Over the Columbus Day weekend, October 11-14, young people from across the Eastern Diocese converged on St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Church in Wynnewood, PA, for the ACYOA Juniors Fall Sports Weekend.
Wynnewood’s ACYOA Juniors chapter hosted the visitors under the theme “Flying Hye.” More than 200 teenagers and 22 chaperones, representing 15 Diocesan parishes, participated in the weekend. Nineteen families from the Wynnewood parish, along with six families from its sister parish in Cheltenham, Holy Trinity Church, opened their homes to welcome the participants for the Juniors Sports Weekend.
Once all the guests had arrived at St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Church on Friday evening, pastor Fr. Armash Bagdasarian led an evening prayer service alongside Fr. Tadeos Barseghyan from the Armenian Church of our Saviour (Worcester, MA), Fr. Hakob Gevorkyan of Holy Trinity Church (Cheltenham, PA) and Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan of St. Mary Church (Washington, D.C.). Deacons Chris Kesici (St. Stepanos Church, Elberon, NJ) and Levon Asdourian assisted during the service.
Saturday was occupied with sports competitions at Radnor Middle School, including co-ed volleyball, boy’s and girl’s basketball, as well as chess, ping pong, and tavloo tournaments. Athletes enjoyed a lunch of authentic Philly hoagies, and excitedly witnessed an unexpected helicopter landing on the lawn of the middle school, which was part of the festivities for a nearby event. After dinner at the homes of their host families, the ACYOA Juniors returned to St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Church for a lively Saturday night dance and games for all to enjoy.
On Sunday morning, all of the Sports Weekend attendees participated in a beautiful badarak at the church, and afterwards posed for a group photo on the church steps. Then the athletes returned to the playing fields for semi-finals and championship games, energized by Philadelphia cheesesteaks prior to the competition. (See the list of winners, and participating parishes, below.)
The finale to the weekend took place Sunday evening in the Wynnewood church’s beautiful hall, where an Awards Banquet Dinner was lovingly prepared by the St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Women’s Guild. The dance that followed featured live Armenian music by several ACYOA alumni musicians. Before departing on Monday, the ACYOA Juniors gathered one more time, for breakfast and a group photo wearing their “Flying Hye” t-shirts.
“It was a memorable weekend for all involved,” said Wynnewood’s youth director Sonia Kailian Placido. “We’re so grateful to be able to welcome the youth of our Diocese here, to share this special time with one another.”
To view photos of the ACYOA Juniors Sports Weekend, click here.
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ACYOA Juniors Fall Sports Weekend (Oct. 11-14, 2024)
PARTICIPATING PARISHES
Armenian Church of Our Saviour, Worcester, MA
Holy Martyrs Church, Bayside, NY
Holy Translators Church, Framingham, MA
Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge, MA
Holy Trinity Church, Cheltenham, PA
Soorp Haroutiun Church, Orlando, FL
St. George Church, Hartford, CT
St. Gregory the Enlightener Church, White Plains, NY
St. James Church, Watertown, MA
St. Leon Church, Fair Lawn, NJ
St. Mary Church, Washington, D.C.
St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Church, Wynnewood, PA
Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church, Providence, RI
St. Stepanos Church, Elberon, NJ
Sts. Vartanantz Church, Chelmsford, MA
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COMPETITION WINNERS
Overall Champions:
St. Leon ACYOA Jrs. Chapter, Fair Lawn, NJ
Co-Ed Volleyball:
1st Place: Holy Trinity, Cambridge, MA
2nd Place: St. Sahag & St. Mesrob A Team, Wynnewood, PA
Girls Basketball:
1st Place: St. Leon, Fair Lawn, NJ
2nd Place: St. Sahag & St. Mesrob B Team, Wynnewood, PA
Boys Basketball:
1st place: St Leon A Team, Fair Lawn, NJ
2nd place: St. Sahag & St. Mesrob A Team, Wynnewood, PA
Chess, Advanced:
1st place: Hayk Ohanian, St. Leon, Fair Lawn, NJ
2nd place: David Forte, St. Gregory, White Plains, NY
Chess, Beginner:
1st place: Daniel Cilingiryan, St. Leon, Fair Lawn, NJ
2nd place: Arden Ayazian, St. Leon, Fair Lawn, NJ
Boys Ping Pong:
1st place: Raffi Parseghian, Holy Trinity, Cambridge, MA
2nd place: Vano Haroutunian, St. Leon, Fair Lawn, NJ
Girls Ping Pong:
1st place: Perri Simonian, St. Sahag & St. Mesrob, Wynnewood, PA
2nd place: Gabriella Lusk, St. Sahag & St. Mesrob, Wynnewood, PA
Tavloo, Advanced:
1st place: Alex Mesropian, St. Leon, Fair Lawn, NJ
2nd place: Ara Speirs, St. Sahag & St. Mesrob, Wynnewood, PA
Tavloo, Beginner:
1st place: Raffi Garibian, Holy Trinity, Cheltenham, PA
2nd place: David Gevorgyan, St. Leon, Fair Lawn, NJ
Chess, Advanced:
1st place: Hayk Ohanian, St. Leon, Fair Lawn, NJ
2nd place: David Forte, St. Gregory, White Plains, NY
Chess, Beginner:
1st place: Daniel Cilingiryan, St. Leon, Fair Lawn, NJ
2nd place: Arden Ayazian, St. Leon, Fair Lawn, NJ
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Samuelian Sportsmanship Award:
Boys category: Arsen Kaprelian, St. Leon, Fair Lawn, NJ
Girls category: Natalie Boghosian, St. Sahag & St. Mesrob, Wynnewood, PA