Release #665-97

Contact: Colleen Roche/Jack Deacy 212-788-2958

MAYOR GIULIANI HONORS GEORGE WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP BASEBALL TEAM

Yankees Didn't Win It All This Year, But Manhattan School Is The Nation's #1 High School Baseball Team

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today honored the members of the George Washington High School "Trojans" baseball squad for their ranking as this year's top high school baseball team in the nation. During the season, the team recorded a 44-2 won-lost record, boasted a team batting average of .450 and an earned run average of 1.17, and won the Manhattan "A" League title and the Public School City Championship at Shea Stadium. The team's number one national ranking is based on the Easton Sports Original National High School Poll for the 1996-97 season.

Joining the Mayor at ceremonies at City Hall were Schools Chancellor Rudolph Crew, Deputy Mayor Ninfa Segarra, Manhattan Schools Superintendent Granger Ward, George Washington HS Principal Euclid Mejia, Team Coach Steve Mandl, Assistant Coach Ronny DeLaRosa, and members of the team.

"To be named the number one high school team in the nation is a tremendous accomplishment and honor, and the players and their coaches should know that the people of New York City are proud of them," Mayor Giuliani said. "We were all disappointed that the Yankees did not repeat as World Series champions this year, but now we can celebrate that these great players from George Washington High School have brought the national championship home to New York City."

The Mayor presented the team with a Certificate of Recognition award for their accomplishment and each team player will receive an individual certificate. Among the team's outstanding individual starters are All-American Vincente Rosario, who has been signed by the New York Mets, Emmanuel Ulloa, who was drafted by the Seattle Mariners, and Manuel Olivera, who was awarded a full scholarship by Lamar University in Texas.

This year's World Series featured two former George Washington players, Alex Arias of the Florida Marlins and Manny Ramirez of the Cleveland Indians.

Reflecting the tremendous diversity of New York City, all but one of the current George Washington players hail from the Dominican Republic.

The members of the team are: Joe Acosta, Mike Bryan, Andre Castaing, Wander Castillo, Angel Figueroa, Rudhy Frica, Francisco Gomez, Franklyn Gracesqui, Cesar Isabel, Alberto Meran, Christian Morales, Manuel Olivera, Pedro Pichardo, Junior Ramirez, Rafael Ramirez, Edward Reyes, Vincente Rosario, Amaury Tavarez, Evaristo Torres, Sharbel Torres, Emmanuel Ulloa.

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