Senior Maddie Sgattoni has received a WPIAL Scholar Athlete Award for her excellence on the volleyball court and in the classroom.

Ten male and 10 female student athletes from WPIAL schools received the recognition, she said.

After graduating from Baldwin, Sgattoni will go to college at the Naval Academy.

“I never looked at the school,” Sgattoni said. “One day at volleyball practice they visited, and then it became my dream school.”

She had two interviews, passed a physical fitness test, and wrote multiple essays to achieve acceptance into the Naval Academy.

In volleyball, Sgattoni has been a key part of Baldwin’s recent WPIAL dominance. While playing a starring role on a sports team is time consuming, she said he learned about time management and always tried to give 100 percent effort with her schoolwork.

She received praise from Athletic Director Vince Sortino, who said Sgattoni was a perfect candidate for the award and for her future college.

“She is a great young lady,” Sortino said. “She is well deserving of the appointment to the United States Naval Academy.”