Overview:
Rye Varsity Football star Carson Miller was awarded the Rye City Lions Club 28th Annual Scholar Athlete of the Year award by his classmates. Miller set program and Section 1 records with 3,545 passing yards and 38 passing touchdowns, and helped the Garnets win all 14 of their games in 2025. He is committed to Harvard as a part of their class of 2030 to play varsity lacrosse. The awards luncheon also celebrated the nine athletes of the month from the 2025-2026 academic year.
Rye Varsity Football star Carson Miller was chosen by his classmates as the Rye City Lions Club 28th Annual Scholar Athlete of the Year. Miller was chosen by student vote among the nine athletes of the month chosen over the course of this academic year. The announcement was made at an awards luncheon on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at The Osborn senior living campus.
“This young man had the composure, the poise to be able to do this in a way that made everyone better, and that’s a reflection of the community,” said Rye Football Head Coach Dino Garr about Miller. “It’s a reflection of who we are as a family.”
I ask my players all the time, how good do you want to be? I’m going to ask you guys, how good do you want to be? The best. We are the best. You guys have proven [that] – coaches, administration, families. It’s unbelievable. And I’m so proud of you.”
Over the course of the luncheon, coaches introduced each of the nine athletes of the month from the 2025-2026 academic year. Watch the full video below.
Emma Lunstead, volleyball (September 2025): The senior libero led the Garnets in digs in all 24 games of the 2025 season, including in all six playoff contests. She earned team MVP honors for her stellar defensive play as she captained the Garnets to a Section 1 championship and regional finals appearance. Lunstead set numerous single-season program records this past fall, including digs (436), services received to the setter (337), and services received up (504). She graduates with 968 digs, which is also near the top of the program’s record books. Lunstead will continue her education at Richmond University next year.
Lex Cox, boys soccer (October 2025): The left-footed defender is a four-year varsity letter winner for the boys soccer team which advanced to the New York State championship game for the first time in 46 years. Cox’s coach, Jared Small, called the senior “one of the most highly regarded players in Section 1 because of his obvious talents.” He graduates a two-time sectional champion (2024, 2025) and one-time regional champion (2025). Cox will continue his academic and athletic career at the University of Chicago as part of their class of 2030 and varsity men’s soccer team.
Clare Nemsick, girls soccer (November 2025): One of four captains to win team MVP, Nemsick wraps up a varsity career which saw her play every minute of every game for four consecutive seasons. In that time, she won four league titles, three Section 1 championships, three regional titles, and two New York State Class A championships. In 2025, the center back chipped in offensively during set pieces and held down the fort defensively for a team that went undefeated (21-0-3). Nemsick and the Garnets did not allow a single goal during their eight postseason victories, all the way through the state championship game. The senior will head to Bucknell next fall as a two-sport varsity athlete in soccer and lacrosse.
Carson Miller, football (December 2025): The athlete of the year excelled in all three sports he played in as a senior, but earned his fame in football. The second-year starting quarterback set both program and Section 1 records with 3,545 passing yards and 38 passing touchdowns. He also ran for almost 1,000 yards and 12 additional scores to help the Garnets win all 14 of their games in 2025. The Garnets averaged 37.2 points per game en route to their fifth New York State championship, but first in Class A. Miller, the football player of the year in Section 1 and state championship game MVP, is committed to Harvard as a part of their class of 2030 to play varsity lacrosse.
Jack Anderson, wrestling (January 2026): The senior leader is one of the most physically imposing athletes at Rye, starring in the trenches for the Rye football team, in the scrums for the Rye rugby team, and most impressively in the 215-pound weight division for the Rye wrestling team. Anderson went 39-4 through his first 43 matches of the 2026 season, including 6-1 during the sectional tournament, to earn the right to compete in the state wrestling tournament in late February. Often described as a kind, friendly person by his peers, teachers, and coaches, the formidable athlete is off to SUNY Maritime College for college as a member of the class of 2030.
Phoebe Greto, girls basketball (February 2026): Despite battling through injury during her senior season, the senior forward earned a spot on the All-Section Team and Section 1 All-Tournament Team. Greto, a five-time varsity letter winner, won the Golden Ball in 2025 and reached 1,000 career points on January 3 of this year. She averaged a double-double as a senior captain, willing a young team to the sectional semifinals in Class AA. Thanks to her keen leadership ability and two-way game in the paint, Greto was named team MVP for the second straight season. The star multi-sport athlete is set to continue her academic and athletic career at Denison as a varsity women’s basketball player, beginning next fall.
Will Weinman, hockey (March 2026): The defenseman averaged a point-per-game from the blue line for the Garnets, who won the program’s first ever New York State championship on March 15, 2026. A four-year contributor at the varsity level, Weinman scored a crucial game-tying goal in the state semifinals, and added another in the championship game one day later to help secure the historic title. The senior served as a captain in his final year as a Garnet thanks to his calm confidence and clutch gene. His coach, Pete Thomas, is quoted saying, “Will has left an indelible mark on the history of the Rye Hockey program.” Weinman will attend Santa Clara beginning in the fall of 2026.
Beau Whaling, girls lacrosse (April 2026): The youngest in a true Rye lacrosse family, Whaling is in the midst of her fourth season as a Rye Girls Lacrosse star. She consistently fills the box score night in and night out, often racking up multiple points, draw controls, and ground balls in the same game. The senior scored her 100th career goal on April 25 as part of a four-goal performance, another feather in her cap that includes two sectional and two regional championships, with room to add one more later this month. Also a quality field hockey player, Whaling is impressively committed to Duke to play women’s lacrosse as a member of their class of 2030.
Henry Shoemaker, boys lacrosse (May 2026): The senior dominated all three sports he played in 2025-26, winning sectional and regional championships in football, basketball, and lacrosse. Shoemaker has led the Rye Boys Lacrosse team in assists more often than anyone else this season, filling a gaping hole on offense. He also remains a scoring threat every time he touches the ball. Shoemaker previously set Section 1 wide receiver records in football and led the boys basketball team in scoring as they won more playoff games than in any season since 1989, and he has a chance to add to that legacy with the lacrosse team, who are currently in the state semifinals. The big-bodied star is off to Harvard next autumn as a varsity football commit.
Watch the full awards ceremony:
