Athletes from 15 different schools have been named the Chagrin Valley Conference Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024.
Each athlete was nominated by his or her coach. All statistics incurred from Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, through Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024.
Here’s a look at each Athlete of the Week by sport:
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
Name: Nigel Copeland
School: Lutheran West
Grade: 11
Stats: Ran a time of 17:54 at the Buckeye Invitational
Coach’s Quote: “Nigel was the first Lutheran West runner to break 18 minutes for a 5K in the last few years,” said Lutheran West coach Tom Roekle. “As our team captain, he is leading by example, and setting the stage for bigger and better performances in the future.”
Name: Samuel Gdovichin
School: Cardinal
Grade: 11
Stats: Placed third at the Streetsboro Invitational with a time of 16:53
Coach’s Quote: “Sam has been putting in hours of training to make Cardinal history,” said Cardinal coach Jennifer Fekete. “In his race at Streetsboro, Sam ran a gutsy race leading the pack for the majority of the race. Sam is tied for the third-fastest race time in Cardinal history. The season is still young, and I am looking forward to what he gets to accomplish this season.”
Name: Brandon Gent
School: Orange
Grade: 12
Stats: Ran a time of 15:47.33 at the Wooster Invitational
Coach’s Quote: “As one of our veteran and most experienced runners, Brandon Gent continues to succeed,” said Orange coach Rachel Frutkin. “He’s one of our hardest workers and it shows. I’m proud of everything Brandon has achieved so far while representing the Orange Lions cross country program and look forward to him continuing to work toward his goals.”
Name: Adam Hamilton
School: Edgewood
Grade: 12
Stats: Placed second at the Ray Sweeney Invitational with a new personal-best time of 17:39
Coach’s Quote: “Adam has worked very hard to stay in shape year-round and it is paying off with his senior year,” said Edgewood coach Steve Hill. “His goal was to break 17:45, and he did. Now he can go for an even faster PR.”
Name: James Kitagawa
School: Independence
Grade: 12
Stats: Ran a time of 17:15.7 at the Tiffin Carnival
Coach’s Quote: “James’s consistent work since eighth grade resulted in him earning a spot on the Independence High School boys’ all-time leaderboard with his medal-winning performance at the Tiffin Carnival Meet,” said Independence coach Vern Blaze. “It is well-deserved and well-earned.”
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
Name: Marina Campbell
School: Orange
Grade: 9
Stats: Ran a time of 21:49.61 at the Wooster Invitational
Coach’s Quote: “Marina Campbell is taking the Orange Lions cross country team to new heights this season,” said Orange coach Rachel Frutkin. “As a standout freshman, Marina has dropped over two minutes since our preseason race in early August. She works hard and has fun doing it, and it shows.”
FOOTBALL
Name: Luke Barbo
School: Geneva
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded 169 yards of total offense with 67 rushing yards on 16 carries, and 102 yards on 5-of-6 passing with a touchdown; notched seven tackles on defense
Coach’s Quote: “Luke came up big for us in crunch time in a tough game against Springfield. He is a team captain and helped to keep the team levelheaded in a come-from-behind win against a very good team. He played very well on both sides of the ball and was a big reason for our win.
Name: Cal Ciminello
School: Cardinal
Grade: 12
Stats: Carried 20 times for 145 yards and completed 18-of-26 passes for 306 yards and a school-record four touchdowns in a single game
Coach’s Quote: “Cal had an incredible school-record-breaking performance where he was involved in passing or running the ball the entire night in some rough weather conditions,” said Cardinal coach Rich Turner.
Name: Joey Fioritto
School: Madison
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded 10 tackles, including five for a loss
Coach’s Quote: “Joey moved from his safety spot to outside linebacker to fill the void of an injured player,” said Madison coach Mike Gilligan. “He had a great attitude and a great week of practice and that carried over on Friday night contributing to an outstanding defensive performance in a shutout win over Eastlake North.”
GIRLS GOLF
Name: Macey McGhee
School: Independence
Grade: 12
Stats: Shot match lows in several CVC matches
Coach’s Quote: “Macey has been our team leader throughout the season, and she consistently seeks ways to enhance her skills while guiding our young team,” said Independence coach Mike Gruber. “I take pride in coaching her this season and am genuinely impressed by the way she carries herself on the course. I look forward to seeing all that she can achieve in the postseason.”
BOYS SOCCER
Name: Kurt Boergert
School: Wickliffe
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored nine goals with two wins
Coach’s Quote: “Kurt does all the little things right and is willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win,” said Wickliffe coach Dominic Buttari. “For the most part, that means scoring goals but he is also willing to drop back and put his all into defending if it means holding onto a victory.”
Name: Luke Masek
School: Independence
Grade: 10
Stats: Recorded nine saves in goal and his first career shutout
Coach’s Quote: “Luke Masek never played competitive soccer and never played in goal, so it is amazing to see his rapid development in just one month,” said Independence coach Brien McDonald. “That’s a credit to Luke’s work ethic, coachability, and athleticism; and fortunately for us, it all came together against arch-rival Cuyahoga Heights in our first CVC game of the season. Luke was fantastic in goal and came up big in every stressful save scenario to preserve the 1-0 win. He earned his first shutout of his high school career, and helped the team win our first game of the season.”
