Submitted Photo Malik McCall, left, and Aries Cheverez, right, met with Jim Uszacki’s mother, Darlene, earlier this summer. McCall and Cheverez are Dunkirk’s two most recent winners of the Jim Uszacki Award, founded in his memory.

For more than 40 years, the name Jim Uszacki has been spoken with reverence in the halls of Dunkirk High School. What began as an unthinkable tragedy in 1983 has evolved into a lasting tribute that continues to inspire young athletes today.

Uszacki was just a sophomore at Dunkirk High School when his life was cut tragically short. In the summer of 1983, the young athlete’s vehicle was hit by a locomotive, claiming his life in an instant.

The loss sent shockwaves through the tight-knit Dunkirk community. Friends, family and classmates struggled to comprehend how someone so young, with so much promise ahead of him, could be taken away so suddenly.

Rather than let Jim’s memory fade, the community chose to honor his life in a meaningful way. That same year, with the help of Jim’s parents, Dunkirk High School established the Jim Uszacki Award, recognizing the top sophomore athlete in the school. The award was designed not just to celebrate athletic achievement, but to embody the spirit, dedication, and potential that Jim had shown during his brief time as a student-athlete. The placard that is in the athletic lobby states “This memorial award is given to the sophomore athlete that best exhibits the traits and character; coach-ability and unselfishness that personified the late Jim Uszacki.

This past June, the award took on special significance when Jim’s mother, Darlene, visited the newly renovated Dan Palmer Athletic Lobby at Dunkirk High School. She had the opportunity to meet with the two most recent recipients of her son’s memorial award: Malik McCall, the 2024 winner, and Aries Cheverez, the 2025 winner.

The young athletes spent time with Darlene, giving her a tour of the building and showing her the modern athletic facilities. During their visit, she shared cherished memories of Dunkirk, recounting stories of her son’s athletic accomplishments and other vivid experiences from her lifetime in the community. For McCall and Cheverez, it was a moving opportunity to connect with the person whose loss had created the honor they now carry.

McCall is a scholar athlete who participates in varsity football, basketball and track & field, and as a key component in the Unified basketball program this past school year. Although Malik’s father jokingly stated that Malik should become a lawyer, he isn’t sure what his future will bring as he enters his senior year set to graduate in 2026.

Cheverez is also a scholar athlete who participated in varsity football, basketball and baseball, as well as many other travel programs throughout Chautauqua County.

Athletic Director AJ Burnside said both athletes “embody exactly what you want in young leadership.” He credited their ability to bring out the passion of their teammates.

“These gentlemen are great role models and activists for the school. Dunkirk is absolutely privileged to have fine young men like these two,” Burnside said.

Although Jim Uszacki’s mother, Darlene, now spends only a few months each year in Western New York, Dunkirk continues to hold a special place in her heart that draws her back year after year. Her visit served as a powerful reminder of the personal story behind the award and the enduring connections that bind a community together.

The award stands as a testament to how a community can transform grief into something meaningful, keeping alive the memory of a promising young athlete whose story serves as both inspiration and caution for those who follow in his footsteps.

The Jim Uszacki award recipients, as well as many other Dunkirk Athletic awards and team champions, can be viewed on the newly designed DCSD Athletic Website by going to www.dunkirkcsd.org/athletics.