Lacey Athletes Honored For Their Sportsmanship

Most of the time when athletes make headlines, it’s for the exploits in competition -- the winning baskets, the strikeouts, the fastest time on the track.

Over the weekend, however, a group of Shore Conference athletes were honored for a much different quality that they bring to competition: sportsmanship.

The athletes -- 93 in all -- were honored by the conference’s athletic directors at the annual Shore Conference Sportsmanship Awards banquet, held at Pine Belt Arena in Toms River. According to the Shore Sports Network report on the event, it was the first time that the award winners from both Monmouth and Ocean counties were honored in the same place at one time.

The athletes, all seniors, are chosen by the athletic directors at their schools, one male and one female from each school in the Shore Conference (except for Christian Brothers Academy in Middletown, which is an all-male school).

Chris Iapicco, who played basketball and Erika Schoeneberg, who ran cross country and track, are the Lacey athletes who were honored.

“This is what we hope all of our kids could do,” said Rusty Todd, Shore Conference president and the athletic director at Ocean Township High School in Monmouth County, according to the report by Shore Sports Network, which supported the event. “It would make all of our jobs a lot easier if all of our kids could emulate what these kids here today are doing.”

The full list of recipients and more on the event can be found here.

(The Shore Conference honored these 93 seniors for the character and leadership they show on the field and off. Photo credit: Scott Stump, Shore Sports Network)