Ilion Lever Cup Honorees

Ilion Lever Cup

This cup is given to the boy who has earned the greatest number of points based on scholastic and athletic work. The recipient does not have to be a senior.

The first person to receive the trophy two years in a row was John Spicer in 1926 and 1927. The second time this happened was in 1931 and 1932 when it was awarded to Ronald Ward. Bernard Murray, who would later teach at Ilion High and serve as Mayor of Ilion, won the award in 1941 and 1942. The fourth person to achieve that feat was Robert Morris in 1948 and 1949. The year 1948 was the first time when the trophy was awarded to more than one student.

The year in which there were the most recipients was 1995 when it was presented to four boys: Mike Spohn, Matt McCann, Alex Osborne and Shawn Riley.

William 'Dinny' Steele Class of 1954 and Alan Steele Class of 1982 are the only father-son recipients of The Lever Cup.

Former Ilion Athletic Director, Robert Turley, received the trophy in 1967.

Harold "Boots" Lever, a former student of the Ilion High School, presented a very beautiful cup to the school in 1924, as a tribute to William Hempstead - Class of 1916, and William Schletterer, former students in the High School, who lost their lives in World War I.

According to records obtained and published by Genealogy Trails History Group, William H. Hempstead's rank was 1st Sn. Sq., 3d Div and he died of empyemia [sic], on February 21, 1918. William Schletterer's, rank was Pvt., Co. C, 106th M. G. Bn. and he died of influenza & bronchopneumonia, on Oct. 26, 1918.

The Lever Cup was awarded based on a point system. Principal, John Guy Prindle announced in February of 1924 the basis on which The Lever Cup would be awarded. "Five points for each varsity letter earned; two points for members of squad; one half point for each school count earned per term and one-half point for each regents count earned in addition to school counts. A Utica Daily Press article, from Feb 4, 1924 stated that the cup will be "...presented in June each year and will remain in the winner's possession until the honor is gained by another."

Harold "Boots" Lever would have been a member of the Class of 1913. He left Ilion to fight in World War I. After the war, he finished his studies at Mercersburg Preparatory Academy and then the University of Pennsylvania. He was captain of the University of Pennsylvania Track Team. Harold Lever set New World's Records on June 16, 1923 in Track.

    65 yard dash-Harold "Boots" Lever, University of Pennsylvania, 6 8/10 sec.
    75 yard dash-Harold Lever, University of Pennsylvania, 7 5/10 sec

A pdf file version, from the February 4, 1924, Utica Daily Press Newspaper Article is available from the newspaper archive site - fultonhistory.com.

Ilion High School Recipients

1924 Burley Smith
1925 Joseph Bowers
1926 John Spicer
1927 John Spicer
1928 Remington Furlong
1929 George Jackson
1930 Donald Martin
1931 Ronald Ward
1932 Ronald Ward
1933 Robert Merrit
1934 Edward Morris
1935 Kenneth Bleau
1936 John Powers
1937 Edward Hamilton
1938 Eugene Hall
1939 Douglas Boxter
1940 Charles Powers
1941 Bernard Murray
1942 Bernard Murray
1943 George Sporer
1944 John Hilliard
1945 Milton Ress
1946 Donald Davis
1947 Leroy Outtrim
1948 Robert Morris and Donald Pearson
1949 Robert Morris and Joseph Durkin
1950 Thomas Pierce
1951 Robert Warren
1952 Joseph Ruane
1953 Robert Dening
1954 William Steele
1955 Jon Momberger and Larry Murphy
1956 Earl Tibbits
1957 Brian Brunette
1958 Patrick Wayne Murphy
1959 Robert Smithson
1960 Manny Laura
1961 Alan Conley
1962 John Brewer
1963 Wesley Lints
1964 Terrence Sweeney
1965 Robert Schneider
1966 Douglas Brewer
1967 Robert Turley
1968 Brian Volo
1969 Terry Brewer
1970 David Williams
1971 Dennis Whiteford
1972 Steve McGrath
1973 Robert Lane
1974 Steve Hyer
1975 Kenneth Keddell
1976 John Doty
1977 Brian Lytwynec
1978 Dan Smith
1979 Ken Fletcher
1980 Dan Basler
1981 Doug Luke
1982 Alan Steele
1983 Eric Paul
1984 Mark Harris
1985 Bob Alexander
1986 Jeff LaGase
1987 Tom Luke and Pat Calhoun
1988 Matt DesChamps and Jeff Brownrigg
1989 Scott Klosner
1990 Gideon Tulloch
1991 Alba Robinson
1992 Ben Stubley
1993 Jamey Jacquays
1994 Jeremy Kerber and Daniel Welch
1995 Mike Spohn, Matt McCann, Alex Osborne and Shawn Riley
1996 Brad Sweeney
1997 Luke Urtz and Micah Hanford
1998 Christopher Weeden and Patrick Ellis
1999 Lucas Cotto
2000 Justin Riley
2001 Steve Dunadee and Jason Marlowe
2002 Nicholas Paoni
2003 Jordan Burger
2004 Robert Raux
2005 Joel Bigelow
2006 Christopher G. Maley
2007 Bryan Fischer and Greg Goldin
2008 Anthoni J. Reyes
2009 Ryan Risi
2010 Brett Leon & Nate Pearson
2011 Andrew LaPorte
2012 Nate Laymon and Dan Ward
2013 Brandon Rawson

Central Valley Academy Recipients

2014 Mitchell Werenczak
2015 Nicholas Bandel
2016 Zachary Crim
2017 Tanner Cook
2018 Jacob Slaughter
2019 Hunter Shaut

 

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Modified October 27, 2021