Graduation 2026: North Fork Athletes of the Year

Each year, The Suffolk Times compiles a list of student-athletes who stood out during the school season and selects Athletes of the Year from Greenport, Mattituck and Southold high schools. The award-winners have excelled in their sport or sports through hard work, resilience and determination.

Their outstanding performance has brought their schools to new heights while leaving legacies that will not soon be forgotten.

This year’s honorees include Mattituck’s Page Kellershon, Claire McKenzie and Michael Buckley; Southold’s Francesca Santacroce and Travis Sepenoski; and Greenport’s Barbara Mantzopoulos and Luke Kohl.

Kellershon and McKenzie shared Tuckers girls’ honors because they both made outstanding contributions to their respective teams.

Page Kellershon, Mattituck

Kellershon participated in four sports during her high school career: lacrosse, soccer, basketball and track. She was a dominant force in lacrosse, leading all Suffolk County players this past season with 106 points on the strength of 60 goals and 46 assists. A member of two Class B county championship teams, Kellershon finished her career second all-time in Mattituck points with 318.

Kellershon earned second-team All-American honors, becoming the second Tucker to accomplish that feat. She was also a three-time All-County lacrosse player, and all-state in the sport as well, and a two-time All-County soccer player.

“Page is one of the most dedicated athletes you can find and one of the most gifted athletes to ever walk the halls of Mattituck,” lacrosse coach Logan McGinn said. “She is fixated on greatness and will do whatever it takes to be successful. I truly have never encountered a more gifted athlete in my coaching career. She has speed, explosiveness and agility that can’t be taught, placing her in the top 1% of all athletes.”

She also played basketball, but skipped her senior year in the sport, instead competing in indoor track.

“We really could have used Page this season,” basketball coach Steve Van Dood said. “She was a difference maker. That kind of player is hard to replace. She was a relentless defender, a hard worker and the kind of player every coach loves to have. More importantly, she’s a great kid who represented our program the right way every day.”

Kellershon will enter the U.S. Naval Academy this fall.

Claire McKenzie, Mattituck

McKenzie was a member of the Tuckers’ volleyball team that reached the Class B finals, finished with 1,115 career points in basketball and was fourth in the county (19.1 points per game) this past campaign.

“Claire being named athlete of the year is a testament to her dedication, leadership and outstanding performance on the court,” basketball coach Steve Van Dood said. “Reaching the 1,000-point milestone is an exceptional achievement that reflects years of hard work and consistency. She has been a tremendous representative of her team, school and community.”

McGinn noted that there aren’t many players who could score more than 100 points in lacrosse and 1,000 points in basketball.

“Claire McKenzie is a one-of-a-kind athlete who is so natural at everything she does,” he said. “She is truly gifted with her abilities. She just understands game concepts and can make things happen with her height and strength. I haven’t had someone for whom things came so naturally. She can truly play any position on the field and make it look easy.”

McKenzie will attend Rollins College in the fall.

Michael Buckley, Mattituck

Buckley was a Tucker athlete for all three seasons: golf in the fall, basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring.

Paul Elwood coaches the golf and basketball teams, so he became quite familiar with Buckley’s athletic ability. Buckley was chosen as an All-League, All-Conference and All-County in golf. He played the first 3 1/2 weeks of the season with a broken thumb, still averaging 37 for nine holes.

“Michael had one of the best golf seasons one of my players has ever had,” Ellwood said. 

As a guard, Buckley averaged 2.7 ppg in basketball, but his true worth was as a floor leader. He didn’t score in the Class B semifinal win over Babylon.

“I didn’t ever take him off the floor, because he’s like a coach and quarterback on the floor,” Elwood said. “He always talked about, ‘Coach, we can get this guy the ball,’ or ‘He’s in a good spot if he just does this.’ It was never, ‘Get me the ball. ‘”

Buckley, who will attend the University of Florida this fall, also stood out on the baseball diamond as a lead-off hitter and shortstop.

“Mike was a great athlete for us,” baseball coach Joe Tardif said. “He competed hard and went out and made things happen for us in the lead-off spot.”

