Two students each from West Hartford’s Conard and Hall high schools have been named CIAC Scholar-Athletes for the 2019-2020 school year.

Peter Simplicio and Cate Di Giacomo are Conard High School’s 2019-20 CIAC Scholar-Athletes. Twitter image

By Ronni Newton

West Hartford Public Schools has announced the names of the athletes from Conard and Hall high schools who have been named CIAC Scholar-Athletes for the 2019-2020 school year.

Conard’s Scholar-Athletes are Peter Simplicio, who has played football, basketball, and lacrosse throughout his high school career, and volleyball and lacrosse player Cate Di Giacomo.

Hall’s Scholar-Athletes are Jenna Zydanowicz, who has participated in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field and also formerly played basketball for Hall, and Emily Cubbage who has played soccer and participated in indoor and outdoor track and field.

Jenna Zydanowicz (left) and Emily Cubbage have been named Hall High School’s 2019-20 CIAC Scholar-Athletes. Twitter image

They were to have have been recognized, along with more than 300 students from public high schools throughout the state, at at the annual Scholar-Athlete Banquet on May 3 at the Aqua Turf in Southington, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic and closure of schools and prohibition of large gatherings through at least May 20, that event has been canceled.

“Sadly, for the first time since 1984 we will not hold our Scholar Athlete Banquet this spring. But these exceptional student-athletes still deserve recognition,” the CIAC wrote in a tweet earlier this month, requesting that the names of students be share with the hashtag #SchAth20 “to sing the praises of these remarkable students.”

According to the CIAC website, the Scholar-Athlete program is intended to recognize two high school seniors from each member high school “whose academic and athletic careers have been exemplary, whose personal standards and achievements are a model to others, and who possess high levels of integrity, self-discipline and courage.”

Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford! Click the blue button below to become a supporter of We-Ha.com and our efforts to continue producing quality journalism.