Wareham's top athletes were honored Thursday at the annual Senior Athlete Awards ceremony. The student athletes were recognized for their strength, speed and skill on the playing field as well as for their leadership, loyalty and spirit in and out of uniform.

Ten major awards were handed out for leadership, sportsmanship, "unsung heroes" and, of course, male and female athlete of the year.

First-year Athletic Director Ed Rodrigues said the award winners were picked by the coaches and that, "a lot of the awards were close to unanimous as far as who was getting which award."

Male athlete of the year was Mason Vasconcellos, who earned eight varsity letters in four sports during his Wareham High School career.

Wareham basketball coach Kevin Brogioli said that, if athletics tests character, then Vasconcellos passes with flying colors.

"He's cat quick, strong, takes care of his body, makes the right decisions on and off the court and in and out of the classroom," he said.

Vasconcellos' top sport is basketball, where he was a three-time South Coast Conference all-star and part of three conference championship teams. But he was also a two-way player in football and the second leading scorer on the soccer team playing in his first year this year. He is also a top performer on the track and field team, where his 4:35 mile time is within a second of the school record his basketball coach, Brogioli, set in 1979.

"I wish Mason the best of luck and I want him to get it, he deserves it," Brogioli said with a smile. "Wareham should be proud to have had an athlete like Mason representing it."

Breanna Muir, another basketball standout and multi-sport star, took the female athlete of the year award.

"Breanna is unsurpassed in her athletic ability and determination here at Wareham High School," said Cindy Sylvia, Muir's softball coach.

Sylvia admitted that Muir's true love is basketball, where she is Wareham's all-time assist leader and has scored over 900 points in her career. But Muir is also an exceptional soccer and softball player.

"I've coached for 18 years and for all the softball players I have coached, she is by far the best outfielder I have ever had the pleasure of watching or coaching," Sylvia said. "She once had to use dental floss to get grass out of her teeth. True story."

Muir had a staggering .532 batting average as a junior but broke her leg this spring stretching out a single. She was still voted a unanimous SCC all-star.

That's the kind of special athlete she is," Sylvia said.

Also recognized were John Irving and Kelly Peterson with the male and female sportsmanship awards, Vasconcellos and Emily Bacchiocci with the leadership awards, and John Brand and Gina Mendes with the "Unsung Hero" awards. Amber Filkins was given the Arthur Luce award for dedication, loyalty and citizenship. Bacchiocchi won the Joe Cafarella award for contributing the most to Wareham athletics.

Also recognized were were 32 senior captains and 35 two (or more) sport athletes.

Our goal in Wareham athletics is to make it strong in every sport and build something that is very successful," said Rodrigues.