Celebrating Northwest Pennsylvania High School Sports Stars

The high school sports awards in Northwest Pennsylvania have wrapped up, with plaques handed out over the last few weeks. The Erie Times‑News highlighted District 10 athletes of the year for each sport, plus major team and individual honors. Cathedral Prep captured the Varsity Cup for large schools, while Fairview earned it for small schools. Both teams had standout seasons and will proudly hold the trophy next year. Meadville volleyball earned the male team of the year, and Maplewood won the female title. Nick Bancroft from Meadville and Sheila Bancroft from Maplewood were named coaches of the year. Tymir Phillips (Meadville) and Makayla Presser‑Palmer (Northwestern) were named male and female athletes of the year. Charli Rea, also from Northwestern, earned rookie of the year honors. Other special awards went to Taylor Kretz (McDowell) for courage, Floyd “Skip” Chatt for lifetime achievement, and Denny Lynch for the Golden Whistle. In baseball, Zack Kruszewski (Mercyhurst Prep) led District 10 with a . 568 average and 43 stolen bases. Softball star Maddy Vogan (Sharon) posted a . 609 batting average and 24‑1 pitching record. Basketball standout Avery Collins (Erie First Christian) averaged 33. 4 points per game and will play at Edinboro. Makayla Presser‑Palmer also shone in basketball, becoming the all‑time scorer for District 10. Cross country saw Kam Skelton (Mercyhurst Prep) repeat as gold medalist in Class 1A, while Maggie Jewell (Mercer) became the first female district champion in that race.

Football highlights included Juelz Johnson (Farrell) as offensive player of the year with 2, 305 rushing yards and Rhashaud Dunbar (Farrell) as defensive star with 104 tackles. Luke Lewis (Hickory) earned all‑state honors as a lineman and will play at Bucknell. Girls flag football star Abigail Pulcinello (McDowell) was a dual‑role threat on both sides of the ball. Golf winners included Anthony LaBoda (Fairview) who took district gold and Kate Sowers (West Middlesex) who became a state champion. Lacrosse leaders were Rory Callaghan (Cathedral Prep), who guided his team to a district title, and Alyvia Stockton (McDowell) who reached 100 career goals. Soccer top performers were Jackson Chiocco (Fairview), who led his team to a state match and will play Division I, and Jenna Popowski (Fort LeBoeuf), also heading to Division I. Swimming and diving stars were Jack Raimy (Cathedral Prep) with a state gold in the 100‑yard butterfly and Jaslene Cage, who earned four district golds. Tennis champions included Gavin Ferretti (Cathedral Prep) as doubles champion and Paige Patsy, also from Cathedral Prep, who won the singles title. Track and field standout Blake Cook (Corry) set a state record in the 300‑meter hurdles, while AnnaSophia Viccari (West Middlesex) claimed a state title in the 800‑meter run. Volleyball highlights were Luc Soerensen (Meadville), a potential Olympic hopeful, and Maggie Means (Maplewood), who set a record with 2, 501 assists. Wrestling stars were Chase Karenbauer (Grove City), who ended a long state drought, and Cydney Rea (Northwestern), who nearly made history as the first female champion from Erie County.

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