Stephen Henke

Seniors Stephen Henke and Jaylen Nuila were awarded the New Jersey Interscholastic Conference (NJIC) Sportsmanship Award at the Chart House in Weehawken on May 29.

Student-athletes from various school districts were honored for displaying athletic excellence, as well as sportsmanship. At the award luncheon, the recipients were introduced to their guest speaker, Mr. Steve Kennelly, an author and athletic trainer for the New York Giants.

First and foremost, Stephen Henke expressed his gratitude for qualifying for this accolade. “I am extremely grateful and proud that I was able to receive such an amazing award and also feel very accomplished because it was something that I have wanted for a long time.”

Throughout the track athlete’s four years of competing at Becton, he always believed that his best experiences included building individual bonds with his coaches and teammates, along with competing. Constantly guided by Physical Education Instructor Mr. Settembrino, the senior athlete recognized Mr. Sett as ‘his mentor’ and ‘source of motivation’ and also mentioned that he [Coach Sett] has been able to push him to the best of his abilities. “Coach Sett has been there since the beginning and seen me at my worst,” he stated.

The track hurdler continued to mention that being a successful student-athlete while keeping a good academic status has become one of his proudest achievements. “Overall, I’m proud of how far I’ve come athletically and academically,” he said.

Stephen identified college track hurdler Devon Allen as his role model.