Bria Hartley: Scholar and All American Athlete
All American basketball player Bria Hartley is known both on a state and national level as an athlete--and she does excel in basketball, lacrosse, and soccer--but she is also a scholar. In fact, as Assistant Principal Mike Scottaline points out, "Bria has been blessed with two very supportive parents, Dennis and Simone, who have always placed academics over athletics. If her grades slipped, they would not have permitted her to play." They didn't have to worry. Bria has somehow managed to find the time to pursue a rigorous academic schedule by taking Advanced Placement courses in such challenging subjects as Physics, Calculus, and Statistics. She has maintained grades in the 90's and will graduate in the top tier of her class.
Her parents also believe in giving back to the community and they have instilled that value in Bria. Mr. Scottaline says that Bria "has been groomed by her family to believe that to whom much has been given, much is expected, and that giving back to the community is an expectation and a privilege." Through the local chapter of the National Honor Society and Students for a Better World, Bria has been active in community service.
Though she is an outstanding student, Bria is best known for her talents as a member of the NB Varsity Girls Basketball Team. She excelled on both sides of the ball with an average of 30 points per game, 5.7 steals, 7.4 assists, and 8.3 rebounds. She was also the three point goals leader with 47. In a County playoff game against Sachem East, she scored a high school girls record of 51 points and almost pulled off a win for the team. She has a strong work ethic, mentors younger players, and spreads the plays around on the court.
Finishing the season with a career high of 1,978 points, she accumulated a number of prestigious awards. An All Long Island player, she was also named Miss New York Basketball this year, Miss Suffolk Basketball for the 2nd year in a row, and the Gatorade New York Girls Basketball Player of the Year for the second straight year. In addition, she was selected for the McDonald's All American game on March 31st in Colombus, Ohio, where she scored 17 points; she also played in the Nike All American game on April 3rd in San Antonio, Texas, where she scored 19 points. She has most recently been invited to try out for the Under 18 National Team at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in June. It is no wonder that UCONN Coach Geno Auriemma personally recruited this extraordinary young woman to play for his team next year. It would not be surprising to see Bria on the Olympic Team in 2012.
