BY KYLE BRENNAN
CITIZEN’S NEWS
The class of 2023 boasted plenty of athletic talent that led not only to team championship but plenty of individual accolades. Here are our top 10 student-athletes from the recently graduated group in alphabetical order.
Sarah Cooley
There isn’t much that Cooley didn’t accomplish as a thrower for the Woodland track and field program over the last few years. Cooley finished her career on a strong note by winning the shot put at the Class S indoor meet, placing second in the javelin and sixth in the shot put at the State Open outdoor meet, and earning All-New England honors this spring by finishing sixth in the shot put and eighth in the javelin. She will continue her throwing career at Fordham University.
Laci Davis
Davis also enjoyed an accomplished career with the Hawks track and field program. After earning All-New England and All-State accolades as a junior jumper, she followed up with a strong senior year that included the Class M triple jump championship and qualification to her second straight New England championships. Davis will continue jumping at Eastern Connecticut State University.
Michael Deitelbaum
Deitelbaum upheld family tradition by excelling in multiple sports for the Greyhounds. On the gridiron, Deitelbaum put together an All-State season as linebacker and running back in helping Naugy to a second straight postseason appearance. In the spring, he was an all-division player for the Greyhounds’ resurgent baseball team. Deitelbaum will play football at Sacred Heart University.
Alex Farr
Farr was the only local athlete to go All-State in two different sports this year, first earning the nod in soccer before switching gears to the track. Whenever Farr stepped foot on the track, records trembled in fear. He set multiple school records in both indoor and outdoor, and he brought home two gold medals at the Class S indoor meet by winning the 600 meters and the sprint medley relay. Farr will run at the University of Tampa.
Darren Gasparri
The days of the classic football-basketball-baseball, three-sport athlete are mostly over, but Gasparri was a throwback in that regard. He quarterbacked Woodland to the Class S semifinals, earning All-NVL Second Team honors along the way, and his All-State season on the diamond earned the Hawks their first NVL baseball championship since 2007. Gasparri will play baseball at Mitchell College.
Shayne Hasipi
There are a lot of cogs in the championship machinery that is Naugatuck’s boys track program, but few have played a more important role than Hasipi. He started the year with a second-place finish at the NVL cross country championships, followed it up by winning two individual gold medals at the NVL indoor track meet, and won the mile again at the NVL outdoor meet.
Lauryn Ramalho
Ramalho was one of the top offensive forces for the Naugatuck softball team as one of the few experienced returners on a young squad. She hit .493 with 36 hits to earn All-State honors on the diamond, and her supporting role on the hardwood netted her all-division honors in basketball. Ramalho will play softball at American International College.
Lauren Sonski
Sonski’s speed helped the Greyhounds on both the turf and the track for the last four years. Not only was she a multiple-time All-NVL soccer standout, but she racked up endless awards as a member of Naugy’s 4×400 relay team. As a junior, she was part of the foursome that earned All-America honors at indoor nationals. She didn’t let up as a senior, spurring a younger relay squad to All-New England recognition in the 4×400. Sonski will play soccer at Iona University.
Samantha Sosnovich
Sosnovich leaves Woodland as one of the top all-around athletes in school history. She’s best known for pitching shutouts in back-to-back Class M state championship softball games, which she completed this year by blanking Sacred Heart Academy in the final. But in addition to her three-time All-State softball career, she put together an all-division season to help Woodland reach the Class M volleyball final, making her the first Hawk athlete to start in two state championship games in the same year. Sosnovich will play softball at Merrimack College.
Blake Stone
They’re two of the most pressure-packed spots an athlete can play at Naugatuck High, but Stone fulfilled both roles well. As the Greyhounds’ quarterback, Stone led Naugy to a second straight postseason berth. In the spring, as a pitcher and middle infielder, he helped the ‘Hounds win 17 games and reach the NVL semifinals. Stone also placed third in the NVL diving competition. He will attend Wingate (N.C.) University.
