Niagara‑Wheatfield honors fall athletes, scholar‑athlete and coaching staff

The Niagara‑Wheatfield Central School District board of education recognized fall 2024 student athletes and coaches during its meeting, honoring all‑league selections, scholar‑athlete awards and team achievements.

The recognitions, presented by the athletic director, highlighted first‑, second‑ and third‑team all‑league honorees across sports including girls soccer, boys golf, girls tennis, football, boys volleyball and girls and boys cross country. Athletic director Mr. McKenna told the board the district had received a Ralph C. Wilson Foundation grant tied to the Buffalo Bills that will fund a girls modified flag football program, which the district plans to staff and add to its offerings.

The awards combined on‑field accomplishments with academic and sportsmanship recognition. Cross country coach Megan Smith said of her teams, “The word student comes first,” and noted the varsity rosters carried high GPAs; she also reported multiple section honors and that several athletes advanced to state competition. Smith read that senior Gabbyella McKenzie had been voted a Western New York Scholar Athlete by the Section 6 committee and was featured in the Buffalo News.

Coaches who addressed the board listed team highlights and individual all‑league selections; for example, the girls cross country program received multiple All‑League honors and was described as having earned a sportsmanship award for the fifth consecutive year. Coaches and administrators also thanked families, the athletic department and school staff for support that they said contributed to the teams’ performance on and off the field.

The district gave parents and visitors a short recess after the recognition ceremony to meet with coaches and student athletes.

Board statements and coach remarks focused on student achievement, program sustainability and next steps for newly funded programs such as the girls modified flag football offering.