Upper Moreland School District Honors Student Musicians and Athletes

The 2013 Upper Moreland School District’s (UMSD) Special Recognitions Program was held on the evening of April 30, honoring nearly 50 student musicians and athletes and over 100 cheering families and members of the district in the audience.

UMSD superintendent Dr. Robert Milrod provided opening remarks for the event. He said the district’s Recognition Program has been consecutively held for the last decade, as student athletes and musicians who achieve at the division, league or state levels are honored before the Upper Moreland School Board.

“However, this winter and spring, to see our students achieve so much at such high levels, we outgrew the board room,” Milrod said, widely smiling.

The event lasted just over an hour, as each student group came forward to recount their achievements and take photos with family members, coaches, the district superintendent and Upper Moreland School Board president Mark Wenik.

The following is information about the student athletes and musicians as they appeared in order at the Special Recognition Program:

Concert Band/Orchestra

• Matt Salazar - Trumpet, All-State Wind Ensemble,
• Sydney Halberstadt - Cello, All-State Orchestra (2nd Consecutive year)
• Curtis McPeak: Alto Sax, (All-State Band Second Consecutive year)
• Anastasia Janney - Bass Clarinet, All State Concert Band
• Nicholas Vallerio - Clarinet, All-State Concert Band

According to Glenn Cowen, UMHS band director, the students honored in this group were all selected in an all-state music ensemble. Cowen said that there were only 120 students from a pool of 5,000 students across the state to be selected for the honor. He said each Upper Moreland student spent over 100 hours rehearsing to audition for the ensemble. 

Indoor Track

• Tyler Whitmore - 200 Meter Dash, Silver Medalist, also competed at Nationals, was selected to the (PTFCA) Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Associations All-State Second Team
• David Baynard, Daniel Baynard, Daniel Pagano and Ariel Garcia – 4X 400 Relay Team

Doug Smith, UMHS Track Coach, said that the indoor track program competes against all track teams in all events across the state. “To make it to states really means something, Smith said, “because they have to compete against the best across the state.” He mentioned, in the three years he’s been there, he’s gone to states with UMHS track students, and thanked the school board for honoring all the students in this way.

 Diving and Swimming

• Sydney Szopo – District One Diving Champion, State Competitor
• Daniel Wilox - Second Place at District Diving, State Competitor
• Shannon Chambers – Third Place District Diving, State Competitor
• Jelani Crosby – District Diving Medalist
• Anna Hakes – 500 Yard Freestyle, State Competitor
• Amber Saint Clair – 100 Yard Backstroke, State Competitor
• Iain Smith – District Champion 100 Yard Breastroke, State Competitor
• Alex Pronzato, Kane Nelson, Michael Freeman, Iain Smit – 200 Yard Medley Rleay and 500 Yard Freestyle Relay Team, State Competitor
• Alex Pronzato, Ian Smith, Jacob Winter, Everett Benson – 200 Yard Freestyle Relay Team

Melanie Rowland, UMHS Swimming Coach, who also spoke for the school’s varsity Diving Team, said that this year’s swimmers and divers were among the 32 students that were able compete at the state championships at Bucknell University.

Boys Basketball Team

• Zack Carroll, Chris Corr, Eddie Decker, Bobby Dell, Pat Driscoll, Matt Kohn, Stephen Leventhal, Kevin McFall, Damian Larosa, James Martin, Xavier Mulligan, Brendan O’Donnell, Tommy Robinson, Joe Trovato, Josh Villanueva, Mark Williams – PIAA District One AAA Champions

Brian Corrado, UMHS Boys Basketball coach, thanked all those who supported the team through what he called a special season. “The support and sense of pride my team felt through our championship run was a true sense of motiviation for us to bring up Upper Moreland’s first ever district championship,” Corrado said to uproarious applause.

Girls Bowling Team

• Kayla Balcerak, Julia Brownholtz, Brille Erb, Briny Kabic, Rebecca Lamb, Stephanie Lamb, Kimberly Searles, Tracey Tardif – Suburban One League Champions

According to Dale Simonsen, UMHS Girls Bowling Team, this year’s season was a little different for the girls team because, coming from a winning season last year, they were the team to beat. He said in the last two years the Girls Bowling Team achieved a record of 101 wins and 11 losses.

Wrestling

• Anthony DeLaurentis – Suburban One League American Conference Champion

• Dominic DeLaurentis – Regional Competitor

Wrestling coach John DeFranco said that it was a tremendous privilege to coach this year’s team. Highlighting the DeLaurentis brother’s achievements, DeFranco also asked for the students’ father, Anthony Delaurentis, who also helped coach the team this year, to join in the photo.