Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame Names Student-Athlete Scholarship Winners
The Board of Directors of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame is proud to announce the two recipients of their 2016 New Era Student-Athlete Scholarship Awards. The 2016 winners are Kiley Stoj, a four sport athlete from Orchard Park HS, and Drake Meaney, a three-sport star, out of Iroquois HS.
“On behalf of the Board, I am excited to honor these two tremendous student-athletes, who not only excel on the field of play but also in life and in the classroom,” said GBSHOF president Therese Forton-Barnes. “I also want to acknowledge the generous contribution we have received from New Era that makes these awards possible every year.”
Kiley Stoj
Stoj excelled in field hockey, lacrosse and indoor and outdoor track for the Quakers, while compiling a 93 average. She was the first female four-season athlete at Orchard Park, second team all-ECIC in field hockey and a member of the National Honors Society.
In applying for the scholarship, Stoj wrote, ”Sports have always been a huge part of my life. I participated in six years of field hockey and lacrosse, as well as three years of indoor track and one year of outdoor track. I may not be the best at any one sport, but the joy of playing them all, with many different people, has been incredible.”
Drake Meaney
Meaney was the captain of the Iroquois football and tennis teams and had a 98.9 average in school, where he ranked fifth out of a class of 223. A two-time Western New York Scholar Athlete, Meaney was Student Government president, and a member of the National Honors Society.
In his application, Meaney wrote, “If anyone ever wanted to learn about life, I would tell him or her to learn to ride a bike. Riding has taught me that sometimes life can feel like a never-ending uphill climb, but the key is to just keep pedaling, and to not give in to that little voice that tells you to quit.”
Each student-athlete receives a one-year award of $2,500.00. Stoj is currently studying Anthropology and Biology at SUNY Cortland and participating in club sports, while Meaney is a Pharmacy major at the University @ Buffalo.
