The Northwest Pennsylvania high school sports awards are back this year with plaques being presented to the winners over the last few weeks. The Erie Times-News named a District 10 athlete of the year in each sport as well as major awards including teams and athletes of the year.
The Varsity Cup, a traveling trophy, went to Cathedral Prep for the big schools and to Fairview for the small schools. Both schools had exceptional sports years and can proudly display the trophy for the next year.
Here is a list of the major winners and District 10 athletes of the year:
Teams of the year
Male: Meadville volleyball
Female: Maplewood volleyball
Coaches of the year
Male: Nick Bancroft, Meadville volleyball
Female: Sheila Bancroft, Maplewood volleyball
Athletes of the year
Male: Tymir Phillips, Meadville
Female: Makayla Presser-Palmer, Northwestern
Rookie of the year
Charli Rea, Northwestern
James Conner Courage Award
Lifetime Achievement Award
Golden Whistle Award
Denny Lynch
District 10 athletes of the year
Baseball
Zack Kruszewski, Mercyhurst Prep – Kruszewski was one of the top leadoff hitters in District 10 this season. He hit .568 with 42 hits, including seven doubles, two triples and two home runs. He scored 45 runs, drove in 20 runs, stole 43 bases and was one of the top shortstops in D-10. The Pitt-Bradford recruit is the only player in Mercyhurst Prep history to score 100 runs and steal 100 bases in his career.
Softball
Maddy Vogan, Sharon – Vogan has her senior season to play but has already put together one of the best careers in District 10 history. The Penn State commit hit .609 this spring with seven doubles, five triples, nine home runs, 31 RBIs and scored 42 runs. She was also a dominant force in the circle as she went 24-1 with a 0.41 ERA and struck out 357 batters. Vogan is on pace to strike out 1,000 batters in her career.
Basketball
Avery Collins, Erie First Christian – Collins is a three-time all-state selection including the second team as a sophomore in 2A and first team last winter in 1A. He was named the player of the year in the state this season after averaging 33.4 points per game to finish second in District 10 history with 2,427 career points. His playoff game totals included 38, 41, 54, 39 and 20 points as the Eagles won the D-10 1A title and reached the PIAA quarterfinals. He will play for Edinboro this coming season.
Makayla Presser-Palmer, Northwestern – The Arizona recruit was a first team all-state pick two years in a row. She became the all-time scorer in District 10 history this season with 2,560 career points. Presser-Palmer averaged 28.7 points per game to lead District 10 this season, including 76 3-pointers to lead D-10. She had 33 points in the D-10 championship game against Seneca before scoring 22 points against Quaker Valley and 32 points in a loss to Greensburg Central Catholic in the PIAA tournament.
Cross Country
Kam Skelton, Mercyhurst Prep – Skelton repeated as the gold medalist for District 10’s Class 1A final at Titusville’s Ed Myer Complex. The junior crossed the course’s finish line in 15 minutes, 44 seconds. That feat also qualified Skelton for the PIAA final the following weekend at Hershey’s Parkview Country Course, where he also medaled. He finished 10th overall at 16:55.
Maggie Jewell, Mercer – Jewell achieved history beyond her individual victory during the PIAA meet. The senior, in her final start for the Mustangs, won the state’s Class 1A girls final. Her time of 19 minutes, 28 seconds was the fastest of 216 participants at Hershey’s Parkview Cross Country Course. Jewell was District 10’s first female gold medalist for that specific race. She also was the district’s first PIAA individual female cross country gold medalist since Eisenhower’s Heather Wilmoth won the Class 2A final in 2002.
Football
Offensive Player
Juelz Johnson, Farrell – Johnson put together a huge career for the Steelers as an elite running back. As a senior he ran for 2,305 yards and 35 touchdowns, including four games of 200 yards or more. He finished his time at Farrell with 5,302 career rushing yards and 70 rushing touchdowns to go with 68 catches for 808 yards and nine touchdowns and he threw a touchdown pass as well. He will compete for Division II powerhouse Slippery Rock this fall.
Defensive Player
Rhashaud Dunbar, Farrell – Dunbar was the leader of one of the top defenses in District 10 last fall. The hybrid defensive player that could line up as a defensive end or linebacker had 104 tackles, including 30 for a loss. He also recorded 14 sacks and 24 quarterback hurries for the Steelers. Dunbar blocked one punt, recovered one fumble and forced five fumbles as well.
