2022 NJISA Sailor Awards

Ryan Ehnot '22, Christian Brothers Academy
James O'Gwen '23, Delbarton School
James Scooter Kopack '24, Donovan Catholic High School
Everett Botwinick '22, Toms River High School North
Colin Guerrera '22, Christian Brothers Academy
Turner Ryan '25, Southern Regional High School

NJISA Second Team Skippers

Kevin Brooksbank '23, Donovan Catholic High School
Benson Chiles '22, Biotechnology High School
Noah Kuzloski '23, Christian Brothers Academy
Kennedy Laureigh '22, Southern Regional High School
Richard Pokorny '25, Point Pleasant Beach High School
Bryce Vitiello '23, Christian Brothers Academy
Alexa Whitman '22, The Ranney School

NJISA First Team Crews

Ashley Abboud '22, The Ranney School
Nicholas Cunha '23, Christian Brothers Academy
Nora Ciak '23, Donovan Catholic High School
Caroline Felser '24, Donovan Catholic High School
Mitchell Hnatt '24, Christian Brothers Academy
Johnny Lang '23, Delbarton School
Belle Placa '25, Southern Regional High School
Lilly Shanker '22, Summit High School
Natalie Shaw '23, Southern Regional High School
Lindsay Walsh '23, Toms River High School North

NJISA Sportsmanship Award

Everett Botwinick '22, Toms River High School North

Southern Regional High School Head Sailing Coach Steve Warren writes:

Here is a partial list of what makes someone a good candidate for the NJISA Sportsmanship Award:

Have passion for the sport
Sail hard but clean
Respect the sport
Respect those who donate their time to it
Earn the respect of your competitors
Be coachable and set an example
Take the sport seriously, yet still be fun to be around
Strive for success, yet don’t hesitate to help others succeed
Say yes when others need help
Be welcoming to new sailors or those less experienced

We see examples of sportsmanship all the time on the dock at Toms River Yacht Club - from sailors sporting pinnies from schools all over the state. But in my mind, one sailor stands out: that’s Toms River High School North's Everett Botwinick. He checks all the boxes.

I’ve watched Everett since he started sailing Optis, and had the pleasure of coaching him for while when he first started sailing 420s. Brian Hull has coached him for the past several years at Toms River High School North.

We both admire his analytical approach - how in even the most challenging of times, he doesn’t let emotion take over.
We’ve never seen him get upset.
Never heard him say bad things about his competitors.
We don’t recall him ever being in a protest hearing - or for that matter, doing circles. He avoids those situations.
Yet he sails hard, and his results speak for themselves.

When we look at Everett we see someone who represents this sport very, very well, and who we hope continues to do so for years to come. Together, Coach Hull and I nominate Everett Botwinick for the 2022 NJISA Sportsperson of the Year Award.