Graduation 2026: Athletes of the Year
Every year, the Riverhead News-Review compiles a list of exemplary senior student-athletes who excelled over the school season and chooses male and female “Athletes of the Year” for the Riverhead Blue Waves and the Shoreham-Wading River Wildcats. The award-winners have shined in their sport or sports through hard work, resilience and determination. These athletes brought their schools to new heights — leaving a legacy that will not soon be forgotten.
Jordyn Kwasna, Riverhead
Every time Jordyn Kwasna stepped up to the plate this season, all eyes were on the senior captain. As the intro to “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath graced her to the plate, the most feared hitter in Suffolk County reached a zen state and locked in.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in all my years of coaching,” Riverhead softball head coach Rich Vlacci Jr. said. “She was just a totally different player this season. She was always one of the best, but this year she took another step to be the best.”
In past years, Kwasna was quick to get down on herself if something didn’t go her way. Whether it was a bad call by the umpire or a great pitch by the pitcher or just missing connecting on a big hit — that anger boiled over into her next at bat.
This year was different.
“I was showing her a lot of videos about how the best baseball players to ever do it approach every at bat,” Vlacci said. “Like Barry Bonds, for instance. He was able to make adjustments mid-game and even mid-at-bat to make pitchers uncomfortable. He wouldn’t miss the same pitch twice.”
The microcosm of Kwasna’s season was on display in a League I game against Sachem East on April 30. In the first inning, she came up with runners on base and popped the ball straight up for an infield fly out. There were no emotions from Kwasna.
“All she told me is ‘I hope that pitcher throws that pitch there again,’” Vlacci said. “She just missed that pitch. Right under it. I believed her.”
With the bases loaded on her next at bat, Kwasna didn’t miss it this time. With a crack of the bat, the ball went flying over the outfield fence. Kwasna was clapping after dropping the bat and running to first base.
“She made an adjustment,” Vlacci said. “And made her pay.”
Kwasna went on to hit two more home runs that day, with nine RBI, as her elite season started to grasp momentum.
In a season that started as bad as it could in recent years, with a 1-3 record, Kwasna’s leadership along with the rest of the seniors turned the season around and ended up winning their third straight league championship by year’s end.
Kwasna set individual school records across the board. She posted a .684 batting average, a .740 OBP, and a 1.316 SLG. The senior hit eight home runs, tattooed 11 doubles, and produced 57 RBI. This was over 22 games of play.
After five years on varsity, Kwasna leaves the program perhaps the best hitter to ever don the blue and white. Following the season, she was named Section XI’s Large School Player of the Year, League I Player of the Year, All-County and All-State. She was also an instrumental part of Riverhead winning its first Suffolk County championship in school history in 2025.
Her impact transcends what she was able to accomplish on the field.
“I have the pleasure of coaching the 10U softball Little League World Series team right now at Riverhead,” Vlacci said. “We were going over how to go to the opposite field. And one girl stands up and says yeah just like Jordyn does it. Then another agreed and said that Jordyn was her favorite player. I was like, Jordyn who? They were like Kwasna.
“That’s when it clicked for me. There are no pro athletes these girls look up to for softball. Our varsity girls are their heroes. And there was no better role model than Jordyn Kwasna.”
Dwayne Morgan, Riverhead
Very few athletes leave the Riverhead track and field program with school records. Riverhead’s Dwayne Morgan put his stamp on his Blue Wave career with the most impressive finish of a season track coach Tyler Lobenhofer has ever seen.
“Our goal as coaches is to try to get our athletes to peak at the end of the season,” Lobenhofer said. “The championship part of the season. It doesn’t always work out that way, but my god, what Dwayne did in the final stretch of the season defied every statistic.”
Heading into his final spring track season as a Blue Wave, Morgan was always competitive but came up short in the biggest races of his career. He never won a Suffolk County championship in any of his events, but in his senior season, he set out to change all that.
Morgan challenged himself and joined the cross country team in the fall to help with his endurance. He ended up being one of the fastest distance runners on the team to his surprise.
“He just kept working,” Lobenhofer said. “Through winter track, he just kept getting stronger and faster. He didn’t take days off. He slept right, he ate right, he practiced right. And it all turned into one crazy final send-off.”
One of Morgan’s goals this season was to make it to the New York State championships, and all the coaches agreed that his best shot would be in the spring for the 400m hurdles. It was a perfect event that Morgan could use his endurance, ability to cross the hurdles effortlessly, and great top-end speed to separate himself from the pack — rather than the 110m hurdles, where one little misstep could cost him the win.
Even though his focus was on the 400m, in the Suffolk County championships, Morgan earned gold in the 110m for the first time in his career and also broke Angelo Confort’s school record with a time of 14.62.
“Most would have been ecstatic with just doing that,” Lobenhofer said. “But not Dwayne. He wanted more. He just started tasting success after all the hard work he put in and didn’t want it to end.”
In the Section XI State Qualifier, Morgan found another level within himself. He won the 400m intermediate hurdles, qualified for states, and set the Riverhead school record with a time of 54.37.
Another goal was crossed off the list. But again it wasn’t enough.
In the New York State championships, he made the Federation finals, which was the best of the best in all of New York State regardless of their class and private or public school. In his last hurrah, Morgan made it count.
