The Port Jefferson School District had seven different teams being represented the District at the Town of Brookhaven’s inaugural Night of Champions athletic ceremony. The teams were honored at Brookhaven Town Hall for their successful, championship-winning winter seasons. All told a total of 59 Earl L. Vandermeulen High School students, across seven teams, were honored at the Night of Champions.
Leading the way were the back-to-back-to-back girls volleyball team who won league, county, and Long Island championships for the third consecutive season. The boys' cross-country team was not to be outdone as they won their eighth consecutive Suffolk County Championship and the NYSPHSAA Class D State Championship, while the girls' cross-country team also captured the Suffolk County Championship. The competitive cheerleading team won the county championship, as did Magdalena Layne-Stasik, a member of the fencing team that the Port Jefferson School District shares with Ward Melville and Rocky Point.
Track athletes Evan Monaghan and Alexa Jacobs were also honored at the event. Evan was the Suffolk County Small School Champion in the 55-meter hurdles and broke the school record in the event with a 7.73 time. Alexa was the overall county champion in both the 55-meter and 300-meter events. She broke the school record in the 300-meter with a time of 39.35 and in the 55-meter with a 7.02, which also stands as a Section XI record.
“In the Port Jefferson School District, our students are offered every opportunity to excel in both academics and athletics,” said Port Jefferson Superintendent of Schools Jessica Schmettan. “Every one of these students earned the right to be recognized in front of the entire Town of Brookhaven, and I hope this is a moment they appreciate moving forward.”