Pair of Seniors Honored as Top Graduating Athletes at June Recognition Dinner
WATERTOWN — Two members of the Immaculate Heart Central Class of 2026 are the top graduating athletes and recipients of the Clarence B. “Boots” Gaffney Award. Julianna L. Delaney was selected as the women’s recipient and Jameson M. Lettiere was named as this year’s men’s honoree.
The Italian-American Civic Association established the Gaffney Award in 1980 following his retirement as athletic director to honor his commitment to Immaculate Heart Academy and IHC students. That same year, the award was first presented to the top graduating male and female athletes at Immaculate Heart.
Mr. Gaffney was also a multi-sport coach at Immaculate Heart. The award perpetuates his legacy to local athletics and the greater Watertown community. The honor is awarded to an outstanding male and female graduating student athlete who demonstrates exceptional performance and personal growth. School faculty, the athletic director, and designated varsity coaches determine recipients.
The Community Foundation was selected to help continue the Gaffney family legacy by administering a charitable fund in perpetuity and raising awareness of the legacy award for students who strive to earn the prestigious honor. The Foundation partners with the Italian-American Civic Association and IHC to provide a $1,000 scholarship to each Gaffney Award recipient.
About the recipients
Julianna L. Delaney is an accomplished three-sport athlete, competing for four years at the varsity level in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. She is a multi-year New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Scholar Athlete and Frontier League All-Star.
As a varsity soccer player, she was a four-year starter and two-year team captain. Throughout her plating career, Julianna was named a Frontier League First Team All-Star, a Frontier League Second Team All-Star, and earned Frontier League All-Star Honorable Mention. She also played indoor soccer for12 years and has played on various competitive club teams for four years.
On the basketball court, she was a four-year varsity player, served as team captain for a year, and played on various club teams for four years. On the lacrosse field, Julianna was a two-year varsity team captain and was active in the sport for 12 years.
Off the athletic field, Julianna is a top-ranked honor student who graduated in June as class salutatorian with a New York State Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation and Honors. She is a two-year member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapter of the National Honor Society, serving as president her senior year. Julianna was also enrolled in the Jeff-Lewis BOCES New Visions Health program and inducted as a member of the National Technical. She served as senior class president, president of the IHC Rotary Interact Club, participated in SkillsUSA, was a Whiz Quiz team member for three years and was a member of the yearbook committee. She also participated in school musicals for four years and was a two-year member of the school band and a six-year member of the school choir.
Julianna is the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships throughout her high school academic career and will attend Suffolk University, Boston, to study radiation science or biology. She plans to continue her education in medical school and aspires to become a radiologist. She is the daughter of Jodie and Matthew Delaney, Watertown.
Jameson M. Lettiere is an accomplished three-sport athlete, competing for three years on the Cavaliers’ varsity basketball and lacrosse teams, and two years on the varsity soccer team. He is a multi-year New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Scholar Athlete and served as a three-year soccer and lacrosse team captain and a one-year basketball team captain.
On the lacrosse field, Jameson is a standout player who ranks in the top 25 in points for the Frontier League and the top 100 in Section III. He also ranks second in the Frontier League for ground balls and fourth in Section III. He earned Frontier League All-Star Honorable Mention in lacrosse and basketball. Jameson also played varsity golf in his eighth grade and freshman years.
Off the athletic field, Jameson is active in numerous school clubs and extracurricular activities. He participated in concert band and select choir and was active in Little Theater of Watertown as well school musicals. He served on the yearbook committee, volunteered for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and was involved with Boy Scouts. Jameson was also a class officer and Student Council member.
Jameson will attend Keuka College this fall where he is committed to continue his lacrosse career and study business. He is the son of Andrea and Michael Lettiere, Watertown.
Since 1980, 92 graduating Immaculate Heart seniors have received the Gaffney Award. An all-time list of Clarence “Boots” Gaffney Award recipients may be found at bit.ly/Gaffney-All-Time-26.
About Clarence B. “Boots” Gaffney
Clarence B. “Boots” Gaffney was a Watertown native who served as a city firefighter for 33 years and retired as a captain in 1970. He was also the athletic director at Immaculate Heart Academy (IHA) and IHC for nearly 40 years before retiring from that role in 1980. He coached football, basketball, and baseball at IHA. His basketball teams captured Northern New York Catholic League titles in 1953, 1954, and 1956.
Mr. Gaffney was a three-sport star at Watertown High School and the Manlius Military Academy. He graduated in 1936 from Clarkson University where he played football, basketball, and baseball. He was
considered the best New York State small school quarterback and was the leading scorer on his basketball team. Mr. Gaffney was an inaugural inductee of the Clarkson Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992.
He also played football for the Watertown Red and Black for two seasons and coached them for four years. He was a 1995 inductee in the Red and Black Hall of Fame and a member of the North Country Sports Hall of Fame’s 2016 inaugural class.
Mr. Gaffney’s life and commitment to students aligns with another athletic legacy the Community Foundation stewards — the William I. Graf Award. Mr. Graf was a heralded teacher, coach, and administrator at Watertown High School and across the North Country. Mr. Graf died in 1954 and his passing motivated the Italian-American Civic Association to establish the William I. Graf Award to honor outstanding graduating athletes from Watertown and IHA schools. The inaugural awards were presented shortly after Mr. Graf’s passing with Mr. Gaffney’s son, Peter, named as the first IHA recipient.
The Graf Award honored students from Watertown High School and IHA until the Italian-American Civic Association announced the Gaffney Award in 1980. Graf Award recipients each receive a scholarship.
About the Northern New York Community Foundation
Since 1929, the Northern New York Community Foundation has invested in improving and enriching the quality of life for all in communities across Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
Through partnerships with businesses and organizations, charitable foundations, and generous families and individual donors, the Community Foundation awards grants and scholarships from an endowment and collection of funds that benefit the region. Its commitment to donors helps individuals achieve their charitable objectives now and for generations to come by preserving and honoring legacies of community philanthropy while inspiring others.
The Community Foundation is a resource for local charitable organizations, donors, professional advisors and nonprofit organizations. It also works to bring people together at its permanent home in the Northern New York Philanthropy Center to discuss challenges our communities face and find creative solutions that strengthen the region and make it a great place to live, work, and play.