Newsday's Marcus A. Henry Award: Meet this year's six finalists

This award, in memory of former Newsday sports reporter Marcus A. Henry, is presented annually to a Long Island high school student who excels in the classroom and in athletics, and also displays great leadership. The winner will be announced next week at newsday.com/hs and a profile of the recipient will be published in Newsday.

Stella Becker, Kellenberg volleyball

To say Stella Becker makes an impact is an understatement.

The recent Kellenberg graduate was one of the most dominant volleyball players in New York State last fall. She was the Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA championship match MVP and  helped to lead her team to a state championship.  She will be playing next for Hofstra. In the high school classroom, Becker had an unweighted average of 95.6.

Outside of school, Becker spends much of her free time volunteering to help others. She works with organizations such as Samba360, Christians Reaching Out to Spread Spirituality (CROSS) and St. Martin’s Afterschool Recreation and Tutoring (SMART).

“It’s something that’s become routine for me; I genuinely enjoy doing it,” Becker said. “It’s a way of giving back to the community that made me what I am today. With the athlete that I’ve become with my recognition, it’s my responsibility to give back.”

Samba360 is the charity she is most directly involved with.  It provides clothing and athletic equipment to developing countries, helping grow the opportunities for sports. Last summer, Becker —  whose parents are Brazilian immigrants — traveled to Brazil to help distribute items raised through fundraising efforts. 

On June 16, she helped Samba360 organize a fundraiser at Panera Bread in Carle Place.  The charity received 20% of the day’s earnings for a  four-hour period and used the funds to purchase sports equipment that was donated to El Salvador.

“My parents told me what it was like growing up,” Becker said. “It is a second- or third-world country. They tell me a lot of things about the underserved communities, and how missing opportunities with sports became the norm. I’m fighting for a just cause — to give everybody a chance. I want to make it fair for somebody like my dad, who wanted to pursue tennis but didn’t have the financial needs to do so.”

SMART was an afterschool program that Becker participated in as a sophomore, helping out at St. Martin de Porres Marianist School by tutoring and playing with third graders. As a sophomore and junior, she participated with CROSS,  a program that spread Christian faith by keeping company and becoming pen pals with residents of Queen of Peace Nursing Home in Queens Village.

Her coach, Cathy von Schoenermarck, who was also her English teacher this year, said that Becker’s selflessness has changed her own outlook on things.

“When people talk about the world being in a bad situation, they’ve obviously never met Stella Becker,” von Schoenermarck said. “Being able to work with somebody like her, I think it’s inspired me to make sure that I always keep in mind that humility and that idea that you want to reach out and lift others up. That’s just a great leader, and that’s what she is.”

— Michael Anderson

Amira Elrington-Edwards, Elmont soccer, track & field, football

Amira Elrington-Edwards is multitalented. 

After a storied high school career, the midfielder will play soccer at Howard University and pursue a finance degree.

She  played both soccer and football in the same season, becoming the first female to score a point in a varsity football game in the Sewanhaka school district. She’s been a kicker for two years.

“On the pitch she’s my captain, she leads by example, she consistently brings the best out of
herself and the players around her,” Elmont coach Ahmed Hayat said. “She has a full schedule
and the fact that she finds time to still play soccer and put in as much time and effort really
shows the type of character that she has.”

Elrington-Edwards is proactive beyond the athletic field: participating in marching band as a section leader, and in student government as vice president in her junior year and co-president  in her senior year. She is a member of Future Business Leaders of America where she helped host workshops to teach local elementary school students about financial literacy and fiscal responsibility.

 Elrington-Edwards was part of the Leading Ladies, which she described as a safe space for women of color at Elmont. The group participated in a  project that raised funds to install free feminine hygiene products in the school.

As a part of Key Club, one of the seven honor societies she’s a member of, she tutored underclassmen in academics and organized the school’s blood drives.

She blended her passion for her community and sports by promoting a voter registration drive,  urging  those who support her and her teammates to show up  to vote in November.

“[The drive] solidified my interest in politics and law,” she said. “The biggest takeaway from that was the importance of educating my community and the youth especially about encouraging them to use their power to vote. Oftentimes certain communities don't feel their voices matter or that they can't really make change, but I feel like voting is one of the ways you can actually make change.”

