The 96th year of Stony Brook Athletics was a memorable one as numerous programs registered historic seasons. The girls’ volleyball squad won the first League Championship in their 28-year history, while the boys’ badminton team, just three years removed from a winless inaugural season, won their league’s title.

The baseball team earned its first postseason berth in 19 years while the girls’ basketball team returned to the County Championship for the first time since 2013. The boys’ tennis team turned in their best season ever in the perennially difficult League V and earned a spot in the Suffolk quarterfinals and the girls’ badminton team set a program wins record and charged their way into the Suffolk semifinals. The boys’ basketball earned an 18th consecutive playoff berth, the second-longest active streak in the county, and was one of four Bear teams to earn a spot in the County Championship. In all, ten of eleven teams that needed to qualify for the playoffs earned a postseason berth.

Individually, 13 athletes earned All-State or All-County honors, Sam Petersen won the League MVP award in volleyball, and Hunter Markowitz and Madi Sargent each won a pair of individual League Championships, the first swimming titles since the early 2000s. Joe Wozny blazed his way to a school record in strikeouts while lighting up the radar gun with a 91 mph fastball, while Brandon Gicquel and Steven Ou joined forces to win the first Division doubles title for the boys’ tennis team since 1993.

Even more importantly, the Bears distinguished themselves as sportsmen and sportswomen and true scholar-athletes. Four teams won their league’s sportsmanship award, while all 17 varsity teams and 185 individuals earned NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete Awards by maintaining at least a 90% GPA during their respective seasons.

It was an incredible year for the Blue and White, thanks to the hard work, dedication, and passion of an outstanding group of athletes and coaches. Here are some of the best shots of the year from the talented photographers in our community.

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