Here are the results of the 86th annual AYF Olympics that were held in Chicago this past Labor Day Weekend. These summary results include the Chapter point totals, the high scorers, Pentathlon, the four events in which records were broken. We congratulate the Greater Boston “Nejdeh” Chapter on their overall victory. Congratulations to all Chapters and participants for their efforts and fraternalism. A special thanks to the Chicago community for planning and delivering a world class experience.

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Mark Gavoor

Mark Gavoor is Associate Professor of Operations Management in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University in Chicago. He is an avid blogger and oud player.

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Berj Ourlian
10 years old

Eastern Region Homenetmen Scouts Panagoum in Pioneer, Ohio was a fun experience for me and my brother. Although it was our first time attending scouts panagoum, my Camp Haiastan experience helped a lot. I met many new friends and had a good time. I got to spend four uninterrupted days with my dear friends Levon Shant, Anthony and Muron. 

The scouts were divided into two groups by age. The younger group slept in cabins; the older group slept in tents. There was also “bahag” duty to guard the flags and premises. The younger group did it in the morning and afternoon and the older group did it at night. Since I was part of the younger group, I missed out on some of the extreme activities such as taking the flag on the last day of Panagoum.

The lectures were interesting. There were four lectures; some were more interesting than others. The lectures were about King Dertad, the history of Artsakh, our churches and the ANCA.

Homenetmen Panagoum was informative and fun. I would like to go again, and I encourage my non-scout friends to join Homenetmen.

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Homenetmen Eastern U.S.

The Armenian General Athletic Union and Scouts, known as "Homenetmen," is a non-profit organization founded over 100 years ago. Believing in the idea that strong bodies lead to strong minds, Homenetmen has provided Armenian youth across the globe with a moral, physical and psychological education outside the school environment, while also demonstrating richness of the Armenian culture and heritage, while at the same time. Today, Homenetmen is a worldwide organization with over 25,000 members on five continents. On the East Coast U.S., Homenetmen is a thriving organization with 12 chapters and over 900 members, governed by the Homenetmen Eastern Regional Executive.

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Well, the Olympics Blues Day has come and gone. We are all back home and at work or school. It is a great time to begin to look ahead and begin planning to attend the 87th annual AYF Olympics next year in Worcester. This is a big deal. It is their first time since 1974, 46 years, they have last hosted an Olympics. It is a historic city for Armenian Americans. Worcester was the home of the first Armenian community of significance and the first Armenian church in the US. Worcester also has the honor of being the first AYF Chapter!

The AYF Worcester Aram Chapter has been there throughout the history of the AYF. They have wanted to host another Olympics. But, since 1974, the city of Worcester did not grow and prosper like Boston, and therefore was lacking hotels that could not accommodate the AYF… until recently. There has been a renaissance in Worcester. Worcester has a convention and conference center. They have two new hotels that can indeed accommodate the AYF. Boston hotels have gotten more and more expensive and are all booked with conventions over Labor Day weekend. So, Worcester has become a viable option for the 87th annual AYF Olympics!

While the Worcester Chapter and community are hosting the event, they do plan on tapping into the neighboring chapters and communities for their expertise and help. The entire Worcester community is very excited. They had their first planning meeting in April and 70 people showed up ready, willing and able to get this done. There is an excellent playbook based on past successful Olympics in Philadelphia and Chicago. 

The committee has booked two hotels: The Hilton Garden and The AC Marriott.  The dances will all be at the remodeled DCU Convention Center. They are looking to have all the athletic facilities within 15 minutes of the hotels. The entertainment is still in the works. They are looking for a headliner on Saturday and traditional Olympic music for Friday and Sunday. 

Gary Arvanigian is the alumni co-chair and Michael Melkonian is the AYF co-chair. They are filling out the rest of their committees at this writing. Tirelessly working behind the scenes is the current CE Chair and longstanding Worcester promoter, organizer and cheerleader Kenar Charchaflian. For her, this is a dream come true. In fact Kenar said, “This has been a fantasy goal that Michael and I used to joke about. But, we realized it was a good idea that we are delighted to see happen. I cannot think of a better way to end my AYF career!”

One has to love that 87th annual AYF Olympic logo. A lot of thought has been put into it:

•       Worcester is known as the heart of Massachusetts
•       Worcester being the first AYF chapter – can be seen as the heart of the AYF
•       Harvey Ball – designer of the first smiley was from Worcester, MA

The Worcester Chapter has about 30 members and is looking to move from being a joint chapter to a separate Junior and Senior Chapter in the next year. Much like its home city, the Worcester Chapter is growing and thriving. Be on the lookout for more information on booking hotels, the Ad Book, the entertainment, and more in the coming weeks and month. 

Whether you call it Wistah, Ousder, or Worcester… let’s all gather there next year.

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Mark Gavoor

Mark Gavoor is Associate Professor of Operations Management in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University in Chicago. He is an avid blogger and oud player.

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The introduction of Karine Birazian Shnorhokian as Olympic queen included the proper term “all star” in describing her various achievements.

“Special K” (a term some use in referring to Karine) did it all.

Her athletic career began as a Chicago “Ararat” member and then continued as a New Jersey “Arsen” member.

She currently stands near the top of the women’s leader board with a whopping 122 points by dominating the women’s pentathlon over an 11 year Olympic period. She consecutively won the grueling event seven times after starting her Olympic career medaling in running events.

Karine was also a star outside of the athletic environment; she was a volunteer nurse in Armenia. WHen she moved to New Jersey, she served as the director of the ANCA Eastern Region for three years. That’s where she met her future husband, Vahig.

Karine then brought her passion for Armenian Genocide recognition with educational activities for public schools in New Jersey.

“My favorite AYF memory was Maral Vartanian taking me into an AYF junior meeting and swearing me in. After that, there were so many AYF experiences that helped create the total immersion into AYF and later memories and friendships that lasted a lifetime,” said an appreciative Karine upon accepting her award. “AYF means so much to so many of us.”

Karine has been a nurse for 14 years and currently works as a regional director of case management and clinical integration for a very large skilled nursing facility in New Jersey. She leads national projects on improving patient outcomes and overall care.

She and Vahig have three children: Aren (8), Aleen (5) and Armen (2).

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Harry Derderian

Harry Derderian is a native of Indian Orchard, Mass and resident of Farmington Hills, Mich. He is a member of the Marketing faculty at Eastern Michigan University as well as adjunct professor of marketing at University of Michigan-Dearborn and adjunct Professor of Business at Schoolcraft Community College.

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The Killian family certainly has a respected place in the Chicago community scene.

Following in the footsteps of his father Ara and grandfather Arshag, Raffi was named this year’s Olympic King.

Like Ara, he was recognized not only for his athletic achievement, but continued community and regional endeavors.

Raffi competed notably and was a consistent top scorer in the running events as a Junior and later as a Senior, capping his senior AYF athletic participation by winning the pentathlon in 2003 and totaling 78 points in senior competition. 

He is Chicago’s top scorer in AYF Olympic competition.

“Mid-west Junior Olympics is a super memory, as any family who has been there will tell you…my greatest memory though was coaching our senior team to its only Olympic win which was in 2004,” Raffi remembers.

“…it was a super day as we (brothers Armen and Ari, Hagop Soulakian) saw the results of our coaching efforts, building on the efforts of those who came before us…,” he added.

Beyond his athletic achievements, Raffi has regionally served on several councils and on AYF-CE as well as being a long time ANC activist. He is the lead energy and vision behind the highly visible Arajamugh development program as well as being a committee member of the ACAA Artsakh Fund.

Raffi is a project manager, lives with his wife Paula in London, England, and works in the new investments field for Round Hill Capitol, a prominent real estate management firm specializing in the UK and European markets.

Our “uncle Raffi”—ably assisted by brothers Ari and Armen— carry forth the Killian legacy in a proud and meaningful manner.

In another part of Illinois in the proud community of Granite City, the Hagopian name has a respected place.

Our next Olympic King, Jeff Hagopian, is a native of Granite City and was a Granite City AYF “Antranig” member, participating and earning points and medals in shot put as well as golf.

He also served on local AYF executive and later advisor to juniors and seniors.

“We certainly knew we had no chance to win senior Olympics given our size, but we always tried to participate to show Granite City spirit,” said Jeff. “We feel a great deal of pride in our small, family community.”

Jeff has always been active both locally and regionally, serving as a former AYF-CE member, consistently participating in church activities and continuing the Olympic Spirit by serving as a Governing Body member. 

“Participating in junior and senior Olympics is great fun, but any experience in AYF is meaningful with friendships that last a lifetime. Camp was the first blast,” expressed Jeff.

Jeff and his wife Lynn are day to day active members of the Granite City community with daughters Michelle and Megan following in their parents’ footsteps.

Jeff has passed along his Olympic drive to his children; Megan participated in Olympics for many years  and daughter Michelle is a top female scorer in AYF Olympic history with an astounding 156 points.

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Harry Derderian

Harry Derderian is a native of Indian Orchard, Mass and resident of Farmington Hills, Mich. He is a member of the Marketing faculty at Eastern Michigan University as well as adjunct professor of marketing at University of Michigan-Dearborn and adjunct Professor of Business at Schoolcraft Community College.

