VALLEY SPORTS REPORT: TOMASSO, PICCO SHARE 2020-21 FEMALE 'ATHLETE OF THE YEAR' HONORS (2021-08-16)
Valley Sports ReportTHE VALLEY - There are times when you can analyze every possible stat and intangible, and come up with a winner. And, sometimes you can't. With that in mind,
Waverly seniors Sidney Tomasso and Gabby Picco both put together remarkable seniors seniors, and will share the 2020-21
Valley Sports Report Female "Athlete of the Year" honors.
Tomasso is a former all-state basketball player, and Picco is a former all-state soccer player. Both would have likely achieved those lofty heights again in a normal year.
Both were members of a remarkable girls golf team, and were key players on four straight Section IV titles, but both chose to finish out their careers in different arenas, with Tomasso excelling on the softball diamond, and Picco on the track.
Without a postseason in New York, and with three truncated seasons compacted into a 5-month span, the selection process for the entire Super 7 was much more difficult.
2020-21 Super 7 "Female Athletes of the Year:"
Sidney Tomasso, senior, Waverly: Tomasso made her bones on the basketball court. She scored 24.2 points per game, scoring more than 20 in 11 of her 13 outings. She also was among the team leaders in 3-pointers (38), rebounds (6.3 per game), assists (2.5), and steals (4.4). She also dropped in a school-record tying 42 points in a win over Owego.
A heady player, Tomasso was dangerous whenever the ball was in her hands, with the ability to score in transition, from behind the 3-point arc, driving to the bucket, or in the intermediate game - whether with a runner or a mid-range bucket. She will play at St. John Fisher.
On the diamond, in her only season of varsity softball, Tomasso hit .338 (24 hits in 71 ABs) with three doubles, and eight RBI. She led the team with three triples, and had 24 runs scored, and six stolen bases.
On the volleyball hardwoods, Tomasso was a presence at the net, and also among the team leaders at the service line.
Gabby Picco, senior, Waverly: On the soccer pitch, Picco, a polished all-around player with a sky-high soccer IQ, consistently controlled the midfield and made all her teammates better. She scored six goals and had one assist in just six games. She will play at Division I LaSalle University.
Picco, who took her junior season off to concentrate on soccer, returned for her senior season, and was a major contributor. She averaged 11.3 points and knocked down 31 3-pointers in 12 games, as well as averaging 4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.6 deflections, and 3 steals per game.
Picco was a consistent points-winner in her first season on the Lady Wolverine track team during the dual season. At the IAC Championships, she ran on a silver-medal winning 1,600-meter relay, and a bronze-medal winning 400-meter relay. Those relays were both first-place finishers at the IAC Divisional meet.
At the Class C Championships, the 1,600-meter relay won a silver medal, and the 400-meter won a bronze. Both relays earned fifth-place medals at the Section IV Showcase.
Emma Roe, senior, Athens: On the soccer pitch, Roe is an electric presence - a non-stop dynamo from one end of the field to the other for the Lady Wildcats. She scored 19 goals and doled out eight assists in 13 games. She will play at Division I Wagner College in the fall.
This spring, Roe consistent was a consistent three- and four-time winner during the dual track & field season, helping the Lady Wildcats to an 8-0-1 record, and an NTL title. At the District 4 Championships, she ran on a fifth-place 1,600-meter relay team.
At the NTL Track & Field Championships, Roe won the 400-meter dash, was third in the 200, and fifth in the 100. She also ran on a third-place 400-meter relay team.
In the pool this winter, Roe, a second-year diver, won a bronze medal at the District 4 meet with 317.05 points, topping last year's total of 314.6 points, which placed fourth.
Olivia Ayres, senior, Tioga: A deadly 3-point shooter, Ayres improved in all facets of the game during her truncated senior season on the hardwoods.
She graduates as the school-record holder for most 3-pointers in a season (69 during her junior year) and for most 3-pointers in a single game - 7, which she accomplished four times, including once during her senior season.
On the softball diamond, Ayres was a good glove and smart player at shortstop for the Lady Tigers, She hit .455 (30 hits in 66 ABs) with one double, eight RBI, nine stolen bases, and 24 RBI. She waked seven times and had a .507 on-base percentage.
She finished her five-year varsity field hockey career as the leading scorer on the team again. She finished her career with 42 goals and 17 assists.
Ayres will play basketball and softball at Elmira College.
Kayleigh Miller, senior, Athens: The only two-sport athlete in the Super 7, Miller was Volleyball "Co-Player of the Year," and Basketball's "Offensive Player of the Year."
A dead-eye shooter from behind the 3-point arc, Miller graduates fifth all-time on the school's scoring list with 1,187 points, and first all-time with 222 career 3-pointers.
This season, Kayleigh Miller averaged 17.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. She shot 80 percent from the free-throw line, and 40 percent from the field.
Miller, a sure-handed and smooth setter, dished out 421 setter assists to top 1,000 for her career. She also had 150 service points, including 28 aces, 137 digs, and four blocks, while helping the Lady Wildcats to their first District championship game appearance in 15 years.
Miller will play basketball at Penn College.
Kennedy Westbrook, sophomore, Waverly: A gifted scorer, Kennedy Westbrook was also among the best defenders in the area on the hardwoods.
Very dangerous in transition, and also taking the ball to the bucket in the half-court set, Westbrook could also knock down the 3-pointer. She averaged 14.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 5.8 steals per game.
On the soccer pitch, Westbrook played out of position to help the Lady Wolverines on the defensive end, and early all-IAC first-team honors for her efforts. She had one assist on the season.
At the IAC Track & Field Championships, Westbrook was fifth in the 100-meter dash ran on a silver-medal winning 1,600-meter relay, and a bronze-medal winning 400-meter relay. Those relays were both first-place finishers at the IAC Divisional meet.
At the Class C Championships, the 1,600-meter relay won a silver medal, and the 400-meter won a bronze. Both relays earned fifth-place medals at the Section IV Showcase.
Emma Bronson, sophomore, Athens: In the fall, Bronson finished 20th at the District 4, Class AA Championships, running 30 seconds faster than she had the previous meet at the NTL Coaches Invite, which she won. In a normal year, she would have been the first runner to miss out on a trip to States.
This spring, Bronson was a triple-winner at the NTL Coaches Invite, claiming gold in the 800-, 1,600-, and 3,200-meter runs. At the District 4 Championships, Bronson placed fourth in the 800, and fifth in the 800, and also ran on a fifth-place 3,200-meter relay team.
On the basketball hardwoods, Bronson logged a lot of minutes, and contributed on the defensive end of the floor, and handling the ball.
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IN PHOTO: Waverly's Sidney Tomasso (left) and Gabby Picco. ... VSR STOCK PHOTOS.
