2024 Athletic Award Ceremony honored past, present B’ville sports stars
June 7, 2024
The annual Athletic Award Ceremony honors varsity student-athletes for their outstanding performances during the 2023-2024 school year. This year, the event also included the induction ceremony for the Baldwinsville Community Athletic Hall of Fame and the dedication ceremony of the proposed renovated gymnasium at C.W. Baker High School.
Recognizing Coach Leo J. Johnson
Earlier this year, the Baldwinsville Board of Education unanimously approved the naming of the proposed renovated main gymnasium at C.W. Baker High School after Coach Leo Johnson. Johnson dedicated 30 years of his life to coaching and mentoring athletes in the Baldwinsville Central School District.
Johnson served as a wrestling coach and an athletic director where he impacted countless lives and shaped the future of Baldwinsville sports programs. Voters approved the renovation of the high school gym in May 2023 and construction is expected to start in April 2025.
“Coach Johnson's impact on the Baldwinsville Central School District, its athletic programs, the sport of wrestling and our community has been profound and lasting,” said Christopher Campolieta, the Director of Athletics, Physical Education and Health. “His accomplishments speak volumes about his dedication, passion, excellence and unwavering commitment to bringing out the very best in his wrestlers and countless student athletes.”
Class of 1967 graduate, 1994 Baldwinsville athletic hall of fame inductee and former wrestler, Steve Morgan shared a few words about Coach Johnson’s impact on his life.
“In 1964, after I had lost in post-season, I was sitting on a mat licking my wounds,” Morgan told the audience. “Leo Johnson came over, sat down on the mat and he said, ‘you’ve proven an awful lot this year son, I love your heart.’ That was the first time in my life a person had said something like that to me.”
Morgan’s emotional speech outlined his important relationship he had and still has with Coach Johnson. Morgan said Coach Johnson has impacted countless lives because for every athlete he mentored, those athletes went on to mentor others.
Superintendent Dr. Joseph DeBarbieri and Board of Education President Victor Jenkins joined Coach Johnson and his family in the unveiling of the plaque that will be hung in the renovated gym.
Baker High School graduate and community member Tony Saraceni worked with the Board of Education and the district to honor Coach Johnson in this way. During the ceremony, Saraceni made a special announcement of a $25,000 donation to the district for the creation of the Leo Johnson Legacy Scholarship.
Learn more about Coach Leo Johnson
Watch video of proposed gym
Watch video of dedication ceremony
Baldwinsville Community Athletic Hall of Fame
The Baldwinsville Community Athletic Hall of Fame was revamped this year after a long hiatus and the public was asked to nominate former athletes, coaches and supporters who made significant contributions to the Baldwinsville Central School District athletic program through their service, performance, dedication, commitment and accomplishments. The nomination committee selected eight athletes and one coach to be inducted into the 2024 Baldwinsville Community Athletic Hall of Fame. They were honored with plaques and blankets.
Kathryn Arcaro: Class of 1983
Ken (Ike) Burton: Class of 1951
Mike Conners: Class of 1980
Brian Corcoran: Class of 1990
Jason Grilli: Class of 1994
Earl Howard: Class of 1956
Betsy Towlson DeMay: Class of 1977
Christine Lindsey: Class of 1994
Chuck Wiltse: Coach – 1963 to 1986
Read more about the inductees
Watch video of induction ceremony
See photos from the ceremony
Athletic Award Ceremony
The Athletic Awards honors varsity student-athletes for their outstanding performances during the 2023-2024 school year.
Check out the list of winners
See photos from the ceremony on our Facebook page
Watch video of the ceremony
