State Farm Insurance
Athlete of the Year
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Girls
Taylor Hatfield, Zane Trace
Kirsti Yates, Adena
Jessica Roepke, Zane Trace
Catherine Dresbach, Southeastern
Boys
Kirk Maxwell, Zane Trace
Caleb Southworth, Piketon
Adrian Ross, Unioto
Athletes receiving votes for the final ballot but not making final ballot for fan vote:
Holly Brabson, Piketon
Volleyball, Basketball, & Softball
Holly Brabson enjoyed an amazing senior year. After being a productive member of the Piketon volleyball team, Brabson really started to put her dominate stamp on this year’s Scioto Valley Conference. In basketball, Brabson averaged 13 points, eight rebounds, and two steals on her way to first-team honors. In the spring, Brabson completely dominated. While leading the Lady Redstreaks to the Final Four, Brabson posted a league best in hitting (.581), homeruns (8), triples (6), doubles (15), and was second in stolen bases (37).
Shella Zimmerman, Piketon
Volleyball & Softball
Obviously, Zimmerman made her splash in the spring while pitching the Lady Redstreaks to the Final Four. Zimmerman’s stats were ridiculous this spring. The Piketon pitcher won 26 games, posted an ERA of 0.47, recorded 396 strikeouts, hit .465 at the plate, hit three homeruns, and drove in 32 runs.
Erin Bane, Unioto
Soccer, Basketball, & Softball
In the fall, Bane found the net nearly 40 times on the soccer field. In the winter, Bane played a key role on Unioto’s outstanding 19-2 SVC champion squad. On that team, Bane provided solid perimeter play averaging nearly three assists per game and was a big part of Unioto’s outstanding pressure defense. In the spring, Bane was a first-team all-SVC selection in softball. Bane won 11 games as a pitcher while posting a 1.41 ERA. She also hammered six homeruns and drove in 37 runs as well.
Duane Irvin, Huntington
Golf & Baseball
Duane Irvin averaged a 38.29 to earn the Player of the Year in this year’s Scioto Valley Conference golf league. Irvin shot a score in the 30’s five times and never shot over 41 as his consistency helped make him the league’s top player. In the spring, Irvin answered an incredible sophomore season with another great year during his junior campaign. Irvin hit .449 while leading his Huntsmen back to the district tournament. Irvin was also named first team all-SVC and all-southeast district.
Tyler Osborne, Southeastern
Golf, Basketball, & Baseball
In a year where few boys played three sports, Osborne proved to be a great three-sport athlete. In golf, Osborne posted the league’s seventh best average at 41.29 earning him all-league status. In the winter, Osborne was named second-team as he scored over 11 points, dished our four assist, and recorded just under three steals per game. Finally, in the spring Osborne had a great season on the diamond. The Southeastern right-hander posted an ERA under three while finishing the year in the top-five of the SVC in strikeouts. Osborne was named second-team all-SVC.
Logan Markko, Paint Valley
Cross Country, Basketball, Track
The Paint Valley junior started the fall with an all-league showing in cross country as he finished 11th with a time of 17:53. In the winter, Markko was a third-team all-league selection as he averaged just less than 11 points, six rebounds, and two blocks per game. In the spring, Markko had a solid showing at the SVC Meet just missing all-league with a couple of second-place finishes, but then made a great postseason run eventually finishing 8th in the state final of the 1600.
Zach Wolfe, Westfall
Baseball
The junior had a great spring winning 13 games on the mound while earning the SVC Player of the Year. Wolfe also hit .461 while driving in 33 runs. In terms of Athlete of the Year, Wolfe being a one-sport athlete just doesn’t allow his resume to be complete enough to make the final ballot.
Now, it is time to honor our Herbie Strange State Farm Insurance Athlete of the Year. Below, we (along with the help of area coaches, players, and fans) have come up with several worthy candidates, but in the end, it will be up to you the fans to pick the top male and female SVC athlete from 2009-2010. Below are the athletes that will appear on the final ballot. We also have highlighted some other athletes (left side of this page) that had outstanding years as well. Read each of the following resumes and check back to SVCsportszone later this week to vote online for one boy and one girl.
