UTICA, N.Y. (June 16th, 2026) The Boilermaker Road Race awarded the Ted Petrillo Scholarships on the morning of June 11, during a breakfast ceremony honoring four graduating high school runners. Scholarships were conferred to one male and one female runner for Outstanding Achievement in Distance Running, as well as one male and one female runner for Outstanding Commitment to Distance Running. Each recipient was presented with a certificate, a scholarship in the amount of $1500, and a complimentary entry to the Boilermaker 15K, presented by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.
This year’s recipients of the 2026 Outstanding Achievement in Distance Running are Dan Casatelli & Lily Kogut of Waterville Central School. Bryson Gaiser of New Hartford and Natalie Cortright of Clinton are being honored for Outstanding Commitment to Distance Running.
The scholarships are posthumously named for Ted Petrillo, a long-time Boilermaker volunteer and 2017 recipient of the Peter DeStefano Volunteer of the Year Award. The Boilermaker Scholarship Program is organized by long-time volunteer Phyllis Petrillo.
PHOTO CAPTION
RUNNING SCHOLARS… Officials from the Boilermaker Road Race presented the annual Ted Petrillo Scholarships on Thursday to four local graduating high school seniors. Pictured from left:
Lily Kogut, Female Outstanding Achievement in Distance Running; Natalie Cortright, Female Outstanding Commitment to Distance Running; and Brycen Gaiser, Male Outstanding Commitment in Distance Running. Each student received a certificate, a scholarship for $1500, and a complimentary entry into the Boilermaker 15K presented by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.
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Recognized as the “Best 15K in the USA”, the Boilermaker Road Race is in its 49th year. The Boilermaker, a proud member of the PRRO Circuit, is the premier event of Boilermaker Weekend. The race consistently attracts elite runners from all over the world, including Olympians and world record holders, and features distance running’s most enthusiastic fans, as well as the sport’s best post-race party, hosted by The F.X. Matt Brewing Company. To register for other Boilermaker events, visit the official Boilermaker website at boilermaker.com. Hotel accommodations and information about other local attractions can also be found on the site.
