2020 NJISA Sailor Awards

Declan Botwinick '21, Toms River High School North
Bridget Green '21, Southern Regional High School
Colleen O'Brien '20, Rumson-Fair Haven
Michaela O'Brien '20, Rumson-Fair Haven
Brielle Willoughby '20, Southern Regional High School

NJISA Second Team Skippers

Everett Botwinick '22, Toms River High School North
Lauren Ehnot '20, Trinity Hall
Sean Groskoph '20, Summit High School
Colin Guerrara '22, Christian Brothers Academy
Brooke Schmelz '21, The Ranney School
Zachary York '20, St. Augustine Prep

NJISA First Team Crews

Ashely Abboud '22, The Ranney School
Amelia Buch '20, Rumson-Fair Haven
Connor Corbett '20, Toms River High School North
Jospeh David '20 , Christian Brothers Academy
Nate Ertle '20, Southern Regional High School
Evan Harrison '21, Toms River High School North
Sophie Lusty '20, Summit High School
Joe Mrazek '20, Southern Regional High School
Morgan Rice '20, Rumson-Fair Haven

NJISA Sportsmanship Award

Mercedes Escandon '20, St. Rose High School

Coach Brian Hull writes the following regarding Mercedes Escandon:

It is with great pleasure that I write this letter to nominate Mercedes Escandon for 2020 Sportsmanship Award. I had the fortunate opportunity to coach her on the Sailing Team for the past two years. Outside of school, I have known Mercedes for over eight years both on a personal level and as her sailing coach at the Metedeconk River Yacht Club. Throughout this time, I always found her to be a very dedicated, professional and hard-working young woman.

It was so refreshing to have had a student-athlete on my team who possessed such a healthy attitude. One of the reasons that she excelled is because she always seeks help in learning whatever she was unsure of. That demonstrates a high degree of maturity and responsibility on her part and ultimately rewarded her with great inter-scholastic achievements. Mercedes is a very intelligent and ambitious individual who was a real pleasure to have on the sailing team.

On the water, Mercedes has played an integral role in the development of St. Rose’s Sailing Team over the past two years. As a junior, she served as team captain and was instrumental in recruiting new sailors. As a senior, Mercedes and her teammates competed in the Mid- Atlantic Scholastic Sailing Association’s 2019 Silver Fleet Championship held at the Tred Avon Yacht Club in Easton, MD. This marked the first time in school history that the sailing team had qualified for a regional regatta outside of New Jersey.

She also has a very outgoing and friendly personality with character of the highest integrity reflecting the true Corinthian spirit of our sport. I believe that Mercedes deserves serious consideration for the Sportsmanship Award. I have no doubt that Mercedes will continue to prove herself as an outstanding student and I wish her nothing but the greatest of success in the future.