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Early Friday morning at the AYF Olympics, you see young folks with golf clubs and tennis bags gathering in the lobby waiting for the bus to the golf and tennis events. Friday morning has traditionally been the day for these “lifetime” sports. The Organizing Committee had golf, tennis and the new sport, three-on-three basketball, all in Mt. Prospect, IL, so each bus made all three stops. 

The tennis courts were at Memorial Park. The weather was perfect in the mid-70s, and the facility was great with a few picnic tables, no stands. Usually there are more women than men players, but this year the tables were turned. There were five women and 14 men—the largest turnout for men in many years.

On the women’s side, Anahis Kechejian of Greater Boston and, making her debut, Chantelle Nasri from the Manhattan Chapter, played the first match. Anahis won that match and then played Lina Ariyan from NJ, a previous gold medal winner in tennis. Lina’s sister, Katia, took on Olivia Barberian from North Andover at the same time. Both Ariyan sisters won with relative ease to set up an all-NJ final, which has been the norm over the past several years of AYF tennis. Katia edged out her sister to earn her first gold medal in tennis. Anahis and Olivia played for the bronze, and Olivia won. Here are the final results for the women:

1. Katia Ariyan (New Jersey)
2. Lina Ariyan (New Jersey)
3. Olivia Barberian (North Andover)
4. Anahis Kechejian (Greater Boston)

“It was fun to win my first gold medal in tennis,” said Katia Ariyan. “Playing my sister in the finals made it even more special. When we were younger, Lina and I were very competitive with each other, but as we are both in college and don’t play as much, it was just good to be out there and play with her. I also like seeing Olivia and playing her in AYF tennis. Looking forward to more girls showing up in Worcester next year.”

In the first round, all the Detroit players advanced. Jacob Niffin bested Garin Bedian of Chicago. His brother Kyle Niffin beat George Noury of New Jersey. First-timer Jake Kurkjian beat Sevan Donoian of Providence. Another Detroit first-timer, Michael-Armen Kadian, bested Greg Masron of Greater Boston.  In the other two first-round matches, Garo Tashian of Providence prevailed over Sevag Sanikian of Fresno, and Shahan DerBedrosian of Glendale bested Kyle Dinkjian of New Jersey.

Last year’s gold and silver medal winners, Hagop Taraksian and Nareg Mkrtchjan, both of Providence, had byes in the first round. Taraksian took on and beat Jacob Niffin. Mkrtchjan faced Kadian and lost. The other two matches had Niffin facing Tashian and DerBedrosian playing Kurkjian. Tashian and DerBedrosian were the winners. It was clear that newcomers Kadian and DerBedrosian were pretty good players.  

In the semi-finals, Taraksian faced and beat his Providence teammate, Tashian. Kadian and DerBedrosian played a rousing match, and DerBedrosian won.  

This set up what were very good final matches. Four-time gold medal winner Taraksian was going after his fifth against DerBedrosian. Taraksian’s teammate Tashian faced Kadian. In both cases, it was veteran versus first-year competitors. Both games were very competitive, and in both cases, the younger players won.  The men’s results were:

1. Shahan DerBedrosian (Glendale, Western Region)
2. Hagop Taraksian (Providence)
3. Michael-Armen Kadian (Detroit)
4. Garo Tashian (Providence)

Taraksian is a competitor and a class act. The gallery knew he wanted that fifth gold, and they wanted it for him. DerBedrosian, however, is a very good player. The final result might look a little lopsided, but every game went to deuce and multiple deuces. It a slug fest, and it was DerBedrosian’s day in the end. It was some of the best tennis I have seen on the men’s side of AYF in a long time. Next year in Worcester could be epic.

On a final note, it was Tashian’s and Donoian’s last tennis competition as they are aging out. Both are wonderful examples of AYF members and athletes. I would like to highlight Donoian a bit here. He lost in the first round of this competition. Let’s be clear that he wants to win, and he plays to win. But for him, being there with his fellow Armenians has always been first and foremost in his mind and heart. He has been a recipient of the Ernest Nahigian Sportsmanship trophy because everyone recognizes his natural enthusiasm and fraternalism. He truly has the AYF spirit. And there is not a doubt in my mind that both Tashian and Donoian will continue to be involved.

Author information

Mark Gavoor

Mark Gavoor is Associate Professor of Operations Management in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University in Chicago. He is an avid blogger and oud player.

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Maireny Soulakian is the “Mother Figure of Chicago” who mirrors the essence of the AYF Varadian Spirit award for giving back to the community and “making it better.”

She has been a lifelong dedicated supporter not only of the AYF but to the local community through her years of work in the local ARS and Ladies Guild. 

A bubbly lady, Maireny has been, hands down, a consistent supporter and cheerleader for the “Ararats,” whether in Chicago or at junior and senior events in the region.

She and her late husband Dikran, a respected and dedicated AYF and community spirit himself, raised nationalistic children –Hagop and Maral—passing on to them the spirit and conviction of being Armenian. Both Hagop and Maral have been active for many years.

Maireny’s community activity spans an amazing 60 years. “I am so surprised for this award. AYF has been our life,” she said. “It is a wonderful feeling to have such an extended family.”

Maireny and her family came to the U.S from Jordan in 1959; her involvement with the church was immediate. The rest followed. 

Maireny is a continuing role model not only to the community, but for her three grandchildren, who adore and embody the AYF and Hamazkayin spirit as well. 

No one has “made it better” than Maireny.

Art and Mary Bedian were activists in all respects of community life in Granite City. That strong spirit was passed along to their children, Greg and Lisa.

Greg Bedian is the second recipient of the Varadian Spirit award.

Greg participated in 11 Olympics – primarily in swimming and track and field, medaling in the 110 low hurdles and the two-mile event. 

He was a member of three different AYF chapters (Granite City, Watertown and Washington) and served on CE for five terms in the early and mid-1980s.

After leaving AYF, he served as an advisor to his local chapter, has been a lecturer at multiple AYF junior and senior seminars, served multiple terms on the ANCA Eastern Region and ANCA national boards, as well as multiple terms on the ARF-ER Central Committee. 

He has been active in the Armenian church and also served as an Armenian history teacher in the local Armenian school for many years.

“It’s an honor to be recognized, but many others give back also,” said Bedian. “I dedicate this to my parents, Art and Mary, who taught me the meaning of service.”

Greg and Silva’s children are active also; Greg did what his parents did.

Knar is active in the Boston chapter. Garin is a member of the Chicago chapter and CE member, and Daron is a Chicago chapter executive.

“Anything in AYF is a great memory,” said Greg.

Author information

Harry Derderian

Harry Derderian is a native of Indian Orchard, Mass and resident of Farmington Hills, Mich. He is a member of the Marketing faculty at Eastern Michigan University as well as adjunct professor of marketing at University of Michigan-Dearborn and adjunct Professor of Business at Schoolcraft Community College.

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AYF Olympic Basketball? Wait, basketball isn’t an AYF Olympic sport. It is a late winter/early spring event in the National Athletic Tournament (NATS). What’s basketball doing at the Olympics on a late August Friday? The simple answer is that they are trying something new.

Basketball at the NATS is full court with five person teams. AYF Olympics basketball is half court three-on-three played to 15 points, and you have to win by two. There is no clock, and fouls result in a turnover. It was a great experiment.

Governing Body member Daron Topouzian came up with the idea for adding Basketball to the AYF Olympics. The tournament is based on the Gus Macker rules.

There were five teams in this first tourney. Four of them were from California and one from the Eastern Region—New Jersey. Basketball was scheduled at the same time as tennis and golf. As the Chicago committee was brilliant in having these venues within a few miles of each other, I was able to attend and cover all three events.

The basketball tournament took place in Mt. Prospect, IL. I arrived in time to watch the semi-finals, which were exciting and fast-paced. The players were all in great shape, very athletic; clearly, they had all been on a basketball court before. I thought this could grow into a Friday version of softball in a few years.  

Five teams with unique names participated (The West, Western Region 1, Can’t Touch This, Marzagan Gogortilos, Make Arsen Great Again). 

There were eight games in total. Every team was guaranteed two games. Winners of the first round games played each other in the succeeding rounds. Losers in the first round played each other in the succeeding rounds until the finals. The winners of the winners bracket and losers bracket then faced each other in the finals.

The finals pitted Can’t Touch This Senior Los Angeles team against the New Jersey Make Arsen Great Again team. They had played in the first round as well. LA beat NJ 15-11. NJ went on to win the “losers” bracket, won out and thus faced the same LA again. This final game was quite competitive. The NJ team must have warmed-up or got a great pep talk from coach Garo Sarajian because they played at a different level. 

When I spoke with Eddie Hovannisian and Varak Ghazarian of the winning LA team, they were a little surprised that more of the Eastern Region chapters did not have teams as it only requires three people. “Basketball on Friday may be hard to get people out of school and work,” said Hovannisian, who channeled the Kareem Abdul Jabbar jersey he was sporting when he launched a beautiful hook shot from the middle of the key during the game. “I wasn’t sure what to expect in this first year of basketball,” said teammate Ghazarian. “New Jersey really took their game to another level. We had to fight hard to win.” Both agreed that teammates Armen Krikorian and Armand Keossian did a great job. 

