Athletes from 14 different schools have been named the Chagrin Valley Conference Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.
Each athlete was nominated by his or her coach. All statistics incurred from Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, through Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
Name: Nicolas Bustamante
School: Orange
Grade: 12
Stats: Ran a time of 16:41 at the Legends Meet
Coach’s Quote: “Nicolas dominated in his race at Legends on Saturday,” said Orange coach Rachel Frutkin. “He was the 17th runner in for the small school division, and second on the Orange team to cross the finish line, helping the Orange boys team to secure a second place overall finish. His time of 16:41 is strong heading into the postseason.”
Name: Alex Kollhoff
School: Madison
Grade: 12
Stats: Ran a time of 17:40
Coach’s Quote: “Alex has battled his way all the way back from injury to become one of the Blue Streaks’ top runners and helped them finish out the regular season with an 80 percent winning percentage for 2024,” said Madison coach Jeremy Verdi.
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
Name: Kate Farrell
School: Perry
Grade: 10
Stats: Ran a time of 22:19 at the Legends Invitational
Coach’s Quote: “Kate’s been the heartbeat of this team all season with her consistency in both training and competition,” said Perry coach Kristen Thomas. “Her aerobic and mental strength helped her approach this race with an open mind even though she knew the first half of this 5K would force her to run in a dense crowd. She put herself in a good position for the second half when the event opened up. Kate established her rhythm in the last 2K, and she raced to a new PR.”
Name: Grace Mastrangelo
School: Kirtland
Grade: 12
Stats: Placed sixth at Cuyahoga Heights and ran a season PR of 22:05 at the Legends Meet; also was named Homecoming Queen
Coach’s Quote: “Grace has been an amazing example of consistency for us all season,” said Kirtland coach J.P. Moran. “Through trials and tribulations, she has been a great leader, an awesome example of work ethic, and a bright beacon for us as a senior leader. She has also been very consistent in her performances each week.”
Name: Rae Oberster
School: Orange
Grade: 12
Stats: Ran a time of 20:50 at the Legends Meet
Coach’s Quote: “Rae has worked hard this season and it’s showing in practice and in competition,” said Orange coach Rachel Frutkin. “At Legends, Rae finished in 20:50. We’re looking forward to seeing what she can do in these upcoming weeks.”
Name: Kyndall Spring
School: Conneaut
Grade: 12
Stats: Ran a 21:28 to place ninth at the Ashtabula County Meet
Coach’s Quote: “Kyndall is a two-time regional qualifier who has been working hard this season putting in the miles,” said Conneaut coach Jessica Kennedy. “Kyndall is also a member of the Conneaut drill team. She has been juggling practices, football games and cross country meets in addition to schoolwork. I’m excited about the next few races to see how her high school cross country career plays out. She will definitely be missed next season.”
FOOTBALL
Name: Dom Narduzzi
School: Independence
Grade: 12
Stats: Completed 13-of-22 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns; ran seven times for 70 yards with a touchdown; recorded seven tackles on defense
Coach’s Quote: “Dom accounted for 314 yards of offense and three touchdowns,” said Independence coach Rich Adams. “He played both inside and outside linebacker because of injuries and his play was able to keep the defense together.”
Name: Kene Obi
School: Hawken
Grade: 11
Stats: Carried 23 times for 153 yards and a touchdown; recorded eight tackles on defense including one for a loss
Coach’s Quote: “Kene was our workhorse last Friday night,” said Hawken coach Mark Iammarino. “With our No. 1 running back out with injury, he took over the game. He rushed 21 times for 140 yards in the second half alone to preserve the victory. He was outstanding on defense, leading the team with eight tackles.”
Name: Drew Zelch
School: Chagrin Falls
Grade: 12
Stats: Caught five passes for 104 yards and three touchdowns
Coach’s Quote: “Drew has proven this season to be an explosive, big play receiver with a nose for the end zone,” said Chagrin Falls coach John Scott. “A sure-handed, exceptional route runner, Drew has also become a terrific perimeter blocker.”
BOYS GOLF
Name: Dylan Phillips
School: West Geauga
Grade: 9
Stats: Shot a 74 at the district tournament to earn a state tournament berth
Coach’s Quote: “Dylan shot a four-over par 74 in a very gutsy performance at the district tournament at Windmill Lake,” said West Geauga coach Jay Kletecka. “After starting the first two holes plus-three, Dylan managed to settle down and finish the next 16 holes at only plus-one to finish with a 74. Watching Dylan finish his round was amazing, noticeably his composure and ability to handle the pressure as a freshman on a very big stage at districts. Dylan became the first West Geauga golfer to qualify for states in about 20 years.”
Name: Kaden Schuette
School: Independence
Grade: 10
Stats: Shot a 78 and won a playoff hole to clinch a state tournament berth
Coach’s Quote: “In high school golf, it is all about timing. Kaden had a slump, like most high school golfers do, and he finally started clicking at the right time shooting 79 at sectionals, then 78 at the ever-tough Tannenhauf Golf Course to get himself in a three-way playoff for two spots for individual state qualifiers. He did just that with winning the first playoff hole with a par to clinch the second qualifier spot. Great grit shown by a young man that really pushed through the mental side of golf to achieve the ultimate goal–that elusive spot at states.”
