That changed Monday night.

At halftime of the Westfield boys basketball game, the Wolverines honored two of their finest athletes.

Darien Swanson, a 2022 graduate, and current senior Haleigh Dellow were both presented banners for receiving First-Team All-State honors. Randy Anderson, Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame president, presented Swanson with his banner as a Class D First-Team All-State selection in basketball and Dellow her banner as a Class D First-Team All-State selection in softball from her junior season.

“We’re trying to do some more things here at Westfield,” said Westfield basketball coach Nolan Swanson.

Westfield’s Darien Swanson and Haleigh Dellow, pictured, were honored Monday for their 2022 all-state selections. P-J photo by Christian Storms

“For the kids that pour time into sports you can see there aren’t any banners up here for all-state individuals. We’re starting with the first-teamers so Haleigh Dellow and Darien got those tonight.”

It wasn’t until 2022 that Westfield Academy and Central School had its first athlete earn the honor of First-Team All-State. That first athlete was Swanson, who led the Westfield boys basketball team to its first Section VI championship since 2003.

“It means a lot,” Darien Swanson said. “I came here basically my whole life and it’s just a lot of memories. It will always be there on the wall and obviously I’ll always remember when I come in and see my name.”

The Wolverines earned a 22-2 record, including a perfect run through their league schedule. Swanson individually averaged 19.1 points, 6.8 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 3.8 steals per game as the Wolverines made their way to the Far West Regional and lost to the eventual state champion Avoca/Prattsburgh.

“Last season was incredible,” Swanson stated. “We got going hot, a lot of my friends, my brother and we just got going at the right time. It also meant a lot to play with my brother Carson; he’s special and it was really nice to get to spend that time with him.”

Members of the 2022 Westfield boys basketball team received their Section VI Class D championship banner Monday. P-J photo by Christian Storms

Swanson’s senior season was filled with many accolades such as Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 2 West Player of the Year and culminating with a First-Team All-State selection in Class D.

Swanson’s time as the only Wolverine to receive a First-Team All-State selection did not last very long. It lasted until the end of the school year when Dellow, a junior pitcher, was recognized for her efforts leading the girls softball team to a Section VI Class D title.

“It means the world to me,” Dellow said about having her accomplishments recognized. “It was so nice to have people in the stands that were on my team and I got this with. To see all those faces in the stands just means the world to me.”

Dellow entered her junior season already established as one of the best pitchers in the area, but she showed that her game was continuing to get better and better. Dellow pitched an incredibly low 0.83 earned run average and struck out 222 batters from the circle. She held opposing batters to a .163 average on her way to a 16-3 record with 17 complete games and five shutouts.

“It’s so exciting to know that my name is going to be in this gym,” Dellow added. “Whenever people come back here then they’ll look up and be like ‘I know that girl, she was my teammate’ and it’s just really huge to me that I’m the first female athlete to do it and I can set the steps for the next female athletes.”

Dellow has already made her commitment to NCAA Division I George Mason University as the first Westfield girl to earn a Division I softball scholarship. All of these accomplishments have been done before her senior season and now she can continue to add to her resume.

“It just makes me so happy that I got this in my junior year and that I have another season,” Dellow stated. “I can get better and strive to be better. I hope to take my team to higher and new places in my senior year.”