There was no shortage of excellent athletes in Section V for the 2024-25 academic year. But some stood out above the rest.
Over the last several months, the Democrat and Chronicle and Daily Messenger staff, with input from Section V coaches, recognized 19 Athletes of the Year in boys sports. Among them, some state and section champions, and future Division I athletes.
Who was the cream of the crop in this collection of elite athletes? Your vote determines which Section V player deserves the honor of the 2024-25 All-Greater Rochester Athlete of the Year presented by Faber Builders. Each honorees’ credentials are listed above the poll — which will be live until 8 p.m. Friday, July 18. The winner will be announced on our Instagram page Monday, July 21.
You can find the poll at the bottom of this page or jump straight to the poll by clicking here.
Baseball Player of the Year Cam Barbulean
Why he was the Player of the Year: There are the statistics that Mendon coach Shaun Caveny describes as “nothing short of dominant,” including a 7-2 win-loss record and 98 strikeouts in 57 innings pitched. There are the 15 strikeouts in seven innings delivered during the Section V Class A Final as Mendon became a sectional champion for the first time in 24 years. There are the 16 batters the left-hander struck out in nine innings during the state quarterfinal tournament round.
There is also the production with a bat in his hands, including an .438 batting average with 32 hits and 25 runs batted in. Barbulean, who wore number 21 with the Vikings, scored the winning run that delivered Mendon’s first state championship. And according to Caveny, there are Barbulean’s “talent, leadership and unmatched work ethic. He’s the type of player who raises the standard for the entire team.”
Boys Basketball Player of the Year Cameron Blankenberg
Why he was Player of the Year: The first back-to-back AGR POY since Anthony Lamb in 2015 and 2016, Cameron Blankenberg was hands down the best player in Section V again. Blankenberg received approximately 80% of the coaches’ votes, an even larger margin than his landslide victory as a sophomore.
A two-time Section V champion and candidate for New York state Class A Player of the Year, Blankenberg was a one-of-one outside of New York City. The 6-foot-6 guard was one of Section V’s leading scorers after averaging 28.7 points per game. He also averaged 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocks. Blankenberg improved his scoring, defense, passing and strength as he became even more refined than his breakout sophomore version.
Blankenberg helped Wayne become the only local team win back-to-back Section V and regional championships and return to the state final four. He scored 31 points in the section and region finals, and 29 points in the NYS semifinals against Section II’s Glens Falls in a rematch of the 2024 Class A state championship game. Blankenberg will enter his senior season on pace to surpassing 2,000 points. He broke some of his brother Logan’s records along the way this winter, including points in a game (46) and career 1,674.
Cameron Blankenberg is already a two-time Finger Lakes East Player of the Year and made fourth team all-state in 2024.
Boys Golfer of the Year Brody Burgess
Why he was Golfer of the Year: Burgess is now a two-time recipient of the All-Greater Rochester Boys Golf of the Year award. The Victor star piled up more accolades during his record-breaking senior season.
Burgess ended his varsity career medaling at the golf state championship tournament for a fourth straight season, placing 10th in June. His state tournament career also features an eighth-place finish in 2022, fourth-place in 2024, and his 2023 runner-up finish helped him secure his first AGR Golfer of the Year award that year.
In 2025, Burgess guided Victor to its fourth Section V team championship this decade. He also won his third individual sectional title, and placed first at the individual state-qualifiers.
Boys Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year Aiden Bryant
Why he was Boys Indoor Track Athlete of the Year: Bryant broke both the Section V Indoor triple jump and long jump records on his way to advancing to the high school indoor state championships in three events, including the 55-meter dash.
The Section V indoor triple jump record is now 50 feet-8 inches and the long jump record 24-10.75. Bryant was named the AGR Boys Indoor Track Athlete of the Year in 2024.
Hockey Player of the Year Mikey Dossier
Why he was Player of the Year: Dossier was an offensive sensation for an Aquinas team that went 16-6-0 this winter. His 68 points (27 goals, 41 assists) during the regular season was the most by a Section V player since 2019-20. The junior forward added six points across two sectional contests.
Of the 16 coaches that submitted All-Greater Rochester ballots, half had Dossier as their top player. No other player received more than two nominations.
This is Dossier’s second consecutive All-Greater Rochester selection. This winter, he was also named Section V’s Class B Offensive Player of the Year, and was a second team all-state selection by the Hockey Coaches Association of New York.
“Mikey is such a dynamic player with an intensity level that makes everyone else around him better,” Aquinas coach Chuck Dossier said. “He’s the most humble player I’ve ever coached, and his work ethic is hard to match. He’s an even better person than he is a hockey player.”
