Sleepy Hollow Student-Athletes Look to the Future

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(L-R:) Max McClung, Sabrina Conrad, Alfredo Rodriguez, Juliana Largess, John Nisco, Alexa Charles and Bob Lustyik (photo by Joe Golden)

May 10, 2022

By Tom Pedulla–

To attend Sleepy Hollow’s recent college signing ceremony was to peer into the future. A bright future.

No one could feel otherwise after hearing accomplished student-athletes Alexa Charles (Hunter College), Sabrina Conrad (Holy Cross), Juliana Largess (SUNY Delhi), Robert Lustyik (Misericordia College), Max McClung (University of Rochester), John Nisco (Mercy) and Alfredo Rodriguez (Anna Maria College) speak of their hopes and dreams as they prepare to take their talents to the next level.

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No wonder Michael Arias has made it a point to celebrate the school’s college signees in each of his first two years as athletic director. After citing two boys’ lacrosse players in 202l, there were seven this year representing football (Lustyik and Rodriguez), swimming (Conrad, McClung), girls’ basketball (Charles) and baseball (Nisco).

“We definitely lean on this group as leaders, on the field and off the field,” Arias said. “They have set a really positive example for their peers and underclassmen.”

Arias added, “It’s super important to celebrate our college athletes. They work super hard to put themselves in this position, to be able to play at the next level in college. It highlights our program.”

The honorees made it clear that academics and potential careers weighed heavily in their college decisions. Charles, who poured in more than l,500 points and will graduate as one of the finest players in the history of the girls’ basketball program, plans to major in accounting. She said of choosing Hunter College, “I really think it’s a great opportunity for my major and my sport.”

Largess, a five-year member of the varsity girls’ soccer team, was drawn to SUNY Delhi because it offers a strong education in plumbing and refrigeration. “That program is state of the art. It’s one of the best,” she said. “Their soccer team is also really good. The coaches and players made me feel at home whenever I went there.”

When Lustyik is not playing defensive end and looking to level ballcarriers, he is eager to care for others. He will attend Misericordia College in Dallas, Pa., and study nursing. “I chose nursing because it’s in really high demand right now and there are not that many male nurses,” he said. “It’s a job I really want to do.”

Conrad, who developed her swimming talent with the help of the Rivertown Rays, also is interested in the medical profession. She aspires to be a physician’s assistant. “I chose Holy Cross for its high-level academics and athletics,” she said. “That balance was really important to me during my college decision process. I just fell in love with the campus and the coach and everything about it.”

McClung also traces his success as a swimmer to the Rivertown Rays. He has been with the program since he was five years old. “I would say it was the key to my development,” he said.

McClung is yet another young person aiming high. His interest? Electrical and computer engineering. “I hope to be a computer engineer, either designing hardware or computer software, whichever I enjoy more in college,” he said.

Perhaps no one is aiming higher than Nisco. Already one of the top baseball players in the county, the slugging outfielder yearns to be drafted someday by a major league team.

“I really think it’s doable. It’s a lifelong dream,” Nisco said. “If I could do it, that would make me so happy. I would be paid to play baseball. That would be the best thing ever.”

His smile could have lit the auditorium.

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