Grace O’Brien named to Capital District Sports Women of the Year Class of 2023

ALBANY, NY – Grace O’Brien, a senior at Galway High School, has been named as one of the 10 scholastic award recipients for 2023 by the Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization.

Grace, who competes in basketball and volleyball, will be recognized at the Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala on Monday, August 7 at 7:00 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady. Tickets are available online at proctors.org or at the Proctors Box Office.

The Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization (CDSWOY) honors the best and brightest female student athletes from high schools and colleges in the Capital District of New York State. The student-athletes will be recognized for their achievements in academics, athletics, and community service. More information is provided at the website: cdswoy.com.
Grace was an academic scholar five times at Galway High School. She received the George Eastman Young Leaders Award from the University of Rochester. She helped to start the Spanish Club at Galway and was a member of the Student Senate.

Athletically, Grace was a First Team WAC All-Star in both her junior and senior seasons. She was a First Team All-State Class C volleyball selection last fall. She was the WAC MVP and Top Scholar-Athlete in the WAC and a WAC All Star in basketball. She also competed in track this past season for the first time.

In community service work, Grace organized a donation to UNICEF for children in Ukraine. They made and sold bracelets that said “We stand with Ukraine,” All the profits made were donated to UNICEF. Grace worked for the Clean Up Great Camp Santanoni program in Newcomb. This camp in the Adirondacks was built in the 1890s and has been passed down through many families. Now the camp is open to the public and in the late spring, Grace and other volunteers clean the debris from the winter. She also helps with scorekeeping services for girls modified and JV basketball games.

A total of 10 high school and three college female student-athletes will be honored at the August 7 event. The next recipient will be announced on July 19.