Bay State Games Announces 2024 Athletes of the Year

August 22, 2024

(L-R) Mia Leveille (Baton Twirling), Alyssa Ardai (Figure Skating), Castor Kao (Fencing), Anthony "Tony" Leger (Archery)

Bay State Games is excited to announce they have selected its Athletes of the Year. This award is based on participation in the Games and other athletic achievements. The 2024 selections for Athlete of the Year are:

Female Youth Athlete – Mia Leveille

Female Adult Athlete – Alyssa Ardai

Male Youth Athlete – Castor Kao

Male Adult Athlete - Anthony "Tony" Leger

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Mia Leveille, 13, resides in Berwick, ME and attends Berwick Academy. She has been competing in Bay State Games Baton Twirling for 2 years and has been twirling for 9 years overall. Mia demonstrates extraordinary dedication, relentless hard work, and outstanding achievements in baton twirling. As a national champion and Team USA qualifier, she has demonstrated exceptional skill and commitment, training tirelessly day and night in dance, twirling, and gymnastics to perfect her craft. Her discipline, perseverance, and passion for the sport are evident in her performances and competitive successes. Beyond her athletic prowess, she serves as an inspiration and role model to others, exemplifying the values of dedication, resilience, and excellence. Mia is also an excellent student and is continuously on the honor roll.

Alyssa Ardai, 24, is a native of Malden, MA. Alyssa has competed in Bay State Games Summer and Winter Figure Skating competitions and has been skating for a total of 19 years. At Bay State Games, she is a two-time Adult Bronze USFS Gold Medalist, a gold medalist in USFS Bronze Compulsory Moves, silver medalist in ISI Open Freestyle 5, and bronze medalist in ISI Artistic Silver 5. She is a two-time Theatre on Ice National Competitor, a Synchro Sectional Competitor, Colonial Open/North Shore Open Medalist, and Get Up Champion. Alyssa is also a Learn to Skate Instructor and is a member of the Maplewood Association, Urban Media Arts (local TV studio), Malden Ward 6, and Girl Scouts of Eastern, MA. Additionally, Alyssa faces the daily challenge of alopecia areata, which has caused visible hair loss, but she doesn't let that get to her. For Alyssa, skating is a sanctuary where she can embrace her true self without the constraints of her condition.

Castor Kao, 18, is a resident of Needham, MA, a graduate of Beaver County Day, and on his way to attend school at Yale University. Castor is a passionate fencer who has dedicated his time, energy, and heart to the sport of fencing. He is one of the top fencers in his cohort and has won numerous medals and awards from tournaments around the world. In 2024, he made the USA Fencing Junior Olympic team and competed in the FIE Junior World Cup in 2023. He was the 2024 MVP at his high school, Beaver Country Day, and will attend Yale University as a fencing recruit. He also consistently makes the USA Fencing All-American First Team, showing competence in both athletic and academic endeavors. Castor serves as a role model for younger fencers as he works as an assistant coach at his fencing club. The younger athletes look up to him and will often seek his coaching during their tournament matches. His students respect him as a coach and as a mentor. Castor is incredibly dedicated to the sport as a whole. Aside from competing, he spends his time working as a referee, demonstrating a knowledge of the intricacies of the sport. Aside from fencing ability and knowledge, Castor has a very kind heart, evidenced by his relationships with younger fencers who look up to him as a mentor. He is a kind friend and is generous with his time. Younger fencers at his club have been known to seek out his coaching over the coaching of their more experienced professional coaches due to his relatability, empathy, and commitment. His passions lie in the camaraderie that he has found with his fellow fencers. He plans to enter the pre-medical track at Yale in order to eventually go into sports medicine; giving back to the sport that he's loved all his life and caring for athletes like him.

Anthony "Tony" Leger, 51, is a resident of West Brookfield, MA. Tony has competed in Bay State Games Archery since 2023 and has been involved in the sport for 12 years. Tony didn’t start doing archery until he was 36 years old and quickly fell in love with the sport. He not only started competing, but also became a USA Archery instructor, and was formerly a USA Archery Judge, and took an active role as a board member for his local club when living in Michigan. In 2017, he became the NFAA National Outdoor Target Champion & record holder. In recent years, his top achievements include 2024 MA State Outdoor Champion, 2024 CT Master’s Games Champion, and 2020 Michigan Archery Association Shooter of the Year, among a long list of awards. On top of his archery achievements, Tony has overcome physical setbacks which include multiple retinal tears/detachment, vitreous detachment, and other ocular issues, making it difficult to see/focus at distance even with corrective lenses. Tony continues to push himself and encourage others while having an infectious love for archery.

