See who was crowned as the No.1 athlete of the season for Section 4 boys' basketball, swimming, wrestling, bowling and track.
Several male athletes across Section 4 have dominated in their respective sports, creating headlines and outshining their competition this season. The question posed: What characteristics make a standout athlete?
These fan-picked athletes have shown up and shown out in their respective sports this year; some athletes breaking long-standing records, other athletes stepping up to lead a team, and a handful of newcomers that redefined what underclassmen could do.
Here are this year's Athlete(s) of the Season in Section 4 boys' basketball, swimming, wrestling, bowling and track:
Click below to see all nominees and their accomplishments.
Boys Basketball
This season's nominees: Nolyn Proudfoot (Corning), Allan Eagles (Seton Catholic Central), Marco Konrad (Maine-Endwell), Brady Carr (Oneonta)
The fan-picked 2026 "Athlete of the Season" in Section 4 boys' basketball is Corning's Nolyn Proudfoot.
Proudfoot's accomplishments this season: Proudfoot scored 50 points in early February, surpassing 1500 career points as a sophomore. The six-foot-two guard is considered one of the top prospects in the region and has been an integral part of Corning’s postseason victories, including claiming the Section 4 Class AAA title and its state final four appearance this year.
More: High school sports results for the 2025-26 school year
Boys Swimming & Diving
This season's nominees: Strati Anastos (Maine-Endwell), Joey Crisco (Corning), Carson Thaete (Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour), Koen Anderson (Ithaca)
The fan-picked 2026 "Athlete of the Season" in Section 4 boys' swimming & diving is Corning's Joey Crisco.
Crisco's accomplishments this season: Crisco broke the STAQ record in the 100 breaststroke and achieved his second consecutive Section 4 Class A individual title. Crisco’s efforts in the pool helped Corning to its second straight Class A title and put him in the top 20 swimmers in the state in his sophomore season.
Boys Indoor Track & Field
This season's nominees: Gavin Heath (Owego), Keegan Waltz (Oxford-Greene), Milo Wilson (Binghamton), Darren Rose (Oneonta)
The fan-picked 2026 "Athlete of the Season" in Section 4 boys' indoor track and field is Owego's Gavin Heath.
Heath's accomplishments this season: Heath won the 300-meter dash at the Section 4 class championship with a 36.37 run–a new personal best–in early February and later secured a ticket to states with a first-place finish in the 600-meter run at qualifiers for another personal best, coming in at 1:22.89.
Boys Wrestling
This season's nominees: Gavin Lovell (Owego), Landyn Shaffer (Deposit-Hancock), Maverick Beckwith (Norwich), Anthony Valls (Chenango Valley)
The fan-picked 2026 "Athlete of the Season" in Section 4 boys' wrestling is Owego's Gavin Lovell.
Lovell's accomplishments this season: Lovell became one of the program’s youngest champs after securing the 2026 STAC champion at 103 pounds. Despite only being in seventh grade and heading into a new state tournament, Lovell stood his own as one of the youngest in Division 2 at the NYSPHSAA boys wrestling championships.
Boys Bowling
This season's nominees: Landon Butenko (Chenango Forks), Dominick Bernthon (Binghamton), Alex Gublo (Elmira), Cayden Bowman (Horseheads)
The fan-picked 2026 "Athlete of the Season" in Section 4 boys' bowling is Chenango Forks' Landon Butenko.
Butenko's accomplishments this season: Butenko topped the Division 2 series, games, and composite scores with a finish of 755, 279 and 2,186, respectively, at the Section 4 boys bowling championships, sending the Blue Devils to the state championships. Butenko ranked second in the Division 2 state championships.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: See Section 4 titleholders and record breakers for boys winter sports
Category: General Sports
