Athletes from 10 different schools have been named the Chagrin Valley Conference Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sunday, April 6, 2025.
Each athlete was nominated by his or her coach. All statistics incurred from Monday, March 31, 2025, through Sunday, April 6, 2025.
BASEBALL
Name: Henry Cimperman
School: Chagrin Falls
Grade: 11
Stats: Batted .556 (5-for-9) with a double and a home run, three RBI, three runs scored, three walks, and four stolen bases
Coach’s Quote: “Henry is a great kid who has worked hard,” said Chagrin Falls coach Michael Sweeney. “He has gained the respect of both the players and the coaching staff. Henry has been a starter since his freshman season and has steadily improved each season. He was voted captain this year and has had a great start to the season. He helped lead us to a 2-1 record last week with his hitting and his defense, as he had six putouts from centerfield. I really believe that Henry is one of the top players in the area.”
Name: Sam Crooks
School: Independence
Grade: 12
Stats: Batted 1.000 (3-for-3) with a triple and a home run, seven RBI, and six runs scored; Struck out four in four scoreless innings on the mound
Coach’s Quote: “The run production to give us strong early starts and ultimately secure team victories was what stood out with Sam’s play this week,” said Independence coach Jim Crooks. “Sam pitched well in his first outing, but he hit the ball hard every time he swung the bat, driving in big runs and crossing the plate himself to put crooked numbers on the scoreboard in multiple innings.”
Name: Josh Rosenblitt
School: Beachwood
Grade: 12
Stats: Broke the school record for strikeouts in a career; posted a 1.00 ERA with 16 strikeouts in seven innings; Batted .333 (2-for-6) with two walks and a .667 slugging percentage
Coach’s Quote: “Josh started the game with his 247th career strikeout, breaking the all-time school record for strikeouts in a career, set by Brad Goldberg in 2008,” said Beachwood coach Matt Lamovec. “He had 15 more strikeouts after that, while allowing only one earned run over seven innings. His leadership on the mound will be a focal point of the team’s success this year.”
SOFTBALL
Name: Cora Brace
School: Geneva
Grade: 10
Stats: Batted .750 with an .833 on-base percentage, a double, a home run, four runs scored, and an RBI; posted a 1.000 fielding percentage
Coach’s Quote: “Cora did a great job all around for us this week,” said Geneva coach Eleshia Pitcher. “She has worked really hard learning a new position this year moving from left field to first base and continues to work hard and improve every day.”
Name: Olivia Krebs
School: Cardinal
Grade: 10
Stats: Batted .557 with a 1.222 slugging percentage, two home runs with seven runs scored, five RBI, and four stolen bases; posted a .667 fielding percentage
Coach’s Quote: “Olivia is an aggressive lead-off hitter for our team,” said Cardinal coach Haley Adams. “She always comes to the plate prepared, knowing what her game plan is for each game. She has been seeing the ball well to start the season, and hitting two home runs in one game proves that. She does a great job of reading what the defense gives her, especially when she is running the bases. Olivia does a great job of holding down the hot corner at third base and covers a lot of ground in the field.”
Name: Lila Manfredonia
School: Independence
Grade: 9
Stats: Batted .666 (6-for-9) with a home run, four runs scored, four RBI, two stolen bases, and two walks; went 3-0 in the circle, allowing just three hits and one earned run with 34 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings
Coach’s Quote: “With three games in three days against three good teams, she really competed,” said Independence assistant coach Zoltan Zoltai. “Lila is a power pitcher that used her ability to locate pitches really well. She worked ahead in the hitters’ counts and did a great job of staying focused and composed one pitch at a time and not worried about the what-ifs. Whether it is pitching or hitting, Lila plays at a high level and has fun doing so.”
Name: Ally Negin
School: Madison
Grade: 11
Stats: Batted .750 (6-for-8) with two doubles and five RBI, and two stolen bases; posted an .800 fielding percentage behind the dish and went 1-for-1 in throwing out would-be base-stealers
Coach’s Quote: “Ally has had a fantastic start to her junior year as she has had 10 hits in her first 13 plate appearances this season,” said Madison coach David Negin. “As our primary catcher, she is our leader on the field, and she calls all of our pitches. She loves the game and has produced continually for us in pressure situations.”
Name: Aniela Skoczen
School: Hawken
Grade: 12
Stats: Batted .800 with five RBI
Coach’s Quote: “Aniela helped propel our team to its first win of the season,” said Hawken coach Cassie Bucceri. “She made key offensive plate appearances and impressively hit for the cycle. She also came in as a relief pitcher, helping us close the game.”
Name: Rosalyn Tharp
School: Perry
Grade: 12
Stats: Batted .750 (3-for-4) with two doubles, four RBI, three runs scored, three walks, and three stolen bases; Posted a 1.000 fielding percentage behind the plate with no passed balls and a pick-off
Coach’s Quote: “Rosalyn, our senior catcher, has been off to a great start this season,” said Perry coach Michelle Carino. “She’s really stepped up as a leader and brings a steady presence both at the plate and behind it. She’s setting the tone for the rest of the team and is a key factor in our early success. She’s also someone our younger players really look up to.”
TRACK & FIELD
Name: Ema Bencova
School: Brooklyn
Grade: 12
Stats: Won the 100-meter dash at a quad meet with a time of 13.29 seconds
Coach’s Quote: “Ema Bencova is our lead-off relay runner, thanks to her explosive starts and powerful follow-through,” said Brooklyn coach Megan Barrow. “She consistently places at the top in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, bringing speed and reliability not only to our sprints and relay teams, but also to our distance events. Her dedication to half marathon training makes her an invaluable asset, allowing us to expand her role into longer events as well. Additionally, she shows great potential in both the long jump and high jump. Ema is a well-rounded athlete, and we’re excited for what promises to be a fantastic season ahead.”
Name: Iniya Charlton
School: Trinity
Grade: 12
Stats: Won the 100 (12.28), 200 (24.89), both new meet records, and placed second in the long jump (16-6) at the Bill Dodd Invitational
Coach’s Quote: “Iniya has accomplished so much in her years at Trinity High School, and last weekend’s meet just adds to an already impressive resume by adding two more meet records to her ever-growing list of accomplishments,” said Trinity coach Daniel Giangrande. “It doesn’t seem to matter what the weather is like or who she is competing against, you’re never going to get anything but the best effort.”
Name: Olivia Krebs
School: Cardinal
Grade: 10
Stats: Set new PRs in the shot put (37-11.75) and discus (105-5)
Coach’s Quote: “Olivia competed at the 5th Annual William E. Fisher Invitational this past weekend. She ended the night with two podium place finishes,” said Cardinal coach Dakota Ward. “Olivia took first place in shot put and third place in discus. We are very excited to see what numbers she will throw this year.”
