Athletes from 14 different schools have been named the Chagrin Valley Conference Athletes of the Week.
Each athlete was nominated by his or her coach. All statistics incurred from Week 1 through Sunday, August 28, 2022.
Here’s a look at each Athlete of the Week by sport:
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
Name: Samuel Gdovichin
School: Cardinal
Grade: 9
Stats: Was the first freshman to finish and placed ninth overall at the 2022 War on the Shore
Coach’s Quote: “Sam has been putting in a lot of hard work this summer and the first meet showed that,” said Cardinal coach Jennifer Fekete. “I cannot wait to see what he does this season.”
Name: Granison Hill
School: Edgewood
Grade: 12
Stats: Ran a PR of 16:26 at Riverside
Coach’s Quote: “Granison got his season off to a great start finishing fourth out of 232 runners at the Riverside Night meet,” said Edgewood coach Steve Hill. “He ran a personal best time of 16:26, which ranks him as the sixth-fastest running in school history. Granison has some unfinished business at the end of the season which has motivated him to work hard.”
Name: Danny Kearns
School: West Geauga
Grade: 12
Stats: Ran a 16:14 at Riverside’s Kickoff Classic Night Invitational
Coach’s Quote: “Danny broke the school record and led the Wolverines to a first-place finish at the Riverside Invitational,” said West Geauga coach John Boylan. “Danny is a very determined young man. We are all looking forward to watching his final high school cross country season. It should be fun.”
Name: David Steimle
School: Grand Valley
Grade: 12
Stats: Won the War on the Shore Invitational in 18:04
Coach’s Quote: “David ran a very strong race and was able to win the meet by 33 seconds,” said Grand Valley coach Kurtis Fisher. “He did an amazing job and is starting his senior year off strong.”
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
Name: Ainsley Borthwick
School: Kirtland
Grade: 10
Stats: Placed 26th with a PR at Riverside
Coach’s Quote: “Ainsley ran a great race Saturday in her personal best time,” said Kirtland coach J.P. Moran. “The time puts her right on the cusp of our top 25 in the history of Kirtland women’s cross country. She has been working hard all summer and at the start of the season so it was great for her to come out and run a personal best to kick off the season.”
Name: Tammy Liplin
School: Edgewood
Grade: 11
Stats: Ran a PR of 20:17 to finish 17th out of 242 runners at Riverside
Coach’s Quote: “Tammy has improved dramatically since last year as she dropped three minutes and 51 seconds from her time at this meet last year in setting a personal best,” said Edgewood coach Steve Hill. “She has set high goals for herself and she is doing all the right things to achieve them.”
Name: Grace McKoon
School: Perry
Grade: 12
Stats: Placed fifth at the Salem Early Bird Invitational, just one second off her lifetime PR
Coach’s Quote: “: Grace had a very controlled race, moving from 11th to fifth in mile two of the race in leading her team to a runner-up finish,” said Perry coach Bill Sarvis.
Name: Anna Steimle
School: Grand Valley
Grade: 10
Stats: Placed second at the War on the Shore Invitational in 21:53
Coach’s Quote: “Anna ran a very strong race and was able to place very well against some very strong competition,” said Grand Valley coach Kurtis Fisher.
FOOTBALL
Name: Nate Blasiole
School: Crestwood
Grade: 10
Stats: Ran 25 times for 176 yards with a 59-yard touchdown
Coach’s Quote: “Nate is a workhorse for our team,” said Crestwood coach Jack D’Amato. “When his number is called, he performs. He has the power to run through you and the speed to run past you.”
Name: Charlie Frederick
School: Chagrin Falls
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded 23 tackles, including two for a loss, one sack, and he recovered a fumble
Coach’s Quote: “Charlie was all over the field from his inside linebacker spot last Saturday night in our win at Trinity,” said Chagrin Falls coach John Scott. “He also forced the crucial fumble in the fourth quarter that led to our go-ahead touchdown.”
Name: Andy Jakubczak
School: Cuyahoga Heights
Grade: 12
Stats: Carried 18 times for 135 yards and four touchdowns and on defense, recorded four tackles, including one for a loss, and caused and recovered a fumble
Coach’s Quote: “Andy played very well on both sides of the ball in our win against Brookside,” said Heights coach Al Martin. “He set the tone for us with his physical play.”
