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West Essex students earn National Merit honors and state athletic championships
Summary
At the June 8 meeting the board recognized National Merit Commended Scholars, AP Capstone recipients, ShopRite stars, and state athletic champions including West Essex's first individual boys' tennis state singles champion, as officials and coaches shared season highlights.
The West Essex Regional School District Board of Education on June 8 celebrated student academic and athletic achievements, naming National Merit Commended Scholars and AP Capstone recipients and honoring multiple state championship teams and individual champions.
Dr. Westervelt announced the National Merit Commended Scholars — Justin Kim, Talia Machine, Darshan Parmer, Arthur Spritzer and Kaush Sai — and acknowledged AP Capstone recipients Siddharth Sakhnayan (AP Capstone Diploma) and Olivia Martin (AP Seminar and Research Certificate). He also told the board that the senior awards ceremony distributed "over $145,000 in scholarships to about 50 students."
Athletic director Tim Walsh congratulated state champions across programs and highlighted the wrestling team's run to a 17–4 regular season, a North 2 Group 3 sectional title and District 8 championships, noting multiple coach and individual honors. Walsh also recognized the esports state champions (Overcooked: Emily Kim and Lucas Riley; Mario Kart: Joey Bogart, David Douglas and Michael Douglas).
West Essex celebrated a first in its history when junior Rohan Vias won the state singles championship in boys' tennis. Walsh noted Vias entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed in a 128‑player field and defeated higher seeds to claim the title.
Board members and administrators took photos with honorees and thanked families, coaches and staff for supporting student achievement. The recognitions underscored both academic and extracurricular success as the district closes the school year.
