"And now I'd like to call up on the stage Tara - Tara - Taradee, dee, deegee, masoto… - oh forget it," said Wareham High School Athletic Director Marc Loranger with a tongue-in-cheek smile.

Loranger may not have been able to pronounce Female Athlete of the Year Tara DiGiantomaso's last name, but the seniors of Wareham High School did not care as they laughed and cheered both DiGiantomaso and their fellow peers onto the stage during the Senior Athletic Awards Night held on May 24.

"This is the culmination … of hard work for our student athletes, hard work for our coaches, and hard work for our parents," said Wareham High School Principal Scott Palladino during the opening remarks of the award ceremony which followed a banquet dinner.

"As you move on from here … I hope you look back at your athletic career here in high school with fond memories," Palladino said.

The award ceremony congratulated senior athletes who had distinguished themselves not only in athletic prowess but in character, leadership, and academic focus.

Coach Ed Monteiro and the golf team were congratulated for having the highest GPA, at 88.9, for the fall season.

The girls volleyball team got lots of love, and so did the boys baseball team, for qualifying for the state championships this year.

Let's not forget the boys varsity basketball team — the Division 3 South Sectional Champions, winner of the South Coast Conference title, and undefeated in the regular season.

The highlight of the night was the individual student athletes whose success earned them the admiration of their coaches and peers.

"No, Tiffany did not have 1,000 kills or score record-breaking points with her serve," said girls varsity volleyball coach Rachael Hellyar about volleyball player Tiffany Marquez, presenting Marquez with the Arthur Luce Award for dedication, loyalty, and citizenship.

"She did something much more important for my program. She led by example day in and day out in practice. … Her values, hard work, and dedication have affected her underclassmen more than she could ever know, and it is reflected in their answer of what they want from their years of volleyball at Wareham High. The answer from many is, 'I want to be like Tiffany, coach.'"

For the young underclassmen and women playing volleyball, Marquez might be their role model.

But for the young players on the tennis team, Tennis Captain Darnell Andrews might show the leadership that they admire. For track and field it could be spring track Captain Evan Moretti; for baseball it could be baseball player and Male Athlete of the Year Bill Peterson.

And for some up-and-coming hockey players, it could be team captain Samuel Iamele.

"Over the past four years I … have seen how much he's grown as a leader on the team," said baseball assistant coach Quirino DoCanto while presenting Iamele with the Joe Cafarella A.D. Award for contributing the most to Wareham High School athletics.

"If we had more kids like Sam, coaching would be a lot easier," DoCanto said.

The athletes were commended for their different styles of leadership both on the field, in the locker room, and in the hallways between classes. Some were given accolades for their ability to lead by example. Others were celebrated for their sportsmanship and ability to shake hands even when losing a game.

No matter what they won, the auditorium seemed like one big Wareham team as the winners heard cheers and applause from their fellow classmates when they went on stage to receive their awards.

"Wareham always shows love for everyone that gets an award. ... Getting an award just feels good," said Marquez, who will be going to Worcester State University and will play volleyball there. "It was [like] reliving … the last four years playing volleyball for the school, it was just a reminder."

DiGiantomaso agreed.

"We're all like a giant friend group, we all come together and I think that really came out … at the ceremony," she said.

Their statements were of the type that Loranger had hoped for.

"I think the most important thing you get from athletics are your friendships," Loranger said at the closing of the ceremony. "Always have the Viking pride."