GIRLS
Taylor Hatfield, Zane Trace
Cross Country & Track
Taylor Hatfield obviously had her way in the Scioto Valley Conference this season capturing the individual title in cross country and the meet medalist in track. In cross country, the sophomore crossed nearly two-minutes ahead of the second-place runner, and in track, Hatfield showed her incredible versatility as a runner by winning the 1600, the 400, the 200, and then finished second in the 100. All of this dominance was followed up in the postseason by Hatfield qualifying for the state in two events before capturing the Division II individual state title in the 800 – an event she set the state record in her incredible winning run. Hatfield also finished second in the state cross country meet back in the fall.
Kirsti Yates, Adena
Volleyball, Basketball, & Softball
Kirsti Yates graduates this year as one of the great winners in recent history of the Scioto Valley Conference. In a time where too many athletes focus on just one sport, Yates played and contributed in all three sports during her career. In volleyball this past fall, Yates led her Lady Warriors to a state runner-up finish. On the volleyball court, Yates stuffed the stat sheet impacting the game in so many ways. In basketball, the two-shade blue captured a district runner-up finish with Yates once again being considered the heart and soul of the team. Lastly, in the spring Adena won the district title on the softball field. Yates had a great spring hitting .469 with eight homeruns and 38 RBIs.
Jessica Roepke, Zane Trace
Volleyball & Basketball
Jessica Roepke started her senior season by earning Player of the Year honors in volleyball. Roepke simply had her way at the net all year long. The senior recorded 367 kills and 48 blocks in 2009 while leading the Lady Pioneers to an outright second-place finish behind Adena in the Scioto Valley Conference. Roepke then followed her great fall with a great winter as well. Roepke was named first-team all-SVC as she scored 11.5 points per game, pulled down 6.3 rebounds, shot a league best 79-percent from the charity stripe, a league’s third best field goal percentage at 52-percent, and blocked a few shots per game.
Catherine Dresbach, Southeastern
Cross Country, Volleyball, Basketball, & Track
Catherine Dresbach is one of the most underappreciated athletes this year when you consider how many things she impacted for the Lady Panthers. In the fall, Dresbach was one of the top volleyball talents in the league while running cross country as well. In volleyball, Dresbach led the league in kills at 4.69 kills per game and was in the top five of blocks and digs as well. In basketball, it was Dresbach’s versatility that separated her again. Dresbach was in the top seven of the SVC in five different offensive statistical categories. In the spring, Dresbach scored in three different events for the Lady Panthers at the SVC Meet.
BOYS
Kirk Maxwell, Zane Trace
Football, Basketball, & Baseball (missed due to season ending injury)
Kirk Maxwell led his Pioneers to a league title in both football and basketball this season while posting amazing numbers in both. In the fall, Maxwell threw for just shy of 1,000 yards and ran for 1,000 more as the senior signal-caller had a hand in 84 points for the championship ZT squad. Maxwell was named the Co-Offensive Back of the Year. On the hardwood, Maxwell’s dominance continued. Maxwell averaged 20 points, seven rebounds, and four assists while capturing Player of the Year honors. The spring was suppose to be Maxwell’s chance to lead a third team to a league title, but Maxwell, who hit .456 as a junior, was forced to miss his senior season due to an injury suffered at the end of basketball season.
Caleb Southworth, Piketon
Football, Basketball, & Track
Caleb Southworth started his senior season by earning the Co-Defensive Player of the Year in football. Southworth also was solid on the offensive side of the ball. He caught 39 balls for 546 yards while scoring 10 touchdowns. After missing the second half of the basketball season, Southworth returned in the spring where he individually dominated the league in track. In his medalist win at the SVC Meet, Southworth won the high jump, the 110 hurdles, and the 300 hurdles. Southworth then went on to qualify for the regional in all three events including a district championship in the 110 hurdles.
Adrian Ross, Unioto
Cross Country & Track
Adrian Ross continued to run away from the competition in 2009-2010. First in the fall, Ross won the SVC with a time of 15:48. Ross then led his Shermans to the state. In the spring, Ross won the 800 & 1600 at the SVC Meet and then qualified for the state in three events. Ross would eventually finish sixth in the 1600 individually and was a part of the 4x800 team that recorded a third-place finish in the state final. Ross, just a sophomore, has led Unioto to back-to-back league titles in both cross country and track during his first two seasons.
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