SPORTS HALL of FAME ATHLETE
Kristen 'Smith' Sanabria '84

Could any athlete have experienced a more successful senior season than Kristen Smith Sanabria? In Section 4 - and perhaps all of New York State, the only ones who could match her success on all three (field hockey, basketball and softball) teams were her Sidney teammates.

In the annals of Sidney sports, and especially on the girls side of the ledger, it would be hard to remember a more dominating time than the early 1980s, led by Kris Smith and her Class of 2005 cohort Kim Jones.

Kris was the third of Gerry and Ann Smith's three children. Her brother Jerry was a football quarterback and guard on the basketball team. Older sister Shelly was part of the girls sports renaissance, just a few years earlier. There was a lot to live up to, not just for Sidney, but within the Smith family!

It didn't take long for Krissy (one of several nicknames she'd go by) to establish herself on the field of play. She was a four-year starter on the field hockey team, each year at right forward.

Kris and teammate Mindy Lamb established an outstanding scoring duo for the Lady Warriors, who won the Class A state co-championship in 1982 and was runner-up in the entire state in Class A the following fall. Keep in, mind Sidney was a much smaller school than the Class A cutoff, yet they elected each time to "play up" to the higher competition.

In fact, the road to that title game was quite an adventure. After winning the Section 4 crown and the first round of states with a dominating 2-0 victory over Whitesboro, the Warriors traveled to Cobleskill to take on Glens Falls for the Western Regional, title and a berth in the first-ever NYS Public High School Championship game. Despite a 26-2 shot advantage for Sidney, the game ended in a scoreless tie. A nerve-wracking stroke-off-similar to a shoot out in soccer - settled the tie and Sidney was on its way.

The finals were held on a warm November day at Manhattanville College in White Plains. Their opponent was the nationally-renowned team from Centereach Long Island - a school whose enrollment was at least triple the size of Sidney. The Lady Warriors fell behind 3-0 only to fight back to a 3-2 deficit and another shot that hit a post. Sidney would lose that game 4-2, but had earned lasting respect by field hockey fans throughout New York.

In basketball, Kris played a combination point guard / shooting guard. Krissy had the innate ability to play as a leader, inspiring her teammates play their best. In her career, Kris was a part of four Sus West winning teams and was the 1983-84 MVP.

That season, despite losing to Sus East champ Unatego in the first-ever Susquenango Association Playoff game, Sidney came back to win the Section 4 Class C title. In the semifinal win over Whitney Point, Kris had perhaps the best game ever by a Sidney player. She scored 21 points and had 11 assists, accounting for 43 points. The final score was 47-43 Sidney! She would also make the crucial steal to seal the Section 4 title game in the Broome County Arena versus Lansing, scoring 29 points in the victory. Sidney would also win the Central Regional Championship, eventually losing in the NYS Class C quarterfinals.

Kris was named Class C First Team All-State and was selected by the Press & Sun Bulletin to its All-Metro team that season as well.

In softball, Kris pitched on a team that won the Class C Section 4 crown in 1984. Most notable here was her pitching style. While most pitchers by then had mastered the "windmill" windup for added speed and ball movement, Kris stayed with her "modified" approach of no windup. It was good enough to help Sidney upset Chenango Forks in the C title game, but not enough to get them past the first round of states. But again, Sidney had a team full of good athletes who could field hit and run.

Kris decided on Nazareth College for her secondary education. There she played two seasons of basketball. Freshman season, Kris was named Rookie of the Year for Rochester area colleges. After 600 points and a place in Nazareth's Top-10 list for assists, Kris transferred to Springfield College. There she was a walk-on starter for three seasons as right mid fielder for this Division 1 program.

Kris is married to Manny Sanabria and they have two daughters, Jessica and Jacqueline. She lives in North Carolina.

The shining star from one of Sidney's most memorable sports eras is a now a member of the Sidney Alumni Sports Hall of Fame's Class of 2005 - Kristen Smith Sanabria.