ACYOA Juniors from 14 Diocesan parishes enthusiastically gathered at St. James Church in Watertown, MA, over Memorial Day weekend, for the 47th annual Hye M’rtsoom ACYOA Juniors Sports Weekend. The St. James ACYOA Juniors chapter hosted 226 of their peers, together with adult chaperones.
On Friday evening, participants gathered with anticipation as buses began to arrive from out of town to kick-off the weekend, which had the theme “Let’s Make History,” selected by the ACYOA members.
Saturday’s events began with a morning service and welcoming words from parish pastor Fr. Arakel Aljalian and Youth Minister Maria Derderian, followed by a day of sports competitions, including basketball, volleyball, and individual sports.
Opportunities for fellowship continued throughout the weekend, including a service project where participants prepared blessing bags for donation to a local shelter.
Evening events on Saturday and Sunday gave the participants opportunities to enjoy fellowship, dancing, and a trophy ceremony to celebrate the tournament’s victors. Participants, host families, chaperones, and volunteers gathered for breakfast on Monday morning before returning home with new friends made and new memories formed.
See below for the listing of 2025 Hye M’rtsoom award and sports winners.
Click the following link to view a gallery of photos from the weekend.
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2025 Hye M’rtsoom Award and Sports Winners
INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION
Beginner Tavloo
1st Place: Maria Sargsyan – Watertown, MA
2nd Place: Sona Abrahamyan – Framingham, MA
Beginner Chess
1st Place: David Stepanian – Providence, RI
2nd Place: Narek Khanjyan – Cambridge, MA
Advanced Tavloo
1st Place: Rafael Kazazian – Fair Lawn, NJ
2nd Place: Raffi Garibian – Cheltenham, MA
Advanced Chess
1st Place: Vahag Gyulnazaryan – Cambridge, MA
2nd Place: Stephen Gregory – Cambridge, MA
Girls Ping-Pong
1st Place: Perri Simonian – Wynnewood, PA
2nd Place: Nina Asatrian – Fair Lawn, NJ
Boys Ping-Pong
1st Place: Shant Kazazian – Fair Lawn, NJ
2nd Place: Armen Sharoyan – Wynnewood, PA
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TEAM SPORTS
Girls Basketball
1st Place: St. Leon – Fair Lawn, NJ
2nd Place: Sts. Sahag & Mesrob – Wynnewood, PA
Boys Basketball
1st Place: Sts. Sahag & Mesrob – Wynnewood, PA
2nd Place: St. Leon A – Fair Lawn, NJ
Volleyball
1st Place: St. Leon B – Fair Lawn, NJ
2nd Place: St. Leon A – Fair Lawn, NJ
3-Point contest – Boys
1st Place: Jacob Topakbashian – Sts. Sahag & Mesrob, Wynnewood PA
3-Point contest – Girls
1st Place: Grace Yacobe – Sts. Sahag & Mesrob, Wynnewood, PA
Sportsmanship Awards
Boys: Christian Diaz – St. James, Watertown, MA
Girls: Christina Hovnanian – Holy Trinity, Cambridge, MA
Overall Champion
St. Leon – Fair Lawn, NJ
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