Assistant baseball coach Dan O’Sullivan, who coached Buckley in varsity baseball and junior high basketball, added: “Mike was a fierce competitor whose determination, work ethic and intensity set the standard every time he stepped onto the court or field. A true team-first athlete, he consistently placed the success of the team above personal recognition and earned the respect of teammates, coaches and opponents alike.” 

Francesca Santacroce, Southold

A three-sport participant, Santacroce made her reputation as a standout for the Greenport/Southold basketball team. She averaged 11.1 ppg this past season.

“Fran is what a student athlete is supposed to be,” coach Ev Corwin said. “A great player, great teammate, hard worker, and took care of business in the classroom.

“Fran was the only senior on this year’s team,” he continued. “It was her fourth year at this level. We talked before the season about being a real leader, keeping an eye on the two eighth-graders on the team. She always led by example, but this season she was also a vocal leader.”

Santacroce, who will attend Ave Maria University this fall, also played on the MSG soccer squad and the Mattituck/Greenport/Southold lacrosse team.

“Francesca makes the things she does on the basketball court look easy,” McGinn said. “Little does everyone know, it’s the work ethic behind her to take her skills to another level. She was a great soccer and lacrosse player and is one of the best basketball players to come out of Southold.

“She is always working on her craft in basketball, which makes her exceptionalm” he added. “What really showcased her true athleticism was when she tried lacrosse for the first time this year; her athletic ability allowed her to play for us and help our team.”

Travis Sepenoski, Southold

Sepenoski followed in the footsteps of his brother Jack, who was honored as the newspaper’s 2024 Southold player of the year.

Travis played with his heart, soul, and mind and was a leader on and off the field as a team captain.

As a goalkeeper on the Settlers’ soccer team, he was a big reason why the team reached the Class C final.

“He is an outstanding athlete, and all the results we saw were a product of his hard work and dedication,” soccer coach Chris Ruggi said. “He would impact games with world-class saves and even spark our offense with long punts. Most importantly, he applies his efforts to the classroom and is a good person.”

Sepenoski was a force on the basketball team (14.4 ppg), helping the team reach the Class C final.

“Travis is a gritty, selfless athlete. He has a sense for the moment and holds his teammates and himself to a standard of excellence,” baseball coach Will Fujita said.

Sepenoski, who will attend the University at Buffalo, finished his high school career on the baseball team this past spring as the shortstop and leadoff batter.

“Travis is a complete student athlete,” baseball coach Dave Riddell said. “He was the leader on the field, in the dugout and long after the game had ended.  Not only a superb athlete, but also a strong student and member of the community.  None deserves this honor more than him.”

Barbara Mantzopoulos, Greenport

Mantzopoulos played a key role in the Porters’ volleyball team’s resurgence. She finished the season with two aces, two assists, one kill and 30 digs.

“Barbara is a terrific person and athlete,” coach Martin Maningo said. “She earned her way to the starting libero position midway through the year after our team hit a slump during the season. Once in that role, she brought a new energy onto the court that the team fed off of, which, in my opinion, was the main reason we were able to get into the playoffs.

“She was always asking the right questions to get better and studied game film to prepare for our championship match loss against Port Jeff, where she was our game MVP. Her impact on the court went far beyond her stats,” he said.

Mantzopoulos will attend the College of Charleston this fall.

Luke Kohl, Greenport 

Kohl competed in three sports during his Porters’ career: basketball, golf and baseball, although the latter did not field a team this past season.

He served as captain of the baseball team for two years, “consistently demonstrating reliability, strong communication skills and punctuality. He set a high standard for his teammates, both on and off the court, led by example,” coach Justin Moore said.

Kohl averaged 2.3 points a game on the basketball squad, but he brought other intangibles to the team.

“One of Luke’s most admirable qualities is his commitment to mentoring younger players,” Moore said. “He naturally takes them under his wing, helping them feel comfortable, confident and part of the team.”

Kohl, who will attend Georgia Tech in the fall, was a two-year member of the golf team, as he cracked the starting lineup at the end of his junior season. A starter as a senior, he averaged 49 for nine holes, shooting a 44 in his final match at Laurel Links.

“Lucas was a pleasure to coach,” coach Jeff Ellis said. “He is genuine, polite and always has a smile on his face. There is no doubt in my mind that he will do great things in the future.”