New Jersey’s Sarajian was happy with his team’s performance, “These guys all played church basketball together and played on their high school teams,” said Sarajian. “Chris Tarzian is a superstar. He hit the game-winning three against the ‘junior’ LA team in the semis. Every time we needed a basket, Chris would take over and Alex Derian and Nerses Kupelian would block out or run picks. Truly, very little coaching was needed.” Chris was indeed awesome. He was everywhere challenging whoever he was guarding when LA had the ball. He quarterbacked the offense when Jersey had the ball. 

All of the players and coaches hope this three-on-three basketball continues in the AYF Olympics. They all want to see more chapters participate and agree that rules on foul reduction and resulting turnovers need to change. The Gus Macker rules call for free throws after the seventh foul.

It would be great to see eight or teams participate next year in Worcester. 

Author information

Mark Gavoor

Mark Gavoor is Associate Professor of Operations Management in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University in Chicago. He is an avid blogger and oud player.

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This is always the very last article I pen. It’s an homage to Angel Perethian, who wrote “Angel Over the Olympics” for many years. Tom Vartabedian would always say that her piece was the first article people looked for in these pages. Like many aspects of the AYF and the Olympics, we try to keep things going and live up to Mal Varadian’s charge, “Make it better than it was.”

What a glorious and memorable weekend it was. It was great to be a part of the fifth time Chicago hosted the AYF Olympics. It was the second time in three years that the Olympics were in the Midwest. The weather was perfect. The athletic venues were amazingly close to the wonderful O’Hare Hyatt. Everything was so well planned and executed.

After Vahe Berberian’s show, I met Hatchig Kantzabedian and Minas Kaftajian from Dallas outside Zanies Comedy Club. It was their first time at the AYF Olympics. They told me they always take a Labor Day trip with their wives. The marketing buzz for the Olympics in Chicago on social media and in the Armenian press helped them make the AYF Olympics in Chicago their destination this year.  

This was the first Olympics with a mascot. Chicago Amo was the creation of the Steering Committee’s Ardem Hardy who was responsible for Marketing and Sponsorship. She also drew the various cartoons. Amo, himself, made an appearance at the Track and Field games on Sunday.

This was the first Olympics with young visitors from Australia. One of them was my cousin Olivia Dilanchian. She was with her friends Nareg Yedelian and Meghety Zaitounian. Maybe next year, we will have participants from Australia? 

As every year, I was delighted to get my hands on the Ad Book. The first page I opened to was from the Der Kaloustian family honoring their father Archpriest Mousegh Der Kaloustian who passed away earlier this year. It was fitting as he is one of my favorite Der Hayrs. I did get to see Der Moushegh’s son Garo and catch-up with him.

One of the joys of writing daily reports from the AYF Olympics is to get to know the current crop of AYFers. They are a wonderful bunch and live up to Varadian’s call. This year I saw old friends like Kyle Dinkjian, Mark Santerian, Meghri Dervartanian, Pete Tashjian, Nareg Mkrtschjan, Kenar Charchaflian, Garo Tashian, the Ayrian sisters and the Krafian sisters. 

It did everyone’s heart good to watch the parade of athletes. It was especially nice to see the Kings, Queens and Varadian Award winners marching with them.

In August, I started referring to Armen Papazian of Chicago as Impresario Armen. He was in charge of the Entertainment Committee for this year’s Olympics and responsible for bringing Vahe Berberian, Tigran Asatryan and Harout Pamboukjian. He has been booking big names for Chicago’s All Saints Armenian Church community for years. He also fills the halls and makes these events successful fundraisers. That is exactly what an impresario does! Bravo, Impresario Armen.

I missed seeing old friends Steve Panosian and Peter Bonjuklian who were not able to make the trip this year. Andrew and Madonna Kzirian were planning to attend, but their plans changed with the passing of Madonna’s mother. Hoping to see them in Worcester 2020.

I loved the Killian family ad remembering their grandfather Dr. Arshag Killian who founded the Chicago AYF with Karekin Nejdeh and their father Ara Killian. Also, there were two ads in memory of Killian khunami Antranig “Anto” Mesrobian who passed in 2018.  

I had the opportunity to meet two sisters Sato Sanikian and Haygo Ohanesian from Fresno. They had moved from Beirut to Waukegan back in the 1970s. For the two years they lived there and Kenosha, WI, they sang in the St. Paul choir with my mother in-law Mary Mardoian and fondly remembered her exquisite voice and guidance she provided as their choir director. They have been in Fresno for 43 years.  They were delighted to be in Chicago and reconnect with old friends like Mary.

The annual ad from Harry Derderian and Armen Harootian honoring the memory of Tom Vartabedian, The Eternal Olympic Spirit, is another that tugs at my heartstrings.

Before the weekend, I had asked for Olympic memories in one of my daily articles. Several people responded. The first was Bobbie Berberian. “My first Olympics was in 1957 Niagara Falls. The only reason my parents let me go as a young teen was if I went with my aunt Lucy Almasian and stayed in her room. I had no idea Sue Merian was her roommate. Sue was my idol. I had all of her Olympic pictures that were in the Weekly on my bulletin board in my bedroom along with, of course, my favorite Red Sox players. So, there I was at my first Olympics staying with two superstars. I think the Gomidas was the band, but I’m not sure. I had a midnight curfew which was my mother’s rule. I never missed an Olympics after that for about 20 years. In 1967 I was in Beirut and Greece for several months, but I came home early so as not to miss Worcester Olympics. John was playing, and we were dating in those years. John and I were sorry to have missed the Olympics in Chicago this year. See you all in Worcester in 2020.”

Heather Krafian related the other Olympic memory. Actually, it was about a new memory created at this year’s Olympics. It happened on Friday night on the bus returning from the swimming competition to the hotel. Heather’s daughter Anoush commented that here was a bus full of AYFers who did not all know each other. “Perhaps we should play the introduction game we use at Camp Haiastan.” Heather encouraged her, but Anoush was a bit shy. So, Anoush’s sister Nairi took over. “The entire bus introduced themselves and everyone got to meet new people,” noted Heather. “There were 10 to 15 out of a busload of 60 people for whom this was their first Olympics. People that met on the bus, saw each other at softball the next day, solidifying the new friendships. We should do this all the time.” Indeed, we should!

Following the games, Alexan Topalian commented on the proactive efforts of the Providence alumni and chapter executives. “This year, there was a huge push on team building and athletics within the chapter, and I think that is what kept this close knit family together on and off the field.”

Talk about “making it better than it was”; that is the sole focus of the AYF Olympics Governing Body. This current crew of Mike Varadian, Rich Keshgegian, and Daron Topouzian are carrying forth the legacy of a long line of dedicated AYF alumni who have done just that.

Any ad with a family photo in front of the Camp Haiastan sign is always a winner. The Saroukhanian – Bokatzian Family ad was a beauty.  

The oddest or most clever ad was “Tebi Montana: Because, let’s face it, you’re never actually going to Armenia!” What? There is a web address, and as far as I can tell, it’s an advertisement for Joomla open-source content management system.

The Olympics this year had a simple and effective slogan: “Meet Us in the Middle.” There was a record number of rooms and participants from the Western Region. The Los Angeles team won both the inaugural three on three basketball on Friday and repeated as the Softball Champions on Sunday. The Krikorian, Hovannisian, and Keosian parents were beaming with joy.

In chatting with Vahe Berberian after his show on Thursday evening, I was delightfully surprised that he was an AYF alum!

I saw a strapping fellow with a tennis racket in his backpack in the lobby. He said he was from New Jersey. While he looked like he had, he told me he never played any organized tennis. When he told me his name, George Noury, I commented that he looked familiar, as was his name. I asked if he owned a café. He said “yes!” It turns out we are friends on Facebook where he does a lot of marketing for his restaurant, Nouri Cafe. I told him his marketing was good, the food looked delicious, and that I would visit his Armenian-Syrian restaurant when I am next in New Jersey. I would encourage everyone else to check it out and support this young entrepreneur!

I had a chance to talk with the newly-crowned Olympic King Raffi Killian, who helped pass out medals at the Track and Field. He was telling me that he and his brother Ari, co-chair of the Olympic Steering Committee, built and painted the tri-color podiums for the 1991 Olympic Games. They have been in use since then. It made me wonder how they get transported from city to city each year.

I want to thank the team that worked on making this Olympics Issue of the Armenian Weekly happen. Bob Tutunjian and Harry Derderian helped write the articles. Bob is also our unparalleled fact checker and AYF athletic stat guru. Sona Gevorkian and Tamar Kanarian took amazing photos all weekend. We always joke with each other that it has taken five of us to carry on the wonderful legacy left by Tom Vartabedian who for 40 plus years did it all himself! Thanks to Khatchig Mouradian of the Armenian Weekly for holding us to the schedule, and especially to Leeza Arakelian—the most skilled, passionate and timely editor it has been our pleasure to work with.

Author information

Mark Gavoor

Mark Gavoor is Associate Professor of Operations Management in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University in Chicago. He is an avid blogger and oud player.

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Golf at the AYF Olympics is a special event. There are certainly some very good golfers playing both as AYFers and even more so as alumni. Talent is in no way a prerequisite to play however. Every year there are golfers at all levels including beginners. It is about the golf, but it is something more as well. It is the social nature and pace of the game that makes this event special. Everyone I have talked to enjoys the day because they get to golf with friends they don’t often see. They get to catch-up. They laugh. They reminisce. And, everyone truly values these offerings of AYF Golf.

