Churchville-Chili Saints fans filled the auditorium on November 14 as seniors Ty Raines and Jennifer Zambuto prepared to sign national letters of intent to pursue their athletic talents at the college level. Raines has signed with the University of Buffalo’s NCAA Division One Bulls wrestling program. Zambuto will join the Division Two Redhawks cross country and indoor track and field teams at Roberts Wesleyan College.
Athletic Director Michael Murray introduced the athletes and their coaches, and congratulated the students and their families. He said, “I am very happy for Ty and Jennifer. Both of them have worked very hard to get to this place. They are true role models for what can be accomplished through goal setting and hard work.”
Assistant Cross Country and Track Coach Chris Memelo then shared highlights of Zambuto’s impressive high school career. Wrestling Coach Justin Raines, Ty Raines father, spoke on his behalf, detailing his accomplishments and contributions to the school.
Raines is a two-time AGR selection, three-time Monroe County place finisher, three-time Section V Class A finalist, 2016 Section V champion and three-time Section V place finisher. Last season, he earned a spot to compete at the NYS Tournament held at the Times Union Arena in Albany. In just four varsity seasons, he broke and has now set the school record for all-time career victories with 147 wins.
As an unseeded wrestler at the 2018 NYS Tournament, Raines finished in sixth place at 138 lbs. With that finish, he became only the second Churchville-Chili wrestler to place at the NYS Tournament in their junior year, and only the fifth wrestler to earn All-State honors in the history of Churchville-Chili’s program. Over the summer, he won an Olympic freestyle NYS individual title at 138 lbs. Raines plans to study mechanical engineering at UB.
Zambuto has been a member of the Churchville-Chili cross country and track programs for six years. She has received many awards over the past four years including 1st team All County status for her race performances. She was selected to be a team captain by her teammates and coaches. She has competed at the Section V championship meets for cross country, indoor track and track and field.
She also excels in the classroom and has been a scholar athlete every semester during high school. This fall, Zambuto had an overall GPA of 99.231 and was the girls’ XC varsity scholar athlete recipient. She is planning to major in psychology and is excited to continue her education after graduation from Churchville-Chili.
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