Tristan Saultz and Jessy Hart were named Most Valuable Runners for the cross-country team at its awards dinner Friday, Nov. 8 at the youth barn at Community Chapel.
Coach Kambria Schumacher noted that Saultz, a senior, was the top runner for the boys through nearly all the season, including the district finals, where he ran a personal-best 17:11.
Hart, a junior, was the girls’ top runner.
“Unfortunately, Jessy didn’t make it to state this year,” Schumacher said, adding that Hart is “a great role model for other kids on the team.”
“Even if she doesn’t have the greatest race, she’s happy-go-lucky. I’m glad she has another year. I expect her to have a good senior year.”
The honor was a repeat for both.
Best Newcomer for the boys was sophomore Jorel Leyba, who finished the season with a PR of 18:47, an improvement of more than minute.
“I’m glad he has a couple more years with us,” Schumacher said. “I think he gained a lot of experience.”
Freshman Meeja Bitter was named the girls Best Newcomer.
Assistant Coach Cassandra Schumacher said Bitter posted some “huge PR’s” as she learned the sport.
“I think next year she’s going to really rock and roll.”
Junior Sicily Neuschwander was named the varsity’s Most Improved runner, after dropping more than two minutes from her best time last year, while also playing soccer, holding a job and keeping up with school.
Sophomore newcomer Aiden Shamek was named the JV’s Most Improved, after steadily cutting his times all season to finish with a PR of 20:26.1 at districts.
Neuschwander and Leyba were also named Most Inspirational, given to team members who have “good attitudes” and put the team ahead of their own interests.
The Coaches Award, which is the only one not voted on by team members, went to senior Eric Roddy.
The award goes to someone who is not necessarily the fastest, but is just willing to do whatever it takes to get better, displaying a good attitude, no matter what the circumstances, Kambria Schumacher said.
Third-year letter awards went to Saultz and Hart.
Second-year letter winners were sophomores Nate Coleman and Eddy Martinez-Maya, Neuschwander, and junior Gavin Walberg.
First-year letters went to senior Rian Howard, who transferred this year from Lebanon, juniors Summer Hicks and Treyson Smith, and Leyba and Bitter.
Junior varsity certificate recipients were freshmen Adrian Kast, Christopher Kurtz and Dakota Seiber, sophomores Paul Amrein, Brian Frick, Jesse Jamison and Shamek, juniors Jaren Adams and Gavin Walberg, and senior Zach Zanona.
Schumacher also handed out some “fun” awards, for various achievements during the season. Winners got a squash and a pair of socks.
The Clean Tank Award, for completing the season without ingesting coffee or other “pollutants,” went to Walberg, Saultz, Frick and Martinez.
The Most Time Dropped Award, which goes to the runner who has cut the most time from the beginning to the end of the season, went to Shamek, who improved 5 minutes and 16 seconds through the season.
“I’ve never seen that much improvement,” Schumacher said.
Most Water Drunk, the athlete who hydrates the most during the season, went to Frick, who, Schumacher said, consumed 82½ liters.
The Running Scavenger Award, to the athlete(s) who pick(s) up the most unusual object while out on the road, went to Coleman, Shamek and Leyba, who returned from a workout with a discarded range hood.
“I still don’t know what they did with it,” Schumacher said.
Most Pushups in Two Minutes winners were Porter for the boys, with 100, and Hart for the girls, 85.
Longest Wall Sit winner was Walberg, who held the position with back against the wall, with legs bent at a 90-degree angle, for 9:10, though Schumacher gave Saultz (7:37) a “Premier” award for “better form.”
Chin-up Champions were Smith, with 22, for the boys, and Hart for the girls, who did five.
Longest Plank went to Roddy, who held the modified push-up position, in which the athlete holds a perfectly straight line, parallel to the floor, while braced on tiptoes and forearms, for 6:34. Martinez-Maya was a close second – 6:33, so he got an award as well, Schumacher said.