Emergency room doctors taught more than 60 students key skills like splinting, stitching, intubation and CPR during the workshop.

“It is really important to build relationships when pursuing medicine, and these students will have started to build those relationships,” SBU Division of Health, Equity and Advocacy senior administrative assistant Lauren Rozmus said in a press release.

The medical personnel work with the hospital’s Division of Health, Equity and Advocacy with the goal of improving care in the emergency room for all patients. The division’s outreach to school districts like Shoreham-Wading River builds community partnerships and provides opportunities for students of various economic standing to take advantage of being able to build relationships with medical personnel in the field.

The hospitals and ambulatory health services industries accounted for a combined 175,500 jobs in the Long Island Region in 2023, according to the New York State Department of Labor. Median wages in those fields ranged from $38,629 for home and personal care aides to $165,722 for medical and health services managers in 2023.

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Ms. Gilmore, who died after a medical incident at soccer practice in April, coached the Wildcats for 14 seasons and led the team to six Suffolk County titles, three Long Island championships and a state title while winning 165 games.

She turned the girls’ soccer squad into a powerhouse, guiding the student-athletes to a state semifinal after their second consecutive Long Island title last fall. 

Before the Sept. 27 game, members of the girls’ soccer team held a “Gilmore Game” banner and walked onto the field alongside members of the Gilmore family and the William Floyd team. 

Daughter Kayla Gilmore, who is currently in her sophomore year playing for the University of Maryland women’s lacrosse team, spoke about her mother and the coach she knew her to be. 

“Somehow she knew how to bring out the very best in me, and she did the same thing for her players,” Kayla said. “She wanted her players to be strong, confident women and she showed them how to do that. That’s the culture she built here [at Shoreham-Wading River].” 

Head coach Lydia Kessel spoke about Ms. Gilmore’s legacy and the way her team continues to play in her memory. 

“What is comforting to know is that her legacy lives on in the players she coached, in the lessons she taught and in the love she had for this program,” Ms. Kessel said. “Even though she is no longer here, she is still guiding us.” 

The Wildcats girls’ soccer squad secured a 5-1 victory over William Floyd in the non-league game. The boys’ soccer team followed with a 1-0 victory over Garden City later that afternoon. 

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“Long distance running takes discipline,” Riverhead cross country coach Tyler Lobenhofer said following a meet early in the school year. “It’s a constant grind of challenging yourself. You can never get comfortable with what your best currently is.”

Jones constantly pushed his limit throughout his career, especially during his senior season, as he came away with five school records ranging across every season. 

In the fall, he set the school record in the Indian Island 5K with a time of 16:33.84 and it wasn’t close. He shattered the previous record by 20 seconds and two minutes ahead of the second place runner. 

“Chris was the best runner on the team since he was a sophomore,” Lobenhofer said. “But he wasn’t ever content with just being the best on the team. He wanted to be one of the best in Suffolk County and I think he can walk away and proudly call himself one of the best.”

But his reign in the fall wasn’t over – Jones broke the Sunken Meadow 4k record soon after with a time of 12:48.81. 

“I made a vow to myself junior year that I would run every day,” Jones told the Riverhead News Review after a meet in the fall. “And I’ve done that. Honestly I think I’ve only missed five days since I made that commitment to myself.”

Hard work pays off.

In the winter season, Jones set a school record being part of the 4 x 800m relay. Being part of a quartet with Victor Giron, Brandon Nieto and Franz Ortiz Galdamez, the group executed every baton handoff flawlessly and came away with a time of 8:33.62. That time got even better when the group got on the track outside in the spring. Jones led the team to a spring 4 x 800m relay record posting a time of 8:24.61.

Jones put his final mark on his time as a Blue Wave in the 3200-meter race at the Westhampton Invitational. Despite facing less than ideal running conditions, the senior secured his final school record with a time of 9:52.66.

Those records figure to be part of Riverhead’s history for years to come – setting the mark for the next group of long distance runners to beat. Jones will continue his athletic career at SUNY Cortland in the fall.

And now for the Shoreham-Wading River Wildcat Athletes of the Year

Morgan Lesiewicz, Shoreham-Wading River

It’s rare to see athletes competing in three different sports over the school year these days with many athletes choosing to focus only on their best sport. But Morgan Lesiewicz took it a step further and competed in four – including two in both the winter and spring seasons.

Lesiewicz was a mainstay in between the posts in soccer as she was the starting goalkeeper for the varsity squad since her eighth grade year. In the winter, she played basketball but also competed on the winter track team. In the spring, she manned the middle of the field in lacrosse for what is arguably her best sport but also competed on the spring track team.

As the goalkeeper for the Wildcats, Lesiewicz led the team to three consecutive Suffolk County titles and two Long Island championships in a row to close out her soccer career. Her senior season ended in the Class A New York State semifinals. She registered 109 saves in her final year as a Wildcat – many of which were crucial for victory.