There were four women golfers this year. They all played last year and know each other very well. Being only four, everyone scored points. The results were:

1. Shayna McCarthy (NJ) 49
2. Theresa Jelalian (NJ) 50
3. Ani Comella (Prov.) 63
4. Araxi Krafian (BOS) 70

Shayna won this year and her Jersey teammate Theresa was second. Shayna lowered her score by seven strokes and Theresa by eight strokes this year to finish within one stroke of each other. It was a close competition, but knowing these ladies, they might not have known how close until they tallied up the scores. They have a lot of fun being together and playing golf.

The men also have a lot of fun playing. There were six golfers, but only five of them were official competitors. There was a mix-up in Nareg Aboyan’s (Greater Boston) registration, and he couldn’t officially compete for a medal. But in great fraternal spirit, he wanted to be out there playing and supporting the others. Kudos to Nareg! The men’s results were:

1. Mark Santerian (Phil) 72
2. Sam Manuelian (Worc) 86
3. Joey Charchaflian (BOS) 86
4. Alexan Topalian (Prov) 92
5. Shahan Topalian (Prov) 95

Mark Santerian is clearly one of the best golfers in AYF history. He has won five gold medals, three silvers and a bronze in his AYF Golf career. The bronze? It was in his first year, and there was a tie for first. This year he participated in Javelin where he got a silver medal, Discus in which he got a bronze medal, ran two relays for gold and silver, and swam one for gold. He is a very versatile athlete. He has six gold medals in Javelin only to be edged out this year by Providence newcomer Zach Semerjian. Mark always wants to win but respects anyone that can best him. 

 Mark and Alexan were a twosome. Joey, Sam, Shahan and Nareg were in a foursome. They had a great time. I was able to Facebook Live the medal presentations by Governing Body member in charge of Golf, Rich Keshgegian. If you watch the video, you will get a glimpse of the camaraderie of these AYF and how much fun they have.

In talking with Mark Santerian, he wished more AYFers would play golf and had this observation that is really an invitation to all AYFers and alumni. “If people saw how much fun golf is, more people would play.  It is a great way on Friday morning to kick-off the weekend.”

As usual, there were more Alumni Golfers than the AYF men and women put together. One of the alumni foursomes included Ken Topalian (Providence) his nephew Peter Tashian (Philadelphia) and brothers Steve and Jeff Hagopian (Granite City). What a foursome! Ken, Steve and Jeff are all Olympic Kings, though Jeff wouldn’t be crowned such until later that evening, and they all served on the Olympic Governing Body. Peter is an awesome golfer as an AYFer in epic battles with fellow Sebouh, Mark Santerian for gold and silver over several years. Last year, he won the Alumni Golf in his first year as an alumni. I asked Ken if there were any light or comic moments in their round. He quickly responded, “My golfing was a hilarious moment for 18 holes.” He went on to say, “It was a great day to share memories.  We talked about the 1970 Olympics in Montreal, the 1972 games in Los Angeles and the 1975 games at the Ponchatrain Hotel in Detroit.”   

Peter Tashian, a bit of a surprise to me, did not win the Alumni Golf this year. He was edged out by another Philadelphia alum Mike Manoogian. In chatting with Mike, he said, “I love getting together with AYF friends new and old each Friday of Olympics. I was in a foursome with Armen Zildjian and Maral and Apo Abrahamian. Having played well enough to win was unexpected but gratefully welcomed.” When asked about any special shot, Mike said, “I hit a 9 iron to three feet for birdie on 18. On another hole, I hit 30-foot downhill breaking putt for birdie after Apo helped me with the line.” Congratulations to Mike.

Theresa Jelalian summed up AYF Golf very nicely. “Golf at seniors is much more than winning or losing but being able to play a few rounds with your friends that you grew up with while catching up on each other’s lives. I look around every time at these events, and I am actually speechless with how lucky all of us truly are because of the AYF and who we are. Being part of the AYF is more than just being Armenian. it’s about a bond and friendship that we have created with people from all over with a common goal of staying united.” 

Author information

Mark Gavoor

Mark Gavoor is Associate Professor of Operations Management in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University in Chicago. He is an avid blogger and oud player.

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The post NJ, Philadelphia AYF Members Play Top Golf appeared first on The Armenian Weekly.

The Friday night swimming events were dominated by two triple gold medal winners from Providence and New Jersey while four teams battled to win the meet. Before the final coed relay, Jersey, Philly, Boston and Chicago were separated by just three points and all had a chance to win. But Detroit came in to win that relay in record fashion and that allowed the Arsens to win with 25 points. Philadelphia ended up with 24, and the Nejdehs had 23 with the hosts just one behind in fourth. Tied for fifth with 17 points were Providence, led by high scorer Lily Kernaghan, and Glendale, California with Tamar and Vatche Kazanjian. Detroit scored 14 points for seventh while Middlesex West had seven. Racine tallied six points and were one ahead of Washington. North Andover and Manhattan completed the chapter scoring with three and two points respectively.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING

Lily Kernaghan from Providence won three events as she did last year. The Varantian flash first won the 50 yard freestyle with a time of 25.25, slightly slower than her 2018 record of 24.75. Chicago’s Ally Devedjian and Tamar Kazanjian took second and third. Kernaghan then took the 50 back in 28.63, but the real battle was for second as veteran Meline Topouzian Berberian (now North Andover) touched out Lucine Mikhanjian (Washington) by 0.1 second. Lily finished her day by recording a 55.00 in the 100 free ahead of Katerina Nalbandian from Boston and Mikhanjian. The women’s events began with the 25 yard freestyle where Devedjian put up a time of 12.53 to get the gold. Racine’s Azniv Khaligian and Araz Dulgarian from Middlesex West won silver and bronze. Ally completed her events by also winning the 25 yard butterfly in 13.09. Kazanjian and Khaligian took second and third. Earlier in the evening, the 50 breaststroke saw the closest women’s race for first place of the evening. Kazanjian took gold in 37.13 while Nalbandian was clocked in at 37.28. A place judge was needed to confirm the victor. Christina Mehranbod won the bronze to record her Manhattan chapter’s only points for the weekend.

Finally, the girls 4 x 25 freestyle relay saw the surprising Middlesex West chapter win in 1:01.25. Greater Boston took second ahead of New Jersey.

MEN’S SWIMMING

In the men’s events, newcomer Aram Barmakian from New Jersey took three golds, but two of them came in the closest men’s races. Barmakian started in the 50 breaststroke touching in 28.53 with 16 year-old Kevork Zeibari from Philly in second and Vatche Kazanjian close behind. Aram then battled defending champion Andrew Devedjian in the 100 free where they recorded times of 53.19 and 53.41. Berj Vartanian of Detroit was third. Finally, Barmakian came from behind to edge Zeibari in the 50 butterfly in 24.97 with Kazanjian in third again. Once again, a place judge had to decide this order of finish. Zeibari had gained some redemption earlier by winning the 50 back in 28.03 as Kazanjian won silver and Boston’s Joe Charchaflian took bronze. The 50 freestyle saw Devedjian defend his sprint title with a time of 23.68 ahead of Armen and Berj Vartanian from Detroit.   

In both of the men’s relays, the order of finish was the same. Philadelphia took the golds, while Greater Boston and New Jersey placed second and third. Philly’s time in the 200 medley event was 2:12.59; in the freestyle relay, they touched in 1:49.41. The final event of the competition was the coed 4 x 50 freestyle relay where all three top teams broke the old AYF record. The Detroit team was the easy winner with their team of two Vartanian brothers, Berj and Armen, and two Topouzian sisters, Knar and Teny. Greater Boston and New Jersey placed second and third.  

Author information

Bob Tutunjian

Bob Tutunjian is President of Vivaproducts, a medical device company in Massachusetts. He has been actively involved with the AYF and the Olympics since 1967 and has written many articles covering this event.

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The pentathlon events were won by a junior transfer in her first Olympics and 23 year old veteran competing in this event for his fourth time. In the women’s competition, Greater Boston’s Lori Ganjian scored 1840 points to upend four-time champion Jessica Sarkisian from Philadelphia by 54 points. Two other 16 year-old athletes, Teny Topouzian from Detroit and Isabelle Suggs of the Middlesex West chapter, were third and fourth.

Philadelphia’s Aram Keshgegian and Boston’s Daron Hamparian faced each other for the third time in the pentathlon. In 2016, Aram placed second while Hamparian was only 47 points behind. Last year Hamparian emerged with the gold after Keshgegian had won in 2017 with Hamparian absent. This year Daron unfortunately pulled his hamstring while running the fourth event, the 200 meter dash. So Keshgegian won easily with 2334 points and Hamparian was edged out for the silver by Nerses Kupelian from New Jersey. Keshgegian’s teammate, Gevork Dramgotchian, placed fourth.  

