Athletes from 15 different schools have been named the Chagrin Valley Conference Athletes of the Week for the week ending August 20.
Each athlete was nominated by his or her coach. All statistics incurred from Monday, August 21 through Sunday, August 27, 2023.
Here’s a look at each Athlete of the Week by sport:
CROSS COUNTRY
Name: Ainsley Borthwick
School: Kirtland
Grade: 11
Stats: Placed 10th at the Riverside Night Invitational with a time of 20:29
Coach’s Quote: “Ainsley put herself in a great position in a huge field right from the start and hung tough with some outstanding talent to secure a top 10 finish and won a medal and a cake,” said Kirtland coach J.P. Moran.
Name: Nicolas Bustamante
School: Orange
Grade: 11
Stats: Finished among the top 30 at the Riverside Night Invitational with a time of 18:41.52
Coach’s Quote: “Nicolas Bustamante had a solid performance on Saturday night at the Riverside Kickoff Classic Night Invitational,” said Orange coach Rachel Frutkin. “He went out strong and finished in the top 30, leading his team to an eighth-place finish out of 37 complete teams. This is a great start to his season and we’re looking forward to seeing how he progresses this year.”
Name: Ian Res
School: West Geauga
Grade: 9
Stats: Placed sixth out of 314 runners at Riverside’s Kickoff Classic with a time of 17:43
Coach’s Quote: “Wow, Ian’s first high school race and a top 10 finish, running in the 17s in less than desirable conditions as a freshman,” said West Geauga coach John Boylan. “If Riverside is any indication of what’s in store, the next four years are going to be fun.”
Name: Holly Vis
School: Perry
Grade: 11
Stats: Placed ninth at the Riverside Kickoff Classic with a time of 20:28
Coach’s Quote: “Holly Vis ran a smart, steady race in muddy conditions,” said Perry coach Kristen Thomas. “She was aggressive at the start, which put her in a great spot for the remainder of the race. It was an excellent opening performance for the 2023 season.”
FOOTBALL
Name: Rocco Alfieri
School: Kirtland
Grade: 12
Stats: Carried 13 times for 126 yards and four touchdowns; recorded eight tackles and picked off a pass
Coach’s Quote: “He is just a leader and great competitor on both sides of the ball,” said Kirtland coach Tiger LaVerde. “He is also a very talented punter.”
Name: Nate Blasiole
School: Crestwood
Grade: 11
Stats: Carried 38 times for 252 yards and four touchdowns with two two-point conversions
Coach’s Quote: “Nate, once again, had over 30 carries for us,” said Crestwood coach Jack D’Amato. “He is a hard worker who never stops fighting for his brothers.”
Name: Max Gleason
School: Conneaut
Grade: 12
Stats: Carried 21 times for 215 yards and three touchdowns
Coach’s Quote: “Max had an outstanding performance,” said Conneaut coach Rocco Dobran. “His hard work in the offseason is paying off. He is a very talented player who gives top-notch effort every play.”
Name: Tony Hall
School: Edgewood
Grade: 12
Stats: Completed 6-of-8 passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns and carried four times for 27 yards with one score
Coach’s Quote: “Tony is a great leader for us, and he was extremely efficient with the football Friday night,” said Edgewood coach Olajuwon Cooper. “He did a great job of reading the defense and making the right calls to get us in the best position possible offensively. Our offense goes as he goes. He loves having the game in his hands.”
Name: Donovan Moorehead
School: Hawken
Grade: 10
Stats: Completed 10-of-11 passes for 204 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions in a win over Trinity
Coach’s Quote: “In only his second start, Donovan was very efficient hitting receivers in stride and leading the offense,” said Chagrin Falls coach Mark Iammarino. “Each week, we have given Donovan more and more opportunities because he’s going to be a big part of our offense. We feel like we’ve got a couple of good backs, but we can’t rely just on that, we’ve got to spread the wealth.”
GOLF
Name: Anuja Patel
School: Orange
Grade: 9
Stats: Shot a 38 and a 41 in two matches
Coach’s Quote: “Anuja is gaining more confidence each time she goes out there,” said Orange coach Cody Kovach. “She is competitive and extremely composed, especially for being a freshman. She strikes the ball so well and her short game has improved so much over the last few weeks. Anuja is a team player who has elevated all of the girls on the team.”
BOYS SOCCER
Name: Diego Garcia
School: Madison
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded two clean sheets
Coach’s Quote: “Diego had a great week under the sticks keeping a clean sheet against Willoughby South,” said Madison coach Julio Gutierrez. “He kept us in the game with a phenomenal save from a direct free kick in top of the 18-yard box which gave us momentum to come out victorious 1-0 over the Rebels.”