Name: Brandon Shaw
School: Hawken
Grade: 10
Stats: Scored three goals in one game
Coach’s Quote: “Brandon saves his best performances for the biggest games, and this was the case against Chagrin Falls,” said Hawken coach Vlad Muresan. “In a highly contested CVC matchup, Brandon scored a hat trick to secure a 4-3 win for the Hawks. Two of his goals came in the last 15 minutes of the game, including the game-winning penalty as time expired”
GIRLS SOCCER
Name: Adison Cook
School: West Geauga
Grade: 11
Stats: Scored three goals with two assists
Coach’s Quote: “Adi has already had a strong start to this season,” said West Geauga coach Cassidy Lewis. “Leading the team in stats, Adi plays a large part in our current 5-1-1 record. In a tight conference match with Orange, Adi stepped up to take a penalty kick in the first half and buried it away. She continued to strive this game by serving a corner right to the back post to get headed in, and then put another goal away in the second half to secure a win for us in conference play. Adi also recorded a goal and an assist in our win over Riverside. Although Adi drew a PK this game and could have notched another goal, she handed the ball off to another player to step up and record some stats. Adi’s leadership is exemplified in many ways on the field, and I am excited to see what else is in store for her this season.”
Name: Alexa Cruz
School: Fairview
Grade: 11
Stats: Scored eight goals with two assists
Coach’s Quote: “After struggling with some minor nagging injuries, Alexa exploded this week with eight goals and two assists in three games,” said Fairview coach Scott Underwood. “She netted one and assisted one in a 5-0 win over Woodridge, netted three in a 4-0 win over Cuyahoga Heights, and had four goals and one assist in a 6-1 win over Vermilion. Alexa’s contributions have led the Lady Warriors on a four-game win streak.”
Name: Olivia Grace
School: Lutheran West
Grade: 11
Stats: Recorded 31 saves in two games
Coach’s Quote: “Oliva has gone over and above everyone’s expectations,” said Lutheran West coach Spencer Schultz. “She just started playing soccer last year and was thrown into the starting role this season. She has pitched five clean sheets to start the season including one this week against Elyria Catholic. She racked up 21 saves in our 1-0 loss to Hawken. She works extremely hard at training and has overcome a few injuries already as well, her determination and dedication to the team is an example our whole team looks up to.”
Name: Taylor MacAdam
School: Madison
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded her 10th career clean sheet in a win over Lake Catholic
Coach’s Quote: “Taylor takes every goal scored against her personally,” said Madison coach Chad Butler. “She is constantly committed to earning a shutout victory every time she takes the field.”
Name: Madi Teppo
School: Conneaut
Grade: 10
Stats: Cleared four potential goal-scoring crosses against Grand Valley
Coach’s Quote: “Madi Teppo is a strong member of our defensive line,” said Conneaut coach Rebecca Thomas. “She has worked very hard this season on clearing out potential goal-scoring balls and pushes the ball upfield to begin attacking drives.”
GIRLS TENNIS
Name: Elsa Henderson
School: West Geauga
Grade: 10
Stats: Won a singles match 6-3, 6-4
Coach’s Quote: “Elsa is the perfect mix of grace and strength on the court,” said West Geauga coach Mary Kay Yuhas. “If there was a ‘good sport’ award, she deserves it. I watched her sacrifice a point in a heated match with her opponent because she saw that her teammate was in danger of falling on a runaway tennis ball. She stopped play to call a let (when a serve hits the top of the net and lands in the correct service box) for the other court. She is selfless, kind, and a great all-around athlete. The world is a brighter place with Elsa in it, keep shining bright.”
VOLLEYBALL
Name: Emily Amador
School: Harvey
Grade: 11
Stats: Recorded 57 digs, 15 assists, nine aces, and five kills
Coach’s Quote: “Emily was electric in our matches last week,” said Harvey coach Lila Kalina. “She has been extremely consistent since making her varsity debut last year, but she has really stepped up her play as of late. She is extremely aggressive on serve receive, and her defense helps to keep us in close matches. She is a leader both on and off the court, and she is the kind of athlete that everyone wants on their team. I look forward to seeing how she improves as the season continues.”
Name: Ella Haeseler
School: Geneva
Grade: 11
Stats: Recorded 36 assists, 20 kills, 18 digs, and four blocks in two matches
Coach’s Quote: “Ella, a junior captain, is leading in most of our stat categories to start the season,” said Geneva coach Ella Haeseler. “She is an outstanding setter and a great all-around volleyball player. She played a supportive role last season and is stepping up to become one of our leading attackers. She had 12 huge kills in the win over North, which was a game-high for her. Coming into a season and playing a new position is hard, and she has embraced her new role.”
Name: Mia Kalista
School: Crestwood
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored 20 points with 26 assists, five aces, five digs, and three kills
Coach’s Quote: “Mia Kalista has done an excellent job stepping into the setter position this season,” said Crestwood coach Wanda Hoffman. “She put in a lot of effort during the offseason, and it definitely shows during the matches this year. Mia has a very nice approach to the game and a great attitude; Kalista will do anything for the team. The jump float that she has mastered has caused our opponents a tough time. Mia brings her smile and heart to every game. I’m very proud of Mia and excited to watch her help the team to a winning season.”
Name: Ireland Oswick
School: West Geauga
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded 20 kills
Coach’s Quote: “Ireland put up her career-high 20 kills in our match against Jefferson,” said West Geauga coach Amber Baker. “Ireland is swinging with much more confidence this season. She is determined to go out with a bang before entering her first college season.”
Name: MaKenna Rhodes
School: Edgewood
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded 19 serve receives, 18 kills, 13 points, 12 digs, two aces, and two blocks
Coach’s Quote: “MaKenna is one of our captains this year and is the voice on our floor,” said Edgewood coach Kyra Vencill. “She leads our team by being the leader and one of our largest communicators both in practice and in games. She’s a big source of our motivation and inspiration. She’s a big part of our offense and sees the floor well. She is such a hard worker and has such a huge passion and love for this game. She helps set the tone for our team and brings so much energy to the floor. I’m so proud of her and the work she puts in.”