GIRLS GOLF
Name: Annie Johnston
School: Edgewood
Grade: 11
Stats: Shot an 81 at the district tournament
Coach’s Quote: “Annie had a team-low round at the district tournament ending her junior year with a decent round,” said Edgewood coach Christina Fischer. “This was Annie’s third year participating at the district level and every season she has dropped 10 strokes at that tournament. Looking forward to seeing continued improvement from her and the team next season.”
BOYS SOCCER
Name: Oscar DiFranco
School: Chagrin Falls
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored three goals with three assists in two games
Coach’s Quote: “Oscar has been the leading scorer these past three seasons and has been instrumental in our success this year,” said Chagrin Falls coach Brian McKenna. “He has scored at least a goal in all but one of the games this season. In the game against Geneva, Oscar became the all-time season goal scorer at Chagrin.”
Name: Lucci Hamilton
School: Trinity
Grade: 10
Stats: Scored four goals in one game
Coach’s Quote: “Lucci, a midfielder, asked after game eight if he could play forward and I told him he could provided he scored goals. He promised he would, and he did; first one goal, then two goals and against St. Martin dePorres the first four goals in a 5-0 victory,” said Trinity coach Mario Gerhardt. “The Trojans have a new goal scorer. It’s perhaps too late to make a difference this year, but it is not too late for 2025 and 2026 considering that Lucci is only a sophomore.”
Name: Frankie Sassano
School: West Geauga
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored one goal
Coach’s Quote: “Frankie has been an outstanding player for us all season,” said West Geauga coach Daniel Cappelucci. “He can play anywhere across the midfield or forward lines and is often the player who impacts the game the most for our offense. In our only game this past week against Mayfield, Frankie once again had a huge influence on the match. Frankie was a constant threat going forward with the ball at his feet and he continually created scoring chances for himself and his teammates. Frankie scored the eventual game-winning goal and helped us secure the win by dropping deeper into midfield and helping us defend the lead. It was a complete performance from start to finish.”
Name: Stefan Zivic
School: Hawken
Grade: 11
Stats: Scored four goals with two assists in two games
Coach’s Quote: “Stefan has proved himself to be a massive part of our attacking game plan, and he will be an immense player for us going forward,” said Hawken coach Vlad Muresan. “His verticality and eye for goal allowed him to score many goals for us this year and his best performances will come in the playoffs.”
GIRLS SOCCER
Name: Evelyn Lally
School: Hawken
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored three goals in one game
Coach’s Quote: “Evelyn is a consistent offensive threat and is often the engine that makes our offense go, as seen by her three goals against Geneva,” said Hawken coach Adam Severs. “Evelyn took over the game by beating players one-on-one and setting up her teammates with crosses and threatening passes.”
Name: Liv Masink
School: Berkshire
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded 26 saves in three games
Coach’s Quote: “Liv is a first-year starter in goal for the Badgers this fall and has really stepped up and grown into the role,” said Berkshire coach Ian Patterson. “Liv continues to push herself and she has shown improvement in every match so far this season. In the last week, she accumulated 26 saves to move into the top 3 for saves in a season at Berkshire with 113 total saves on the season. She started off the week strong against Madison with an 11-save performance helping us secure a 2-1 victory. She then capped off the week with another 11-save performance against the very fast and dangerous Karns City (Pa.) who jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first half. In the second half, we evened the score and eventually took the lead. It was a great Saturday match against a tough opponent and Liv had a few key saves late in the contest including a diving save to keep the score at 2-1 in favor of the Badgers for our eighth win of the season.”
GIRLS TENNIS
Name: Cassie Rogers
School: West Geauga
Grade: 11
Stats: Advanced to the second round of sectionals with a straight-set win
Coach’s Quote: “Cassie sustained a wrist injury that required surgery in the beginning of our season. Even though she was unable to play tennis for the first month of practice, she showed up,” said West Geauga coach Mary Kay Yuhas. “She supported her team and ran with us. She slowly began to come back and is now a much stronger player both mentally and physically than before.”
VOLLEYBALL
Name: Audrey Fusci
School: Crestwood
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded 18 digs, one assist, one point, and one service ace
Coach’s Quote: “Audrey Fusci has a passion for the game like no other,” said Crestwood coach Wanda Hoffman. “She wants to continue her love of the game in college. Audrey shared the role of libero last season but has held that position throughout her senior year all on her own. We only had one match this past week, so the stats aren’t where they usually are, but I felt Fusci deserved recognition. We can always rely on Audrey to be our voice on the floor and let her hitters know where to swing. I’m excited to see what a huge impact Audrey Fusci will have on her college team.”
Name: Marissa Rish
School: Berkshire
Grade: 11
Stats: Recorded the 1,000 assist of her career with 53 total assists, 52 digs, 27 service points, 18 kills, seven aces, and three blocks
Coach’s Quote: “Marissa had a great week both personally and with the team,” said Berkshire coach Joni Prots. “We picked up key CVC victories against Kirtland and Cardinal and Marissa getting her 1,000 assist as a junior is such a great accomplishment.”
Name: Rhiley Williams
School: Geneva
Grade: 10
Stats: Recorded 24 kills, seven aces, and six blocks
Coach’s Quote: “Rhiley is the cornerstone of our team’s defense and offense,” said Geneva coach Annah Haeseler. “She is our leading attacker and our leading blocker. She is athletic and strong and is making a name for herself in the middle. The opposing coaches we have played this season commented on her strong athletic play. She had a great week and helped us get that three-set win over Madison.”