For more information on the Bay State Games Athlete of the Year program and past winners, go to www.baystategames.org/AOY.

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Bay State Games Inducts Three Into the 2026 Hall of Fame

August 26, 2026

Representative Patricia Haddad (legislative leadership), Representative John Barrett (legislative leadership), and Ryan McCarthy (baseball coach) have been selected for induction into the 2026 Bay State Games’ Hall of Fame. The inductees will receive their award at a pre-game ceremony at Fenway Park on Sunday, June 14 prior to the Red Sox game against Texas. The Bay State Games Hall of Fame was created to recognize past participants who have gone on to prestigious and successful athletic careers, as well as former and current coaches, officials, sports organizers, and volunteers who have made significant contributions to the organization throughout its 38-year history. Past inductees among the over 60 previous honorees include the NBA’s Dana Barros (‘06), Pat Connaughton (‘25) and the late Reggie Lewis (‘02); WNBA’s Rebecca Lobo (‘03); Major League Baseball’s Rich Hill (‘13); Olympians Nancy Kerrigan (‘07), Ada Korkhin (‘25) and Samantha Livingstone (‘18) and US Paralympic Gold Medalist Joe Lemar (‘15). “The Bay State Games is proud of the many athletes who have participated in the program and gone on to achieve success at the collegiate, professional, and Olympic levels. We are equally proud of the coaches, sport organizers, community leaders, and supporters whose dedication, expertise, and generosity have helped make the Bay State Games possible.” Said Kevin Cummings, the Bay State Games Executive Director. “We are honored to recognize this year's Hall of Fame class and celebrate the significant contributions each inductee has made to the Bay State Games. Their commitment, leadership, and lasting impact have strengthened the organization and enriched the experience of countless athletes throughout the Commonwealth.” REP. PATRICIA HADDAD - LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP Massachusetts State Representative Patricia Haddad championed state support for the Bay State Games for over two decades. She has supported the recreation, health, and education-based programs of the organization that benefit thousands of Massachusetts participants each year. A former teacher for 14 years, Rep. Haddad represented the 5th Bristol District for 25 years and served as Speaker Pro Tempore of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for ten years. REP. JOHN BARRETT - LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP Massachusetts State Representative John Barrett from Berkshire County has been a strong supporter of the Bay State Games since the mid-1980s. Rep. Barrett was instrumental in bringing the Winter Games to Berkshire County, where they have been held for over 35 years. He has served as State Representative for Berkshire County since 2017 and was formerly Mayor of North Adams for 26 years. Rep. Barrett is also a leading advocate of the statewide Summer Games. RYAN MCCARTHY - BASEBALL COACH Ryan McCarthy from Portsmouth has served as volunteer baseball coach at the Bay State Games for over two decades. He has led the Northeast team to numerous championship medals. Ryan has devoted more than 25 years to coaching high school student-athletes in both baseball and football at Triton Regional High School, Newburyport High School, and Dighton-Rehoboth High School. He has had a positive impact on countless Massachusetts high school student-athletes. For more on the Bay State Games Hall of Fame and past inductees, click here. https://www.baystategames.org/hall-of-fame

