Sports

St. Joseph’s Sports Night award winners speak out

CLAREMONT – Wednesday night at the Claremont Senior Center was full of memories shared, gratitude, and even a few laughs as the four Stevens High senior athletes were honored for their performance on and off the playing surface.

Rick Elliot, a 1992 award winner and now a track and cross country coach at Fall Mountain, was the guest speaker for the 63rd annual St. Joseph’s Sports Night awards. His major message he wanted to get across to the award winners and the young student athletes in attendance was to have faith in themselves, because sometimes that’s all an individual has.

This group of Stevens seniors (Audrey Puksta, Trey Theriault, Karsten Kleyensteuber, and Leeann McCarthy) displayed faith in themselves to share their story on Wednesday night in a room full of people, and showed maturity beyond their years to express their gratitude for all who have helped them get to the point where they are accepting an award for their service to the community before even graduating high school.

Audrey Puksta, awarded best female student-athlete, was appreciative of the guidance she received from middle school soccer coach Ryan Seaver and high school soccer coach Tom Belaire.

What was most evident was how important family values are to Puksta.

“This award is a special honor to me. I am the first person in my family to receive it,” Puksta said in her acceptance speech. “My grandfather, Charles Puksta, was the mayor of Claremont for several years, the embassy for this event, a proud member of the Kiwanis, and for a short period was a member of the Elks. I have always been inspired by his accomplishments and what he has done for this city. My brother Michael is a police officer here in Claremont and has been awarded for going above and beyond the call of duty. I am more than proud to be contributing to the reputation that my family has here. I know my grandfather is looking down on me tonight proud of all I have accomplished.”

Puksta spoke on how her three brothers were vital in helping her attain the toughness that she displayed on the soccer field, which helped her break the Cardinals all-time single-season scoring record this year.

Trey Theriault, awarded best male student-athlete, also was appreciative of his support from his family, saying, “I have worked hard over the years and it’s good to know that my time and effort has paid off. I’ve played baseball since I was five years old. Every day when the weather was nice, my dad would bring my brother and I down to the field to practice. I enjoyed playing not only for the sport but the countless memories I have with my dad and my brother.”

Theriault went on to say, “Both of my parents have always been there for me and have also helped me with school. I want to thank my brother for helping me stay motivated in baseball and to strive to be a role model for him. I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive family and for that I am thankful.”

Karsten Kleyensteuber, awarded unsung male student-athlete, described how his experience playing sports improved his overall outlook and made him a better person in other aspects of life.

“My high school athletic career began the fall of my freshman year when I decided to play football,” he said. “I had not played football since the third grade and other than what I saw on TV I had no knowledge of the game… but I figured ‘hey if my brother was good at it… it can’t be that hard.’ The next year, we won a state championship and in a single moment, the hard work of dozens of athletes over the course of several months was gratified. The lessons we learn in sports transcend athletics into every other aspect of our lives and instill upon us certain values such as determination, responsibility, and confidence.”

Leeann McCarthy, awarded unsung female student-athlete, thanked her cheer coaches Jennifer Ferland and Emily Charest as well as her soccer coaches Seaver, Belaire, and Steve McManus. McCarthy quite possibly had the best quote of the night.

“Most people by now can’t wait to graduate, but I find myself wishing I could slow down time. Stevens High School has given me an unbelievable experience with memories I will carry with me for the rest of my life,” she said.

McCarthy saw sports as a way to take her mind off of other things in life and just live in the moment, saying, “Stepping out onto the field or stepping out onto the mat gives me this feeling that I’ve been trying to find the words to describe… and I’m sure all of you that have played sports know what feeling I’m talking about,” McCarthy continued. “It’s that moment right before the whistle blows and you can hear the crowd and you can feel your heart racing… and it feels like you’re by yourself. And then you look into the face of your teammates and everything else around you doesn’t matter. It’s that moment where you’re running out onto the mat and you’re waving to the crowd as you’re smiling even though your heart is exploding out of your chest. It’s that feeling right before you receive the baton and your hand is so sweaty that you start to wonder if you’ll even be able to grab it. But as soon as the whistle blows, you hear the first beat of your music, or you feel the baton in your hand… all that matters is what’s going on in that moment.”

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