Name: Dominic Johnson
School: Hawken
Grade: 12
Stats: Carried 24 times for 200 yards and one touchdown
Coach’s Quote: “In a 24-0 victory over Chippewa last week, Dom did not come off the field and helped grind out rushing yards at the end of the game,” said Hawken coach Mark Iammarino.
Name: Philip LaVerde
School: Kirtland
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded 19 tackles, including seven solo stops, two sacks, and three tackles for loss in a 21-0 win over Lutheran West
Coach’s Quote: “Philip had a very good game defensively in the shutout,” said Kirtland coach Tiger LaVerde.
Name: Marquis Pinkney
School: Beachwood
Grade: 12
Stats: Completed 4-of-6 passes for 105 yards and one touchdown and ran six times for 95 yards and two scores; recorded six tackles on defense, including two for a loss
Coach’s Quote: “Marquis is an electrifying athlete,” said Beachwood coach Scott Fischer. “He can turn a broken play into a 50-yard touchdown. He is a special player.”
Name: Brayden Richards
School: Perry
Grade: 11
Stats: Recorded 356 yards of offense and scored five touchdowns and three two-point conversions; amassed 176 returns yards with one touchdown, 49 rushing yards with two touchdowns, and 70 receiving yards with one score; also passed for 61 yards with one TD and threw two two-point conversions and ran for another; on defense, recorded seven solo tackles with two pass breakups
Coach’s Quote: “Brayden played an exceptional game running, receiving, passing, and returning the football all while also starting in the middle of our defense,” said Perry coach Bob Gecewich. “His performance stands out due to the versatility and diversity in the way he impacted the game.”
Name: Josh Soltis
School: Cardinal
Grade: 12
Stats: Carried 11 times for 204 yards and three touchdowns and also recorded one reception for 11 yards
Coach’s Quote: “Josh Soltis has hit his senior year at full speed and has no plans on slowing down any time soon,” said Cardinal coach Chris Perrotti. “Having over 200 yards on 11 carries is just the tip of the iceberg for Josh. He has the ability to make plays that will drop your jaw; the way he moves his body, finds the gap and catches the ball is something you can’t teach. Teams are going to key on him, rightfully so, which will only open up the rest of our offense.”
BOYS GOLF
Name: Mason Feather
School: Edgewood
Grade: 10
Stats: Shot 34 and 43 in two wins
Coach’s Quote: “Mason has been incredible for us this year as our No. 1 golfer,” said Edgewood coach Jeff Barger. “He continued that this week in both of our conference wins.”
GIRLS GOLF
Name: Avery Vencill
School: Edgewood
Grade: 10
Stats: Shot a 42 and a 45 in two nine-hole matches
Coach’s Quote: “Avery continues to improve upon her strong finish last year,” said Edgewood coach Christina Fischer. “Throughout the season, she has been consistent in her No. 2 spot on the golf team. Her short game and her drives continue to be a strength in her game. The chemistry with Avery and Kaci Kanicki in the No. 1 spot has pushed both of them in their golf game this season.”
BOYS SOCCER
Name: Oscar DiFranco
School: Chagrin Falls
Grade: 10
Stats: Recorded two goals and two assists in wins over West Geauga and Madison
Coach’s Quote: “As a sophomore, Oscar has stepped up to responsibilities at both the midfield and front line, which has resulted in several more scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates,” said Chagrin Falls coach Brian McKenna.
Name: Gage Gretter
School: Hawken
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded three goals in a win over Perry
Coach’s Quote: “Gage picked up where he left of last season by scoring a first half hat trick in our first CVC game of the season against Perry,” said Hawken coach Vlad Muresan. “His left foot, ability to dribble past players, and instinct for goal make him a very difficult player to defend.”
