Port Jefferson cross country athlete Max Joyner recognized at the Town of Brookhaven’s Night of Champions.

Port Jefferson fencing athlete Magdalena Layne-Stasik recognized at the Town of Brookhaven’s Night of Champions.

Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Pacino speaking at the Town of Brookhaven’s Night of Champions.

Seven teams from the Port Jefferson School District represented the District at the Town of Brookhaven’s inaugural Night of Champions athletic ceremony in April. The teams were honored at Brookhaven Town Hall for their successful, championship-winning winter seasons.

A total of 59 Earl L. Vandermeulen High School students, across seven teams, were recognized at the Night of Champions. The girls volleyball team was honored for winning league, county, and Long Island championships for the third consecutive season. The boys cross-country team won its eighth consecutive Suffolk County Championship and the NYSPHSAA Class D State Championship, while the girls cross-country team also captured the Suffolk County Championship. The competitive cheerleading team won the county championship, as did Magdalena Layne-Stasik, a member of the fencing team that the Port Jefferson School District shares with Ward Melville and Rocky Point.

Track athletes Evan Monaghan and Alexa Jacobs were also honored at the event. Evan was the Suffolk County Small School Champion in the 55-meter hurdles and broke the school record in the event with a 7.73 time. Alexa was the overall county champion in both the 55-meter and 300-meter events. She broke the school record in the 300-meter with a time of 39.35 and in the 55-meter with a 7.02, which also stands as a Section XI record.

“In the Port Jefferson School District, our students are offered every opportunity to excel in both academics and athletics,” said Port Jefferson Superintendent of Schools Jessica Schmettan. “Every one of these students earned the right to be recognized in front of the entire Town of Brookhaven, and I hope this is a moment they appreciate moving forward.”