6th Annual Celebration of Champions
June 9, 2026
At ESL Ballfield

Professional Athletes of the Year

Ernie Clement, Toronto Blue Jays

Chris Lillis, Gold Medal Olympian, Freestyle Skier

Haley Winn, Gold Medal Olympian, Women’s Hockey

• Major Donald Holleder Lifetime Achievement Award – person whose active life has exhibited the highest level of sportsmanship, character, courage and achievement-Ray Maxwell, recently retired Livonia CSD Head Soccer Coach; 41-year coaching career

• Charlie Wagner & Christine Wagner Welch Founders Award – promoting sports on the local level with commitment and inspiration

  • Ryan Kimball, Owner and Founder, Kickball League of Rochester

  • Joe Thyroff, recently retired, Boys and Girls Head Tennis Coach, Pittsford Schools

• ESL Coach of the Year – Terrell Cunningham, Monroe High School Football and Basketball Coach

• Elliot Cushing Award – local person who has excelled on the national sports scene/level-Wrianna Hudson, 2025 NCAA D1 Most Outstanding Player, Soccer

• Gary Smith & George Beahon Sports Media Award – for local sports media excellence-Craig Rybczynski, Senior Director of Operations and Communications, Rochester Knighthawks, longest tenured broadcaster in NLL history

• Jean Giambrone Award – woman who has made an exemplary lifetime commitment to local women’s sports-Jennifer Granger, St. John Fisher University, Director of Athletics and Recreation

• Morrie Silver Award – for special contributions in promoting sports in Rochester & Monroe County-Faheem Masood, Retired President and CEO of ESL Federal Credit Union, dedication to community engagement

• Rich Funke Jr. & Jerry Flynn Local College Athlete Award

  • Jillian Ambler, SUNY Geneseo, Track & Field, Empire 8 ‘25-‘26 Indoor Field Athlete of the Year

  • Sierra Doody, SUNY Geneseo, Track & Field, Empire 8, ‘26 Track Athlete of the Year