Athletes return to the stage for the RI High School Sports Awards 2022
PROVIDENCE — Tuesday marked the seventh edition of the Rhode Island High School Sports Awards, which returned in-person after virtual ceremonies in 2020 and 2021.
Veterans Memorial Auditorium played host to nearly 700 attendees, including Player of the Year award winners in 29 sports. Eight premier honors were announced including Boys and Girls Athlete of the Year, Team of the Year and the Courage Award.
Boys Athlete of the Year: Marquis Buchanan
Three-sport Classical All-Stater Marquis Buchanan and four-sport Cranston West All-Stater Madison Alves took home the top honors for boys and girls, respectively. Buchanan was the individual winner in both football and basketball.
Girls Athlete of the Year: Madison Alves
Alves was an All-New England selection in soccer and part of a state record 4x100-meter relay team in outdoor track and field.
Team of the Year: Ponaganset girls basketball
Ponaganset girls basketball claimed Team of the Year honors after winning the open state tournament in March. The Chieftains were one of the top programs in Division I and upset their way to a crown at the Ryan Center.
Courage Award: Troy Silvestri
Bishop Hendricken running standout Troy Silvestri was the Courage Award winner. The junior with the Hawks was one of the state’s top distance men — he was frequently superior to the competition on the cross country course or track. Silvestri battles ADHD and other learning disabilities away from sports, but he’s attacked them with the same zeal and determination he might employ during a hard training session.
Coaches of the Year: Justin Lake and Ariana Cambio
Justin Lake and Ariana Cambio were named Coaches of the Year in Male and Female sports, respectively. Lake guided the West Warwick/Exeter-West Greenwich boys hockey team through the nightmare of losing a teammate — senior captain Matt Dennison was killed and senior goalie Kevin McDonald was seriously injured when their vehicle was struck by an alleged drunk driver in February. Cambio helped lift Barrington past Moses Brown in the Division I girls lacrosse final, ending a three-year losing streak against the Quakers in the title round.
Unified Athletes of the Year: Joseph Gendron and Alexandra Scott
East Greenwich seniors Joseph Gendron and Alexandra Scott were named the Unified Athletes of the Year. Gendron and Scott are advocates for Special Olympics Rhode Island Unified Champion Schools and serve as U.S. ambassadors. Their presence has helped the Avengers become one of the model unified programs in the state and region.
Guest speaker: David Duke Jr.
Former Classical and Providence guard David Duke Jr. served as the guest speaker, joining fellow professional athletes like Rob Gronkowski, David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez and Paul Pierce. Duke recently finished his rookie season with the Brooklyn Nets. He was an All-State selection with the Purple and a three-year standout with the Friars prior to beginning his NBA career.
David Duke Jr.: 'Amazed' to be headlining this year's All-State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards
COVID-19 forced the move to a virtual format in each of the last two years. The first four editions of the event were held at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Gronkowski was tabbed to host the inaugural 2016 version — the future Hall of Famer and four-time Super Bowl champion announced a retirement from the NFL earlier this week after a combined 11 seasons with the Patriots and Buccaneers.
Visit providencejournal.com/sports for more information and for additional multimedia content from the evening.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI High School Sports Awards 2022 athletes with guest David Duke Jr.
