Here’s a look back at some top sports headlines and highlights:
Riverhead lax alum Goodale training with Team USA
Growing up on her family farm in Riverhead shaped who Katie Goodale is as she blossomed into a prized Division I recruit. Being a natural defender vaulted her up the depth chart at Syracuse University and she left the school with a few records, including being the all-time leader in caused turnovers. Having graduated, she’s now onto a new goal: making Team USA’s roster.
Blue Waves win PAL football titles
In the midst of the worst stretch in Riverhead high school football history, help is on the way. Both the 10u and 11u football teams won PAL championships under the leadership of two championship coaches. Rasheen Moore and Mike Heigh both won championships as members of the Blue Waves and now they’re trying to instill that old-school culture into the youth.
Freshman Wildcat Mangano wins national tourney
After winning his first state title during the school season, Gavin Mangano took it a step further and brought home a national title in April after wrestling at the National High School Coaches Association tournament in Virginia Beach. Eighty wrestlers from all over the country were in his weight class and Mangano stood above them all. It was a perfect cap to his freshman season at SWR.
Riverhead alum Julia Morrow earns Hall of Fame honors
After being one of the best pitchers in school history on the softball circle at Riverhead, Morrow continued her domination at the University of Tampa. She is the only pitcher ever to throw a perfect game at Riverhead — and produced two more in college. The two-time All-American was inducted into the University of Tampa Hall of Fame on Oct. 17.
Blue Wave alums make it to The Show
Two brothers from Riverhead’s graduating class of 2013 worked their way up from the lowest ranks of MLB back offices to now being prominent staff members for the Texas Rangers and Colorado Rockies. Tyler Carroll is tasked with scouting for Texas and Connor Carroll works on the player development side for the Rockies.
Softball: Blue Waves cap historic season
For the first time in school history, Riverhead’s varsity softball team went a perfect 18-0 after defeating Half Hollow Hills West in the last game of the regular season. The game went into extra innings and the Blue Waves came out on top 5-6 after Mya Marelli smashed the game-winning hit. Marelli also won Big Schools Pitcher of the Year before Riverhead lost in the Suffolk County semifinal.
Riverhead boys lax squad among school’s best ever
After taking its lumps as a young team for a few seasons, the Blue Waves lacrosse team finally emerged with a strong senior class this year, taking the program to levels it hasn’t seen before. Griffin Sumwalt finished his career as the all-time leader in goals and points scored. The team ended up posting a 11-3 division record — the best in school history.
SWR girls soccer win another title
For the second year in a row, Shoreham-Wading River’s girls soccer team won the Class A Long Island championship, sending the team to play in the New York State Final Four in Cortland. The Wildcats accomplished this feat without their star player last year, Grace Hillis, which made this year’s run that much more remarkable. Mia Mangano scored the opening goal as the Wildcats prevailed over Wantagh, 2-0.
Riverhead alum takes over fledgling track program
Ryan Budd has been a champion at every level. He won a first-ever Long Island championship as a member of Riverhead’s football team. Then, at Central Connecticut State, he helped the team win its first title in history. He went on to coach at Wagner College and that team also won their first-ever championship. Now he’s up for a new challenge: Budd recently took the head track and field coaching job at Western Connecticut State University – a team that never existed before.