Boys Tennis Player of the Year Drew Fishback
Why he was Player of the Year: At this point, All-Greater Rochester Tennis Player of the Year was Drew Fishback’s award to lose. Now the four-time AGR POY, Fishback, the 2024 singles state champion, ended his career at Geneva in the doubles state final with his younger brother, Tucker. Their runner-up finish at states was a dream-come-true run for the Fishback family. In 2020, COVID canceled what would have been Drew’s chance to play doubles with his older brother, Ryan, the 2019 AGR POY and singles state champion.
Following his older brother’s footsteps, Drew Fishback will now play Division I tennis at Virginia Tech. Fishback was far and away the best player in Section V again. Nationally, the lefty was ranked in the top of 10 of sites like tennisrecruiting.net’s rising seniors Tennis RPI list. Fishback is a five-time Section V individual champion, and he guided Geneva to the Section V Class B1 title, the program’s first team championship.
Fishback has won well over 100 matches with just four losses. He hasn’t lost to a Section V opponent since 2021. His latest three losses came in the 2022 quarterfinals, the 2023 semifinals of the singles state tournament, and the finals of June’s doubles state championship match.
Boys Volleyball Player of the Year Owen Gutman
Why he was Player of the Year: Sophomore Owen Gutman’s varsity debut was one for the books. He followed the footsteps of former Penfield players who guided the program to a state championship in 2021 to lead his own Patriots (23-0) to perfect NYS title run this fall. With a Penn State commit on the other side of the net, it was Gutman’s performance that lifted Penfield to a 3-0 win over Section XI’s Ward Melville in the NYSPHSAA Division I final.
Boys Swimmer of the Year Ben Hinds
Why he was Swimmer of the Year: Ben Hinds was unanimously chosen by Section V coaches for this honor. The McQuaid junior was an All-Greater Rochester first teamer in the past, but he improved upon his breakout sophomore season. Coaches called Hinds the area’s “most talented” and “versatile” swimmer after becoming the second Section V boy to qualify for states in all 11 swim events.
Hinds could only participate in four events at the state championships, but he made the most of it. McQuaid finished second as a team after Hinds’ and his teammates Xavier Joseph, Luke McCormack and Ian Miller swam an All-American Consideration time of 1:24.54 as the runner-up in the 200 free relay. They also placed third in the 400 free relay.
Hinds concluded states with podium finishes in the 100 breaststroke (fourth) and 200 IM (seventh). He championed those same events at the Section V Class B championships.
Boys Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year Rhoan Kaulder II
Why he was the Athlete of the Year: Kaulder equaled perhaps the most famous Section V outdoor track and field record of them all, the 100-meter dash. Kaulder ran the sprint in 10.46 seconds during the high school state championships in June, equaling the mark set by Franklin’s Jermaine Stratford in 1992.
The Federation and public school state champion, the rising senior at McQuaid produced a 10.6 race early in spring and only got faster over time. Kaulder said he is also proud of winning individual sectional events “like the 100, 200 and 4×100, but also winning the team title.” The Section V Class A Track MVP helped the McQuaid 4×400 and 4×100 run top 10 times in Section V outdoor track and field history.
Division I Wrestler of the Year Zane Kropman
Why he was Wrestler of the Year: Kropman, one of three 2025 state champions who wrestled in Section V, was the only area wrestler to make it to the top of his weight class at states in the large schools division.
And along the way, the 190-pound Kropman won all 11 of his matches last season, including at Section V’s state qualifiers and the Section V Class A1 Championships, making him an undefeated state champion.
A back injury prevented Kropman’s season with the Penfield wrestling team from beginning until after New Year’s Day. He rejoined the team at practices on Jan. 5 and his first match for the 2024-25 season was on Jan. 30.
Boys Nordic Skier of the Year Drew Larsen
Why he was Skier of the Year: Larsen, a senior, was the individual boys champion at the Section V championship meet, finishing the race over a minute ahead of the runner-up. His performance helped Honeoye Falls-Lima capture the team title.
At states, Larsen placed second in the boys 7.5K individual championship, while the Cougars came in third in the team relay.
Boys Soccer Player of the Year Ryan Mathis
Why he was Player of the Year: In what was a historic season for the Fairport boys soccer program, there was no greater offensive force than Mathis.
Though he was the primary target for opposing defenses, the senior forward racked up 19 goals and 10 assists during the fall 2024 season. He was at his best during postseason play, scoring six goals in five matches through the Section V and NYSPHSAA tournaments, in the process showing off unmatched ball placement and scoring ability in clutch moments.
