Six superb senior athletes from Deer Park High School committed to continuing their sports careers in college this fall during a May 29 recognition ceremony hosted by District Administrator for Athletics, Physical Education, Health and Recreation Dominick Fontana in the school’s chorus room.
Anthony Aybar will play football at Nassau Community College. A winner of Deer Park’s Falcon Award, he plans to major in liberal arts.
“I always wanted to play football in college at any level,” Aybar said.
Dimaunte’ Gardner will play basketball at Farmingdale State College. In his Deer Park career, Gardner was named League MVP, All-Tournament Team, All-Long Island, All-County, All-Conference and twice All-League. He has not decided on a major yet.
“I chose Farmingdale because it’s a good program with good players and coaches,” Gardner said.
Juan Gonzalez Mayoral will play soccer at Ithaca College. He earned All-State, All-Region, twice All-County, twice All-Conference and All-League honors during his Falcons career, and plans to major in finance.
“I chose Ithaca College because it offers a strong finance program that wil prepare me for a successful career in business,” Gonzalez Mayoral said. “The college also allows me to continue playing soccer at a competitive level. I was also impressed by the professional opportunities and connections that Ithaca provides for its students.”
Alejandro Pino will play soccer at Long Island University. During his high school years, Pino played exclusively on the MLS Next club team, the highest level of youth soccer in the United States. He plans to major in sports management.
“LIU gives me the best opportunity to play collegiate soccer at the Division I level and also further my education,” Pino said.
Kelsey Rotzman will join the dance team at Rutgers University. During her Deer Park career, she was named kickline MVP, earned Section XI Class A Game Day Academic All-County honors and was the recipient of the 2025 Suffolk Zone Award. Rotzman plans to major in exercise science.
“I chose Rutgers because of its excellence in academics and its passion for sports,” Rotzman said. “When deciding where I wanted to attend college, I knew I wanted to be close to home, pushed academically and continue my sport. I spent time looking into many schools and dance teams, but ultimately Rutgers was my top choice. Their dance team has a strong passion for supporting other athletes as well as making a difference in their community, and they have given me the opportunity to continue to do what I love while also continuing my education.”
Alana Villavicencio will play softball at Hartwick College. She earned All-League and All-Division honors during high school, and plans to major in political science.
“The Hartwick community and girls on the team are very welcoming,” Villavicencio said. “We bonded very fast.”
“This day really represents how much hard work, dedication and sacrifice that all the athletes and their families have put in,” Fontana said. “To get this far and be successful is obviously a tremendous accomplishment and there’s a lot that goes into it, so this is something to be extremely proud of. There are only a handful of athletes every year from any given school that go on to play at the next level, so if you’re one of those chosen athletes and get a chance to continue your career, it’s well deserved. When you show up to college in August or September, you’re going to put in the same hard work, show your worth and prove yourself. Just stay positive, stay hungry and stay humble, and I’m sure you’ll have the same success at the next level that you had with Deer Park. We wish you nothing but the best of luck.”
Date Added: 6/6/2025