Published: May 18, 2008 09:48 pm            

ACADEMICS: Moriarty, Lin named to team honoring academics

In Western New York, there are more than 20,000 high school seniors this year, said Medina High School Principal Wes Pickreign.

And out of those 20,000, two of Medina’s have been named to Business First magazine’s Western New York Academic All-Star Team. Joe Moriarty, who is the class of 2008’s salutatorian, was named to the First Team — a fancy way of saying he’s in the top 25.

Steven Lin, fourth in their class, was named to the Second Team — a ranking that puts him in the 26 to 50 range. Neither of the boys knows what number they were, but were happy with the recognition.

“It feels good,” Moriarty said. He and Lin were told they were chosen by the magazine when Pickreign pulled them from class one afternoon, telling them they made the top 100.

“(I was) surprised. Out of that many kids, I wasn’t really expecting it,” Lin said.

Regardless of where Business First put them, though, it’s simply an honor for the school that out of four students they nominated, two of them were chosen from Medina. And that’s out of approximately 100 high schools in the region.

“To have two kids, of all the kids recognized ... to say that two of our kids are among the best is very special,” Pickreign said.

The school was asked to send in information on four students they felt deserved to be in Business First’s academic all-star team, which Pickreign said was a first. In the past, he’d been asked to supply information on 10 students and they would then each be recognized, along with students from other districts, in the magazine.

Criteria for being chosen were based on several factors, including grade-point average, test scores, AP courses and what extracurricular activities the students were involved with. According to Pickreign, the school offers more than 20 college credit courses.

“It says a lot about the staff and the programs,” he said, of the boys’ being chosen by Business First. “They certainly deserve it.”

Although it was too late to put the recognition on college applications — they had been sent out long before Lin and Moriarty knew they made the teams — the honor is still exciting to both boys.

In the fall, they will both be leaving for college. Moriarty plans to study economics at the University of Chicago, while Lin will head off to Harvard. His plans for the time being are to also study economics, but said he’s not sure if he will change his mind and choose another major.

The June edition of Business First will feature the students from the region who were named to the Western New York Academic All-Star Team.

Contact reporter Miranda Vagg at 798-1400, ext. 2225.

        

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