‘An amazing honor.’ Here are all of the 2024 Snyder Award winners from Centre County schools

For 66 years, the Snyder Awards have been given out at the end of each academic year to honor outstanding student-athletes in Centre County.

The tradition continues with 12 new recipients from local schools.

The James H. Snyder Awards are given in memory of Snyder, a former Centre Daily Times sports editor who was killed in an automobile crash in December 1957. The awards have become an annual county staple celebrating the community’s young leaders — a pair of seniors from each of the county’s five public high schools in Bellefonte, Bald Eagle Area, Philipsburg-Osceola, Penns Valley and State College, plus Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy. The recipients are recognized for excelling in academics, athletics and community service.

All six schools have announced their two winners, who have all spoken to the Centre Daily Times about winning the award and their high school careers, as well as what comes next.

Here are this year’s 12 Snyder Award winners.

Bald Eagle Area

Eric Clark and Ava Stere both put in countless hours inside and outside the classroom, and they were rewarded by Bald Eagle Area on May 30 with the Snyder Award.

“I’m really honored to win it because I feel like I put in a lot of hard work to be the kind of person I am today in academics and athletics,” Stere said. “It shows my hard work paid off.”

Added Clark: “It means a lot to me. To see how the people around me are viewing and receiving the work I’m doing is always rewarding.”

Because of their athletic and academic accomplishments, the two have impressed peers and faculty alike. Stere, who plays volleyball and softball, helped lead the softball squad to the state finals last season. And Clark learned a lot about himself by participating in football and wrestling.

He was a more decorated football player and helped lift the Eagles to a District 6 title this past season. But he also learned perseverance in wrestling. He started the sport as a sophomore and finished 1-11 that year, but devoted himself to getting better and then finished 14-16 as a junior and 16-15 as a senior.

“I really do think I’m most proud of my efforts in wrestling,” Clark added.

When school subjects or sports didn’t come naturally for Clark or Stere, they put in the needed work to improve — and they still found time to volunteer. Clark, class president and member of the National Honor Society, served as a volunteer coach for Next Gen Lions Camp and Youth Flag Football. He also volunteered at St. John’s Catholic Church and Read Across America. Stere was a volunteer coach at Youth Volleyball Camp, in addition to going on a church mission trip, assisting with elementary school field day and helping out with the BEA craft show.

Clark, a charity trap shoot veteran team member, also took part in the West Point and Naval Academy Summer Program and participated in Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week. Stere was involved in the National Honor Society and Spanish Club. She shadowed a physical therapist to further her career, and she was also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Both credited the community for their success.

“Fans support us, which is awesome,” Stere said. “Our teachers are awesome, and the coaches pushed me to be a better player and person.”

Stere has plans to major in exercise science at the University of Maine, where she will continue her softball career. Clark will enroll at the Naval Academy, where he will major in mechanical engineering while playing football for the Midshipmen.

“It’s important for people to know no matter who they are or who they were, anything is achievable with enough work and dedication,” Clark added.

Bellefonte

On May 29, Alyssa Hopkins and Alexander Crist became the latest Bellefonte students to win the Snyder Award.

Crist and Hopkins, friends who competed together in cross country and track, were as excited for each other as much as they were themselves.

“I was very happy to have won it with him,” Hopkins said. “Having this opportunity has been great. I feel like I’ve accomplished something and I’m getting the recognition for something that I never thought I could do.”

Hopkins was a member of the cross country and track and field teams in her time at Bellefonte, and while she enjoyed her time as a competitor, it was the time with her teammates that first came to mind when recalling her favorite athletic memory.

“During cross country we went to Carlisle and we had a great time on the course,” she said. “It wasn’t a great race for myself, but I remember — we do the walk before and test out the course — everyone on the team was laughing and everyone was having a great time, and I always look back at that being one of my fondest memories.”

Crist, who moved to the school district after his freshman year of high school, ran cross country and track as a Red Raider. The peak of his running career came this season when he and a few other runners won gold in two events at districts.

“Helping win the 4x800 and 4x400 relay teams at districts, being a part of that was awesome,” Crist said. “The teams that we had, the relay teams we had there, and the whole team environment, was just amazing.”

Both Hopkins and Crist will be staying in-state for their next steps, with the former heading to Drexel to study mathematics and the latter staying close at Penn State where he’ll study engineering.

Crist said becoming a Nittany Lion was a no-brainer.

“We’ve always been Penn State fans,” he said. “We used to live in New York and we were even Penn State fans then. So I knew I wanted to go there once I moved here. That was kind of my path.”

Despite only spending a few years in the community, Crist said it couldn’t have been more welcoming, while Hopkins said her time in Bellefonte helped prepare her for what comes next in life.

“I really liked my time at Bellefonte,” she said. “I felt that every person, every teacher, was always there for you and trying to push you, trying to get you to go further. It’s very supportive and I love it.”

