For The Tribune
The Crothersville High School volleyball players and cross-country runners were honored at their annual awards program at the cafetorium on Monday night.
Seniors Brittany Ross and Kashmir Kelshaw were named co-recipients of the mental attitude award for the Tigers’ volleyball team.
“Both were outstanding members of the team,” Volleyball coach Linda Luedeman said. “They always had a positive attitude.”
Luedeman said the other awards handed out that night were based on statistics.
Brittany Clem, a senior, received the serving and setting awards. She had 291 good serves out of 305 attempts with 43 aces, and was 942 for 995 for 95 percent in setting.
Crothersville junior Chasta Lamb took the serve receive trophy. She received 283 serves successfully and graded out at 75 percent in that statistic.
Junior Lacey Hall was presented the blocking award as she had 62 blocks, and sophomore Maddie Riley received the hitting trophy as she was 327 for 377 with 108 kills.
Senior Katrina Christian and Riley were named to the All-Southern Athletic Conference first team.
The Tigers lost to West Washington 25-22, 21-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-13 in the West Washington Sectional and finished the season 7-18.
“Their dedication is amazing,” Luedeman said. “They are involved in several clubs around school, and they’re honor students. They played with injuries and with illnesses. The last match they did it right. That is the hardest I’ve ever seen them play.”
Junior varsity coach Linda Begley presented the serving award to Makayla Helt and the serve receive award to Kaitlin McVey. The JV finished 4-15.
Breanna Barger received her fourth straight most valuable runner for the girls’ cross-country team.
“Bre made quite a name for herself,” cross-country coach Carl Bowman said. “She was All-SAC four straight years and a two-time semi-state qualifier. She helped Crothersville to back-to-back conference championships and was all-county four times.”
Barger finished second in the SAC this fall after finishing third each of the previous three years. Her career-best time was 20:12, and she ran that this year in the regional.
Bowman said what made the senior an outstanding runner was her work ethic, and her desire once she saw what she could do.
Junior Hanna Wyra was named the mental attitude award for the girls, and freshman Makayla Helt was named the most improved.
Sophomore Piper Hensley also earned All-SAC honors.
Bowman said at the beginning of the season he was short of runners for the girls’ team, so he asked Luedeman if he could talk to her team to see if any of the girls would be interested in running.
Wyra, Helt, junior Nina Jaworek and freshman Rebekah Cook joined the cross-country team while also playing volleyball.
“It took us eight years to get to where we are now,” Bowman said. “The seniors made the program what it is today. We finished eighth in the sectional running against big schools like Seymour, the Columbus schools and Brown County.”
Bowman was named SAC coach of the year.
CHS sophomore Lane Wienhost was named most valuable runner for the boys for the second year in a row. He also made all-SAC honors, and he ran an 18:15 in the sectional.
Sophomore Chandler Niehause was named most improved, while junior Noah Kodetzki received the mental attitude award.
Bowman said Wienhorst was definitely the No. 1 runner throughout the season.
“The other runners knew they weren’t going to beat Lane, but in practice and in the meets they competed to see who would finish second,” he said. “They weren’t down in the 18s but they worked hard.”
Bowman talked about the new cross-country course that has been laid out on the west side of Crothersville.
He said he plans to have some home meets next fall, including an invitational for the high school and middle school teams.
Middle school awards
Cross-country
Boys: most improved Evan Hunt, most valuable Cable Spall
Girls: most improved Kaylyn Holman, most valuable Grace Wilson
Volleyball
‘B’ team: serve reception Zoe Spangler, outstanding server Kilie Reynolds
‘A’ team: serve reception Mariyah Kelshaw, outstanding server Lexi James