Name: Jack Murray
School: Hawken
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored two goals with two assists in two games
Coach’s Quote: “Jack has had a tremendous improvement as a soccer player over the last three years,” said Hawken coach Vlad Muresan. “He is one of our most decisive attacking players, and his performances this past week have shown it. He scored in each of our last two games, while constantly being a handful for the opposing defenses.”
Name: Tyler Young
School: Cardinal
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored one goal
Coach’s Quote: “Tyler is an outstanding soccer player who really enjoys the game,” said Cardinal coach Dakota Ward. “He is one of our strong defenders who has had many goal-saving stops on defense. We are excited to have him back on the team this season and can’t wait to see what he will do for the team this year.”
GIRLS SOCCER
Name: Avery Clark
School: Geneva
Grade: 10
Stats: Scored six goals in two games
Coach’s Quote: “Avery put herself in the right place at the right time this week,” said Geneva coach James Restad. “Her hard work and ability to finish has elevated our team.”
Name: Montana Estok
School: Edgewood
Grade: 11
Stats: Scored two goals
Coach’s Quote: “Montana’s goals this week truly lifted our team,” said Edgewood coach Kaytee Shimek. “She scored in our home/season opener against Pymatuning Valley. Her goal was off a set piece and got the morale of the whole team going. Our second game of the week was against Crestwood. She scored in the first half to tie the game, 1-1, which changed the whole game. We played better and showed that we can score and play well against a tough opponent.”
Name: Lucy Jais
School: Orange
Grade: 9
Stats: Recorded 11 saves in her first varsity start against a strong Aurora team
Coach’s Quote: “Lucy came into the season as a strong goalie, just trying to get used to the speed of play being different at the varsity level,” said Orange coach Jo Bondra. “Lucy has given our team a chance in our first game and our scrimmage by being solid in the goal. I’m looking forward to seeing the progress she makes this season.”
Name: Alana Nowak
School: Independence
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored three goals with one assist
Coach’s Quote: “Alana gave outstanding effort this week and is always our hardest worker,” said Independence coach Bryan Less. “She aggressively controlled the central midfield against Lutheran West and accounted for four of our five goals against Cornerstone Christian. She is playing at an all-state level so far this season.”
VOLLEYBALL
Name: Maddie Dustman
School: Crestwood
Grade: 11
Stats: Recorded 19 kills, 18 points, 18 digs, nine blocks, six aces, and two assists
Coach’s Quote: “Maddie is off to an excellent start of our 2023 volleyball season,” said Crestwood coach Wanda Hoffman. “She is an all-around threat. Dustman is one of our key front-row players with a dominating swing and a strong block. Maddie is an aggressive server tallying six aces. Her defense has been phenomenal with 18 digs, and she has maintained a high serve receive percentage.”
Name: Kayla Farley
School: Conneaut
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded 40 receptions, 40 digs, 20 service points, and 21 kills
Coach’s Quote: “This is Kayla’s first year playing all-around; she was previously our libero,” said Conneaut coach Maureen Ritari. “She had a great week leading the team in service points, kills, and digs.”
Name: Chloe O’Rourke
School: Jefferson
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded 74 kills, 48 digs, 21 service points, and six assists in four matches
Coach’s Quote: “Chloe is a senior outside hitter and one of our team captains,” said Jefferson coach Don Palm. “She has had an outstanding start to her senior year in all facets of the game. There’s nothing on the volleyball court that she doesn’t do well. Chloe is our go-to player on offense who just finds ways to get us a kill whenever we need one. She is fearless, ultra-competitive, and an outstanding teammate. We continue to expect her to play at a high level throughout the rest of this season.”
Name: Shay Roby
School: Madison
Grade: 11
Stats: Recorded 22 digs with zero errors, five assists, 18 ball-handling attempts with just one error, and two service aces
Coach’s Quote: “Shay Roby has always been focused on and off the court,” said Madison coach David Bill. “Her performance at Cardinal was stellar, a near perfect game. Her hustle and scrappiness make her one of the toughest liberos I have seen in a while. Shay would give 100 percent as she made some incredible digs. She is always asking how she can get better at her position.”
Name: McKenna Vencill
School: Edgewood
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded 107 digs, 39 service points, nine kills, and 10 aces in five matches
Coach’s Quote: “I’m proud of her stamina as a leader as we had a tough start to our season with five games and she did an amazing job,” said Edgewood coach Kyra Vencill. “She has a vast knowledge of the game and covers the floor well. She has exceptional ball-handling skills and a very strong mindset with extreme focus, which allows her to maintain composure regardless of the opponent. She has such a love for the game, and it shows in every aspect of her play. I’m proud to have her and know this is just the beginning of a great year for her.”