The 5-foot-7 hurdler, who lacked in stature compared to everyone he raced against, went from a ranking of 5th in Suffolk County before the season started to second place in all of New York State. Morgan broke his own record with a time of 53.90.
“What an ending to a historic career,” Lobenhofer said. “He earned every bit of that time. Those records will live on for years to come. Dwayne is the best hurdler in Riverhead history. When he first gave it a try sophomore year, we had no idea it would end like this. It’s a perfect example to all the younger kids in the program. He did it when all the odds were stacked against him. A kid from Riverhead. Their teammate. One of the best in the state.”
Mia Mangano, SWR
On the soccer field, Mia Mangano was trouble for any defender standing in her way. A striker with speed, ability to finish and sheer determination to find an opening, Mangano took her skills to the next level in her final campaign as a Wildcat.
After beloved soccer coach Adrian Gilmore passed away suddenly in a medical emergency in the spring of last year, the Shoreham-Wading River soccer team devoted the upcoming season to their coach. A former player, Lydia Kessel, took over the reins of the program and vowed to do everything she could to honor Gilmore. Playing with a heavy heart, Mangano put on a show this season for a coach looking down who always believed in her.
Mangano finished first in all of Long Island in points scored with 30 goals and 14 assists, making an impact in every game she played in.
“She’s a star athlete,” Kessel said. “I met her over the summer, and right away she warmed up to me and started talking about team goals and everything she wanted to accomplish this season.”
After all, Mangano was no stranger to success. Coming into her senior season, Mangano won three Suffolk County championships and two Long Island championships as a part of the girls’ soccer team. In 2024, they made it to the New York State final.
Her determination to score every time she got the ball this season was evident by the box score week after week. She scored four goals on two separate occasions this season and finished with a hat trick two other times.
“When it comes to scoring and that mentality to find the back of the net, she’s definitely one of the top to go through the program,” Kessel said. “We’ve had so many big scorers come through SWR, and she was next. It was her turn.”
Though the Wildcats’ season ended in the Suffolk County semifinals this time around, Mangano finished her career in the history books in the spring.
In their inaugural season, SWR girls flag football not only won a Suffolk County championship, but they also won the Long Island championship and fell one win shy of being state champions. Mangano was right in the middle of it all.
“Without Mangano in the middle of our offense and defense, I don’t think we make it this far,” SWR flag football coach Bob DeSilva said in the playoffs. “She’s just so quick and so smart. She always makes the right plays and is a perfect mentor to all our younger girls.”
Mangano finished her first season ever playing flag football with 1368 all-purpose yards and 19 touchdowns, being the team’s running back and wide receiver. She also had seven interceptions and 105 flag pulls on defense.
“To be able not only to pick everything up quickly in her first time playing the sport but to also dominate it’s just unreal,” DeSilva said. “Mia got better every week, and the rest of the team followed. We made an incredible run, and I’m so proud of everyone involved.”
Zach Makarewicz, SWR
The only junior on this list of winners, Zach Makarewicz’s presence on the floor or field this season was felt immediately. Makarewicz is the type of player that just puts his head down and works, with no selfish bone in his body. His individual success turned into big-time team success, and he will look to continue making a major impact in his final season as a Wildcat.
With Dani Braga stepping into the fold to coach the soccer team this season, every player was met with a blank slate. Everything you did before he got there didn’t matter. He was going to play the best 11 on the field — no politics involved.
“It all started with a belief,” Braga said. “My belief in them, their belief in me, that’s what led to our success. Once they bought in, we showed the type of team we could be. And Zach was so important to it all.”
Makarewicz had an incredible campaign, being amongst the top goal scorers in Suffolk County with 21 goals. He also connected on seven assists.
The turning point in the season was in a game against Kings Park on September 30. The Wildcats were down 2-0 at half for the first time in the season. They were already 10-0 at that point. This was their first true test.
“I really laid into the kids at halftime that game,” Braga said. “I said things that a lot of those kids never heard before. Their reaction to my passion of it all, I think, set the tone for the rest of the season.”
Makarewicz ended up scoring two goals to tie the game before Andrew Steine found the game-winner in overtime.
In the final game of the regular season, Makarewicz scored the game-winner in overtime to seal the league championship against John Glenn. They finished with a perfect 12-0 record in league play.
“Zach isn’t scared of the moment,” Braga said. “That’s what makes him unique. He lives for it and capitalizes on it.”
Though their season ended in the Suffolk County final, Makarewicz would continue his momentum into the basketball season.
Behind some experienced seniors and high-ability underclassmen, Makarewicz helped lead the way to do something that hasn’t been done for five years – make the playoffs.
“The group I had this season was special,” SWR boys basketball coach Kevin Culhane said. “ And Zach was a major part of it. I was blessed to not only have top athletes but great people overall.”
They finished with a 17-3 regular season record and earned the No. 2 seed in the Class A playoffs. Makarewicz led the team with 14 points in the playoff game against Sayville, but the team came up short, 42-37.
The junior averaged 13.2 points per game over the course of the season, scoring a game-high of 25 points in a game against Bayport-Blue Point. His impact was felt on both sides of the ball.
“I would routinely have him guard the other team’s best player,” Culhane said. “He never backed down from a challenge. That’s the type of player he is.”
