Senate Resolution No. 1357

BY: Senator GRIFFO

CONGRATULATING the Hamilton Girls Softball Team
upon the occasion of capturing its first New York
State Class D Championship

WHEREAS, Individual and team championships are highly sought after
in high school sports; it is the sense of this Legislative Body to
commend rare athletic achievements and pay special recognition to those
who pursue such excellence and become examples for the youth of this
great Empire State; and

WHEREAS, Athletic competition helps to enhance both the moral and
physical development of young athletes, preparing them for the future by
instilling in them the importance of teamwork, encouraging a standard of
healthy living, and developing a sense of fair play and competition; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, this Legislative Body is justly
proud to congratulate the Hamilton Girls Softball Team upon the occasion
of winning the New York State Class D Championship; and

WHEREAS, On Saturday, June 14, 2025, the Hamilton Girls Softball
Team achieved its first-Class D Championship title at Greenlight
Networks Grand Slam Park in Binghamton, New York; the team clinched a
win with a tight score of 11-10 over the Argyle Girls Softball Team,
closing out the season with a remarkable overall record of 19-2; and

WHEREAS, In May, the Hamilton Girls Softball Team was struck by
tragedy when freshman Isadora Catania passed away suddenly, but as the
team moved onward to secure a sectional championship, they carried her
memory and her jersey with them, donning black bands with her number 18;
in the Championship title game, as the team slowly lost the lead, they
called upon her spirit for help and scored an over-the-fence home run on
the very next pitch, bringing the score back to a tie; and

WHEREAS, With a blend of skill and resolve, the Hamilton Girls
Softball Team started strong and finished strong despite a rocky middle,
each team member contributing greatly toward achieving their goal and
becoming their school's first-ever softball State Champions; the team
displayed extraordinary resilience in the face of an unspeakable loss
and dedicated their victory to their fallen friend; and

WHEREAS, Head Coach Zachary Darrow, Assistant Coach Jessie Darrow,
and all the outstanding athletes on the Hamilton Girls Softball Team
have clearly utilized dedication, determination, and teamwork in
providing a lasting contribution to the spirit of excellence, which is a
tradition of their school; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED. That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate the members of the Hamilton Girls Softball Team: Polly
Hansen-Rodriguez, Ellie Freeth, Chloe LaFrance, Kristen LaFrance,
Adriana Catania, Eve McCorkle, Sicily Catania, Rihana Dye, Alexis
LaFrance, Katelyn Simpson, Rhiannon Murray, Ryan Verbitsky, Brooke
Dunlay, Ellie Olsen, and Maggie Jackson, upon the occasion of capturing
their first New York State Class D Championship, and to join them in

honoring the legacy of their teammate, Isadora Catania; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the members of the Hamilton Girls Softball Team, Head
Coach Zachary Darrow, and Assistant Coach Jessie Darrow.