West Seneca West’s Varsity “W” Club and Girls Athletic Association recently announced their respective Athletes of the Month for December: Brenden Dunning, Nick Geschwender, Peter Walsh, Max Borzillieri, Alex Lee, William Adey, Nikki Kirchberger, Brianna Colello, Allie Chavanne, Alicia Wheeler and Lindsey Fuoco.

Dunning, a sophomore on the boys hockey team, led West in scoring during December with seven goals and eight assists for 15 points in just seven games. On the season, Dunning has 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points, and coach Kevin Rozo said that Dunning’s “solid +14 plus/minus rating, along with his offensive production, are big reasons why West is off to a solid 7-3-1 start just short of the season’s midway point.”

West Seneca West’s Athletes of the Month for December were, from left: Nick Geschwender, Pete Walsh, Max Borzillieri, Alex Lee, Bri Colello, Nikki Kirchberger and Lindsey Fuoco. Fellow honorees William Adey and Brenden Dunning are missing from the photo. “Simply put, Dunning is a game changer and one of the best players in the Federation,” Rozo said. “He is just a sophomore, but night in and night out he is the most noticeable and best player on the ice for either team. He has another gear and a desire to get better that you just can’t teach, which leads me to believe he has a very bright future in the game.”

Geschwender, a sophomore on the boys bowling team, has improved his average by over 20 pins and has become a valuable asset to the team during the month of December, according to coach Matt Marinaro. Geschwender shot his first 500 set for school during a match against Sweet Home.

“Nick is a hard working athlete who is passionate about improving his game,” Marinaro said. “He works hard in practice and puts in a lot of time at home to improve his game. We look forward to Nick taking on a bigger role as his bowling career at West continues.”

Walsh, a sophomore on the wrestling team, was undefeated in ECIC Division I matches and also placed second at the Pioneer Tournament in December. Walsh also leads the team in win percentage and takedowns so far this season.

“Pete is a gifted athlete with a great work ethic,” coach Dave Recor said. “He has the potential to be one of the best wrestlers to come out of West Seneca West.”

Borzillieri, a junior forward on the boys basketball team, averaged 10 points and seven rebounds per game during December, and was also named to the All-Tournament Team at the West Seneca Holiday Tournament.

“Max has really stepped up his play the last few games and was a factor in each of those games for us,” coach Dan Chavanne said. “We are looking to him to become a consistent competitor while a couple of his teammates are out of the lineup.”

Lee, a junior Russian foreign exchange student on the boys swimming team, had never participated on a team sport before, but coach Mike O’Connor said that his hard work has paid off.

“Alex is an extremely smart kid, and is easily the hardest worker on our team,” O’Connor said. “He always works himself to exhaustion everyday and it definitely shows, as he has already dropped over 10 seconds in his 50 freestyle time, and has continually dropped time in every other event. Each day he learns something new and gets so excited when he accomplishes things. He has high expectations for himself and when he makes a mistake, it motivates him to fix it before the next race. Alex is a joy to have at practice every day, whether he is teaching us some Russian or just reminding us how to teach things slowly and directly.”

Adey, a junior co-captain on the boys indoor track team, raced to personal bests in the 200-meter dash as a member of the 4x200 relay, and also jumped to his best distance in the triple jump. He is currently qualified for sectionals in the high jump, triple jump and 4x200 relay. He also currently leads the team in the 50 dash, the high jump and the triple jump.

“William has truly developed into a more consistent performer both on the track and especially in the field,” coach Emilio Mancino said. “His actions always speak louder than his words and he’s committed to being the best he can be.”

Kirchberger, a “rookie” senior defenseman on the girls hockey team, led the league in scoring in December with 15 goals and six assists.

“Nikki has amazed the competition with her skating ability and shooting,” coach Pete Tonsoline said. “Her finest quality is the fact she has no penalties in six games, so she has remained on the ice despite drawing fierce opposition.”

Colello, a junior on the girls indoor track team, has won five events to date this season between West’s first tri-divisional and three sub-sequent cross-divisional competitions. She has twice been one inch away from tying West’s girls school record in the indoor high jump.

Colello is currently qualified for sectionals in the 55 hurdles, 600, high jump, long jump, triple jump, and both the 4x200 and 4x400 relays.

“Brianna continues to carry on a tradition of well-rounded student athletes from our program that we are very fortunate to help develop,” Mancino said. “Everything she has accomplished can be credited to her unparalleled work ethic and passion to be the best she can be.”

Chavanne, a senior point guard and captain on the girls basketball team, leads the Lady Indians in points with 79, points per game at 9.5, blocks with six, steals with 28, and assists with 30. She also has 50 rebounds.

“Allie has tremendous speed and a strong court sense to get open,” coach Lori Potter said. “She can score off a screen or a drive to the basket. Allie is always around the ball both offensively and defensively. Allie can shoot the three and is a solid rebounder despite her size. Allie rarely comes off the floor and is often responsible for guarding the opponent’s best guard. She works very hard during every game and is a leader on the court. Allie is the player that opponents want to stop.”

Wheeler, a senior on the girls swimming team, “has been one of the best swimmers to ever come through West Seneca West,” O’Connor said. “This past year Alicia really dedicated herself to improving, since the state time cuts were really lowered, and she also wanted to try to get a school record. Alicia’s 50 free record was broken last year by Courtney Otto, and Alicia really wanted it back. She worked hard daily toward those goals and made states in the 100 fly and broke the one-minute barrier for the first time. She also tied the 50 free record not once, but twice. Alicia is a very determined girl and she is very internally motivated when she wants something. She really earned these accomplishments and will be missed greatly next year by our team when she’s swimming at Canisius.”

Fuoco, a sophomore on the girls bowling team, “is always the last to leave practice, gives her all at each practice and stays after to ask questions or to bowl even more in order to improve her game,” coach Scott Schreiner said. “She is a team leader. Lindsey held the highest average on the bowling team in the month of December with a 158 average, and also had high set of 525.”

All “W” Club Athletes of the Month receive a T-shirt from Al Ross Sports Screening, as well as a plaque from Trophy’s Trophy’s. They are also eligible for the Athlete of the Year Scholarship, which is given in June.