NORTH HALEDON — Kaitlin Salisbury said attending her final all-county awards dinner on Monday night was “bittersweet.”
That was before the Hawthorne track and field star was told she was chosen the Passaic County Coaches’ Association Female Athlete of the Year at The Tides banquet hall.
Salisbury beat out fellow finalists Olivia Pantale of Wayne Valley (track) and Tess Korinko of West Milford (lacrosse). She ended her high school career having won four state Meet of Champions gold medals — capturing the long and triple jump last week for the second year in a row. She also won four gold medals in consecutive years at the group championships.
“Hawthorne is a very small town,” Salisbury said. “To produce an athlete of my caliber to win something like that, it’s going to mean a lot to everyone back home.
“Everybody knows what you do, and I have never had so many people come up to me and tell me, ‘You did amazing things out there.’
“Everyone knows you, and you can’t get that feeling anywhere else.”
Requirements for the award include strong athletic and academic performances, sportsmanship, participation in two varsity sports as a senior and at least two first-team all-county selections.
Salisbury now looks forward to a collegiate track career at Bucknell. She has a 3.8 GPA, but earned a full athletic scholarship.