The women’s competition started with the shot put on Sunday morning. Topouzian threw almost 27’ to beat Sarkisian by about a foot and build an early 16 point lead. Ganjian was actually in last place at that point, almost 200 points in arrears. Ganjian did leap 14’5” to win the long jump but was still about 100 points behind the leaders who were virtually tied. The Nejdeh rookie surged to the lead by high jumping 4’8” which was 6” better than anyone else. She now had a lead of 53 points while Sarkisian and Topouzian were still separated by only four points. The 200 is where Ganjian broke open the competition with a time of 28.22 and expanded her lead to almost 300 points over Sarkisian. In the final 800 meter run, Sarkisian pushed hard all the way to stay ahead of Topouzian and won the event in 3:06.00. The time brought her total to 1786 points and was good enough to cut the lead down significantly. Topouzian recorded a total of 1574 points while Suggs had 1290.  

The men began in the discus circle where Hamparian threw a personal best of 105’ to beat Keshgegian by over 10 feet. This gave him a lead of 65 points while Kupelian and Dramgotchian were over 180 behind. The two man race tightened when Keshgegian threw the shot 41’ which was about 4’ better than Hamparian, who was now eight points behind. Hamparian took the lead back in the long jump with a leap of almost 19’, about 4” longer than Kesghgegian. Going into the 200, the margin between the two was just 11 points with Kupelian and Dramgotchian over 500 points back. After Hamparian’s injury, the competition for the gold was over, and Keshgegian won the 200 in 25.84 and the 1500 in 6:17.00. While Hamparian continued to complete the event, he was not able to score points in those last two races and Kupelian was able to bring his total to 1610 points and win the silver by a single point. For his spirit and heart in completing the grueling event, Hamparian did receive the Ernest Nahigian Sportsmanship Award.

Author information

Bob Tutunjian

Bob Tutunjian is President of Vivaproducts, a medical device company in Massachusetts. He has been actively involved with the AYF and the Olympics since 1967 and has written many articles covering this event.

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The post Ganjian, Keshgegian Win Pentathlons appeared first on The Armenian Weekly.

Softball at AYF Olympics is a happening. All day Saturday, folks gather from other cities for an old-fashioned Armenian picnic with kebab, traditional live music and action-packed games of this American pastime. It is the excitement of chapter competition loved by the players and fans (family and friends) alike. Softball at the AYF Olympics has become a grand and wonderful day at the AYF Olympics.  

The weather was perfect on Saturday. The food, plentiful and delicious. The Mideast Beat of Wisconsin provided background music. There were two games going on simultaneously for a large measure of the day. It was packed and everyone enjoyed it all.  

For everything I have just written, the day is still about softball.  There is nothing like AYF Softball. The teams are co-ed. They play three-pitch softball. You pitch to your own team, and each batter only gets three pitches. So, the games are short and exciting. The excitement comes from great plays, great hits and heartbreaking errors. It is the only team-based competition of Olympic weekend. And… there are no points. The teams play for fun, spirit and pride. They play for the fraternalism that is the AYF. It is a friendly competition. But it is a competition. Everyone still wants to win.  

The day began with three games. Chicago played a mixed team of players from chapters not able to field their own team. Providence and the Western Region Team were pitted against each other, while Manhattan and Washington squared off. Chicago won 17-5. Providence made easy work of the Western Region team, and Manhattan won 16-6.

This was the first softball win, ever, for the Manhattan Moush Chapter. “Everyone was so excited by this first win!,” exclaimed Chapter President Audrey Mardoian. When asked of any special performances, she noted, “Our catcher, Christina Mehranbod, caught a pop-up and tagged a runner out at home! Haig Bedros is from Haleb and never played baseball until that game, but his cross-fit training had him getting hits and running the bases surprisingly well.”

Alek Surenian of Chicago said, “We are not a traditional power in softball. As the host chapter, we wanted a good showing. Getting a win is always a good thing for us. Advancing to the next round lifted the spirit of everyone in the chapter.” He went on to note that everyone in the chapter played in these two games. For a sizable chapter, that is pretty cool.

In the second round, Boston faced Philadelphia and bested them. Last year’s champs, Los Angeles, the runner-up Detroit, and New Jersey all had byes in the first round. LA faced Manhattan and easily beat them 22-3. New Jersey played Chicago who put up a valiant effort. New Jersey’s vaunted defense held them off with NJ winning 12-2. In the last game of the second round, Providence upset a rebuilding Detroit team 21-14.  

In the semi-finals, it was Boston versus LA and Providence versus New Jersey. In a display of offense, LA beat a very good Boston team. New Jersey, again with a good defensive effort, besting Providence 14-6. Manager Ara Sarajian of New Jersey said, “Providence was the surprise this year. We watched them against Detroit and knew we would have to play our best to beat them. I believe they will be a contender next year in Worcester.”

For the past few years, the top softball teams have been LA, Detroit and New Jersey. With Detroit’s early exit, it seemed only fitting that LA and New Jersey would be in the finals. It was a great game. The teams were both scoring. Coach Sarajian stated, “A big turning point for us was when we had the bases loaded with one out. They were able to stop us from scoring. Then it became the Eddie Hovannisian show.” In his next two at bats, Eddie Hovannisian blasted two three-run homers to left center, clearing the 25 foot there. It was awesome. They jumped out to a huge lead over Jersey. LA teammate Varak Ghazarian noted, “The first homerun just energized the entire team. Everyone started hitting.” It looked like there might be an early departure due to the mercy rule in the version of softball played here. But, really, we are talking about New Jersey. They are one tough and scrappy team and were not about to go out that way. They made a gritty run, but in the end, they still lost to a very good Los Angeles team.

When asked about his two homeruns, Eddie said it was really fun but went on to give his teammates credit. “Varak is just a super athlete, there is no other way to describe it.” He went on noting, “Armen and Seran Krikorian are great assets to the team. Everyone just played well and enjoyed the moment.” Varak said, “This was Armen’s last year. It was good to win a championship for him.”

AYF alum and softball godfather, David Najarian noted, “The games this year were just as competitive as the past several years. The weather was perfect. It was great to see New Jersey get back into the finals after being denied by Detroit last year. Let’s see if Detroit can rebuild from having missing some of their key players. Lastly, it was great to see a resurgent Providence team.”

After each of the games, the players all shook hands, hugged and took a group photo of both teams celebrating—basically the reason we all gather each Labor Day weekend: being together as friends, being Armenian and being AYFers. This wonderful combination of spirited competition and fraternalism is why softball has completely transformed Saturdays at the AYF Olympics into something special. Looking forward to softball next year in Worcester.

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CHICAGO, Ill—The last chapter to retire an Olympics Cup was the Philadelphia AYF in 2008. This year the Sebouhs tried to repeat that feat but ran into a deeply talented Greater Boston team that racked up 177 points to win by 46.5 points. After Friday’s events, the Nejdehs sat in third place with 27 points and trailed first place New Jersey by 14. But they piled up 41 points in the Sunday morning events to seize a 24 point lead and never looked back. When the dust cleared, Boston had taken 18 gold medals—more than half of the 34 Sunday events. The Nejdehs were led by high scorers Anoush Krafian and Shant Mahrokhian, as well as rookie pentathlon victor Lori Ganjian. Along the way, Alexis Cormier scored 13 points in the distance events while thrower Alex Avakian and rookie Knar Krafian chipped in 11 each.

Philadelphia’s total of 130.5 points was somewhat short of the 158 they put up last year. But they once again featured a balanced medal total of seven golds, 10 silvers and eight bronzes along with winning three relays. The Keshgegian brothers once again led the way as Aram won the pentathlon, Anto scored 13 and Avi won the hurdles for the third straight time. They were helped by Mark Santerian’s 10 points as well as Mher Mardirosian and first time swimmer Kevork Zeibari, who each had 11. Detroit had their best finish since they won in 2014 as they placed third with 74 points. Team K-T had high scorer Melanie Sarafian dominate the sprints and break a 40 year-old record in the 50 meter dash. Close behind with 65 points was New Jersey who had high scorer Aram Barmakian win three golds in the pool. The Arsens started strong on Friday as they won the golf, tennis and swimming competitions. The only other team with a high scorer was fifth place Providence (38 points) who had Lily Kernaghan win three swimming golds as she did last year.

Host chapter Chicago was sixth once again with 33 points as Ally Devedjian rang up 13 points in the pool. North Andover took seventh place scoring 25 points, one more than Most Improved Chapter Middlesex West. In ninth place with 22 points was Glendale, one of four West Coast chapters that scored. Just behind was Orange County (10 points), also from California. Washington, DC had eight points for 11th place while Racine scored six. North Valley (West Coast) had five points and next year’s host Worcester was 14th with three points. Manhattan and West San Fernando rounded out the scoring with two and 1.5 points respectively. 

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS 

The first triple gold winner of the weekend was once again swimmer Lily Kernaghan from Providence. She won the 50 and 100 freestyles as well as the 50 backstroke, all in near record time. Kernaghan swims for the Westport Water Rats Club and has personal bests of 24.12 and 52.37 in the 50 and 100 free, as well as 26.55 and 56.46 in the 50 and 100 back. Her 50 back time was recorded at YMCA Nationals where she placed 22nd earlier this year. She is receiving recruiting letters from colleges and will be weighing her options this year as a senior. Her mother Maya is a Varantian alum and reports that her daughter started going to Camp Haiastan when she was eight years old. At camp, she used to wake up at 5:30 to practice on her own in the pool. She is thankful to the lifeguards who used to wake up with her just for safety protocol. Maya also mentioned that a prior swim club coach pressured Lily to skip camp so that she could continue practicing with the team during the summer. Lily chose to change teams! 

