Rhinebeck High School was named a School of Distinction for a third time by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association.
The Hawks previously won this honor for the 2020-2021 and 2022-2023 school years.
Rhinebeck received this honor for having all 16 of its varsity teams earn the Scholar-Athlete Team award during the 2024-2025 school year. To qualify as a Scholar-Athlete Team, 75 percent or better of a team roster must have a grade point average of 90 or better.
“This recognition is tremendously meaningful to me, to the athletic director and to our faculty,” said Edwin Davenport, high school principal. “It represents an enormous amount of work on the part of our athletes and great support from coaches, teachers and families.
“I have found that work and success in the classroom and work and success in the athletic realm have always been mutually supporting, so as a principal this award tells me our athletes, our coaches, and our faculty are doing something right! There is always more work to do and improvements to be made, but this is very gratifying.”
In the 2024-2025 school year, Rhinebeck fielded varsity teams in boys and girls cross country, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls outdoor track, boys and girls swimming and diving, boys golf, girls volleyball, baseball, unified basketball, boys tennis and girls flag football.
On the field, the boys soccer and girls flag football teams won Section IX titles, and the girls soccer team reached the Section IX final.
Marc Burg coached varsity girls basketball and co-coached unified basketball during the 2024-2025 school year, and serves as the assistant principal of the high school.
“It’s a tribute to our students that they work hard in both domains! I am so proud of their accomplishments!,” he said. “I’m looking forward to a great ’25-’26 school year.”
The School of Distinction is one of two yearly awards given by the NYSPHSAA for success in the classroom. The School of Excellence is awarded annually to schools having at least 75 percent of their varsity teams win the Scholar-Athlete Team honor.
Rhinebeck was selected a School of Excellence for the 2019-2020, 2021-2022 and 2023-2024 school years.