West High boys cross-country coach Matt Elmuccio presents an award to junior Elijah Triche for his performance in the high jump.
Instead of meeting in its usual classroom, the township board of education gathered on March 24 at the Arthur Lewis Administration Building gymnasium to honor district students for participation in winter sports.
Each team’s coach came to the podium to present their team’s record and honor each of its players as parents looked on.
Anita Bowser, the coach for girls swimming at Cherry Hill East, said her team had 10 wins and four losses this season and made it to the state finals for the second consecutive year.
“First, I want to thank you for recognizing my team,” Bowser acknowledged. “These girls work really hard day in and day out, and they never cease to amaze me …
“It’s been a really great season, and I have these girls to thank for them.”
East High boys swimming coach Joe Cucinotti noted his team’s 11 wins and two losses and its 17th consecutive South Jersey Sectional Championship. Sophomore Luke Davis and junior Aleksey Markov placed in the top eight at the championship, the former for the 100-meter butterfly and the latter for the 500-meter freestyle.
“We love coming back here,” Cucinotti noted. “We thank you for your support, and it’s a privilege to represent Cherry Hill swimming in Cherry Hill public schools.”
Matt Elmuccio, the boys cross-country coach at West, honored two of his players – sophomore Supreme Stradford and junior Elijah Triche – for their performances in the high jump.
“This was very special for West,” the coach noted. “At West track, we’ve had a lot of firsts in the past couple years … This is a first relay state title. And what’s special about it is not only the two young men who earned the state title. In order to do that, you have to be the best on that day. And they were at their best on that day.
“And it was extremely special, not only to the two of them, but to me.”
Larissa Cohler and Shyla Ursino, cheerleading coaches at Carusi Middle School, talked about how their team took first place in every competition they attended.
“We are so incredibly proud of each and every one of you,” Cohler enthused. “It’s been a long season. The girls have put in countless hours of practice after school and on the weekends. They’ve overcome endless illnesses and injuries. They’ve survived numerous routine changes and team member losses, and still came out on top. What a season girls.
“We hope that you’re as proud of yourselves as we are of you.”
East boys basketball coach Dave Allen celebrated his team and its standouts. They included senior Chris Delgado, who scored more than 1,000 in his four years at East; and junior Chris Abreu, who won the Courier-Post newspaper’s All-South Jersey Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
But what Allen lingered on after the awards was how much the team has embraced a small number of players who are on the autism spectrum.
“Three years ago, the district started a program for neuro-diverse kids on the autism spectrum and with low-instance disabilities,” Allen explained. “And the way they’ve been embraced by the community, they’re some of the most popular kids in the school.
“I tell these guys all the time: You are changing these kids’ lives and their families’ lives.”
