Athletes from nine different schools have been named the Chagrin Valley Conference Athletes of the Week for the week ending October 22.
Each athlete was nominated by his or her coach. All statistics incurred from Monday, October 15 through Sunday, October 22, 2023.
Here’s a look at each Athlete of the Week by sport:
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
Name: Ishan Bhatt
School: Orange
Grade: 10
Stats: Placed 24th at the district meet with a time of 17:05.36
Coach’s Quote: “Ishan has been patiently waiting for his time to shine this season and that time came on Saturday at Madison,” said Orange coach Rachel Frutkin. “Ishan worked his way smartly through the race to take the number 24 spot, making his way as an individual qualifier to Boardman. Ishan is very coachable and will do great things in his remaining years with the program. We’re looking forward to watching him race at regionals on Saturday.”
Name: Matthew Dienes
School: West Geauga
Grade: 12
Stats: Won the Division II Madison District with a time of 15:26.61
Coach’s Quote: “Matthew continues to show that he is one of the best runners in the area,” said West Geauga coach John Boylan. “The district win was his seventh consecutive win of the season. Matthew now holds the record for the fastest runner in the history of West Geauga cross country. I can’t wait to see what he does next.”
Name: Bradyn Rusch
School: Cuyahoga Heights
Grade: 12
Stats: Placed ninth at the district meet with a time of 17:45
Coach’s Quote: “Bradyn has come such a long way over the years and has become more relaxed before, during, and after big races,” said Cuyahoga Heights coach Chadwick Robinson. “Balancing both the mental and physical aspects of highly-competitive racing can take a toll on anyone and Mr. Rusch has toed that line very well, especially during the second half of this season. Enjoying every moment of his senior year in cross country, Bradyn is definitely ready for a peak performance this upcoming weekend at the Division III regional meet.”
Name: Braylon Wetherbee
School: Edgewood
Grade: 12
Stats: Ran a personal best time of 17:55 at the Madison District, his final race
Coach’s Quote: “Braylon has been dedicated to cross country all four years and it paid off with a personal best time in his last race of his career, finally breaking 18 minutes,” said Edgewood coach Steve Hill. “Braylon is planning on going to college and running next fall.”
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
Name: Kyndall Spring
School: Conneaut
Grade: 11
Stats: Placed 22nd at the district meet with a time of 22:52
Coach’s Quote: “Kyndall is having a great season,” said Conneaut coach Jessica Kennedy. “She has a few other runners on our team who have challenged her and pushed her this season. She has improved from running a 21:41 last year at districts and placing 24th to 20:52 and placing 22nd last Saturday. I’m excited to see how she performs at regionals.”
FOOTBALL
Name: Cy Jolliffe
School: Independence
Grade: 12
Stats: Caught four passes for 60 yards and two touchdowns; recorded two tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack
Coach’s Quote: “It was great to get Cy back on offense after his injury in week five,” said Independence coach Rick Adams. “His two touchdown catches were a big lift for us, and he made a huge difference on defense as well as being very disruptive from the defensive end position.”
BOYS SOCCER
Name: Antonio Soto Rodriguez
School: Harvey
Grade: 11
Stats: Recorded an assist in a postseason win
Coach’s Quote: “Antonio has had a great season at center back for us,” said Harvey coach Natalie Sisler. “He has played in every game and provided us with a consistent presence in the back four. His speed and instinctual play are very special. Combined with our other defenders Abrahan Torres, Joel Munoz, and Chris Guerra, our defense has improved as the season has progressed. We are looking forward to what Antonio is capable of for the remainder of the postseason as well as next season as a senior; the sky’s the limit.”
Name: Matt Wisniewski
School: Independence
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored one goal and added an assist in two playoff shutouts
Coach’s Quote: “Matt Wisniewski played two very consistent playoff games against Tuslaw and Columbia,” said Independence coach Brien McDonald. “His defense was a big factor in helping Independence earn two home shutout playoff wins. Matt also scored a beautiful goal, his first of the season, to get us going against Columbia then followed that goal with a nice assist. He has been a Blue Devil stalwart on defense for many years, so it was nice to see Matt put one in the net versus keeping them out of the net.”
GIRLS SOCCER
Name: Kennedy Ross
School: Madison
Grade: 10
Stats: Scored a goal in a postseason win over Chardon
Coach’s Quote: “Scored her first-ever postseason goal against Chardon to give us the lead in the sectional finals,” said Madison coach Chad Butler. “She has totaled five goals this season and is our third-leading goal scorer.”
Name: Keely Sears
School: Independence
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded 12 saves in two postseason wins including 3-of-3 PK attempts
Coach’s Quote: “It is amazing that Keely began playing soccer her freshman year,” said Independence coach Bryan Less. “She has improved so much every season and is now seen as a top Division III goalie in the area. Her breakaway saves and punts to midfield are game changers.”
TENNIS
Name: Daniela DeMata Hiciano/Lily Guiler
School: Orange
Grade: 12/10
Stats: Qualified for the state tournament with a 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 win over the team from Hathaway Brown in the district tournament
Coach’s Quote: “Last year, Daniela and Lily lost a close match to Hathaway Brown at the district tournament, keeping them out of state. This year, they worked really hard to turn that around and they did,” said Orange coach Rich Bole. “The girls showed tremendous grit in winning that match and we were proud to have them represent Orange and the CVC at states. This was a great capstone to Daniela’s career at Orange.”
VOLLEYBALL
Name: Ali Puruczky
School: Cardinal
Grade: 10
Stats: Recorded 21 kills in a postseason win over Chalker
Coach’s Quote: “Ali is a reliable six-rotation player,” said Cardinal coach Anne Mann. “She serves consistently. We can place Ali anywhere on the court and she will produce results. Ali is also working to develop her leadership skills on and off the court. She also is a 4.1 student.”
