Lady Panthers honored

After winning consecutive Division II State Championships, the Johnston girls basketball team made the move up to Division I this past season and advanced to the semifinals of the tournament. Although the Panthers faced an uptick in competition, they would prove to be one of the elite programs in the state, and their hard work paid off as multiple players received awards from the coaches association. Junior point guard Kaylin Zalewski led the way, being named to the All-Division First Team, All-Class Second team, as well as the All-State Second Team. Senior Gabby DiRaimo picked up All-Division First Team honors, All-Class Second Team while also being named an honorable mention on the All-State squad. Bianca Robbins also was named to the All-Division Third Team, while Sophia DaCosta was named to the All-State Academic Team. “For them to get the recognition, especially after making the jump to division one and having that tougher competition is great,” said Johnston coach Chris Corsinetti. “I was especially happy to see the coaches recognize Bianca Robbins for her defense of performance. As a defensive player, she is one of those players that does not always show up in in the score book, so I was happy to see her recognized.” Corsinetti went on to congratulate the other girls as well. “Kaylin Zalewski’s accolades are well deserved. She can play both ends of the floor, both sides of the ball, she was our floor general. It was a tough year at times for her after coming back (after transferring), it took a while for her to find her place, the team as a whole was trying to find its place for much of the year, but for the coaches to recognize her is a great accomplishment on her end,” said Corsinetti. “Gabby DiRaimo was our x-player this year. Last year, when Jordan (Moretti) struggled, she would step up, she was a four-year starter and hit 1,000 points this season. Her recognition is well-deserved. Sophia DaCosta also made the All-State Academic Team, she was the valedictorian of her class.” After 23 years at the helm, Corsinetti will be stepping away from the Johnston bench next season. He expects the Panthers to be right in the mix again, and looks forward to see the development of the young players. “We are graduating six seniors, so there will be a lot of shoes to fill,” said Corsinetti. “Kaylin will be in her second year back, we have some good sophomores ready to step up, Sarah Bandoma should have a big year. I’m looking forward to following them and seeing their progression.”