“To play for this team for five years not only built me up as a soccer player and an athlete but as a person,” Lesiewicz said following the loss in the semifinals. “I couldn’t have asked for a better team, better coaching staff, better career – I’ll always remember this.”

In the winter, Lesiewicz joined the basketball team and helped them win the league title while also participating in indoor track.

Springtime meant lacrosse – Lesiewicz’s best sport. She owned the draw circle for the Wildcats while also scoring 11 goals and registering five assists.

“Morgan is a dedicated and hardworking athlete who consistently pushed herself to grow and improve throughout her time with our program,” SWR girls lacrosse coach Alex Fehmel said. “She brought a competitive edge to the field and always gave full effort which helped raise the level of intensity and practices and games.”

Lesiewicz also set a personal record in the spring for track. In the New York State outdoor track qualifier, she threw the shot put a distance of 36 feet and 10.75 inches – putting her fourth on Long Island. 

The senior four-sport star will continue her athletic career as a lacrosse player for Division I Lehigh University.

The post Graduation 2025: Athletes of the Year appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Despite Dan Laieta dominating most of the game on the hill for the Wildcats, Miller Place had two chances to score and potentially win the game before quality fielding plays stopped the Panthers right in their tracks. The first came when Miller Place loaded the bases in the fourth inning — their first true threat of the game after being blanked for the first three innings. 

With two outs on the board and the momentum seemingly shifting Miller Place’s way, a call from the dugout was relayed to the infield. With perfect timing, shortstop Kyle Stella snuck in behind second base and Laieta quickly spun around and delivered a strike, nailing the unwitting baserunner as he dove back to the bag.

“It was a huge moment for us there,” Laieta said. “We’ve worked on that pickoff play all the time in practice, and I’m glad we got out of that jam there without needing to throw a pitch.”

But that wasn’t the biggest moment. The bases were jammed once again in the top of the sixth inning with two outs on the board. Miller Place already put up two runs in the inning and were on the verge of flipping the game upside down with the go-ahead run at the plate. Laieta was starting to labor after nearing his pitch limit, but head coach Kevin Willi had faith in his starter to get out of the inning.

“To be honest, we were giving him some rope,” Willi said. “But that final batter of the inning was going to be his last batter. Crazy how that inning ended. Real turning point of the game.”

There was a crack of the bat and the ball started to carry. Spectators looked on in horror as the ball had a chance to make it over the fence but senior outfielder Connor DiMasi kept tracking it.

“I know this outfield,” DiMasi said. “I’ve been playing here for four years now. I knew how much space I had before I hit the fence. If it’s another outfield I’m not sure I get the same result.”

Right before he hit the fence, DiMasi leaped up and snagged the ball, crashing over to the opposite side. Nobody knew whether he made the catch until he nonchalantly raised his glove in the air — revealing the ball in the webbing — and the umpire pumped his fist for out number three.

“If that goes over, we lose the lead and probably lose the game,” DiMasi said. “It was the biggest catch of my career, that’s for sure.”

“That’s exactly the type of plays we’re capable of,” Willi said. “As a unit defensively, we’re solid. We play great defense. We just needed the bats to wake up, and I think they finally did.”

SWR (4-5 League VI) scattered 12 hits through the two games against Miller Place. Conor Dietz, a freshman, has led the way from the two hole. On Friday, he hit the ball hard all four times at bat, registering a single and a 2-RBI double.

“I think hitting is contagious,” Dietz said. “Once one of us gets going, it gives the confidence for all of us to get going as well.”

Laietta also had a big game from the batter’s box. The pitcher went 3-for-3 with two singles and a double. Aidan Reilly and Joe Leo, who have struggled out of the gate this year after hitting .400 for the team last year, also showed signs of breaking out with two hits each.

“I think beating Whitman both games before this series really gave us confidence,” Willi said. “They’re in League I. I’m not sure if it’s nerves from the young kids or what it is. I mean it’s a big deal playing for Shoreham-Wading River with all the rich history we’ve had. I get it. But at the end of the day, it’s just baseball, and I think things are just starting to click.”

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Honorees and their guests joined the Times Review Media staff along with newly elected town supervisors Al Krupski and Tim Hubbard to share stories and express their thanks and gratitude to the entire North Fork community during a cocktail reception at The Vineyards at Aquebogue.

The annual awards, which have been handed out since 1987, recognize leaders in local public and community service, education, business and sports by the editorial staff of The Suffolk Times, Riverhead News-Review, and Shelter Island Reporter newspapers as well as the Northforker and Southforker lifestyle brands.

“The best part of our People of the Year awards reception is when we hear directly from the award recipients themselves because they are so impressive and mean so much to our community,” said Times Review Media Group publisher Andrew Olsen. “As journalists we are incredibly honored to tell their stories.”

