Beat the Streets honors annual award winners at 2024 Annual Benefit

BTS alumni Jon Alicea and Steve Santimauro earned coaching awards.

Beat the Streets honored its annual award winners for the 2023-24 season during its 2024 Annual Benefit on Tuesday, June 4 at Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan.

Volunteer of the Year – Zoe McGrady 

Zoe McGrady strives to be a positive role model, sharing her knowledge of personal finance and wrestling with students in Beat the Streets programs. McGrady, a former high school wrestler who works in the financial technology industry in New York, has served as a personal finance speaker for the BTS Academy and BTS Academy Career Day for the past two years. She has also assisted with coaching during BTS Training Center wrestling practices and volunteered at the 2023 BTS Annual Benefit, Final X. 

GRIT – Dean Gray 

Dean Gray of Grand Street Campus (Brooklyn) commutes an hour every day from Coney Island to his school. This past school year, Gray committed more to his academics and wrestling by improving his school attendance and grades. He also began giving back to his community by helping younger wrestlers on his high school team and supporting them at freestyle tournaments.

Junior League Female of the Year – Serra Akyali  

Serra Akyali of Hunter College Middle School (Manhattan) won individual Junior League City Championships in the boys and girls standard divisions. Akyali won all her matches by first-period fall, including a comeback victory to win the boys title. 

Junior League Male of the Year – Devin Ferguson 

Devin Ferguson of Cornerstone Academy (Bronx) started wrestling in seventh grade as a novice division Junior League City champion. This past season, he won another city title, this time in the standard division. He continued to compete throughout the offseason and earned sixth place at the New York state middle school tournament. He will begin high school at Mount St. Michaels (Bronx) next school year.

Junior League Coach of the Year – Jon Alicea 

BTS alumnus Jon Alicea guided Cornerstone Academy (Bronx) to top-two finishes at the city championships. The boys team – with three individual champions - won the city title and the girls team – with two individual champions - took second place.

Assistant Coach of the Year – Craig Sampson, Jr.

Craig Sampson, Jr. of Tottenville High School (Staten Island) helped guide his alma mater to a Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) Dual Meet City Championship and first place team finish at the PSAL Individual City Championships, with three city champions/state qualifiers. Tottenville head coach John Cichon credits Sampson Jr. for taking what he learned as a four-year wrestler at NCAA Division 3 Johnson & Wales University and applying it to the Tottenville program. 

Girls High School Coach of the Year – Ted Cook 

Ted Cook led Harry S. Truman High School (Bronx) to its sixth consecutive PSAL girls freestyle dual meet city championship and extended the Mustangs’ dual meet undefeated streak to 63-0 since the 2015 city finals. The Mustangs also finished in first place in the team standings at the PSAL girls freestyle individual city championships – for a fourth time - with two finalists (Aracelli Rodriguez and Leah Nunes). Cook, who has guided the Mustangs to a 76-4 dual meet record since the program started in 2015, is a five-time recipient of this award. 

Boys High School Coach of the Year – Steve Santimauro 

BTS alumnus Steve Santimauro of James Madison High School (Brooklyn) led his team to a runner-up finish in the PSAL Division 1 Dual Meet City Championships. The Golden Knights also had eight city finalists, including five city champions. At the state tournament, Santimauro guided BTS Academy student-athlete Amir Avazov to the school’s first individual state wrestling title. 

Female Student-Athlete of the Year – Emily Nunez 

Emily Nunez of Harry S. Truman High School (Bronx) started wrestling during her junior year of high school and quickly embraced the sport. Through her commitment to the sport with the help of Beat the Streets, Nunez took fourth place at the PSAL girls freestyle city championship and helped the Mustangs win their sixth consecutive dual meet city title. Nunez maintained a 95-percent grade-point average while participating in cross country and wrestling. She plans to continue her wrestling career at East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, where she plans to pursue a degree in criminal justice.  

Male Student-Athlete of the Year – Leo Gao 

Leo Gao of Brooklyn Tech High School finished his high school career as a two-time city champion and state qualifier. Gao, a BTS Academy student-athlete, maintained a 98-percent grade-point average while being a three-time wrestling team captain and an active Key Club member. He plans to study pre-law and legal studies at West Point.

Lady Liberty (Female Career Achievement) - Lanxi Xu 

Lanxi Xu of Francis Lewis High School (Queens) captured PSAL individual city championships in folkstyle and freestyle in just her second year competing in the sport of wrestling. Xu, a BTS Academy student-athlete, also served as captain of the boys and girls wrestling teams at Francis Lewis. She plans to study business at the University of Albany.

Atlas Award (Male Career Achievement) - Amir Avazov 

Amir Avazov of James Madison High School (Brooklyn) became the fourth New York City student-athlete from a PSAL school to win a New York state wrestling title. Avazov is also the first student-athlete from the BTS Academy program as well as James Madison to capture an individual state wrestling title. He plans to continue his wrestling career at Long Island University, where he plans to pursue a degree in finance.

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Since being founded in 2005, Beat the Streets has pioneered a movement that now includes 150 individual wrestling programs, a youth league and the first girls high school league.

BTS works to develop the full human and athletic potential of New York City urban youth and strengthen the city's wrestling culture. We aim to make a lifelong impact on student-athletes through the lessons learned on the wrestling mat -- discipline, perseverance, self-reliance, humility and a strong work ethic. Discover how you can make a meaningful contribution to our work at btsny.org/donate.