Raylee Weisman of Rocky Point is Newsday's Athlete of the Week
Raylee Weisman of Rocky Point. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
When it came down to the last shot, Raylee Weisman went for the shot she had worked on throughout the season.
Mission accomplished.
The Newsday Athlete of the Week used a reverse chip shot to score the go-ahead goal with 4:40 remaining in the second overtime to lead No. 9 Rocky Point over No. 8 Sayville last Saturday in the first round of the Suffolk Class B field hockey playoffs.
“I told myself ‘to breathe because the pressure is on,’” Weisman said. “It’s a very difficult shot to pull off, and all last year I’ve wanted to try it out, and this year in practice it started to click, so I started to use it in games.”
As soon as the buzzer sounded, Weisman felt an array of emotions, making the victory even sweeter.
“It was an amazing moment, everyone came surrounding me and I ended up crying,” Weisman said. “It was immediate happiness. I felt so connected to my team, and it brought us closer together.”
Weisman just doesn’t like to score; she also has a knack for getting her teammates involved. She is tied for second in assists with 17.
Raylee Weisman of Rocky Point Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
“She never wavers in her confidence that she has in her teammates,” coach Katie Bittner said. “She’s very unselfish. If there’s a 2v1 and there’s a great opportunity to shoot it, she will always choose to pass it.”
The midfielder is a multisport athlete who also plays softball in the spring and is committed to the University of Rhode Island. She has an OBP of .678 and had 30 runs and 16 RBIs last year.
“I fell in love with the school as soon as I set foot on campus,” Weisman said. “It is such a beautiful school, and I just loved everything about it.”
In addition to her performances on the field, Weisman maintains a 99.38 weighted GPA and is enrolled in multiple honor society classes.
“I always put my best effort to get good grades,” Weisman said. “I have very high expectations of myself, so it wouldn’t satisfy me if I weren’t getting those grades.”
Weisman won the Live Like Susie award, which is named after Susie Facini, who passed away because of a heart attack. The award recognizes a student who is kind to all their classmates and makes an impact on their community. Weisman won the award twice in a row.
“It means a lot to me to be recognized for this award,” Weisman said. “Even if I have a bad day, I always want to make sure I am nice to everybody and be a kind human.”
Weisman also has a passion for helping the youth. She is a part of Athlete Helping Athletes, where student-athletes mentor younger kids, as well as volunteering at field hockey and softball youth camps.
“Helping the youth is one of the things I pride myself on doing,” Weisman said. “I want to pass down what I learned and have been through, and that’s something really special to me.”
Jonathan Ruban covers high school sports for Newsday after graduating from St. John’s.