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Supervisors Al Krupski and Tim Hubbard at the 2023 People of the Year award reception. (photo credit: Jeremy Garretson) Diane Wilhelm accepts the Public Servant of the Year award. (photo credit: Jeremy Garretson) John McAuliff accepts the 2023 Person of the Year award on behalf of EPCAL Watch. (photo credit: Jeremy Garretson) Luis Siguencia accepts the award for 2023 Business Person of the Year. (Jeremy Garretson photo) Kate Fullam, executive director of East End Food, accepts the 2023 Community Leader of the Year award. (photo credit: Jeremy Garretson) Caitlin Gould and Tracy Von Eschen accept the 2023 Educator of the Year award on behalf of the Shoreham-Wading River special education department. (photo credit: Jeremy Garretson) Paolo Bartolani accepts the Northforker of the Year award for 2023. (photo credit: Jeremy Garretson)

When John McAuliff took a lead role in the campaign opposing a controversial development proposal at Enterprise Park in Calverton, he brought a lifetime’s worth of activism to the table. John has been working since the early 1960s to promote reconciliation and healing and build commonality all over the world. A Peace Corps vet who went to Mississippi for 1964’s Freedom Summer voter registration campaign, John went on to champion post war reconciliation in Southeast Asia, and more recently in Cuba. As his wife Mary eloquently described him to us, John “believes fiercely in this country, and in its democracy, and in what it can be. He wants to help America be good, be right, live up to its values, its morals, its ideals.”

“I was by no means singly responsible [for EPCAL Watch],” Mr. McAuliff said upon receiving his Person of the Year award Thursday. “I just had the biggest mouth … it was the [local news] publications that helped turn what we were doing into a community sentiment.”

Since taking the helm as executive director at the East End Food Institute, now known as East End Food, Kate Fullam has worked tirelessly to realize the organization’s top goal of creating a more sustainable and equitable local food ecosystem. For her remarkable efforts connecting farmers and food producers directly with the community, Ms. Fullam was named Riverhead News-Review’s 2023 Community Leader of the year.

The educators at Shoreham-Wading River Central School District’s special education department, have experienced plenty of “aha” moments—both big and small— when they realize this is the profession they were meant to pursue. Whether it’s students showing off their talents on stage, scoring their first-ever points on a basketball court or learning to cook meals for their families, these are all significant accomplishments. These teachers are not only educators, but advocates, motivators, sources of comfort and their students’ biggest cheerleaders.

“I work with the most amazing educators; I agree that they deserve this,” Tracy Von Eschen, SWR’s director of special education, said upon receiving the 2023 Educators of the Year award on behalf of the department. “I’m so grateful to the children we have the honor of educating.”

More than a quarter-century of distinguished service to the Town of Riverhead came to a close last month at a spirited, jam-packed retirement party for Diane Wilhelm, Riverhead’s beloved longtime town clerk. Everybody at the party talked about Diane’s kindness and humility, her easy laugh and her absolute mastery of a job that demands a wide portfolio of knowledge. For her decades of service to Riverhead, her sincere joy in helping others and her reliably great sense of humor, Ms. Wilhelm was named Riverhead News-Review’s 2023 Public Servant of the Year. 

“Thank you so much for this honor; I’m completely overwhelmed,” Ms. Wilhelm said. “I want to congratulate all the award recipients this evening … We are very very lucky to have all these people in our community who do such wonderful things.”

Luis Siguencia, owner of Golden Jalapeños Café in Calverton, was honored as 2023’s Business Person of the Year for his years of giving back to veterans and those in need within the community. Since opening Golden Jalapeños in 2014, Mr. Siguencia has offered free Thanksgiving meals to families in need. “He’ll help anyone, and he tries to hire people that can use the help,” one friend and fellow volunteer said.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Siguencia remarked how deeply impacted he was when learning of the valiant efforts of U.S. veterans while studying for his citizenship test. He never forgot that and decided to give back, especially to vets, whenever and however he can.

Troy and Caryn Albert of Wading River have been working to bring ice hockey to the East End since 2015, when their son first began playing. On November 25 of last year, eight years after the initiative began, the Ed Westfall Arena opened in Calverton. For their efforts, their ingenuity and their commitment to make this dream a reality for hockey lovers across the region, Mr. and Mrs. Albert are The News-Review’s 2023 Sports People of the Year. 

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More party pics celebrating the 2023 People of the Year. (photo credit: Jeremy Garretson)

For sharing his vision, passion and talent, and bringing The Rites of Spring Music Festival to life, Paolo Bartolani was named 2023’s Northforker of the Year.

“I don’t want to talk about me; I want to talk about the Rites of Spring Music Festival,” Mr. Bartolani said upon receiving his award. “Our goal is to bring music and outstanding musicians close to the community. We are constantly looking for new partnerships. We are so honored and so proud to be part of this community.”

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