2023-2024 SEASON
year end banquet booklet
Courtesy of and Created by Diann O'Connor
2024 girls BASKETBALL BANQUET BOOKLET in process.pdfYEAR END BANQUET
The 2023 - 2024 girls basketball season has officially come to a close. Thank you all for supporting the girls this year, and hopefully you are excited to do it once more at our year end banquet celebration. Our Banquet will be on Sunday, April 7th from 4PM - 7:30 PM at Sycamore Hills Golf Course. The cost is $20 per person attending. Please make checks payable to Utica Community Schools and have your daughter provide to their coach or turn in to the main office in an envelope that says "Varsity Girls Basketball Coach" as well as the family name and number attending.
If you have questions, please reach out to Coach Jay at jaymikem@gmail.com or 586-292-8783.
DISTRICTS
The varsity girls kick off their state playoff run with a game against Stevenson at Ford High School Monday, March 4th at 7PM. Come out and support the girls as they look to advance to the second round and keep their season going!
All LEague Honorees
Three members of the varsity girls team were honored as a member on one of the MAC White All League teams for the 2023-2024 season.
Vanessa Galovich was voted by the coaches as a First Team All League member.
Sarah Fromm and Cameryn McConachie were recognized as Honorable Mention All League members.
Congratulations to all three and the well deserved recognition they received for their hard work this season and dedication the program.
UTICA GIRLS SUPPORT THE TISCH FAMILY WITH "TEAM TISCH DAY" PInk Out
The girls basketball program wanted to do something special for Andrea Tisch and her family, as Andrea was diagnosed with cancer over the summer and received a less than stellar diagnosis in early January. Andrea and her husband Danny have been long time supporters of Utica sports, serving with the Athletic boosters and also attending various events supporting the athletic teams at Utica. Danny also serves as the freshman baseball coach for the Utica baseball program. Their son Johnny was a former Utica athlete and was a member of both the Utica boys baseball and basketball teams (he was a member of the first JV team at Utica that Coach Jay was a member of the coaching staff of). The program and others members of the Utica Sports family rallied together to pull of "Team Tisch Day," to try and bring a little cheer and recognition to the family, getting hot pink "Team Tisch" T-shirts made thanks to Loraine at Clothing Graphics for her heroic efforts to turn those around so quickly with an assist from varsity team members Addison Stuehmer, Lorriana Mannino, Makenzie Waterhouse and Cameryn McConachie (who volunteered their time after school and before practice to help with T-shirt prep). People from all over the community came to watch and support by wearing hot pink and donating to the Capuchin Retreat Center in honor of Andrea, which was her charity of choice. The Tribe student section also showed out in a big way to support the family, wearing Hot Pink and filling the stands for the entire game. The Utica gym has never looked so good in Hot Pink, and never will look that good again. Over $1,000 was collected in donations, gifts were made for the family, and, for at least a moment, the Tisch family was provided with something to focus on other than the tough news at home. There are things much more important than the game of basketball, and who wins or loses. And although the scoreboard of the varsity game may not have reflected a win for the Chieftains, what was accomplished that night was a much more important victory overall.
VARSITY TEAM BUILDING BONDS OFF THE COURT
The varsity girls visited Michigan Escape Room in Washington, Michigan over the holiday break as a team building activity and to put their puzzle solving skills to the test. The team was split into two groups and into different rooms. Coach Jay's group (which consisted of Sarah Fromm, Violet Smith, Makenzie Waterhouse, Bella Lulgjuraj, Kylie Condon, Loriana Mannino and Vanessa Galovich) attempted to reverse the curse in MisFortune before being trapped forever by a crazy fortune teller. Coach Bry's group (consisting if Cam McConachie, Brooklyn LeMerise, Brianna LeMerise, Alexis Petruccioli, Addison Stuehmer, Alexis Pokley and Katelyn Shtogrin) had to find a way to escape falling to their doom in The Elevators. Both teams beat the odds and were able to escape their respective rooms before the allotted time of 60 minutes, the MisFortune proved to flex a little more problem solving muscle by finishing in just under 50 minutes of time compared to 56 minutes for The Elevator crew. Although there was discussion that one room may have been harder than the other, this was quickly shot down as nothing more than hearsay (as Coach Jay confirmed that he only participates in the most difficult of escape rooms, so of course his team could not have been in the easier one)! Regardless, fun was had by all, and, if nothing else, all team members proved that they may have a future in detective work if that is a career path any choose to pursue.
