DoDEA Pacific Announces award recipients of Region Athlete of the Year

The Department of Defense Education Activity – Pacific Region is pleased to announce the award recipients for Pacific Athlete of the Year, seniors Hanokheliyahu (Hanoke) Gailson and Madelyn Gallo, who attend Nile C. Kinnick High School.

Gailson led the Far East D1 championship team in 2019, effectively re-writing Kinnick’s record board in cross country. A Far East Champion in the 1600m, 3200m, 4x800m relay and runner-up in the 800m, Track and Cross Country Coach Luke Voth said Gailson was a favorite to sweep all of the distance events this season, which was cut short due to COVID-19.

“Honoke’s training is nonstop and it shows in his accomplishments,” Voth said. “His voluntary offseason training is just as intense as his in-season training…He is one of those athletes who puts forth the type of work to truly earn his success.”

In addition to his achievements in athletics, Gailson is also dedicated to succeeding academically. He is enrolled in rigorous AP courses and plans to further his education and run cross country in the fall.

Madelyn Gallo represented the Red Devils on both the volleyball and basketball courts. In volleyball, she was a two-time selectee for the Far East All-Tournament Team, a two-time selectee for the YUJO All-Tournament Team, and also named the team’s Most Valuable Player twice.

Madelyn Gallo
(Photo: Dave Ornauer, Stars and Stripes)

“Her passion for volleyball can be seen in both practices and in games,” said Volleyball Coach Tony San Nicolas, noting her stats include an average of 20 kills per game, a hitting percentage of .659, and 144 serving aces in 33 matches played. “She was a captain and a leader for her teammates…More importantly, Ms. Gallo’s excellence can be seen off the court as she maintained a remarkable 4.0 grade point average this year and has taken numerous AP classes over the course of her high school career.”

The Pacific Athlete of the Year selectees were chosen based on participation in at least one sport season and a letter of nomination from a coach or athletic director. The top candidates from each school were chosen by committee and submitted to the district office, where another committee selected and submitted the district’s two top Athlete of the Year nominations to the region office. From this pool of nominees, a committee at the region office selected the Pacific Athlete of the Year.

About DoDEA

DoDEA plans, directs, coordinates, and manages pre-kindergarten through 12th grade education programs for school-aged children of Department of Defense personnel who would otherwise not have access to high-quality public education. DoDEA schools are located in Europe, the Pacific, Western Asia, the Middle East, Cuba, the United States, Guam, and Puerto Rico. DoDEA also provides support and resources to Local Educational Activities throughout the United States that serve children of military families.