Ardsley Girls Win State Title

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The New York State 2025 Class A Girls Champions Ardsley Panthers (photo by George Corluka)

March 24, 2025

By Tom Pedulla

Ardsley produced an historic triumph when it brought the first state Class A girls’ basketball championship to the school.

The Panthers capped a magical season by defeating Section 8 opponent Wantagh 39-28 at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y. Keyed by a relentless defense, they prevailed for the 24^th time in 27 games.

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Ardsley Coach Nick Resavy talks strategy during a time out. (photo by George Corluka)

“It’s an amazing feeling to accomplish something like this with this group of girls,” said veteran coach Nick Resavy. “Just to be able to do it together and finish the job, it’s an incredible feeling.”

Fittingly, senior co-captains Iva Corluka and Joie Levy closed outstanding careers by leading the scoring with 15 and 10 points, respectively. The six-foot Corluka, who committed to St. Bonaventure, joined Leah Buriss, a 5-9 junior forward, in providing a strong inside presence game after game.

The Panthers entered this season with a powerful sense of unfinished business. After a stellar regular season last year, they were eliminated by Tappan Zee in the quarterfinal round to deny them a trip to the County Center.

Ardsley drew motivation from that setback and devoted this season to accomplishing a goal that had been so elusive.

The pre-game lineup (photo by George Corluka)

“We always dreamed of bringing the first Gold Ball to Ardsley,” Resavy said. “After we got that done, we wanted to win it all.”

The Panthers’ determination was reflected in the ferocity with which they played defense. They limited opponents to a meager 31 points per game in the playoffs.

“I think the entire tournament, from the sectionals to the regionals and the state level, I thought our defense was great,” Resavy said. “They bought in on it. They were flying around and playing for each other.”

In playing so hard for each other, they secured a place in Ardsley history that can never be surpassed.