THE SPORTS REPORTS: TIOGA'S SINDONI, WAVERLY'S LaFOREST, SACKETT NAMED ZIFF LAW FIRM REGIONAL 'ATHLETES OF THE WEEK' (2023-01-30)

The Sports Reports
Tioga senior Emily Sindoni, and Waverly junior Mackenzie LaForest have been pioneers on wrestling mats, and Waverly senior Jerrell Sackett has been on a record-breaking tear in the pool. They are the The Sports Reports / Ziff Law Firm Regional “Athletes of the Week,” for the week ending Jan. 28.

TIOGA’S SINDONI, WAVERLY LAFOREST SHARE ZIFF LAW FIRM GIRLS’ REGIONAL “ATHLETE OF THE WEEK” HONORS
Last year, Sindoni and LaForest were among the first group of Section IV girls wrestling champions. Friday, they were among the first-ever girls wrestling state champions.

Sindoni, the top-ranked wrestler in the nation at 126 pounds, was 4-0 to earn the 132-pound state title.

She pinned her way into the finals, with three first-period falls. In the finals, she faced nationally-ranked Zoey Griffith of Gouverneur (13th at 132), and pinned her in 2:44, which is longer than her first three matches combined.

LaForest was also 4-0 on her way to the 235-pound title.

LaForest, who weighed in at 185 pounds, scored a 12-4 major decision, and fall to earn a trip to the semifinals, where she scored a 2-0 win over Chautauqua Lake’s 6-foot-2 Gabbi Freeburg.

In the finals, LaForest scored a second-period fall over the second seed — Valley Stream North’s Naomi Gonzalez — to earn the 235-pound title.

Honorable Mentions: Owego’s RaeAnn Craft (wrestling), Notre Dame’s Jade Nordin (bowling), Northeast Bradford’s Gracelyn Laudermilch (indoor track), and Williamson’s Taylor Rae Jones (basketball).

WAVERLY’S SACKETT NAMED ZIFF LAW FIRM BOYS’ REGIONAL “ATHLETE OF THE WEEK”
Sackett was a quad-winner in Waverly’s dual against Lansing Friday, and a quad-winner for the Wolverines Saturday at the Maine-Endwell Whiteout Invite.

On Friday, he broke the school record in the 100-yard butterfly. He followed that up Saturday, breaking his own school and IAC records in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle sprints — something he’s done several times since late last season. He currently has the fast time in New York State in the 50 free by more than a half-second.

He is also a part of all three of Waverly’s relays, two of which have broken school records set last year by the relays, which also included Sackett.

Honorable Mentions: Sayre’s Jackson Hubbard (basketball), Wyalusing’s Blake Morningstar (Wyalusing), Corning’s Logan Booker (basketball), Candor’s Zeb Soper (basketball), and Williamson’s Karter Stone (wrestling).