The 2020 Investors Bank Best Teammate Awards

Continuing a beloved tradition in local high school sports, for the eighth consecutive year the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center honored student athletes from member schools of the Super Essex Conference in a celebration of the qualities that made Yogi Berra a national treasure. Recipients of the 2020 Investors Bank Best Teammate Award, selected by their respective athletic departments, exemplify the strength of character, sportsmanship and supportive spirit that, though often unheralded, are vital to a team’s success – qualities that were on full display Thursday evening, despite the ceremony being held virtually, instead of in the Museum’s theater.

“So much has been cancelled this season,” said Eve Schaenen, the Museum’s Executive Director, in her welcome remarks to the students on the zoom. “Winter seasons were cut short. Many of you who are spring athletes didn’t have the opportunity to play at all. And yet, your athletic directors still chose you as Best Teammate. What that says so clearly, this year more than ever, is that the qualities of a great teammate are identifiable in you… because of who you are as people, as much as who you are as athletes.”

The 34 winning students, together with their parents, grandparents, coaches and athletic directors, had the opportunity to hear from special guest Kevin Cummings, Chairman and CEO of Investors Bank, the long-time sponsor of the event. In congratulating the recipients, Cummings stated: “You make other teammates better because you have those intangible assets that help people to be the best versions of themselves.” Participants also heard from Larry Berra, Yogi Berra’s eldest son, who illustrated the value of teamwork using his Hall of Fame father’s sport: “They always say when you play baseball, you can be the MVP of a team, you can be the greatest player, but the greatest player on the team has to realize, if you’re a shortstop, you need a first baseman who can catch the ball.”

The ceremony provided an evening of welcome connection in a season of social distancing, as students were called out one by one with cheering and applause from family members also visible on the screen view. Perhaps the best illustration of the special meaningfulness of the 2020 event came from the father of Caleigh Trachtman, Best Teammate Award recipient from Millburn High School. Caleigh’s father appeared in the zoom seated in a dentist chair, about to undergo emergency dental treatment. He said to the group using his dentist’s phone, “I’m about to have a root canal, but I wouldn’t miss this even for a root canal.”

The 2020 Investors Bank Best Teammate Award Recipients:

ARTS H.S.

Sharee Manning-Cook

Girls Basketball

BARRINGER H.S.

Khalif Brown

Boys Basketball

BELLEVILLE H.S.

Gabriela Lopez

Girls Soccer, Winter Track, Spring Track

BLOOMFIELD H.S.

Lizbeth Morocho

Cross Country, Winter Track, Spring Track and Field

CALDWELL H.S.

Dominic Perna

Wrestling, Boys Lacrosse

CEDAR GROVE H.S.

Jules Cicala

Softball, Volleyball

CEDAR GROVE H.S.

Emily Lynch

Volleyball, Lacrosse

CENTRAL H.S

Dianntae Henry

Softball

COLUMBIA H.S.

Hudson Hassler

Field Hockey, Girls Lacrosse

EAGLE ACADEMY

Emmanuel Belizaire

Cross Country, Track and Field

EAST ORANGE CAMPUS H.S.

Jasin Brown

Football

NEWARK EAST SIDE H.S.

Alvaro Generali

Boys Soccer

GLEN RIDGE H.S.

Sydney Lance

Cheerleading, Girls Lacrosse

IRVINGTON H.S.

Michna Jean-Baptiste

Football Team Manager

LIVINGSTON H.S.

Bailey Krug

Football, Boys Lacrosse

MILLBURN H.S.

Caleigh Trachtman

Girls Soccer, Girls Lacrosse

MONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY

Griffin Weil

Boys Lacrosse

MONTCLAIR H.S.

Yael Gelman

Girls Tennis, Girls Lacrosse

MONTCLAIR IMMACULATE H.S

Kendra Lawerence

Girls Basketball

MOUNT SAINT DOMINIC ACADEMY

Alyssa Mastando

Girls Soccer, Basketball, Winter/Spring Track

NEWARK ACADEMY

Lori Sun

Girls Volleyball

NEWARK TECH

Azana Sall

Cheerleading

NORTH STAR ACADEMY

Tyler Aboagye

Boys Soccer,Winter/ Spring Track

ORANGE H.S.

Chimezie Ugbuata

Track

PAYNE TECH

Kevin Chacon

Boys Soccer

SAINT VINCENT ACADEMY

Nitchaika Saint Sulne

Volleyball, Basketball, Spring Track

SETON HALL PREP

Juan Sebastian Niehenke

Boys Soccer

UNIVERSITY H.S.

Naeem Gibbons

Cross Country, Winter/ Spring Track

VERONA H.S.

Nick Napoli

Boys Soccer, Basketball

WEST CALDWELL TECH

Christian Prophete

Boys Volleyball

WEST ESSEX H.S.

Aaron Gonzalez

Football, Boys Basketball

WEST ORANGE H.S.

Emily Baker

Girls Soccer

WEST SIDE H.S.

Ahmad Oyediran

Boys Soccer, Lacrosse

WEEQUAHIC H.S.

Jorge Poueriet

Boys Basketball, Baseball