VHS All Sports Booster Club Honors Senior Athletes
NOTE: The event was videotaped by VPS Broadcasting and will be aired on Channel 13 tonight at 7:40 p.m., following a re-broadcast of the VHS golf team’s season highlights.
Championship level performance on the field backed up by hard work on the practice fields and courts by Vineland High School athletes was rewarded last night at the 21st annual VHS All Sports Booster Club banquet at Merighi’s Savoy Inn.
T
he dinner and recognition ceremony is sponsored annually
by the club, an all-volunteer group of local residents. Many club members
are parents of athletes
who graduated years ago but still give freely of their time and energy in
support of VHS athletics. The event attracted a capacity crowd of parents,
family members
and Vineland Public Schools staff and administration.
Master of ceremonies was Robin Daplyn, who is retiring this year after 13 years as Supervisor of Athletics and a career in education that has spanned four decades.
In all, 128 student-athletes were honored for their contributions to Fighting Clan athletics this year. Of that group, 24 received The Coach's Award which is given to current athletes who exemplified the sacrifice and spirit of the entire team. Receiving the accolades on behalf of their teammates were: baseball - Ryan Chini, coach Tim Jess; boys basketball – Marcus Jiminez, coach Dave Orlandini; girls basketball – Cory Silvio, coach Rick Baruffi; fall cheerleading – Little Wright, coach Lauren Sherma; winter cheerleading – Dara Snow, coach Lauren Sherma; boys crew – Karl Anderson, coach Heather DeHainaut; girls crew – Andrea Simone, coach Heather DeHainaut; boys cross country – Steve Rosado, coach Scott Hubbard; girls cross country – Carley Tasker, coach Joel Heider; field hockey – Samantha Capriotti, coach Kate Homiak Cronk; football – Qori Brown, coach Ed Belfi; golf – Scott Dargis, John Mylo; boys lacrosse – Rick Garrison, coach Ted Cisco; boys soccer – James Patterson, coach Eric Spinnato; girls soccer – Aimee Giaccio, coach Amy Ardito; softball – Kayla Ciancaglini, coach Jamie Burgos; boys swimming – Rich Dellvale, coach Brian Newton; girls swimming – Stevi Anderson, coach John Malatesta; boys tennis – Jason Roth, coach coach Harry Silverstein; girls tennis - Rachel Strittmatter, coach Harry Silverstein; boys track – Yadid Chaniz-Rico, coach Elliott Deshields; girls track – Amber Hart, coach Rick Baruffi; wrestling- Garry Robinson, coach Jim Hague; and winter track – Davon Goldsborough, coach Terrence Spencer.
Each year, the club inducts three former standout VHS athletes
into its Hall of Fame. 
This year’s group included:
- Robert Burch, a state champion in the 880-yard run who was victorious in 44 of 45 dual meets during his high school career and placed first in the South Jersey Invitationals and the Penn Meet of Champions;
- Audrey Lundy, who scored 1,728 points during her high school basketball career and was voted first team all Group IV, first team All Cape Atlantic League; and was named Player of the Year by the Daily Journal and Press of AC and also named to WMGM-TV 40’s All Star team;
- Allison (Baruffi) Dare, Lundy’s teammate who scored 1,030 points in a career shortened by injury but still was able to garner All Conference honors and win a place on the Daily Journal, Press of AC and WMGM-TV 40 All-Star teams; and
- Josh Ruga, a county, South Jersey and state champion in the mile run who was undefeated in South Jersey competition in 1956.
The club also accorded posthumous honors to Dom Sacchetti and Phil Hermanson,
the first officers of the Booster Club in 1986-87 and awarded eight $500 scholarships
to deserving senior athletes. The group included: Samantha Capriotti, Karl
Anderson, Theodora Isekenegbe, Jeffrey Brenner, Stevi Anderson, Rex Romano,
Kelsey Peretti, and Yadid Chaniz-Rico.