After a successful fall season for many Hillsborough High School athletes, two athletes have been chosen for their achievements in their respective sports. Both athletes have exemplified what it means to be a Raider through their hard work and dedication on the field and their character off of it.

Fall Female Athlete of the Year: Payton Altman (Sr.)

Altman, a four year varsity starter, has been one of the best players since she first stepped out on the field for Hillsborough. As one of the three team captains, she helped lead the Raiders to an 11-12 record, a county semi-finals appearance, and a state semi-final appearance, one of their best seasons in recent years.

In the 2019 season,  Altman had a strong effort, scoring 31 goals, which included 3 games with a hat trick. She also added 15 assists, with 5 of those assists coming in a single game. She finished her career with an impressive 51 goals and 32 assists total. 

“Payton is a natural leader both on and off the field,” head coach Jennifer Puritz said. “She makes important plays happen on the field and is always supportive and encouraging to her teammates off the field.”

As Puritz said, throughout her career she has been a leader both verbally and by example, which is why she was chosen as one of the two top 2019 Fall athletes. 

Altman is committed to Dartmouth College in New Hampshire to continue both her academic and athletic career.  Look out for her to continue doing great things both on and off the pitch at Dartmouth.

Fall Male Athlete of the Year: Tommy Ramsey (Sr.)

As a two-way football player, Ramsey’s impact has been unmatched this season. The team had an 8-3 record and had their first home state playoff game in five years. They continued their impressive run into the state playoff semi-finals. 

On offense, Ramsey lead the team at quarterback. He totaled over 1,000 yards passing and threw nine touchdowns. He was able to keep defenses on their toes as he also ran for over 500 yards and six touchdowns. 

He was also one of the anchors of a stellar defense that only let up an average of 13 points per game. As a linebacker, he recorded multiple sacks and an interception on the season.

“Having someone like Tommy on our team was extremely helpful to everyone,” sophomore James Mazuera said. “He was an amazing leader and he kept everyone on task and focused which helped lead us to our success this year.”

Although Ramsey will not be continuing his football career in college, he will be playing lacrosse at the University of Hartford in Connecticut. For being a two-sport athlete, his efforts on the football field have been extremely impressive this year. 

Honorable Mentions: 

Kaili Fitzpatrick (Volleyball, Sr.), Haley Mandell (Gymnastics, Sr.), Shelsea Rigby (Soccer, Sr.), Cate Lanahan (Cross Country, Sr.), Thomas Amankwa (Football, So.), Sean Levonaitis (Football, Jr.), Austin Blanke (Soccer, Sr.), Christopher Digricoli (Cross Country, Jr.)