West Windsor Little League

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WWLL Memorial Awards

Chris Ciuffani, Ingy Cox, Jim Davis & James M. Farrell Memorial Awards

At the Awards/Championship day that takes place at the end of every season, the West Windsor Little League presents awards to players, coaches, and one volunteer for the memorial awards listed below. These awards honor the memory of past WWLL members. Nominations for these awards, with a brief description of merit, should be submitted to the coordinators of the corresponding divisions near the end of each spring season.

Chris Ciuffani Award

2010 Winners: CJ Markisz and Alyssa Schiera

The Chris Ciuffani Award is given out to one 12-year-old player in Baseball Majors and in Softball Majors that displays:

-- Love of the Game
-- Infectious, Eternal Optimism On and Off the Field
-- Efforts to Play Well
-- Fair Treatment of Others

The award is named after Christopher M. Ciuffani. Chris was a West Windsor boy who played through 12 years of age with the West Windsor Little League, and was tragically killed in a car accident in January 1994.

This award has been given since 1994. As Chris’s father said at the first award ceremony, "We are proud to have such an award presented in Chris’ name, for the award may, in some small way, help all of us keep sports in the proper perspective. The true value of any sport is in the enjoyment it brings to the players and in the lessons learned on the value of teamwork and sportsmanship which last a lifetime."

Past Award Winners

2010 - CJ Markisz and Alyssa Schiera

2009 - John Lappetito and Anahita Padmanabhan

2008 - Matthew Grust & Allison Chismar

2007 - Garrett Vena & Jeanine Asay

2006 - Joseph Cirafici & Taylor Phelan

2005 - Ryan Demouth & Alexandra Forsell

2004 - Jonathan Squeri & Liz Chudzik

2003 - Scott Kelly & Heather Jacobs

2002 - David Block & Laura Hitselberger

2001 - Colin Chudzik & Karlie O’Cone

2000 - Matt Lodato & Christina Zimmerman

1999 - Robert Engel & Alyssa Forsell

1998 - Evan Cheresnick

1997 - Ben Johnson

1996 - Ben Hydo

1994 - Elizabeth Bohnett & Gabel Child

Ingy Cox Award

2010 Winners: Willie Etheridge and Mackenzie Kramer

Ingy Cox Award
The prestigious Ingy Cox Award is presented annually to one participant in each Baseball and Softball Minors Divisions. The best way to describe the potential candidates for this award is to review Ingy’s coach, Rick Petro’s story...

"Ingy was a boy who, as a very young kid had a heart transplant. This naturally brought on many complications with which he struggled for many years. Ingy died several years ago as a result of the battle that he had with those complications. I coached Ingy for 2 years when he was 10 and 11. Ingy was not a very athletic kid nor was he close to being the best kid on the team. He was a kid with a lot of heart who never gave up. He was the kind of kid that was always first to show for practice. He practiced harder that most kids, never stopped trying, and always did what was necessary to help his team win. He loved playing the game of baseball."

The real story:
In AAA ball, Ingy injured his arm when hit by a pitch. He didn’t let on that the arm was really hurt and wouldn’t come out of the game. He stole a couple of bases and ended up scoring the winning run. The next practice, he showed up with his arm in a sling and was out for the rest of the playoffs. He continued to show up and coach the bases and cheer on his team.

Ingy passed away in January 1999.

The award is for someone who, regardless of ability, never stops trying, loves the game, and encourages his teammates to do better.

Past Award Winners
2010 - Willie Etheridge and Mackenzie Kramer
2009 - Daniel Grueneberg and Rachel Julius

2008 - Brian Starace & Courtney Skolka

2007 - Alex Lagana & Karlie Lombardi

2006 - Bradley Madden & Mariel Sullivan

2005 - Douglas Hall & Lyndsey Babcock

2004 - Tim Dwyer & Jenna Modi

2003 - George Connelly & Melissa Lichtman

2002 - Justin Robbins & Brae McQuade

2001 - Joe Murphy

2000 - Elizabeth Downes

1999 - Robby Girgenti

Jim Davis Sportsmanship Award

2010 Winners: Nicholas Kerins and Emily Vena

The Jim Davis Sportsmanship Award, established in 2004, is presented annually to a 12-year-old Little League Baseball and Softball player from each of the member Leagues in District 12. Established in memory of Jim Davis, sports reporter for The Trentonian, whose passion was Little League Baseball, the Sportsmanship Award will be presented at pre-game ceremonies of the 12-year-old District 12 Baseball Tournament.

Each member league in District 12 is asked to nominate one baseball and one softball player for each of their program charters. Nominees must be Little League age 12 and need not be members of the 12-year-old tournament team. While the method of selecting league representatives is up to the local league, recipients of the Jim Davis Sportsmanship Award will be selected using the following criteria:

Helps other players
Always tries hard
Displays enthusiasm and team spirit
Sets a good example
Plays fair at all times
Is a graceful loser
Doesn’t argue with the umpires
Is polite and courteous
Always does what team manager asks
Is a team player

Past Award Winners

2010 - Nicholas Kerins & Emily Vena

2009 - Matt Duplak & Dina Alter

2008 - TJ Lanzetta & Anjelica Sitek

2007 - Paul Balestrieri & Katelyn Black
2006 - Ryan Siegler & Rebeka Cirkus
2005 - Connor McElwee & Megan Chismar

James M. Farrell Memorial Award

2010: Sean and Susan Bluni

Father, coach and administrator, Jim Farrell brought patience, fairness, support, humor and understanding to his service with the West Windsor Little League. He created an unparalleled experience that epitomizes the mission of youth sport. This award is given annually to a volunteer who continues this legacy.

Award Winners:

2010 - Sean and Susan Bluni

2009 - Ellen Vogt