Fourth- and fifth-grade students from Commack Road Elementary School and Maud S. Sherwood Elementary School recently competed in the 38th annual Town of Islip Sharp Shooter Basketball Contest. The Sharp Shooter program, sponsored by the Islip Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs since 1993, challenges local students to score as many baskets as possible in one minute. The fourth and fifth grade students that score the most points in each of their respective grades make it to the final round.

Commack Road’s in-school winners, guided by physical education teacher Carrie Rittberg, were fourth graders Erin Lella and Colin Moon and fifth graders athletes Jaxon Gerena and Kelly Pitt, while Makenzy Covelli, Emma Myles-McAnally, Tanner Oswald and Matteo Spallina were the second-place finishers.

At Sherwood, guided by physical education teacher Jeff Atlas, the winners were fourth graders Tyler Bucaro and Kenley Simonetti and fifth graders Michael Monahan and Milania Paiz.

All eight of the first-place winners represented Islip in the townwide Sharp Shooter competition, held on March 2 at East Islip High School. At the event, Pitt put on a remarkable hoops performance, scoring 32 points to make her the overall winner for fifth-grade girls. It was Pitt’s second consecutive Sharp Shooter victory, as she won in 2023 as a fourth grader, breaking an event record. Town officials searched previous records dating back to the late 1990s and could not find another player who achieved this amazing accomplishment.

“Winning back-to-back is a phenomenal feat,” CRES physical education teacher Carrie Rittberg said. “Kelly outscored the second-place participant by eight points and was able to secure her lead and be crowned the Sharp Shooter champion. Our participants did an amazing job competing against the fourth and fifth grade student winners from each of the elementary schools in the Town of Islip, and we are so proud of our athletes and all of their hard work and dedication.”

Date Added: 3/20/2024