Elrington-Edwards has taken home a plethora of awards this year, including Scholar Athlete of the Year and Senior of the Year. 

In soccer she had 23 goals and nine assists, good for a tie for third-most points (32) among girls on Long Island. She had six hat tricks, including two games where she scored four goals in each.

— Michelle Rabinovich

Olivia Moynihan, Sayville soccer, flag football

Olivia Moynihan rewrote the record book and redefined leadership at Sayville — on the field, in the classroom and across the community.

The senior quarterback completed 78.3% of her passes for 2,886 yards and 57 touchdowns this season, leading Sayville to its second straight Long Island Class B flag football title. She added 1,151 rushing yards and eight scores on 110 carries, including a 205-yard, four-touchdown performance in a 33-6 title-game win over Division.

She was also a standout goalkeeper on Sayville’s soccer team. Moynihan recorded nine shutouts and played a crucial role in Sayville’s 10-3-3 season that ended with a trip to the Suffolk Class A title game. She is committed to continue her soccer career at the University of New Hampshire.

But Moynihan’s impact doesn’t stop at the stat sheet.

She is Sayville’s student body president and carries a 103.027 GPA. She’s a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Athletes Helping Others, and has spearheaded multiple school-wide initiatives focused on mental wellness and inclusion, including mindfulness campaigns and anti-bullying programs she helped bring to local elementary schools.

“It’s important that kids understand there’s older role models they can look up to and it’s possible to do anything you put your mind to,” Moynihan said.

Moynihan is also a Girl Scout Ambassador who earned a Silver Award for logging more than 50 hours of service through a church-based mindfulness program. In her senior year, she joined SWEEP, a club that works to improve the local physical environment.

“She embodies what it means to be a student-athlete,” Sayville flag football coach Reade Sands said. “Smart, humble, driven and always focused on making the people around her better.”

As flag football continues to grow across Long Island, Moynihan’s success both as a playmaker and a role model has left a legacy that stretches far beyond the field.

“She’s raised the bar for what’s possible,” Sands said. “For Sayville, and for the sport.”

— Carissa Kellman

Samantha Portz, Massapequa softball, soccer, bowling 

Samantha Portz has two dreams: to play college softball and serve her country.

Portz, a Newsday All-Long Island softball player and Massapequa’s valedictorian, will play at Amherst this fall. She received a four-year Army scholarship and will also participate in the University of Massachusetts ROTC program.

“My grandfather was in the United States Marine Corps and he served during the Vietnam War,” Portz said. “I always talked to him about his service and that inspired me to pursue a similar career, serving my country.”

Portz will undergo military training throughout college and graduate as a second lieutenant in the Army. She will then decide if she will go into active service or the reserves.

“I’m pretty sure I’m going to go with active service,” Portz said. “I think ultimately, I’ll end up staying in the army. My dream was to serve and it feels like the perfect path for me.”

Aside from the 101.34 GPA that earned Portz valedictorian honors, the senior took 14 AP classes and was a secretary in the student council. Portz is part of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, is an AP Scholar with Distinction and received an AP Capstone diploma.

She is also part of the best buddies club, where she works with students with special needs.

“This has always been the kind of person I am. I strive for success and am driven to do my best in everything,” Portz said. “No one had to tell me to work hard in school. I’ve always wanted to give my best effort.”

Portz is also a member of Massapequa’s soccer and bowling teams, but she truly shines with a bat.

“Sam has been the definition of leadership on and off the field. She is the epitome of hard work,” Massapequa softball coach Christina Castellani said. “She has been a role model for the underclassmen and the team will certainly feel her absence next year.”

The outfielder hit .458 with a 1.329 OPS and 28 RBIs as a senior captain for a Massapequa team that made the program’s first state championship appearance.

“It was a great way to cap off my senior year, especially as a captain of the team,” Portz said. “We had a great group and I’ll always be proud of making Massapequa softball history.”

— Christopher Matias

Matt Triolo, Glenn, boys lacrosse and football

Matt Triolo’s 265 varsity goals rank second in Long Island boys lacrosse history.

