They both climbed the mountain – and almost made it to the top.
East Harlem Prep, the No. 4 seed, led by Coach Peter Polak and senior setter Gio Avila fell to No. 3 seed Fiorello H. LaGuardia High, 25-18 to claim the 2026 Public Schools Athletic League Boys 1A volleyball championship last week at York College.
Sophomores – George Simpson — and outside hitter — and middle/outside hitter Brody Stewart gave the Prep a glimpse into a very bright future.
The Boys 2A Championship featured a showdown between No. 4 seed Bayside High School and the No. 7 seed, Brooklyn’s Fort Hamilton High – two strong programs that built impressive resumes throughout the season and postseason.
Coach Richard Sherry once again had Fort Hamilton prepared to compete at a high level, continuing the strong tradition and competitive culture that has become synonymous with the program.
The Tigers continued to fight until the final whistle, but Bayside’s consistency and execution proved to be the difference as they closed out the match with a 25-21 victory, earning the title 2026 PSAL Boys Varsity 2A Champions.
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How about those girls at Bishop Loughlin High School. The Lady Lions softball team didn’t settle for just one title – they kept pushing, kept working, and set their sights on the City Championship.
They did just that with a 14-2 win over Sacred Heart. The 2025-26 team made history, capturing both the Brooklyn-Queens Girls Catholic High School Athletic Association Championship and the city title.
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It wasn’t just a win. When the LIU Baseball Sharks topped FDU, Sunday in Augusta, New Jersey, they were crowned Northeast Conference Champions. It was LIU’s fourth NEC championship win, and third in the last five years.
Joseph Durso led the Sharks with five RBI.
Nicholas Finarelli has been named NEC Pitcher of the Year – and he headlines four LIU baseballers who earned All-NEC honors for the 2026 season.
In addition to earning NEC Pitcher of the Year, Finarelli made the First Team after going 8-2, leading the NEC in wins and strikeouts (89), while ranking second in innings pitched (77.1).
Ryan Rivera was named to the Second Team, after batting .358 and ranking fifth in the conference in doubles (16) and sixth in hits (69).
Joining Rivera on the Second Team is Elijah Fairchild, who batted .353 while ranking second in the NEC in triples (4) and fourth in stolen bases (28).
Alex Jankowski also earned Second Team honors, boasting a 3.14 ERA over twenty appearances with seven saves.
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LIU football will travel to Big Sky Country in the 2029 season, as the Sharks will take on Montana State University. LIU will travel to the defending FCS national champion Bobcats Sept. 8, 2029.
LIU’s 2026 season will kick-off Thursday, Aug. 27 at the University of North Dakota. The non-conference schedule includes road trips to the University of Kansas (Sept. 4) and Florida International University (Sept. 26), the two Football Bowl Subdivision opponents on the schedule. LIU will also play the University of Albany (Sept. 12) and Villanova University (Sept. 19) at home in nonconference competition. This past season LIU finished 6-6, compiling the most overall wins in a single season of the program’s Division I tenure.
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Medgar Evers College outdoor track and field sensation Reco Griffith achieved All-American status in the 100-meter dash (10.41, third-place) during last Friday’s preliminaries at the NCAA Division III Championships in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The six-foot sophomore from Barbados, W.I. clocked a 10.37 in Saturday’s finals for sixth place. He also earned a seventh-place finish in Thursday’s 200-meter dash prelims.
Entering the Championships Griffith ranked 12th in the nation – and finished sixth overall, earning All-American honors in the process. He is the first Outdoor Track and Field All-American the City University of New York Athletic Conference has produced in more than a decade.
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Last season, Griffith captured the 100 (10.48) and 200 (21.23) meter dash events with conference-championship record performances. He was named the Track Athlete of the conference, and All-Conference. Later, he earned USTFCCCA Metro All-Region honors in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and 4×100 meter relay events. He capped his outstanding 2026 campaign by earning All-American glory in the 100-meter dash at the NCAA Division III championships.
The last time Medgar Evers College produced an All-American in any sport was 2019 when Aleigh McIntyre was MEC’s Indoor Track and Field runner and qualified for the NCAA Division III finals in the 60-meter dash – finishing seventh.
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Medgar Evers claimed five of the six post-season CUNYAC men’s Outdoor Track and Field All-Conference Awards for 2026:
- Track Athlete of the Year: Reco Griffith, Medgar Evers
- Field Athlete of the Year: Omari Hinds, Medgar Evers
- Rookie of the Year: Pharell Fowler, Medgar Evers
- Coach of the Year: Hugh Reid, Medgar Evers
- Sportsmanship Award, Ahmed Toure, Medgar Evers
- Sportsmanship Team: Daniel Gonzalez (CCNY), Benjamin Landheim
(Hunter), Tyler Rosa (Lehman), Takwai Wilson-Hill (York)
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Four major student-athlete awards were handed out when Brooklyn College closed the 2025-26 academic year with their 30th Awards Banquet at the BC Student Center, last Friday.
The Ed Madden Memorial Award, the Tracy Ohrman Memorial Award, and the Joseph Andre Memorial Award – and the first-year Female and Male Athlete of the Year Award.
The Ed Madden Memorial Award is given to one male and one female student-athlete that demonstrates courage and leadership while exemplifying the true spirit of sport.
The Tracy Ohrman Award is given to a student-athlete that exemplifies personal strength and perseverance.
For the second consecutive year, an award was presented in the name of BC Men’s Soccer Coach, Joseph R. Andre, who passed away in 2020. The award goes to a student-athlete that displays outstanding dedication and sportsmanship in the sport of soccer.
The Athlete of the Year Award is presented to a female and male that had the most standout seasons in their respective sports.
- Ed Madden Memorial Award: Anna Kitch, Women’s Basketball
- Tracy Ohrman Award: Amra Mulic, Women’s Volleyball
- Joseph Andre Memorial Award: Navruz Asatullaev, Men’s Soccer
- Athlete of the Year: Brianna Jackson, Women’s Basketball
- Athlete of the Year: Michael Kravets, Men’s Swimming and Diving
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A trio of Brooklyn College Bulldogs earned softball postseason honors, announced by the City University of New York Athletic Conference, including a pair of major awards; freshman third baseman Addy Cook, Rookie of the Year; and sophomore outfielder, Jenna Hood, Sportsmanship Award. Freshman outfielder Haylee Burleigh was also named All-Conference. The trio helped BC to a 6-4 CUNYAC record during the regular season and ended the season in historic fashion as the Bulldogs advanced to the CUNYAC Championship round in the conference tournament for the first time in the program’s history.
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Three members of the Pratt Institute men’s tennis team – senior Caleb Callahan, junior Mikah Liu and sophomore Nathan Park – have been named to the 2025-26 Academic All-District Men’s Tennis Team as selected by College Sports Communicators.
As a tandem, the duo compiled a 6-4 record at doubles playing in the No. 1 position for the majority of the season. Liu was a formidable force at the top of the lineup, playing in all 13 matches in the lead position and maintaining a 9-4 mark.
Callahan and Park both provided key support in the middle of the lineup adding four singles wins apiece.
The Academic All-District Teams, selected by CSC, recognize the nation’s top student athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.
Andy Furman is a Fox Sports Radio national talk show host. Previously, he was a scholastic sports columnist for the Brooklyn Eagle. He may be reached at: [email protected] X: @AndyFurmanFSR