Also on display was a knack for playmaking, evidenced with his pass that secured the state title-winning goal.
“Ryan can do things with the ball, with a pass or shot, that other kids just can’t,” Fairport coach Bill Teasdale said.
With Mathis leading the way, Fairport finished 14-0-3 in 2024 for the first unbeaten season in program history, capped with the team’s Class AAA state title win over Section II’s Shaker. Such a feat pushed the Red Raiders to No. 18 in the national rankings, according to the United Soccer Coaches Association. Mathis was the only player from Section V boys soccer to obtain All-American status this fall.
Small-school Football Player of the Year Benjamin Newman
Why he was AGR small schools Player of the Year: East Rochester/Gananda coach Tim Rose shared on Twitter that Newman is “special,” and coaches in Section V agree. Newman was a runaway choice for Player of the Year among all-stars in Class B, Class C, Class D and 8-man football.
“Great teammate. Tough. Leader. Hard working. High football IQ. On top of being able to make any throw and read.” Rose’s tweet on Dec. 3 reads. “Amazing career. He is going to (be) fun to watch at the next level.”
Division II Wrestler of the Year Christopher Noto
Why he was the AGR Division II Wrestler of the Year: Noto, for the first time, became a high school state champion. The 131-pounder is one of three wrestlers in Section V who won their weight class at the state championships in Albany. His won-loss record was 50-1, including his runner-up finish at the Eastern States Classic, a regional-level meet.
Large-school Football Player of the Year Gavin Parks
Why he was the AGR Large Schools Player of the Year: Brighton began the season with a new varsity quarterback, so the Bruins’ opponents knew the reliance on Parks would increase. But coaches in Section V ended up making Parks a hands-down choice for AGR Player of the Year among Class AA and Class A teams after he scored 26 rushing touchdowns and finished with 2,128 rushing yards during the Bruins advance to the Class A state tournament semifinals.
Parks’ rushing touchdown and yardage totals are single-season school records. He also is the team record-holder for career yards (4,515) and touchdowns (49).
Boys Alpine Skier of the Year Hudson Proia
Why he was Skier of the Year: Proia, a junior, was Section V’s overall alpine champion this winter. At the Section V championships at Hunt Hollow Ski Club, he placed first in the giant slalom and second in the slalom. That success continued at the NYSPHSAA meet at Gore Mountain, where Proia placed third in the slalom and helped Section V place second in the team standings.
Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year Will Rheude
Why he was Player of the Year: Rheude embodied lacrosse’s evolution in New York state with this spring’s addition of the shot clock.
Though a long stick defender, Rheude regularly contributed to Canandaigua’s offensive attack. His 12 goals were the program’s most by a pole in 30 years. On the defensive end, he was charged with guarding opposing teams’ top offensive players. In a sport that heavily features substitutions, Rheude rarely came off the field.
While Canandaigua featured a deep roster this spring, Rheude was a major reason why the Gray Wolves won 14 straight games to start the season, won the Section V Class B title and eventually reached the NYSPHSAA final.
“Your team is successful when your best players are your hardest workers. Will has created that success by his work ethic and leadership,” coach Deven York said. “He is committed to doing the little things and maintaining a humble and hungry attitude that lifts the culture of the team.”
Boys Bowler of the Year Jesse Taccone
Why he was Bowler of the Year: Jesse Taccone put together Section V’s best bowling season by drastically improving his pins average and displaying a decorated postseason.
The Spencerport senior led the Rangers to states after a successful Section V Class A championship tournament. Taccone not only won the individual title by bowling the tournament’s highest series (1,359), he helped Spencerport win the Division I and Class A team titles.
At states, Taccone struck gold by helping Section V’s Division I composite team place first with a tourney high 280 high-game. He also helped the Rangers place fifth in the Division I team tournament with the fourth-best series (268-1,412).
Taccone practically shot over 240 all regular season. His pins averaged ended at 240.10 through 42 games of the regular season. He’ll continue to bowl at Mercyhurst.
Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year Will Tempest
Why he was the AGR Runner of the Year: Won the Class B state championship race for the second consecutive year. He also repeated as the Section V Class B and Monroe County Invitational champion.
Tempest also finished in first-place in all but one of the Sutherland Knights’ Monroe County league races he participated in. The exception was a race he failed to finish during his build-up from an injury.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Poll: Who should be AGR’s 2024-25 Boys Athlete of Year presented by Faber Builders?
Reporting by Justin Ritzel, James Johnson and Marquel Slaughter, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
