The 66th Day of Champions held May 4 at the Riverside Convention Center recognized five people who have ties to the west side of Monroe County.
Roberts Wesleyan three-sport star and Brockport High School graduate Marissa Sell was given the Amateur Athlete Award after she won the Kathy Freese Award, given annually to the top NCCAA women’s basketball player in the nation. The two-time NCAA First Team All-American and 2013 East Region Player of the Year became the only player in school history with more than 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. She finished her career seventh at Roberts in scoring and first all-time in rebounds.
College at Brockport Kinesiology, Sport Studies and Physical Education professor Dr. Lauren Liebermann was named one of three “Hometown Heroes” for her efforts in launching Camp Abilities – a weeklong camp each summer for the past 20 years where blind and visually impaired children and teens work with student counselors using sports and recreational activities. The program has now expanded into 23 different camps around the United States and world including in Ireland and Guatemala.
Former Spencerport High three-sport star and Golden Eagle assistant women’s soccer coach Gail Mann was honored with the Jean Giambrone Community Service Award. The current head coach at Nazareth College since 1993 spent five years at Brockport prior. She played soccer, basketball and softball while in a Rangers uniform before attending Cortland.
The final two western connections won’t actually arrive until August, but Harvey Anderson Scholarship Award winners Sydney Cowie and Christian Hollister both will attend the College at Brockport this fall.
Both from Perry High School, Cowie set a school record for kills and blocks while earning Livingston County Division II All-Star and All-Greater Rochester honors. She will likely be a defensive specialist for the Golden Eagles this fall. Hollister will try out for the football team after the five-year starter earned Livingston County and All-Greater Rochester honors three times each.
