Athletes from 16 different schools have been named the Chagrin Valley Conference Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024.
Each athlete was nominated by his or her coach. All statistics incurred from Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, through Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024.
CROSS COUNTRY
Name: George Michaels
School: Cuyahoga Heights
Grade: 11
Stats: Set a new PR of 21:27 at the Cardinal Invitational
Coach’s Quote: “George has come a long way since he began running competitively back in the Spring of 2024 as a sophomore track athlete,” said Cuyahoga Heights coach Chadwick Robinson. “Mr. Michaels has been nothing short of a joy to work with because of his willingness to listen, take advice, and put it into action during practice. With his incredible work ethic, George has taken almost seven minutes off of his 5K time when he went 27:02 at the Riverside Kickoff Classic in Painesville on August 24. Earning a time of 21:27 this past weekend at the Cardinal Invite in Middlefield just goes to show the dedication this young man has as a junior student-athlete. I look forward to seeing how his season finishes off and wondering how much more he has before he levels off.”
Name: Sydney Pike
School: Madison
Grade: 12
Stats: Ran a season-best 23:05 at the Patriot Invitational
Coach’s Quote: “Sydney has her best race of the year on Saturday,” said Madison coach Becky Barton. “She stayed strong and caught runners throughout the race. As co-captain, she leads by example with her hard work and never-quit attitude.”
Name: Anna Ring
School: Conneaut
Grade: 10
Stats: Placed 14th at the Cardinal Invitational with a time of 20:40
Coach’s Quote: “I am excited to have Anna for a second season of cross country,” said Conneaut coach Jessica Kennedy. “Anna is a dual-sport athlete who also plays on the girls’ soccer team. This doesn’t stop her from giving 110 percent at practice every day. She has already improved from where she was a year ago and I look forward to seeing what she accomplishes this season.”
Name: Sylvia Vosicky
School: Kirtland
Grade: 12
Stats: Finished among the top 10 at the Cardinal Invitational
Coach’s Quote: “Sylvia was part of a terrific one-two punch of low numbers with Izzie Copeland for us at the Cardinal Invitational,” said Kirtland coach J.P. Moran. “She improved her standing on the all-time cross country list for Kirtland women. Led by these two low numbers and a very nice pack of Hornets, we were able to take third as a team and give ourselves a big lift heading into October. Sylvia has been running extremely well in her senior campaign and is running faster than ever before in her career.”
FOOTBALL
Name: Tristen Addis
School: Crestwood
Grade: 12
Stats: Carried nine times for 137 yards and three touchdowns along with scoring one two-point conversion and five tackles including two for a loss on defense
Coach’s Quote: “Tristen had a great performance in all aspects of the game,” said Crestwood coach Jack D’Amato. “He provided a change of pace to our offense that teams will have to respect moving forward. On defense, he was making plays all over the field, including behind the line of scrimmage.”
Name: Shahn Alston
School: Harvey
Grade: 11
Stats: Carried six times for 206 yards and scored four touchdowns; caught one pass for 15 yards
Coach’s Quote: “The stat line Shahn put together this past weekend was incredible,” said Harvey coach Mick Mohner. “To average 34 yards per carry is a testament to the work he has put in in the offseason as well as the job that our offensive line did. Since he returned to the lineup in week three, he has rushed for 668 yards and 10 TDs. As good of an athlete as he is, he is also a tremendous student and person off the field. It comes as no surprise that multiple Power 4 schools have offered him a scholarship as he has earned every bit of recognition he has received.”
Name: Walter Moses
School: Perry
Grade: 12
Stats: Completed 20-of-23 passes for 320 yards and five touchdowns
Coach’s Quote: “Walter is a leader for our team and responded well in a big game for our program,” said Perry coach Bob Gecewich. “His daily consistency and work ethic was on display as he took full advantage of the opportunities he had on Friday night. He showed a complete mastery of the gameplan and helped lead us to a big win.”
Name: Ryan Whiting
School: Hawken
Grade: 12
Stats: Caught three passes for 59 yards and two touchdowns, and scored one two-point conversion; also returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown and recorded four tackles
Coach’s Quote: “Ryan has been an outstanding player for us throughout his career,” said Hawken coach Mark Iammarino. “He is very intelligent and makes all the calls in the secondary. Additionally, he is a threat on the offensive side of the ball. A great leader, Ryan has been the glue to our team this year.”