Penns Valley

Ayva Fetterolf and Nicholas Gillespie were announced as the Penns Valley Snyder Award winners on May 23, and were both happy to take home the honor.

“It’s really nice getting to win this award together,” Fetterolf said. “We always have classes together, similar curriculum and watch each other excel on the field. It’s just a really nice experience and last senior moment.”

Fetterolf, who was a captain of the cross country team and ran track and field, said she’ll most fondly remember qualifying for states in her junior year as a member of the cross country team after telling both her parents and her coach that she was going to do it.

Gillespie, who played soccer — where he was a captain — and baseball in his time as a Ram, said it was a moment on the diamond during his sophomore year that he’ll remember most.

“I threw a special pitch called an eephus to strike a kid out,” he said. “I don’t usually pitch, but we were winning so they decided to put me in.”

The friends also did plenty outside of athletics. Fetterolf, a member of the National Honor Society, was treasurer for the French Club. She also volunteered at art camp, church, youth baseball concessions and Crickfest, in addition to serving as a volunteer tutor. Gillespie, secretary of the Varsity Club, joined Fetterolf on the National Honor Society. And he was also a Turkey Trot volunteer and a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.

Now that Gillespie’s high school career is over, he’ll head to Penn State. While he doesn’t know yet what he will major in, Gillespie intends on being a physician’s assistant.

“It’s just a way to help other people in the medical field,” he said. “The medical field interests me, and I think it would be something I’d be good at.”

Fetterolf will study mechanical engineering at Geneva College, where she’ll also continue her athletic career as a runner. She chose her major based on a class she took at Penns Valley.

“I got, by chance, put into a drafting class in ninth grade,” she said. “I actually desperately tried to get out of it. But I ended up really liking it and continuing through and taking (other engineering classes) so I was dead set on mechanical engineering by my senior year.”

Each looked back fondly on their time at Penns Valley because of how tight-knit the community is.

“I feel like so many people are attracted to Penns Valley because it’s a small community,” Fetterolf said. “Like you constantly see teachers and other family members who don’t necessarily have kids in those athletics, but they show up anyway to watch and support. I really appreciate the support from them.”

Added Gillespie: “This is a place where we’re one big family. Everybody cares about each other here; everyone has each other’s backs.”

Philipsburg-Osceola

Reese Hazelton and Aidan Minarchick were recognized as Philipsburg-Osceola’s Snyder Award recipients on May 28, and both expressed appreciation over the honor’s history.

“It’s a very prestigious award that’s taken very seriously in this town, so I’m very grateful to have received this award,” Hazelton said. “I looked up to a lot of the other athletes that have received this, and I hope to inspire younger athletes to work hard so they can receive this award like I did.”

Added Minarchick: “Getting the award was honestly kind of a shock. ... It just meant everything.”

The two proved they were more than deserving of the honor. On the field, Minarchick helped the baseball team to a District 6 title last year and played football. Hazelton was named the 2023 Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year for girls volleyball, and she helped lead the Lady Mounties to a state title.

Away from the field and court, the duo was just as impressive.

Hazelton, a member of the National Honor Society, was an athletic trainer volunteer and also worked at youth volleyball camps. Minarchick finished second in his 137-student class, and he volunteered at both church and the Jack Frank Memorial Golf Tournament — in addition to serving as a youth baseball camp counselor and as the PA announcer for Little League.

“My favorite academic accomplishment would probably be salutatorian,” Minarchick added. “That really meant a lot.”

Both of P-O’s Snyder Award recipients credited the Philipsburg community for getting them this far. Minarchick said his teachers and coaches pushed him to be the best he could, while Hazelton said she’s always felt supported — especially when seeing the P-O crowds at away games.

Minarchick plans to attend Penn State-Altoona, where he’ll focus on finance/accounting. Hazelton is set to attend Indiana University, where she’ll major in sports marketing and management while playing volleyball on scholarship.

“I just want to thank everyone for all the support and giving me the opportunity to win this award,” Hazelton said. “I’m definitely very grateful.”

Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy

Colin Simander and Jordyn Rose were recognized as Snyder Award recipients on May 23, with both crediting the small-school environment at Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy for helping them develop as people and athletes.

Simander said he might never have discovered his passion for running if he hadn’t been at a school like Saint Joseph’s. After playing soccer and basketball, he only joined the cross country team his freshman year to help his school — with some encouragement from his sister, who was also a runner and a senior at the time.

“It was a lot out of my comfort zone but the cross country team wasn’t going to have five to have a team,” he said.

Simander ended up qualifying for states after that first season and ran track in the spring, where he was on the 4x800 relay team, participated in the mile and the 800m and “really just fell in love with the sport.”

He and Rose both expressed gratitude at being selected to receive the Snyder Award, with Rose calling the award “inspiring.”

