After an exciting 2009-2010 in the Scioto Valley Conference, you the fans have selected the Herbie Strange State Farm Insurance Athlete of the Year. More than 400 total votes completed the on-line vote, and in the end, two Pioneers are the winners.
A pair of Pioneers have been selected this year’s top athletes. On the boys’ side Kirk Maxwell earned nearly half the votes defeating Unioto’s Adrian Ross and Piketon’s Caleb Southworth. In the girls’ vote, Zane Trace’s Taylor Hatfield earned 44-percent to edge out Adena’s Kirsti Yates, Southeastern’s Catherine Dresbach, and Zane Trace’s Jess Roepke.
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.
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. |