GIRLS GOLF
Name: Avery Vencill
School: Edgewood
Grade: 12
Stats: Claimed medalist honors at the CVC tournament with a 73
Coach’s Quote: “Avery set the tone for us going forward in the postseason with her personal best at the CVC championships,” said Edgewood coach Christina Fischer.
BOYS SOCCER
Name: Kyle Hejduk
School: Geneva
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded his 300th save of his high school career
Coach’s Quote: “Kyle has been an integral part of Geneva soccer for a long time as indicated by his amount of career saves,” said Geneva coach Jamie Lee. “He is a leader of this team as a senior and is fearless when it comes to his job on the field. We cannot thank him enough for what he does for our team, and he will be missed next year.”
Name: Elijah Jurisch
School: Crestwood
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored 15 goals with three assists in three wins and a tie
Coach’s Quote: “Elijah was on a mission, and he was not going to be denied in any game played being a force to deal with scoring goal after goal and dishing out assists while also dropping back to play defense at the end of close games,” said Crestwood coach Eric Sway.
Name: Braeden Lisowski
School: Independence
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored four goals in two games
Coach’s Quote: “Braeden Lisowski continues to develop in his new role as a Blue Devil forward,” said Independence coach Brien McDonald. “He scored the equalizer against Trinity with less than two minutes left in the game for a much-needed tie. Two days later, he tallied the first hat trick of his career in pacing the Independence to a 5-0 win over visiting St. Martin de Porres. In a challenging year for us, Braeden lifted the team with four goals in two games.”
Name: Kyle Morgan
School: Brooklyn
Grade: 10
Stats: Recorded a clean sheet with seven saves
Coach’s Quote: “Kyle Morgan was an absolute hero for the Brooklyn Hurricanes on Thursday as Brooklyn took on Garrett Morgan,” said Brooklyn coach Johnny Grigson. “This is Kyle’s first clean sheet of the season, having made seven crucial saves in the game with three pivotal ones occurring in the last 2 1/2 minutes. His energy and positivity sparked the team alive and led to our first much-needed win of the season. Kyle’s role was crucial in Thursday’s victory, and I applaud him.”
Name: Joey Skoczen
School: Hawken
Grade: 10
Stats: Scored two goals in a conference game against West Geauga
Coach’s Quote: “Joey is the heart and soul of our team, a player that can play any position and be the best player on the pitch,” said Hawken coach Vlad Muresan. “His two-goal performance in the second half against West G was massive in our quest to win the CVC and it proved to be decisive.”
GIRLS SOCCER
Name: Erin Hallis
School: Crestwood
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored 13 goals and five assists and broke her own school record with seven goals in a game
Coach’s Quote: “Erin’s performance in the time period has been record-breaking,” said Crestwood coach Eric Sway. “She continues to amaze me, continues to perform, and continues to do what is needed to help her team win. Erin still has a lot more to give and many will hear her name many times in the next several weeks.”
Name: Kaya McBride
School: Conneaut
Grade: 9
Stats: Recorded three goals in one game
Coach’s Quote: “Kaya has been playing midfield for us all season,” said Conneaut coach Rebecca Thomas. “As a freshman, she is making her presence known. She is able to attack defensively and still make pinpoint passes upfield to push an offensive run. Her hat trick this weekend shined a spotlight on what Conneaut High can look forward to from her in the next several years.”
Name: Kelly McCandless
School: Berkshire
Grade: 11
Stats: Scored two goals in one game
Coach’s Quote: “Kelly has dominated opponents this fall up top while being the main focus of the defense and often even drawing a designated man marker,” said Berkshire coach Ian Patterson. “Her work rate and ability to generate offense is extremely inspiring to her teammates and makes everyone work harder every day. At Kirtland, she had the opening goal in the first five minutes of play to set the tone. In the second half, they decided to designate a player to mark her nonstop, which did not prove to slow her down as she scored the game-winning goal in the last minute to remain in first place in conference play and give us a chance to win our fourth straight CVC championship at Jefferson this Thursday.”