Bay State Games Announces 2026 Athletes of the Year

August 25, 2026

Bay State Games is excited to announce its selections for the 2026 Athlete of the Year Awards. Any athlete who participated in the 2026 Bay State Summer or Winter Games was eligible to be nominated for these awards. Selection is based on participation in the Games and other athletic achievements. The 2026 selections are: Female Youth Athlete – Dana Howling Wolf Keller Male Youth Athlete – Holden Choma Female Adult Athlete – Kiara Cabral Male Adult Athlete - Jacob DeAndrade Dana Howling Wolf Keller , 17, of Shrewsbury, is a senior at Notre Dame Academy in Worcester and an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Native American Tribe. Volleyball has been a major part of her life. She started unable to serve over the net but, after countless hours of dedication, has turned serving into one of her strengths and learned that confidence is built through persistence. Dana plays setter and right side for her high school team and SLAM national club team, and captains both teams. She was named to the 2025 Central MA Athletic Conference All-Star Team and represented her school as a MIAA sportsmanship delegate. Dana represented the Central region for Girls Volleyball in the Bay State Games in 2024 & 2026. This year, she was also named the sportsmanship recipient for the Central Girls Volleyball team. Dana has also been a Bay State Games High School Ambassador. She has committed to continue playing volleyball in college at the University of St. Joseph (CT). Off the court, Dana extensively volunteers at the Shrewsbury Public Library and Shrewsbury Special Olympics. Notre Dame Academy honored her with the Katherine Forbes Eskrine Award for her community service. Dana is also active in her parish's youth group and has participated in several Catholic leadership programs. She aspires to become a forensic pathologist, and last summer served as a lab assistant to Dr. Ann Burgess in Boston College's Forensic Science Summer Program. Holden Choma, 17, of West Newbury, is a senior at Pentucket Regional High School. Holden has competed in Track and Field since his freshman year and specializes in the high jump. He dedicated himself to jumping higher, and in his first year, he improved from 5'2 to 6'6.75, and was at the top of the MIAA. He is also a 2x USATF Region 1 champion in the high jump. He also competed at the 2025 USATF Junior Olympics and was the 15-16 National Runner-Up. This year he faced a setback after suffering a patellar tendon tear on his jumping leg. After nearly a year to fully heal, he was the MIAA Division 5 champion in the spring, and this summer he competed in his second Bay State Games after winning silver in the 2025 high jump. Holden broke his slump by shattering a 30-year-old Bay State Games record in the high jump at 2.05m (6'8.75) and took home the gold medal. Outside of jumping, Holden enjoys volunteering at Ipswich Junior Sailing, teaching children how to sail safely, and now works as an instructor. As a member of his school's band, he marched in West Newbury's Veterans Day Parade and held a private performance for local veterans. Kiara Cabral, 23, of Somerset, is a recent graduate of Bridgewater State University. She also competed as a student-athlete on the track and field team in sprinting events. She had a storied career as a Bridgewater State Bear achieving accolades from the school to the national level. Kiara was named 2026 Woman’s Athlete of the Year by Bridgewater State and holds five school records in 60m Indoor, 200m Indoor, 400m Indoor + Outdoor, 500m Indoor, and 4x100 Outdoor. In the MASCAC conference she holds six championship titles which she earned from 2022 to 2026. The conference named Kiara Athlete of the Week on 21 occasions and she holds two conference records in the 4x100 and the 400m. Kiara was placed on the All-Academic team for three seasons and the Sportsmanship team once. She has been nationally recognized as an NCAA All-American and qualified for both the indoor and outdoor nationals in 2025 and the indoor nationals again in 2026. Kiara was first team All-American in the outdoor 4x100 relay in 2025 and the indoor 400m in 2026, and was named second team All-American for outdoor 400m in 2025. This summer, Kiara competed in the Bay State Games in the 100m and 200m events. She was the gold medalist in both events running a time of 12.51 in the 100m and 25.35 in the 200m. Kiara graduated last spring with a degree in Mathematics and Secondary Education. She has always had a passion for helping children understand and enjoy math, and will enter her first year teaching middle school math this fall. Jacob DeAndrade, 26 , of Foxboro, graduated from Bridgewater State University in 2024 with a Master of Business Administration and currently works in finance. Jacob was an accomplished student-athlete at Bridgewater State. In his rookie season at Bridgewater State, the school named him Rookie of the Year. He was a 10x Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference champion and a 3x member of the DIII All-Academic team. He is a 2x competitor in the Bay State Games Track and Field event. This year, Jacob had an especially impressive showing, earning gold in the 100m Open and 200m Open events with times of 10.83 and 22.04. In his free time, Jacob enjoys running, lifting, and playing soccer. Bay State Games Athlete of the Year recipients will receive a plaque commemorating their accomplishment. For more information on the Bay State Games Athlete of the Year program and past winners, go to www.baystategames.org/AOY .