See the winners of this year's Whelan All-Sports Awards
You had a chance to vote for the best of the best in high school sports from the 2021-22 school year. Now, it's the chance for our staff at the Journal News and lohud.com to weigh in.
Below is a look at the selections for our fifth annual Tom Whelan All-Sports Awards — plus results from our reader polls for Large School, Small School, Private School and Athlete of the Year:
Athlete of the Year: Daniel D'Ippolito, Somers
D'Ippolito, who graduated in June, was the only Gatorade New York Player of the Year among Lower Hudson Valley athletes in any sport in 2021-22. That was hardly his only accomplishment. The Fordham commit was also named an All-American and lohud's Westchester/Putnam Player of the Year, and he played his absolute best in the biggest games. In November, D'Ippolito went from playmaker to finisher, scoring seven goals in his final two games as the Tuskers romped to a state title.
Readers choice:Final results from our fan vote for this year's Whelan Awards
Whelan Awards:See our winners from the 2020-21 school year
Fan vote results
Daphne Banino, Ursuline, 5,822 votes
Ajani Sheppard, Iona Prep, 1,594 votes
Daniel D'Ippolito, Somers, 251 votes
Samson Joseph, Suffern, 248 votes
Past winners
2018: Katelyn Tuohy, North Rockland
2019: Katelyn Tuohy, North Rockland
2020: Katelyn Tuohy, North Rockland
2021: Clevmer Lubin, Suffern
Large School of the Year: Somers
The Tuskers nearly did the unthinkable by winning a pair of state titles (both with boys teams) in the fall. The football team was a close runner-up, but the boys soccer team dominated with a triumphant run through states. The baseball team was perhaps the biggest surprise of all after it overcame a slow start to win the sectional title as a No. 12 seed.
Fan vote results
Tappan Zee, 1,183 votes
North Rockland, 880 votes
Suffern, 293 votes
Somers, 131 votes
Mamaroneck, 128 votes
Past winners
2018: North Rockland
2019: John Jay-Cross River
2020: Rye
2021: Suffern
Small School of the Year: Bronxville
No Section 1 school, large or small, had the depth of success that Bronxville enjoyed in 2021-22. The girls soccer and girls lacrosse teams headlined by winning state titles, but the school's vaunted running programs remained strong and the boys basketball team snapped a 40-year drought by winning a Section 1 title.
Fan vote results
Hamilton, 1,258 votes
Briarcliff, 822 votes
Pelham, 187 votes
Bronxville, 153 votes
Past winners
2018: Pleasantville
2019: Ardsley
2020: Valhalla
2021: Bronxville
Private School of the Year: Iona Prep
It was both a dominant and balanced year for Iona Prep, which had the state's top football team, the region's top baseball team and saw its boys lacrosse program join football as Catholic state champs. All told, the Gaels produced four city champions (football, baseball, boys volleyball, wrestling) and finished as the runner-up in two others (hockey, golf).
Fan vote results
Iona Prep, 616 votes
Kennedy Catholic, 412 votes
Stepinac, 91 votes
Past winners
2018: Stepinac
2019: Stepinac
2020: Iona Prep
2021: Iona Prep
Lohud Sportsmanship Award: Sound Shore athletes
Just as the high school sports season began last September, athletes in communities along the Sound Shore in Westchester County were confronted with the ultimate lesson in teamwork. From Port Chester to Rye, to Mamaroneck and New Rochelle, sports teams banded together and helped fellow citizens in need after the devastation wrought by Hurricane Ida.
En masse, teams united before or after practice sessions to aid the recovery. The groups of teenagers were seen going door to door and offering their services. They bagged food at churches, removed soaked drywall, lugged damaged furniture — whatever they could to help.
For the adults who encouraged them and also marveled at the students' generosity, there was no greater example of what it means to be a team.
"Our mantra is 'warface' and that means accountability and character," Port Chester football coach Chris Halstead said at the time. "The captains came to me and they said, 'Coach, we want to go around, can you help us get the other kids? We want to go around and see if people need help.' It took me aback, like wow. This is my second year here and maybe what we're preaching to them is kicking in."
Past winners
2018: Keio
2019: Mount Vernon
2020: Yonkers
2021: Darrin and Daniel Santos, Haldane
Follow Josh Thomson on Twitter at @lohudinsider and on Instagram at @lohudinsider.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Somers, Bronxville & Lohud's 2022 Whelan All-Sports Award winners
