Sports

Top 5 Shoreham-Wading River Athletes

Shoreham-Wading River baseball coach Sal Mignano has coached the varsity team since the program’s beginning more than 30 years ago. Here, he gives his list of the top five SWR athletes of all-time.

BUDDY GENGLER

5. Keri Bettenhauser (1994): Undoubtedly the best female athlete in SWR history — Field Hockey, Basketball, Softball. Would have loved to have her play for us on the baseball team.

4. Buddy Gengler (1997): All-County in baseball and soccer. Played baseball at West Point where he was a 2x All-Patriot League shortstop and NCAA Regional participant. Intense work ethic and discipline. Two tours of duty in Iraq. Now an Assistant varsity baseball coach at SWR.

3. Julio Vega (1990): All-County in three sports — baseball, volleyball and basketball. Signed professionally with the San Francisco Giants in 1990 after being drafted in the 5th round. After his baseball career played college basketball at Brockport.

2. Jesse Jantzen (2000): His accomplishments in wrestling and his work ethic set him at a category of his own.

1. Keith Osik (1987): Enough said … Unquestionably SWR’s greatest athlete ever. I doubt SWR will ever see a more skillful, versatile, charismatic athlete ever. Would dominate any HS sport he would have ever played.