“It is just an amazing honor,” Simander said. “There have been so many people who have won this award before me who have done so many great things.”

Rose played volleyball her sophomore through senior year and softball every year but her sophomore year, when Saint Joseph’s did not field a team because of lack of players. While that year without a softball team was disappointing, she remained committed to the sport and determined to build it back up at the school.

“It was sad, but that kind of gave us more motivation for the year after,” she said. “We could have totally given up and been like, ‘oh I guess we’re not going to have a team,’ but we all decided ... to keep the program going and try to start a new team together.”

Outside of sports, both Simander and Rose excelled in the classroom and in extracurricular activities. Rose was in the National Honor Society and the treasurer of Future Business Leaders of Pennsylvania — a role she wouldn’t normally have tried. She attributes that to the small-school environment, too.

“I’ve grown as a leader because I’ve been able to step outside of my comfort zone,” Rose said. “It’s such a small school that you’re able to try anything you want.”

Simander was also involved in FBLA, serving as the first-ever president and qualifying for the state leadership conference. He was also the top lead ambassador of the school, where duties included giving tours to prospective students and speaking to the school’s board of trustees. He was also the president of the school’s stock market club and served as secretary of the mock trial club.

“I try to do as much as I can because I don’t want to regret doing too little,” he said.

With service as one of the school’s pillars, both have also volunteered throughout the community.

Simander plans to attend Lock Haven University in the fall, where he’ll continue his cross country and track career. After a year at LHU, he plans to go to the Naval Academy.

Rose doesn’t plan to “officially” play sports in college — she’s enrolled in Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina — but she’ll play volleyball and softball as much as she can. She intends to double major in culinary arts and business, and would like to return to State College to open her own cafe, serving up crepes.

For both of the now-graduates, they expect what they learned at Saint Joseph’s to stay with them.

“It put me in a place where I could succeed, take the next step and be more prepared for what comes next after high school,” Simander said. “It gave me a place to learn from my mistakes, learn what I’m passionate about — it’s been truly a blessing.”

State College

State College Area High School announced its Snyder Award recipients during a June 4 ceremony, and both Jacob Hohenshelt and Lorelai Radzanowski called the award an honor.

Hohenshelt played basketball and football at State High, and it was as an offensive lineman with the Little Lions where he especially made his mark. Radzanowski was on the varsity cheerleading team all four years of high school.

For Radzanowski, the award has special significance because of her sport, which hasn’t always been given the same level of respect as others. A large part of cheerleading, as she sees it, is about filling people up, connecting with them and bringing joy.

“To be able to be recognized for something like that, it means I’ve done my job well,” she said.

For both of the award winners, the memories that stick out most are the ones shared with their teammates. While Hohenshelt looked back fondly on football games like the win over North Allegheny his junior year to advance to the state seminfinals, or beating McDowell after three overtimes that same year, this past year especially stands out.

“Senior year, just being able to hang out with everybody,” he said. “Hang out with all those guys for one final season.”

In volunteer activities, working with kids was a highlight for both. Hohenshelt was involved with Little Lion youth camps and Radzanowski organized a youth cheerleading clinic for 100 elementary school students, something she helped revive after the pandemic. The clinic also raised $3,000 for the cheerleading team to travel to nationals in Florida.

A Delta Program student, Radzanowski was also the chairperson of Delta’s advisory council and was involved in the peer advocate program at State High, among other extracurricular activities, and Hohenshelt was a member of the the school’s PULSE (Pride, Unity, Leadership, Service, and Excellence) community service group.

Radzanowski was also deeply involved in the Delta Program, and said one of her proudest moments was helping create the bylaws that were passed this year in anticipation of the program becoming a separate school.

“It’s very important to us right now to solidify the way that Delta functions so that nothing can happen to that as we transition to a school,” she said.

Both of the award winners said their schools have helped them become the people they are today.

“Coming in as a freshman, you don’t know what to expect athletically or academically,” Hohenshelt said. “State High was able to provide amazing resources.”

It wasn’t just athletics, he added, noting that football coach Matt Lintal “pushes not just to be a good athlete, but a good human as well.”

Radzanowski remembers being shy when she started in the Delta Program in fifth grade, and was nervous about joining the cheerleading team in seventh grade, even though she’d done competitive cheerleading since age 3.

“Delta is the entire reason that I am who I am today,” she said. “It’s helped me grow into a confident person, someone who’s ready to connect with others and wants to get to know each person for who they are.”

Radzanowski will attend the University of Oklahoma, where she’ll major in political science and pursue a master’s degree in education policy. She wants to one day create democratic schools like Delta.

Earlier this year, Hohenshelt committed to play football at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He was there when he learned about the Snyder Award, having arrived on campus days earlier. His goal is to be a starter on the football team, while graduating in four years with a kinesiology degree.