Lineman
Luke Lewis, Hickory – Lewis has been a force on the offensive and defensive lines throughout his career with the Hornets. He is a three-time, all-state selection and is a Bucknell recruit. He paved the way for a potent Hickory offense that gained 339 yards per game, including 237 rushing yards per game as a senior. The Hornets have had one of the top offenses in District 10 over the past four years and Lewis is a big part of that success.
Girls Flag Football
Abigail Pulcinello, McDowell – The junior was a big problem for opponents on both sides of the ball. Her quickness on offense was tough to stop as she would get behind defenses in the pass game and get around them in the run game. Pulcinello was also a menace on defense as she would rally to the ball and either make open-field tackles or knock down passes in the pass game. She is one of the top returning players in District 10 next spring.
Golf
Anthony LaBoda, Fairview – Anthony LaBoda came through in the clutch once – and nearly twice – during his final postseason as a Fairview golfer. LaBoda, at 2-under par 142, was tied for first after regulation play for District 10’s Class 2A boys tournament at The Country Club of Meadville. Although the senior and Saegertown’s Mason Gjovik were assured berths for the PIAA tournament, a playoff was required to determine who advanced as the district’s gold medalist. LaBoda won their playoff after one extra hole. LaBoda, at 5-under 139, was the silver medalist for the state competition at Penn State University’s White Course. He rallied to finish two back of the champion thanks to a second round of 7-under 65, a record low for the 2A boys portion of the tournament.
Kate Sowers, West Middlesex – Kate Sowers not only achieved personal golf history but also helped maintain District 10’s notable run for that sport. Sowers was the district’s Class 2A girls titlist. The senior finished first with a 36-hole score of 4-under 140 at The Country Club of Meadville. Sowers, though, still returned home as a state champion. She helped the Big Reds become the district’s sixth straight team that won a PIAA 2A girls team tournament. Sowers was even better for the two-round PIAA tournament at Penn State University’s White Course. The James Madison University recruit shot an 8-under 136, good for second place overall.
Lacrosse
Rory Callaghan, Cathedral Prep – More often than not, Callaghan is the top player on the field when playing lacrosse. The rising junior showed up with big performances in big matches. He scored four goals and two assists and led a late-match comeback to make sure the Ramblers outlasted Hickory for the District 10 Class 2A championship.
Alyvia Stockton, McDowell – Stockton has been a dominant player for the McDowell lacrosse team over the past few years. She reached 100 career goals this season in leading the Trojans to another District 10 championship. Stockton will be one of the top returning lacrosse players in D-10 this coming spring.
Soccer
Jackson Chiocco, Fairview – Fairview star Jackson Chiocco is a repeat pick at District 10 player of the year after leading the Tigers to the PIAA 2A championship match this fall. Chiocco finished his career with 84 goals and 66 assists. He is second in school history with 84 goals in a career and 34 in a season behind Nick Scott who had 94 career goals and 37 in a season. Chiocco broke the Fairview record for assists in a season with 34 this fall and assists in a career with 66. Chiocco was named to the all-state team and will play Division I soccer at Mercyhurst this fall.
Jenna Popowski, Fort LeBoeuf – Jenna Popowski of Fort LeBoeuf was one of the top scorers in District 10 over the past few seasons. She finished her career with an impressive 111 goals and 57 assists while leading the Bison to 26 wins in the past two years. She had 38 goals and 10 assists as a junior and 29 goals and 13 assists as a senior and she will play Division I soccer at Mercyhurst in the fall.
Swimming and Diving
Jack Raimy, Cathedral Prep – Raimy, in his final appearance with the Ramblers, received individual and team gold medals during the Class 2A portion of the PIAA meet at Lewisburg. The senior won the 100-yard butterfly final with a two-lap time of 49.55 seconds at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium. Raimy also contributed to Prep’s latest state team title. The Ramblers, with 198 points, topped their small-school standings for the fourth time since 2019. Such accomplishments are why Raimy is bound for Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. He received a scholarship to turn laps for the Division I Raiders and coach Ed Prete.
Jaslene Cage, Cathedral Prep – Coaches voted Cage the top female performer for the Class 2A portion of District 10’s meet at Geneva, Ohio. She was a four-time gold medalist during action at the S.P.I.R.E. Institute’s natatorium, with one as the individual victor. Cage completed her two laps for the 100-yard breaststroke final in a low time of 1 minute, 5.95 seconds. Cage also qualified for the PIAA meet in each of the four races she won during districts. Even better, she’s due back for her senior season with the Ramblers and coach Sonya Whitman.