New Jersey’s Aram Barmakian also won three swimming events as a 23 year-old rookie. He started with the 50 breast and then won the 100 free and 50 fly. Barmakian used to swim for Westfield High School in New Jersey and for the Fanwood Scotch Plains YMCA. He had personal records of 58.10 in the 100 breast and 2:08.09 in the 200 breast at the 2014 YMCA Nationals. Barmakian placed 30th and 41st in those events. He also took 13th place at the NJ State HS Championships in the 100 breast during his senior year. Barmakian went on to swim and play water polo for Boston College, where he also served as President of the Armenian Club. He is currently a researcher in Saddle Brook, NJ, at CBRE.

Anoush Krafian continued her undefeated streak as she was high scorer for the fifth straight year. This year she showed her versatility by winning the shot put and high jump as well as breaking her own record in the long jump. Krafian graduated from Belmont High School last year where she set 12 school records and had five All State Championships. During her final indoor All State Meet, she won both the pentathlon and 55 hurdles and also placed second in the high jump. At the outdoor All State Meet, she won the 100 hurdles with a personal best of 14.26 and placed second in the pentathlon. Two weeks later, she flew to North Carolina A&T University for the New Balance Outdoor Nationals. Krafian earned All-American honors for the third time by placing fifth in the heptathlon with a score of 4721 points, setting personal bests in the high jump (5’6.25”) and the 200 (25.56). Krafian just completed her freshman year at Dartmouth College where she was also a member of the track team. She placed fourth in the pentathlon at the indoor Ivy League Championships in February.

Krafian’s teammate Shant Mahrokhian recovered from last year’s leg injury to become high scorer as he did in 2017. Mahrokhian won the 100 and 200 meter dashes as well as the long jump. Mahrokhian graduated from Tufts last year with a degree in Biology. He was co-captain and Middlesex League All-Star for the soccer team at Lexington High School but never was a member of their track team. At Tufts, Mahrokhian decided to join the track team after his successes at AYF Olympics. He recorded several long jumps over 21 feet and did well in the sprints. Mahrokhian is currently doing medical research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

Detroit’s Melanie Sarafian won triple gold for her first time in her third Olympics. Sarafian swept the 50, 100 and 200 meter dashes in easy fashion, setting a record in the 50. Last year she won the 100 but came up short in the other two events. Melanie just graduated from Northville High School where she had been a soccer player before switching to track in her junior year. After committing to sprinting full time, she improved to the point where she qualified for the State Division 1 Championships in the 100. During the off season, Sarafian continued to train with a local track club. This past season at the Michigan HS Region 6 Championship, she won the 100 and took second in the 200 with personal bests of 12.36 and 26.31. Melanie went on to place ninth in the 100 at the State Championships and helped her 4×100 relay team place fifth with a school record time. She is now a freshman at University of Michigan studying neuroscience and plans to run with their club team.

The pentathlon trophies went to 16 year-old Lori Ganjian from Greater Boston and 23 year-old Aram Keshgegian of Philadelphia. Ganjian won the jumps and the sprint to score 1840 and edge defending champion Jessica Sarkisian of Philadelphia by 54 points. Keshgegian took the running events and the shot put to put up 2334 points and win his second pent title by over 700 points.

Aside from the records set by Sarafian and Krafian, two relay teams set new marks. Greater Boston broke their own chapter record in the coed running relay with a time of 1:45.27. The team combined high scorers Krafian and Mahrokhian with Ganjian and Kebabjian. On Friday, Detroit swam the coed relay in a record time of 1:58.10. Their team was made up of two sisters and two brothers—Knar and Teny Topouzian with Armen and Berj Vartanian. Last but not least, the Ernest Nahigian Award for sportsmanship and fraternal spirit was presented to Daron Hamparian from Greater Boston. 

MEN’S TRACK & FIELD

The men’s events once again showed much depth with only three double winners. First was high scorer Shant Mahrokhian from Greater Boston, who won both the 100 and 200 meter dashes. Mahrokhian had good margins of victory in both races with times of 11.41 and 23.82. Armen Almasian from North Andover took silver in the 100, while Boston’s Vasken Kebabjian did so in the 200. Philly’s Eric Papazian settled for bronze by a margin of only 0.01 seconds in both cases. Papazian was also edged out in the 400 as he finished right behind teammate Mher Mardirosian who had a time of 57.65. Greater Boston’s Greg Cormier placed third. Earlier that day, Mardirosian and Cormier had placed 2-3 in the 800 meter run where Anto Keshgegian won in 2:19.87. That was Keshgegian’s second gold after winning the 3200 meter run during the morning session in 12:49.17. Boston’s Sam Chakmakjian and Raffi Sarrafian from Chicago won the other medals in that event. In what may be a first, none of these three runners took medals in the other long distance event—the 1600. Hampton Trout from Greater Boston won that contest with a time of 5:40.00, ahead of David Bournazian (Washington) and Haig Kadian (Detroit). The only other track event, the 110 meter hurdles, saw Avi Keshgegian three-peat as he out-leaned teammate Garno Khararjian in 18.05. Nejdeh Andre Kotikian took the bronze.

In the field events, Boston’s Alex Avakian was the only two-time victor, as he was last year. Avakian first took the shot put with a toss of 47’6.25” to beat Providence’s Zach Semerjian and Detroit’s Michael Nercesian by about seven feet. Avakian then won the discus with a heave of 149’1”, less than 3’ shy of his record in the event. Nercesian won the silver and Philly’s Mark Santerian took third. The other throwing event, the javelin, was actually contested on Saturday due to restrictions on that event at Triton College. In that battle, Zach Semerjian upset five-time champion Mark Santerian with a toss of 149’7” while Nercesian won the bronze. In the long jump, Shant Mahrokhian started his day by beating defending champ Armen Almasian and Masis Mardirosian from Philly. Mahrokhian and Almasian both recorded leaps of 20’7”, but Shant won the gold with a longer second best jump. In the high jump, Sam Chakmakjian turned the tables on Keshgegian clearing a height of 5’6” and won the event for the third time. Keshgegian’s teammate Paze Yeremian placed third. Armand Keosian from North Valley, California defended his triple jump title. Keosian and Philadelphia’s Mardirosian both jumped 37’, but the medal was once again awarded based on the second best distances. Boston’s Kotikian was only 2” behind them.

Philadelphia and Greater Boston swapped first and second places in the two relays. The Nejdehs won the 4 x 100 meter race in 46.39, while the Sebouhs took the 4 x 400 in 4:21.75. Providence took third place in the sprint relay, while New Jersey did so in the 4 x 400.  

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD

High scorer Anoush Krafian dominated the women’s field events and stayed undefeated in her five years of Olympics competition. Anoush started her day by winning the shot put for her first time with a toss of 34’2”, over 5’ further than Araz Madenlian from Orange County, California. Lauren Billeh won the bronze for the host Ararat chapter. Krafian then broke her own record in the long jump with a leap of 17’5.5”. Defending champ Meline Almasian from North Andover settled for second and was less than 1” ahead of Madenlian. Anoush completed her individual events by winning the high jump for the 5th straight year by clearing 5’. Knar Topouzian from Detroit and Grace Ezgilioglu from New Jersey finished second and third as they did last year. Madenlian completed her diverse medal collection by winning gold in the triple jump at 32’3.5”. Jacqueline Fales (NJ) and Ani Dardarian (PHIL) were over 4’ behind that distance. Gasia Oknayan from Detroit threw the discus 71’4” to win that event over Boston’s Taline Guzelian and defending champion Haigan Tcholakian, also from Detroit. Rookie Tsoline Gevorkian won the only individual gold for her Middlesex West chapter in the baseball throw. Tsoline threw 178’9” to beat last year’s winner Sena Changelian of Boston and Rebecca Selverian from Philly. Changelian came back to win the javelin throwing 86’2” which was almost 24’ better than her toss last year. Knar, the youngest Krafian, took second over Sevan Dulgarian from Middlesex.

The story on the track was Melanie Sarafian in the sprints. Sarafian started her day by breaking Andrea Nranian’s 40 year-old record in the 50 meter dash. She was clocked in 6.41 to turn the tables on Almasian, who had beaten her the past two years. Almasian’s teammate Meline Markarian was third. The same pair went 1-2 again in the 100 meters where Sarafian recorded a time of 12.52. Chicago’s Mariana Alexanian took the bronze. Melanie took the 200 in 26.45 which was well ahead of Knar Krafian and Alexanian in third once again. The distance events were dominated by Boston’s Alexis Cormier. She took the 1600 in 6:31.0 over Tsoline Gevorkian and Jersey’s Shayna McCarthy. Cormier then won the 800 with a time of 2:54.0 with Aren Dardarian and Sevan Dulgarian trailing behind. Alexis’ triple gold effort was then broken up by Knar Topouzian in the 400. Knar won the event for the third year in a row in 1:07.35 while Aren Dardarian took third. The first track event of the afternoon was actually the hurdles where Knar Krafian and Anahis Kechejian went 1-2 for Greater Boston. Knar’s time was 16.57, about two seconds behind her sister’s record.

