson was Maryland’s primary starter at 133 pounds and in his freshman year he: tallied six wins, including two in dual competition; secured a win by fall at Princeton Open; won first dual bout by decision against Central Michigan; and represented Maryland at the 2019 Big Ten Championships. “Last year, starting as a freshman, was definitely a struggle but with the new coach change things have improved a ton this year. I think it’s hard as an 18-year-old when you’re going up against 25-year-old guys, just because of the strength and everything else. The weight cutting I’ve done a lot better with this year and my strength is definitely way better, it’ll just keep getting better. It was nice to get a lot of competition in this season, though. The practices are a lot more intense this year, the team is just a different culture already. People are living better and I think it’s showing,” Anderson said. Coach Kerry McCoy stepped down as head coach in May of last year and was replaced by Alex Clemson, a decision that Anderson said was for the best of the team. “I loved coach McCoy, he’s a great guy, but I think just the coaching and the way the team is living this year, it’s making a big difference,” he said. Anderson is declaring Family Science as his major. “[Family Science] has a wide variety of things you can do with it and I’m not that good at math,” he laughed. “So, that limits a lot of the majors for me here because it’s a big math school, so I think this major is the best option because there is just so much you can do with it,” he explained. Anderson said Maryland is a tough school, but he has all the resources he needs if he finds himself in a tough spot. “My favorite part is how big the school is, there is always something to do on campus. I meet new people almost every day and that’s what I like most about it,” Anderson said.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Saturday, February 29, the Saratoga Varsity Cheer Team won the NYS Sectional Championship Title. They will be traveling to Rochester to compete for the State Championship Title on Saturday, March 7 at RIT. The team, coached by Ricardo Smith, Jr., has five seniors: Kaylee Ferro, Perras Allen, Mckenna Carley, Jenna Bourgeois, Hannah Reese. Scholar athletes on the team include: Kaylee Ferro, Skylar Kent, Adam O’Connor. These athletes maintained a minimum of 90+ overall average.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Six racehorses, four trainers, and one jockey account for the 11 finalists that will comprise the National Museum of Racing’s 2020 Hall of Fame ballot, as chosen by the Museum’s Hall of Fame Nominating Committee. The finalists are racehorses Blind Luck, Game On Dude (first year of eligibility), Havre de Grace, Kona Gold, Rags to Riches, and Wise Dan (first year of eligibility); trainers Mark Casse, Christophe Clement, Doug O’Neill, and David Whiteley; and jockey Corey Nakatani. Finalists were whittled down from 91 initial candidates. Hall of Fame ballots will be mailed to the voting panel on Monday, March 2, 2020. The results of the voting on the contemporary
candidates will be announced on Wednesday, May 6, 2020. That announcement will also include this year’s selections by the Museum’s Historic Review and Pillars of the Turf committees. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony will be open to the public and is free to attend. Chaired by Edward L. Bowen, the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee is comprised of Bowen, Steven Crist, Tom Durkin, Bob Ehalt, Tracy Gantz, Teresa Genaro, Jane Goldstein, Steve Haskin, Jay Hovdey, Tom Law, Neil Milbert, Jay Privman, John Sparkman, Michael Veitch, John von Stade, and Charlotte Weber. 

Camp Abilities Saratoga and the Saratoga Springs Lions Club are very pleased to announce the receipt of a $12,100 grant from the Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust. Camp Abilities will be back this summer for their seventh year. The camp, held at Skidmore College, is a weeklong overnight camp for children and teens who are blind, visually impaired, and deafblind. This camp is a service project of the Saratoga
Springs Lions. The camp has been operating annually since its inception in 2014 and serves 26 campers. The Camp is staffed with 20 counselors residing on-site, a number of sports specialists, 24-hour RN coverage, and various other staff as needed during a week filled with fun and exciting activities. The monies will enable Camp Abilities Saratoga to purchase a second trailer which will be used for storage of the specialized equipment needed for the variety of educational activities the campers are able to experience. The trailer should be fully customized and ready by this May or June, well before the campers arrive at Skidmore College for their big week the first part of August. “The generosity of Alfred Z. Solomon or of the Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust should not be a surprise to anyone in the Saratoga Springs area,” says John McDonald, Board President of Camp Abilities Saratoga. “In fact, a previous gift from this same Trust enabled the purchase of our first trailer which now is used to house a variety of equipment and the twenty tandem bikes that the campers like so much,” McDonald said. Over the years the Alfred Z. Solomon charitable Trust has been a very generous supporter of CAS. Camp Abilities of Saratoga is one of 26 Camp Abilities in the world, it is the only one that is run by a Lions organization, which aids in the fundraising and organization of the camp. Camp Abilities is completely free for its campers, and the counselors, who are graduate and undergraduate students studying adaptive sports technology and education, participate as a form of service, only for a moderate stipend. Donation and fundraising opportunities to support the Camp Abilities Saratoga are available all year. For further information visit campabilitiessaratoga.org/donate.
“Lions serve. It’s that simple, and it has been since we first began in 1917. Our clubs are places where individuals join together to give their valuable time and effort to improving their communities, and the world. The Lions Club aims to empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding through Lions Club,” the Lions website said.
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SARATOGA SPRINGS — In just their second year in the Capital District Youth Wrestling League, Saratoga finished the season with a 4-1 record. Coached by Brendan Polcare and Lance Matter, Saratoga has the best record in the league (8-2) over the last two years and is the only team to finish in the top 5 in each of the last two seasons. 

Saratoga lost only to eventual champion, Shenendehowa, by a three-point margin, and defeated Ballston Spa and Burnt Hills to finish 2nd in the North Division and advance to the championship rounds. They defeated Corinth 30-12 and cruised past the defending champions from Cobleskill 37-6. Brendan Stoutenburg earned the most team points for Saratoga and Jackson Wood won the Scholar Athlete Award. 

BALLSTON SPA — Gymnasts from Stepping Star Gymnastics in Ballston Spa competed in the World Class Spring Challenge on February 29. The Level 5 and Level 6 teams from Stepping Star both placed first and several gymnasts took first place on individual events. 

Gymnasts Competing: Ayla Skinner, Lucy Rubinstein, June Amiteye, Juliana Judge, Angie Pierre, Juliana Marchesielle, Priya Raso, Julia Gillson, Ali Maguire, Cailyn Bodkin, Amelia Anderson, Gianna Milo 

Individual Placing Gymnasts:

LEVEL 5s
Ayla Skinner: 3rd place vault, 1st place bars, 2nd place floor, 3rd all around. 
Lucy Rubinstein: 1st place beam 
June Amiteye: 3rd place vault, 2nd place beam, 2nd place floor, 2nd place all around 
Julia Gillson: 2nd place vault, 1st place bars, 1st place floor, 1st place all around 
Angie Pierre: 2nd place bars, 1st place beam, 1st place floor, 2nd place all around 

LEVEL 6s
Juliana Judge: 2nd place vault, 2nd place beam, 2nd place floor, 3rd place all around 
Juliana Marchesiello: 1st place vault, 2nd place bars, 1st place beam, 1st place floor, 1st place all around 
Priya Raso: 3rd place vault, 1st place bars, 3rd place floor, 2nd place all around