Union Springs Central School District and Union Springs Athletic Department honored its student-athletes on Thursday evening during the annual Varsity and JV Fall Sports Awards, celebrating a season that began hot and dry, ended cold and wet and delivered countless accomplishments along the way.

All varsity teams qualified for sectionals this fall, marking a strong showing across the board. Both the Varsity Girls and Boys Soccer teams captured the Cufari Classic championship—an especially meaningful victory for the girls, who brought home the title for the first time in three years.

The district also recognized its monthly standouts: Avery Koch and Charles Patterson were named Union Springs Athletes of the Month for September, and Maddy Kalet and Lucas Walawender were honored for October.

One of the evening’s biggest highlights was celebrating Coach Jim Hodges, who reached two major milestones this fall—200 career boys varsity soccer victories and 300 overall soccer victories, including his years coaching varsity girls. His achievement drew a warm round of applause from the crowd.

Throughout the ceremony, coaches were invited on stage to share reflections on their seasons before presenting individual awards to their athletes. Presenters included:

· Girls Varsity Soccer – Coach Jason Dentel

· Boys Varsity Soccer – Coach Jim Hodges

· JV Volleyball – Coach Emily Ryan (with Coach Tom Owens stepping in to present on her behalf)

· Varsity Volleyball – Coach Tom Owens

The night concluded with heartfelt remarks from Coach Owens, who announced that this season was his final one at the helm. Over the course of 35 years, he has made an indelible mark on Union Springs athletics, coaching baseball and softball in addition to volleyball. USCSD extends its sincere gratitude to Coach Owens for his dedication, leadership and countless contributions to student-athletes over more than three decades.

Coach Owens noted that the volleyball program is in “wonderful hands” with Coach Ryan taking the lead moving forward. He also shared his excitement for spending more time on the golf course—joking that he’s hoping for a few victories over both his own son and the son of Athletic Coordinator Todd Salls.

It was a night filled with celebration, pride, and heartfelt moments—an evening that perfectly capped off a successful and memorable Fall 2025 sports season in Union Springs.