One year after suffering an aneurysm that put him in life-threatening coma, Vince LaPira received a standing ovation as he accepted the Brian Piccolo Award at Wethersfield High School's spring sports awards night.
"The Vince LaPira story is one where we're just happy he was around and he made it through," said Joseph Cottone, Wethersfield's athletic director.The Piccolo Award is named after Brian Piccolo, the former Chicago Bears player who died at a young age of cancer. His story and friendship with teammate Gale Sayers is the subject of the popular movie "Brian's Song."
A senior volleyball captain, LaPira's moment on stage was the emotional highlight of ceremony, which took place June 5. The annual event caps off the spring season and the athletic year and Cottone said it's one of his favorite nights as athletic director.
"I think it's the culmination of the whole year," he said. "When you get a chance to look back on the successes that the students have had here, it gives me great pleasure to stand there and watch these kids receive awards for their hard work that started really four years ago. It's tremendous to see such leadership in high schools students; kids that can put together their academics and athletics. We are tremendously proud, as a school and as an administration, of how many of our students make the honor roll and still go out for sports."
Cottone had all the student-athletes who made general honors and high honors stand up during the ceremony. Although exact percentages were not available, an overwhelming majority got out of their seats.
But the night was also about celebrating on-field achievements and Wethersfield certainly had plenty of those to celebrate.
"From an athletic director's point of view," Cottone said, "I'm very, very proud of all the athletes and coaches this spring. Every team did very, very well. Coming away with four CCC-West champions and one state champion is just phenomenal. It's a great tribute to the students hard work and the coaches ability to really relate to the kids and to understand what's best for their teams."
The state champion was the boys track team, which won the Class MM title. They also won the CCC West, along with the volleyball team, the baseball team and the softball team.
Individually, several athletes were honored, including four-year varsity letter-winners in at least one sport. All those who achieve that feat received Wethersfield blankets with their names, the sport they lettered in, and their graduating year.
Six athletes qualified in two sports but Kelsey McDonald put herself in rare company by lettering four years in three different sports - girls soccer, girls basketball, and girls track and field.
"You never know when it's going to happen," Cottone said, "because it's so difficult in high school to earn a varsity letter your freshman year through your senior year in three different sports. It doesn't happen very often."
Original Source : http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19772302&BRD=1662&PAG=461&dept_id=11227&rfi=6
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