Assembly Resolution No. 640

BY: M. of A. Palmesano

CONGRATULATING scholar-athlete Emily Lavarnway
upon the occasion of capturing the overall
pentathlon title in the 2017 NYSPHSAA Division II
Girls Track and Field Championship on June 10, 2017

WHEREAS, Excellence and success in competitive sports can be
achieved only through strenuous practice, team play and team spirit,
nurtured by dedicated coaching and strategic planning; and

WHEREAS, Athletic competition enhances the moral and physical
development of the young people of this State, preparing them for the
future by instilling in them the value of teamwork, encouraging a
standard of healthy living, imparting a desire for success and
developing a sense of fair play and competition; and

WHEREAS, A standout senior athlete for the South Seneca Falcons,
Emily Lavarnway earned her second New York State Championship in the
pentathlon on Saturday, June 10, 2017, at Union-Endicott High School in
Endicott, New York; and

WHEREAS, Emily Lavarnway also captured the Federation overall
championship with the highest pentathlon score of 3,363 points; and

WHEREAS, Emily Lavarnway was in fifth place overall going into the
last event, the 800-meter run; knowing she had to run her best race, she
kicked it in on the last lap, winning first place with a personal best
time of 2:19.17; and

WHEREAS, In addition to her stellar success in the New York State
Championship, Emily Lavarnway had an exceptional season in track and
field; a dominant force, she regularly swept her four events during
Wayne-Finger Lakes track meets; and

WHEREAS, Emily Lavarnway won the league championship, where she was
awarded with both All-League and Top Female Athlete honors; the Section
V competition, where she swept all four open events entered and set two
stadium records; and State Qualifiers, where she won the pentathlon and
garnered Top Section V Female Track Athlete honors; and

WHEREAS, Despite all of her monumental success, Emily Lavarnway has
always remained the consummate sportswoman, demonstrating humility,
compassion, and respect for her fellow teammates, athletes, coaches, and
officials; at the start of the NYSPHSAA Track and Field Championship,
she was presented with the Section V Small School Good Sportsmanship
Award; and

WHEREAS, Emily Lavarnway is not only a talented athlete, but also an
exceptional student; she was one of only four students this year to
graduate with 40+ dual-enrollment college credits from Tompkins-Cortland
Community College, and was the only female student this year to take AP
Calculus; and

WHEREAS, After graduation, Emily Lavarnway plans to attend the State
University of New York at Geneseo, where she will surely continue to
excel in both sports and academics; and

WHEREAS, The athletic talent displayed by Emily Lavarnway is due in
great part to the efforts of Coach David Zietz, a skilled and
inspirational tutor, respected for his ability to develop potential into
excellence; and

WHEREAS, Emily Lavarnway's overall record is outstanding; she was
loyally and enthusiastically supported by family, fans, friends and the
community at large; and

WHEREAS, Athletically and academically, Emily Lavarnway has proven
herself to be an unbeatable combination of talents, reflecting favorably
on her school; and

WHEREAS, Coach David Zeitz has done a superb job in guiding, molding
and inspiring Emily Lavarnway towards her goals; and

WHEREAS, Sports competition instills the values of teamwork, pride
and accomplishment, and Coach David Zeitz and Emily Lavarnway have
clearly made a contribution to the spirit of excellence which is a
tradition of their school; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate scholar-athlete Emily Lavarnway upon the occasion of
capturing the overall pentathlon title in the 2017 NYSPHSAA Division II
Girls Track and Field Championship on June 10, 2017; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Emily Lavarnway and Coach David Zeitz.