Tennis
Gavin Ferretti, Cathedral Prep – Gavin Ferretti graduated from Cathedral Prep with a tennis resume that ranks among the school’s greatest. Ferretti, for the second time as a Rambler, left Hershey Racquet Club this past spring as a PIAA Class 2A doubles champion. Paired with sophomore Charbel Moubarak, they won that bracket with a 7-6 (9-7), 6-3 sweep of South Park seniors Jonah Jasek and Steven Duing. Ferretti was the sophomore and James Casella the senior when they were gold medalists for that same tournament in 2024. The John Carroll commit was the Ramblers’ No. 1 singles starter when they won the PIAA 2A team tournament via a 3-0 sweep of Jersey Shore in the best-of-five final at Hershey.
Paige Patsy, Cathedral Prep – Patsy repeated as District 10’s Class 2A singles champion at Westwood Racquet Club. The tournament’s top seed only lost one game over four matches. That result also assured Patsy of an automatic berth for the PIAA championships at Hershey Racquet Club. Once there, she reached the championship semifinals, where she lost, but recovered to win the bronze medal match in straight sets. Patsy also helped Prep defend as the champion of the district’s 2A girls team tennis tournament. The end of Paige Patsy’s junior season duplicated her sophomore season for the Ramblers.
Track and Field
Blake Cook, Corry – Cook is a top 10 hurdler in the country as he continues to dominate on the national level. He was a force for the Beavers the past few years and earned a Division I scholarship to Mercyhurst. He won a state title in the 300 hurdles as a junior before raising the bar as a senior. He won state titles in both hurdle events, including breaking a state record. He ran the 300 hurdles in 37.25 seconds to shatter the PIAA record.
AnnaSophia Viccari, West Middlesex – Viccari has been a top runner in District 10 the past four years. She showed plenty of heart at the PIAA track meet as a senior after losing in the 800 in the D-10 meet. She went to Shippensburg as the 10th seed in the state and won the state title. Viccari, who will compete at Division I Ohio, finished with three state medals as a senior, including a third place.
Volleyball
Luc Soerensen, Meadville – The senior might go down as the best boys volleyball player in District 10 history. He is a four-year all-star who not only has been a big player in Pennsylvania but in the country as well. He’s missed a few matches here and there to play for Team USA and could be in the Olympics one day. He led the Bulldogs to three state finals, including two state titles. As a senior, Soerensen had 25 kills and 10 digs in the state final.
Maggie Means, Maplewood – Maggie Means has been one of the most dominant girls volleyball players in District 10 over the past four years. In Means’ career, Maplewood has four region championships, three District 10 championships and two PIAA championships. Means is a three-time all-state selection and finished her senior season with 98 kills, 873 assists, 56 aces and 246 digs. Means finished her incredible career with 294 kills, 36 blocks, 225 aces, 854 digs and a record-breaking 2,501 assists.
Wrestling
ChaseKarenbauer, Grove City – Karenbauer accomplished more than winning the 114-pound weight class during this past season’s PIAA Class 2A tournament. Grove City’s star lightweight also ended District 10’s significant drought during state meets. The sophomore was northwestern Pennsylvania’s first varsity mat champion since 2021. Karenbauer was the gold medalist for his division thanks to a 9-8 decision against Braiden Lotier, a junior for District 3 Bishop McDevitt, in their title match at Hershey’s Giant Center. It was the last victory for his 46-0 season. Karenbauer concluded the first half of his Eagles’ career at 94-1. His lone loss occurred as a freshman during the PIAA’s 2025 2A meet, when he was the bronze medalist at 107.
Cydney Rea, Northwestern – Cydney Rea was one win shy of becoming Erie County’s first PIAA champion in its brief history of girls wrestling. An overtime fall by Bryce Snyder of District 11 Palisades denied the Northwestern junior that achievement. Rea and Snyder met for first place in the 170-pound division at the state meet in Hershey. Rea arrived at the Giant Center as the Western Region’s top seed for her weight class. She recorded an 11-0 shutout and two pins ahead of her title loss to Snyder. Those results left Rea with a record of 30-4. She goes into her last varsity season as a Wildcat at 58-8 overall.
Contact Tom Reisenweber at treisenweber@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNreisenweber.
Contact Mike Copper atmcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNcopper.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Coaches, athletes and teams honored with the Northwest Pa. awards
