Huntington's state championship girls lacrosse team celebrated with parade through Heckscher Park
The town of Huntington honors the state champion girls lacrosse team with a parade and celebration on Tuesday in Huntington. Credit: Dawn McCormick
After defeating Penfield in the state Class A championship game in Cortland on June 13, the Huntington girls lacrosse team returned home as state champions for the first time in program history.
On Tuesday, they got to celebrate that achievement of a lifetime.
Supervisor Ed Smyth and the Huntington Town Board hosted a parade to celebrate the team, as well as the Knicks’ first NBA championship in 53 years.
The parade began on the edge of Heckscher Park by Sabbath Day Path and cut through the park to reach the central Chapin Rainbow Stage. The team walked through white and blue balloons where family and friends stood and cheered while Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” played.
“We all believed in each other so much,” senior captain Jolie Weinschreider said. “I think this team has something really special with each other. This week has just been awesome.”
Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart cutout heads were popping around the parade, but Tuesday was all about the Blue Devils. State Assemblyman Steve Stern, who represents Huntington, awarded the team a framed citation.
“It felt really cool to know that the whole town and community has our backs and are supporting us,” senior captain Bridget Callery said. “Even if they couldn’t make it up to Cortland, everyone was at home cheering us on.”
Senior captain Ava McDonald said she wanted people to know just how much her team was committed to each other.
“When a group is willing to fight for each other … You can do anything you want,” McDonald said. “You can show a whole community what it takes and how [far] belief can go when you actually want to do something."
Chris Taylor, co-head coach with Megan Marinelli, who couldn’t attend the event, announced each player as they walked on stage.
That came with a few quips. Madyn Kalb and Leighton Evans were described as “X factors.” Weinschreider was described by a simple word, “winner” and McDonald was hailed as “our fearless leader.”
“To the seniors that are here who we are dearly going to miss — we have a group that’s been with us for five years — I’m not looking forward to walking on the field and not seeing your faces next year,” Taylor said.
And yet those faces will live on forever in Huntington’s girls lacrosse history as the team that did it first. As sad as the goodbyes can be, there’s no better place to leave than from atop the mountain.
“When we were together and celebrating, the moment just didn’t feel real,” senior captain Grace Gordon said. “It’s been hitting us lately, and we’re just so grateful that we were that team.”
Michael Sicoli covers high school sports for Newsday. He graduated from Quinnipiac in 2022 and left with a master’s degree in sports journalism in 2023.