Name: Bella Pecchio-Schuerger
School: Fairview
Grade: 10
Stats: Scored two goals
Coach’s Quote: “Bella plays our eight-position and has established herself as a force in our midfield,” said Fairview coach Scott Underwood. “In a high-intensity conference match against Beachwood on Senior Night (and likely to determine the Metro Division champion), Bella shined. Her persistence in holding the midfield kept Beachwood’s attack in the width, easing the task on our back line. Bella hit one from distance to put us up 1-0 at the half. Beachwood was able to level the score midway through the second half. With 13 seconds remaining, Bella stole the ball from a throw-in deep in our attacking third and shot a perfect, bending ball into the upper 90 on the back post to win the game 2-1 with 1.5 seconds remaining, saving senior night and securing the Lady Warriors top spot in the division.”
GIRLS TENNIS
Name: Isabella DiFranco
School: West Geauga
Grade: 12
Stats: Won a doubles match in straight sets
Coach’s Quote: “Izzy has been a great asset to our team,” said West Geauga coach Mary Kay Yuhas. “I have paired her with the younger players because she is so positive and levelheaded. It is impressive to see her resilience in these intense varsity tennis matches. She is a beautiful girl on the inside and out and I could not be prouder to be her coach.”
Name: Maddie Infalvi
School: Perry
Grade: 12
Stats: Went 2-0 in dual matches and 2-0 at the conference tournament
Coach’s Quote: “Maddie is having a solid senior season, especially since it’s her first season on the tennis courts,” said Perry coach Rob Walker. “She is a great teammate and has been a pleasure to coach.”
VOLLEYBALL
Name: Nina Alfieri
School: Kirtland
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded 111 digs, 26 assists, 13 aces, and two kills
Coach’s Quote: “Nina Alfieri is one of the best liberos I’ve ever coached,” said Kirtland coach Ricky Sanders. “Her reading hitters and digging is phenomenal. Referees have approached me stating she’s the best they’ve seen in the CVC, so I’m hoping it continues throughout the rest of the season.”
Name: Cora Brace
School: Geneva
Grade: 10
Stats: Recorded 63 digs, 50 serve receptions, and five aces
Coach’s Quote: “Cora has stepped up to become a strong libero for us this season,” said Geneva coach Annah Haeseler. “She is a hard worker, hustles, and her communication is what makes her stand out above others in the league. Sixty-plus digs in two matches and her outstanding serve receive is what makes her player of the week material. I’m looking for her to continue to be a leader and one of our best passers. I also would like to mention that her national anthem is second to none. If you have not heard her sing, you should.”
Name: Abby Guyette
School: Crestwood
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded 35 assists, 34 digs, 31 service points, 10 kills, and eight blocks
Coach’s Quote: “Abby Guyette is an all-around player for the Red Devils,” said Crestwood coach Wanda Hoffman. “Abby has been a setter for the varsity team for three years. Her experience shows on the court. Guyette makes great decisions while setting, as well as when she is serving. Abby sacrifices her body to keep the ball off the floor. I keep Abby on the court at all times because she is capable of being successful at all the positions on the floor. Guyette is a phenomenal athlete and awesome to coach.”
Name: Cheyanne McGirr
School: Jefferson
Grade: 11
Stats: Recorded 24 points, 16 assists, 12 digs, eight kills, and five aces
Coach’s Quote: “Cheyanne has stepped up to be a key contributor to our team this season in a number of different areas,” said Jefferson coach Don Palm. “She plays all six rotations including hitting from the front row and setting from the back row. Cheyanne has also become one of our vocal leaders and is extremely competitive. She does whatever our team needs to be successful, whether that is setting up other hitters, digging attacks in the back row, or getting kills herself. She’s been playing outstanding volleyball so far this season.”
Name: Faith Vencill
School: Edgewood
Grade: 10
Stats: Recorded 49 kills, 41 digs, 40 serve receptions, 24 service points, 12 blocks, and 10 aces
Coach’s Quote: “Faith plays both sides of the floor, holding our offense and our defense,” said Edgewood coach Kyra Vencill. “She’s an absolute force on the floor. She is a wall in blocking and can shut hitters down while also creating chaos on our opposing team’s defense. She can see the floor well by placing the ball in open holes on the floor while also putting pressure on any defense system by breaking through blocking systems placed in front of her. Her arm swing, speed, and agility is truly beautiful to watch, and difficult to break her out of system. When she is on fire, the gym goes crazy. She has such a love for the game and loves her team. She is such a leader on the court and certainly sets the tone for our offense while also delivering for us in defense. Her future is bright, and she is still a young member of our team, and we look forward to all the things she will continue to do within the Edgewood program.”
