The spring varsity sports season is into post-season play in Oyster Bay. Every season the academic averages of all varsity sports teams are taken collectively and each team whose average is greater than 90 percent is honored with the scholar/athlete team distinction by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA). In a remarkable testament to the well rounded OBEN student, all nine spring varsity teams earned this prestigious award.
The girls’ lacrosse team led the pack with an impressive team average grade point average (GPA) of 96.480, followed closely by girls track and field with a 95.856. The girls’ softball team also excelled with a 94.141 average, as did girls’ badminton with 93.946. Boys track and field was next with 92.446, followed by boys’ lacrosse with 92.439. The boys tennis team registered a 92.330 team average. Rounding out the field are golf with a 91.344 average and boys’ baseball with 90.146.
The lowest individual student average on any of the spring teams was a 73.111 percent, and there were only eight athletes with averages in the 70s out of the 179 varsity athletes that participated.
This crowns a magnificent year for academic athletes. Out of the 26 varsity teams at Oyster Bay High School this year, only two teams did not earn scholar/athlete team awards. The boys basketball team missed the award by just .57 percent, with a team average of 89.43 percent.
The rules for the award state that teams must have a minimum number of players before a team average GPA can be considered. The boys’ bowling team only had four members and the minimum is seven. In the event of a team not making the minimum enrollment, every player on the team must have a GPA above 90 percent. Of the four members, only one athlete had a GPA less than 90 percent with an average of 87 percent.
Additionally, many athletes have excelled this season and were chosen by the Oyster Bay High School coaches as Athletes of the Month for May 2015, including Jack Sherbal.
“Jack Sherbal has recently triple jumped over 40 feet, a huge milestone that put him among the top in Nassau County,” said boys’ track coach Kevin Cotter. “Jack, a former qualifier in the NYS championships for the pentathlon, also leads the team with the fastest 400 meter hurdle time (59.8) 100 meter high hurdle time (16.4) and the greatest distance in the long jump (19 feet 8 inches). Jack is a master technician and readily helps his teammates in his strongest events.”