The women’s relays were battles between Greater Boston and Detroit. In both events, the Nejdeh team was made up of the four Krafian sisters—Anoush, Knar, Nairi and Araxi. In the 4 x 100, this quartet brought the baton around in 54.90, well ahead of Team K-T and North Andover.  According to this writer’s information, it marked the first time in AYF history that a winning relay was made up of four siblings. New Jersey’s Sarajian brothers ran a relay in 2012 but placed fourth. However, in the 4 x 200 meter race, Detroit built up a 10 meter lead over the first three legs and Melanie Sarafian was able to hold off a hard charging Anoush Krafian. The winning time was 2:01.31 with Philadelphia well behind those two. The final event of the day was the 4 x 200 coed relay; Greater Boston broke their own chapter record with a time of 1:45.27, while Detroit and Philly took the other places.

Author information

Bob Tutunjian

Bob Tutunjian is President of Vivaproducts, a medical device company in Massachusetts. He has been actively involved with the AYF and the Olympics since 1967 and has written many articles covering this event.

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For the eighth consecutive year, counselors from the Eastern Region of the United States visited Javakhk day camps in three towns: Akhalkalak, Akhaltskha, and Ninotminda. Their mission was to teach basic health and hygiene, current events, Armenian culture, Armenian history and more. They also organized arts and crafts activities, played various field games and hosted friendly competitions. Of course, they also sang and danced, but more importantly, they created, once again, everlasting bonds with not only the youth of Javakhk, but with every Armenian they encountered during their short time in the region.

After coming back from Camp Javakhk in 2017, I said that I never imagined I could fall in love with this program and the Armenians of Javakhk more than I already had. This summer, once again, proved me wrong. This was my fourth season participating in the program, but it was a bit different than the others. This time, I had the honor of being one of the three directors of the ARS Camp Javakhk program. 

Being a Camp Javakhk director was an important responsibility. As the days got closer to the start of Camp Javakhk, I remember being very anxious. My heart would beat faster by the minute, and I kept wondering why. This was a program I had participated in multiple times. I was familiar with Javakhk and its people. I knew what to expect. It didn’t hit me until I got to Yerevan and saw all the counselors, some familiar and some not-so-familiar faces, who would all quickly become my Javakhk family.

I realized that I wasn’t nervous or scared but more so excited, excited for this group of dedicated youth to experience Camp Javakhk themselves. I was excited for counselors to experience mornings in Akhalkalak, to wake up to a blue sky and green mountains and to be fed banir, hats, varoonk and lolig (cheese, bread, cucumber and tomatoes) every morning. I was excited for these counselors to ditch their morning alarms for the rooster’s crow. I was excited for them to experience the storm of eager children, asking if they can braid their hair or telling them that they are their inspiration in their daily journals. 

These are all things that I have experienced. These experiences have changed my life and touched my heart in ways that I cannot put into words. This summer I got to see over 350 campers do the same to our 27 counselors who participated. I think I speak on behalf of all the participants when I say there is no better way to spend a summer than with the children of Javakhk who have an incredible thirst for knowledge, an unbelievable enthusiasm for any and all activities and a passionate heart. Although by the end of the day we are all drained, there is no better feeling than seeing a smile too big for a camper’s face when they wave goodbye, excited to do it all over again the next day. 

The improvement I saw within each counselor from the first day to the last day of camp was commendable. From them coming home the first day debating if they can handle another day of camp to them being able to control their groups, give lessons confidently, teach Armenian dances and songs proudly, and conquer any hurdle that is thrown at them by the last day. One walks into this program without expecting to get anything in return. They leave with not only an unforgettable experience, but lessons and tools that will last them a lifetime. 

I am eternally thankful for the Armenians of Javakhk and the program that has shaped me into the person I am today. But this time around I am thankful for my group of counselors as well. The dedication, growth and passion that these counselors showed throughout the two weeks of Camp Javakhk not only gave me hope, but it also gave me strength. Our generation is ready to learn, ready to work and ready to lead. I am excited to see how much this camp will grow in the coming years. 

For those interested in supporting this initiative, a $50 donation will sponsor one camper. You can also find more information on Facebook.

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Meghri Dervartanian

Meghri Dervartanian is a member of the AYF-YOARF Greater Boston "Nejdeh" Chapter and currently serves on the 2019 Central Executive. She is also a Homenetmen scout and athlete. She graduated from University of Massachusetts Boston in May 2019 with a degree in Business Management and a concentration in Marketing.

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By Richie Minassian
AYF North Andover “Sassoun” member

Coming into the AYF internship program, I knew I would be meeting a lot of new people and making many new friendships. But I had no clue the extent of how many new people I would be building friendships with. Everyone is told when they go abroad that the new connections you make will last you a lifetime. That statement ended up being beyond accurate. The new friendships I made was over the top, while I also solidified past ones. I made connections with people from all over the world, ranging from France, Lebanon, Australia and here in Armenia.    I have always loved meeting new people, being able to laugh with them, go out with them and connect in a way that no one else can understand, being that we are all Armenian. Nothing is going to be more pleasing for me than to be able to look back at this program and know I will be staying in touch with those I had just met, and possibly be seeing them at future AYF events. It’s extremely hard to explain the degree of who and how I met certain people; these relationships have been extremely meaningful to me.

I will first start off with the friends I made in the AYF Internship program. Every single one of us connected in a way that I feel like no one else can. We lived in a house in the center of Yerevan for two months, and we had to pick each other up and support each other every single day. It doesn’t get better than that because you realize the family you have just created. I want to thank Haig Megerdichian, Garen Soukiasian, Aram Parnagian, Anto Markosian, Laura Boyajian and Sam Sjostedt for making this summer one I will always look back on and miss. We have laughed, probably too much, danced, ate Armenian food until our stomachs popped, and driven countless hours in a car together which would get very hostile at times. But in the end, after we have gone through thick and thin for each other, I want to call you my best friends. We probably all have hundreds of stories that we could tell that would make you die laughing on the ground or get you emotional because of how beautiful an excursion was or how important it was for us to be in Javakhk for the kids. Every day was always something new and I want to thank you all for what we have created in this internship.

I have also become very close with people in other programs like AGBU, Birthright and Camp Javakhk. In my internship at the marketing agency Deem Communications, I got the opportunity to work with two other interns from the AGBU and Birthright programs. It was great to know that I wasn’t alone; we all have that same connection of being in internship programs and wanting to give back to the Armenian economy. I think one of the first nights I went out with my program, we ran into all the AGBU interns. I didn’t recognize any of them except for one girl. By just knowing this one girl, we were able to all get introduced to everyone and both our programs became really close. I couldn’t tell you how much fun it was to hang out with the other interns, and even though we were part of two different organizations, we all still shared the same experiences in Armenia.

At Camp Javakhk, it was an experience that truly resembled Armenian pride. I already knew most of the leaders of the Javakhk program that were from the US, but I was able to become very close friends with people I had just met as well. I am pleased to say I can call every single one of them my family, as there was never a dull moment. I don’t think I have ever laughed so much in a week than at Javakhk, not only with the other counselors but with the kids there. Even though I couldn’t communicate with them in Armenian, we still connected on a level that is truly something special. We did everything possible to communicate by making faces, hand gestures, pointing, the list can go on and on. But we always found a way to laugh and have fun and teach each other things that we never knew. Even after Javakhk was over, when we all came back to Yerevan for a couple days, we all still talked and went out together all the time. The relationships we built are going to last forever, and we have already missed each other so much that we’ve been planning on seeing each other at future events like AYF Seniors.  

What I just expressed was only a small portion of the friendships that are going to last a lifetime. I am truly grateful for the connections I built and the relationships that were strengthened. It is crazy to think that it is possible to make new friends from anywhere in the world. That is something people can only dream of and I am very happy I got the opportunity to experience that. I made a family in Armenia and the people I met are always going to be something special in my heart. There is going to be no greater feeling than looking back at this summer and realizing how many different people I had the opportunity to experience Armenia and create memories that will last forever. 

Author information

AYF-YOARF

Founded in 1933, The Armenian Youth Federation is an international, non-profit, youth organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF). The AYF-YOARF Eastern United States stands on five pillars that guide its central activities and initiatives: Educational, Hai Tahd, Social, Athletic and Cultural. The AYF also promotes a fraternal attitude of respect for ideas and individuals amongst its membership. Unity and cooperation are essential traits that allow members of the organization to work together to realize the AYF’s objectives.

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By Tamar Kassarjian
Chairperson, AYF “Arev” Chapter

BOCA RATON, Fla.—On Friday, October 4, 2019 the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Florida “Arev” Chapter successfully hosted its very first event at the Hye Getron in Boca Raton, Florida. More than 100 members of the local Armenian community supported the chapter during its comedy night fundraiser featuring Los Angeles-based comedian Antic. 

AYF Florida “Arev”Chapter chairperson Tamar Kassarjian welcomed the packed agoump, thanking guests, chapter members and sister organizations ARF Rosdom Gomideh and the ARS “Sosse” Chapter for their support and guidance throughout the planning process.

Kassarjian then invited their AYF Central Executive fieldworker Meghri Dervartanian to share more about the history of the AYF its origins which date back to 1933. “The Armenian Youth Federation strives to advance the goals of a free, independent and united Armenia,” said Dervartanian. She reminded Florida’s Armenian community that the AYF’s work is everlasting. The AYF pledges its unyielding vigor and renewed energy to continue its community involvement and grassroots activism. She then went on to highlight this year’s events hosted by the AYF-Eastern Region; it’s important to note that the AYF “Arev” Chapter participated during every regional AYF event this year. 