GIRLS SOCCER
Name: Delaney David
School: Brooklyn
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored seven goals in Brooklyn’s season opener to become the school’s all-time career leader with 72 goals scored
Coach’s Quote: “Delaney has worked extremely hard during the offseason to elevate her level of play,” said Brooklyn coach Alison Rafter. “She has improved her all-around soccer performance by being focused, hardworking, and extremely driven to be not only the best player she can be but is determined to help and support her teammates in reaching their full potential this season. It doesn’t surprise me that Delaney broke the school record since she started high school. Coming in as a freshman in 2019, I knew she had the potential to not only be one of the best players in our conference but one of the best players in the Greater Cleveland area.”
Name: Erin Hallis
School: Crestwood
Grade: 10
Stats: Scored five goals and one assist in two games
Coach’s Quote: “Erin has tremendous work ethic, with tremendous talent,” said Crestwood coach Tait Taylor. “This week was a great product of that. Scoring two with her head shows how lethal she can be. She seems to always be in the right place at the right time.”
Name: Evania McCandless
School: Berkshire
Grade: 11
Stats: Scored four goals
Coach’s Quote: “Evania opened the season with a spectacular performance at Rootstown netting a goal in the first half and earning a penalty kick to open the second half that gave us a 4-1 lead over the Rovers on our way to 6-1 win,” said Berkshire coach Ian Patterson. “Two days later, she followed it up with three impressive goals to help us win 3-2 and start the CVC season with a big win over a tough Wickliffe team. Her goals included two left-footed strikes–one off the inside of the post and the second was buried in the top right corner. Lastly, she got her head on a beautifully placed free kick from freshman sister Kelly McCandless to make it 3-1 late in the contest. No matter where she is on the field for us, she is making an impact and creating plays. Her speed and intensity have been a nightmare for opposing teams so far this fall.”
Name: Lily Schiemann
School: Geneva
Grade: 11
Stats: Scored three goals
Coach’s Quote: “Lily set the tone for our team scoring a goal within the first minute of play against Edgewood,” said Geneva coach James Restad. “Her relentless press resulted in her scoring a hat trick and helping her team to a 5-1 victory.”
GIRLS TENNIS
Name: Dani Forte
School: Hawken
Grade: 9
Stats: Off to a 5-0 start
Coach’s Quote: “As a freshman, Dani has an impressive undefeated record,” said Hawken coach Brian Smallwood. “Last week, she compiled wins over St. Joseph’s Academy and Massillon Jackson. Dani’s grit and on-court demeanor is exemplary and her will matches that. It is a big boost for the Hawks to have her a part of our season this year.”
VOLLEYBALL
Name: Aimee Barnauska
School: Crestwood
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded 35 kills, 25 digs, six service points, four blocks, and three aces
Coach’s Quote: “Aimee has been a solid dynamic threat from anywhere on the floor,” said Crestwood coach Wanda Hoffman.
Name: Hannah Costello
School: Geneva
Grade: 11
Stats: Recorded eight assists and three service aces
Coach’s Quote: “Hannah is the hardest working player in the gym,” said Geneva coach Annah Haeseler. “She sets the tone for her teammates and leads by example. Hannah is a multisport athlete in the fall, playing volleyball and running cross country at the same time. On Saturday, she played in a three-set quad at Willoughby South and then that evening ran at a meet in Riverside, getting a PR. I am super proud of her and am privileged to have such a quality person and athlete in our program.”
Name: Maddie Smetana
School: Berkshire
Grade: 11
Stats: Recorded 32 kills, 18 digs, seven aces, and two blocks in nine straight set wins
Coach’s Quote: “Maddie had a great first week of the season,” said Berkshire coach Joni Prots. “She helped the team both offensively and defensively and her leadership on the court is improving with each match. It is exciting to see her game evolve with each match.”
Name: Grace Svette
School: Chagrin Falls
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded 10 kills, 8 blocks, 7 digs, 3 assists, and 2 service aces
Coach’s Quote: “As a senior, Grace Svette has taken her collective work playing various positions over the last three years to lead the Tigers at the start of the season as our middle hitter,” said Chagrin Falls coach Kelly Holtz. “For our first CVC match and win against Orange, she was a force to be reckoned with in her offensive and defensive play. As a true servant-leader, it helps Grace has some setting history, which helped this middle hitter get three assists allowing her teammates to rack up more kills during the match.”
