CAMPBELL HALL – High school seniors who have distinguished themselves in both the classroom and athletic arena were honored on Thursday, June 1, at the annual Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA) Scholar Athlete Awards Breakfast. This year’s event was held at the Country Club at Otterkill.

There were around 275 in attendance, including honorees, their families, school district personnel, members of the OCIAA Executive Committee and sponsors.

Luke Fedlam, a standout distance runner and graduate from the Jeff-Youngsville High School was the keynote speaker. Fedlam is now a partner at the law firm of Porter Wright in Columbus, Ohio and leads the Sports Law practice for the firm.

Mr. Fedlam spoke about what he learned as a high school athlete and how it helped him navigate his career and life. He explained how the skills of CRAFT (creativity, resilience, autonomy, flexibility and teamwork) that athletes develop can be used throughout their lives.

Robert Zayas, Executive Director of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) also spoke at the breakfast, along with Orange-Ulster BOCES Chief Operating Officer Deborah McBride Heppes and OCIAA Interscholastic Athletic Coordinator Christopher P. Mayo.

The OCIAA Scholar Athlete Awards Breakfast is coordinated by the Orange-Ulster BOCES Athletic Coordinator’s Office, which is part of a BOCES cooperative service offered to school districts. The office serves the needs of the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA), the Mid-Hudson Athletic League (MHAL) and Section IX Athletic Council. In addition to coordinating the breakfast, some of the office’s many functions include scheduling interscholastic athletics, scheduling and paying officials, providing in-service courses for coaches, conducting championship contests, maintaining a website for athletic scheduling, and mentoring athletic directors.