Soon after, it was time for the main attraction; within seconds, Antic had everyone in the room laughing with his brand new set of jokes. With cocktails in hand and a full table of mezzes, everyone in attendance was thrilled with their night out. 

There was also a raffle and a meet and greet with Antic. 

On a personal note, as the chairperson of the AYF-YOARF Florida “Arev” Chapter, I am honored and blessed to be part of an organization and chapter that works hard to put on amazing events like this. Without the support of these dedicated members, their families and of course our sister organizations, events like this would be impossible. I am happy to see our community together and even happier that the AYF made this possible. 

For future events and updates about our chapter, follow AYF South Florida Arev Chapter (@southfloridaarev) on both Instagram and Facebook. 

Author information

AYF-YOARF

Founded in 1933, The Armenian Youth Federation is an international, non-profit, youth organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF). The AYF-YOARF Eastern United States stands on five pillars that guide its central activities and initiatives: Educational, Hai Tahd, Social, Athletic and Cultural. The AYF also promotes a fraternal attitude of respect for ideas and individuals amongst its membership. Unity and cooperation are essential traits that allow members of the organization to work together to realize the AYF’s objectives.

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WATERTOWN, Mass.—Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Supreme Council member Shaghik Maroukhian says the energy of today’s Diasporan youth is palpable. 

“I can see the positive energy I take from them. Nothing is one-way,” explained Maroukhian during her short visit last week to the historic Hairenik Building. “I believe if I take something, I also give something back.”

Maroukhian served as one of several speakers during this year’s Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Senior Seminar held late last month in Marlboro, Massachusetts. At Senior Seminar, Maroukhian spoke about the social, political and economic changes taking place in Armenia and how the youth—those in Armenia and throughout the Diaspora—can influence this new landscape. “I opened up all the issues and put them on the table,” said Maroukhian on how she almost instantaneously established a rather magnetic and transparent relationship with the young people. “I was very much impressed by the quality of our youth, their perspective…their courage [in] facing the real problems and pointing out the real issues.” 

Maroukhian’s morning at the Hairenik Building concluded her five-day visit to the eastern region, where she also met with His Eminence and Prelate Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian in New York and local ARF chapters in the Greater Boston area. “The ungers are thirsty to see someone from Armenia. They want to have this information firsthand,” said Maroukhian. “They are more encouraged when they feel you’re honest. There are a lot of challenges. And if you come here and say that everything is okay, nobody would believe you. We won’t have this reflection and lessons learned.”

That sense of accountability and comradery is very important to Maroukhian, who is the daughter of the late Hrayr Maroukhian, longtime chairman of the ARF Bureau. She has been living in Armenia since 1998, where she repatriated to connect with her heritage and identity. After editorially leading several ARF publications, Maroukhian entered the world of nonprofit organizations. She worked with World Vision Armenia for over 19 years until she was elected to the Supreme Council in April. She’s also still involved with the Hrayr Maroukhian Foundation (HMF), which was organized by the ARF back in 2009. Maroukhian explains that the idea of the HMF is to educate young people about social justice through literature, translations, lectures, seminars and presentations. The Foundation has implemented several initiatives including Free Audience «Ազատ Լսարան», which is more inclusive and educates young people outside the party. “I believe in this work,” said Maroukhian. “I’m emotionally connected, and it’s inspiring me more to be able to succeed.”

This December will mark 21 years since her father’s passing. “He set a very high standard of devotion and goodwill. He has always been that to me,” reflected Maroukhian. She was proud to mention that during her visit, she witnessed her nephew Shant carry on his grandfather’s legacy and take his oath as a member of the party. 

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Leeza Arakelian

Assistant Editor

Leeza Arakelian is the assistant editor for the Armenian Weekly. She is a formally trained broadcast news writer and a graduate of UCLA and Emerson College. Leeza has written and produced for local and network television news including Boston 25 and Al Jazeera America.

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By Arianna Mesrobian
New Jersey “Arsen” Chapter

MARLBORO, Mass.—Sometimes it takes Olympic games to gather different AYF regions in one hotel… other times, it takes a mosquito-borne virus. The recent flare of EEE in the New England area may have displaced Senior Seminar this year, but that did not stop an amazing line-up of speakers from engaging AYF seniors in a crucial dialogue. 

At this year’s seminar, lecturers all the way from Armenia to Los Angeles brought their expertise to an extraordinarily engaged and reflective audience to say the least. The theme of the weekend was Evolution of a Revolution, or Յեղափոխութեան Զարգացում – and with that, we found that all roads eventually lead to us. 

After opening the weekend in a conference room full of attendees from East, West, Canada and Armenia, U. Khajag Mgrdichian set the tone for the weekend by bringing us back to the essentials – the basic viewpoints and goals of the ARF as they were outlined at the ARF Congress in Artsakh back in January.

Soon after, we saw tangible examples of how the AYF and ARF have played invaluable, practical roles in the lives of its members. U. Stepan Altounian from the West Coast, accompanied by his childhood AYF friends from across the US, gave us an inclusive view of the people and places that AYF alumni have touched. For a room full of college-aged youth, it was moving to see earlier generations of AYF members bouncing stories off each other from the past. Their advice, which we tend to lose sight of sometimes, was to take care of our personal needs and focus on our personal goals throughout our AYF careers, so that we don’t lose sight of our own individuality and eventually serve and give back to the AYF to the best of our ability. Since many of us donate so much of our time and energy to the AYF without ever second-guessing this notion, it is easy to forget that our individuality is what is truly indispensable to the organization.

Then U. Gev Iskajyan from the West Coast gave us examples of when such young individuals came together to shake outdated and problematic systems. He gave us an eye-opening rundown of social revolutions that took place in Armenia from 2010 to 2019, including the Dem Em movement of 2014, Electric Yerevan in 2015, all the way to aspects of the Velvet Revolution in 2018. U. Gev started a conversation with us, comparing and contrasting the successes and failures of these movements and opened our eyes to the strategies used by young revolutionaries in our homeland.

Finally, to circle back to this pattern of change in the ARF, U. Shaghik Maroukhian from the ARF Bureau in Armenia offered an insider’s view of the ARF’s stance and success in Armenia today. Upon expressing her admiration for the ideas and conversations taking place throughout the day, she addressed us with a high level of trust and hope. She reiterated an idea which continuously surfaced throughout the day – that we, the youth, are not the future; we are the now. With that, she inspired us not only to continue on the path we are on, but to continue to rebrand the AYF and ARF in our image.

U. Khachig Choukhajian helped wrap up the day with U. Gev by creating a space for members to discuss the different roles of the AYF in local communities in the Diaspora and Armenia. Discussions ranged from sparking drive to pursuing new opportunities, serving as agents for social change, promoting repatriation and defending our nation, to maintaining and supporting ARF ideology. The rising level of importance and responsibility felt by those in the room could truly be felt as the day grew longer and longer.

The premature nostalgia felt by the members in attendance did not fade until almost four o’clock in the morning, when we started to lose our voices from singing, dancing and sharing stories in the same conference room all night. 

The following morning consisted of gratitude from lecturers, committee members and attendees alike, which stemmed from an inspired attitude from the content that was presented throughout the weekend. While we tend to dwell on the many problems that require solutions within our nation and maintenance of a diaspora, sometimes we deserve to take a day or two to remember that we are each part of the best possible solution.

Author information

AYF-YOARF

Founded in 1933, The Armenian Youth Federation is an international, non-profit, youth organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF). The AYF-YOARF Eastern United States stands on five pillars that guide its central activities and initiatives: Educational, Hai Tahd, Social, Athletic and Cultural. The AYF also promotes a fraternal attitude of respect for ideas and individuals amongst its membership. Unity and cooperation are essential traits that allow members of the organization to work together to realize the AYF’s objectives.

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The Armenian Youth Federation-Youth Organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (AYF-YOARF), Eastern Region Central Executive and its Central Hai Tahd Council express their deep concern about the Turkish military invasion into northern Syria this week.

Following the removal of American forces from the border, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched an attack in northern Syria. The victims of the bombing include Armenians, Kurds, Assyrians and Arabs. Many of these ethnic and religious communities were founded by refugees fleeing Ottoman persecution, such as the Armenian Genocide. Once again, they are facing ethnic cleansing at the hands of Turkey. This violent invasion will bring disaster to all those living in the region.

Through these actions, Erdogan and the Turkish government once again prove to the world that they are the legitimate heirs to the Ottoman Empire’s legacy of hegemony, tyranny and oppression.

The AYF-YOARF ER strongly condemns the unlawful attacks by Turkish forces, which undermine the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic and endanger the lives of those living within its borders. We look to our world leaders to prevent further bloodshed and denounce the actions of Erdogan and his government.

Author information

AYF-YOARF

Founded in 1933, The Armenian Youth Federation is an international, non-profit, youth organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF). The AYF-YOARF Eastern United States stands on five pillars that guide its central activities and initiatives: Educational, Hai Tahd, Social, Athletic and Cultural. The AYF also promotes a fraternal attitude of respect for ideas and individuals amongst its membership. Unity and cooperation are essential traits that allow members of the organization to work together to realize the AYF’s objectives.

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