Triolo, a Delaware lacrosse commit, will go down as one of Glenn’s best athletes ever.

But his time in high school meant much more than just being a star.

“I think if you're not an all-around, rounded person and you're mostly one-sided with something, you're not the best you could be,” Triolo said. “So I always try to be the best I could be.”

Triolo spent years as a recreation counselor for elementary students at Vacation Bible School in East Northport. During rough winters, he could be found around his community shoveling snow for the elderly.

He also coaches kindergartners in lacrosse, wanting them to eventually have the same experience he had.

Perhaps his most invaluable experience was spending last summer as part of Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that helps build and improve affordable homes for people in need.

Triolo put down mulch, planted flowers, helped build a shed and set up electricity.

“That was an amazing experience,” Triolo said. “Being able to help out people who can't afford stuff, can't afford housing, and just helping them with little things around the houses was really cool. And seeing them after and seeing the joy that they had from doing little things was really cool.”

Triolo ran the Tunnel to Towers Foundation 5K in New York City, where participants ran from the Battery Tunnel to the site of the Twin Towers to pay homage to the 343 FDNY firefighters, law enforcement officers and thousands of civilians who lost their lives on 9/11.

He was part of food drives with the Glenn football team. Triolo was an all-county wide receiver as a junior but missed his senior season with a torn shoulder labrum.

Glenn’s lacrosse team went 0-16 during Triolo’s eighth-grade season. It finished above .500 in each of his final three campaigns. Triolo, a two-time Newsday All-Long Island attackman, stuck with the program despite opportunities to leave and play elsewhere.

The five-year starter is Glenn’s all-time leader in goals and points (371).

“There are kids that – in their career – they want to also play Division I lacrosse and things like that, and they genuinely look up to him,” Glenn lacrosse coach Jaron Batts said. “They see him as just a genuine person and a great athlete.”

— Ben Dickson

Adria Vargas, Sayville volleyball

Adria Vargas’ impact on the Sayville community extends far beyond the volleyball court and into the Great South Bay.

In 2023, Vargas and classmate Taylor Carpentieri were awarded a $2,500 grant from the Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan to complete their water filtration project to reduce nitrogen pollution in the Great South Bay. They used a wood chip biochar filter to cleanse runoff water from the high school grounds of much of its nitrogen before it flows into nearby Green Creek, which leads directly into the Great South Bay.

“I live right on the water, right by the Great South Bay and I just love it,” Vargas said. “I love going hiking and spending time in nature. I hate to see it worsen over the years.”

This spring, Vargas and Carpentieri placed fourth in the Earth and Environmental category at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair. They earned the Ricoh Sustainable Development Award, given to the project that demonstrated the principles and technical innovations that offer the greatest potential for sustainable development.

Last year, Vargas completed a research project on innovative eelgrass restoration techniques in the Great South Bay. Eelgrass is a seagrass that helps reduce nitrogen levels and serves as a habitat for several organisms.

“I know my projects aren’t gonna solve anything huge, but it’s a little impact and that really matters,” Vargas said. “I want to make a difference any way I can.”

Graduating with a 104.82 weighted GPA, Vargas will play volleyball at the University of Scranton, where she hopes to major in environmental science and business. She plans to become an environmental consultant and help businesses make more environmentally friendly decisions.

Last summer, Vargas, who has been a Girl Scout since 2011, won the Gold Award for completing over 80 hours in community service. She made a native garden for Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Sayville, where she also organized activities such as wheelchair volleyball and a homemade wooden horse racing game for the residents.

She was part of a 10-person Student Visionaries of the Year Team that organized fundraising activities with local restaurants to raise $9,473 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

After missing her junior season with a torn ACL, Vargas totaled 273 kills, 264 digs and 77 aces in her senior season to help Sayville to its first Class A Long Island volleyball title.

“She coached with me when she was injured, but it was different,” coach Debra Urso said. “In those ‘We have to do this’ moments, that’s when I really saw who Adria was. I always knew she had it, she just didn’t get the chance to show it on the court until this year.”

— Matt Lindsay