Fresh off their seventh straight win, Stony Brook Seawolves star football players, including former Blue Waves captain Miguel Maysonet, visited hospitalized young people at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital on Monday.
Maysonet had a surprise reunion with Riverhead High School classmate Lykara Atkins, 22. The Riverhead resident was admitted to Stony Brook the day after Hurricane Sandy, and enjoyed catching up with Maysonet. The two lived down the block from each other growing up and hadn’t seen each other since high schol.
Maysonet, a running back, was captain of the undefeated (12-0) Blue Waves in 2008. He was named New York State Gatorade Player of the Year and won the 2008 Hansen Award as the top football player in Suffolk County. He signed with Hofstra but transferred to Stony Brook when Hofstra ended its football program following Maysonet’s freshman year.
Now a senior at Stony Brook, Maysonet is majoring in health science.
The 2009 RHS graduate led Stony Brook to its first-ever Big South championship and trip to the NCAA playoffs last year. Maysonet rushed for 1,633 yards — setting Stony Brook and Big South season records — scored 15 touchdowns and was named all-conference in 2011, as well as the Big South preseason offensive player of tear in 2012.
The Seawolves (9-1, 5-0) travel to Lynchburg, Va. for the 2012 regular season finale against the Liberty Flames (4-5, 3-1), the team they beat 41-31 last November to clinch the Big South championship.
In 10 games this season, Maysonet has 1,652 yards, breaking Stony Brook and Big South records he set in 2011. Maysonet is 177 yards away from breaking into the top 25 all-time for rushing yards in a season. Colgate’s Nate Eachus was the most recent player to crack the list, accounting for 1,871 yards in 2010.
Sea Wolves quarterback senior Kyle Essignton (#15) is only the second quarterback in Big South history with back-to-back seasons of 20 touchdowns. He has 42 TDs against only eight interceptions in 27 games.
Senior wide receiver Kevin Norell (#3), senior fullback Chris Fenelon (#11) and junior running back Marcus Coker (#34) joined Maysonet and Essington on their spirit-lifting mission at the children’s hospital.
The players handed out team treats like wash-off Wolfie tattoos, football helmet-shaped key chains and autographed posters and player photos.
The staff was just as excited by the visit as they all posed for photos with the rising football stars.
You can catch the Sea Wolves action Saturday beginning at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN 3 and WUSB 90.1 FM.
Source: Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, Stony Brook University athletics department.
Photo captions: (Top) Miguel Maysonet visits with former RHS classmate Lykara Atkins on Monday. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Children’s Hospital.
Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Children’s Hospital.
(Middle) Maysonet in the season-opener victory in September. RiverheadLOCAL photo by George Faella.
(Bottom) Sea Wolves visit with patient Thomas McKeon, 13, of Centereach.
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