After taking the Buckeye Border Conference (BBC) Crown home for the third straight year, the Lady Cadet Softball team culminated the 2015 season at their awards ceremony. With such a strong year, there was plenty of hardware to go around for the girls of West Unity.
All three graduating seniors were honored for their leadership roles as Shayla Coffman, Jessica Suboski, and Adreyn Yates all earned the Team Captain Award. The three girls also displayed excellent student-athlete leadership by example, as they each earned a BBC Scholar Athlete distinction as well. Coffman was given her third Varsity Letter in Softball, while Suboski and Yates were each awarded their second.
The biggest strength on this Cadet team, however, were the numbers and talent residing in its junior class. Stepping up in a major way throughout the season were classmates Karissa Crisenbery and Bailey Funkhouser, both First Team BBC selections and BBC Scholar Athletes. Crisenbery, who earned her second Varsity Letter, was given the Team Offensive Player of the Year Award, as well as the Archie Griffin Sportsmanship Award. Funkhouser, on the other hand, was the recipient of the Team Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Veronica Roth, another junior, received her first Varsity Letter, claiming the distinction in a big way with a Second Team BBC selection and receiving the Coaches Award. Roth was also named a BBC Scholar Athlete. Another Second Team BBC member, Cadet Allie Schmitt, was handed her second Varsity Letter. Twin sister Baylee Schmitt, was decorated with her own second Varsity Letter, the label of BBC Scholar Athlete, a BBC Honorable Mention, and the Team’s Most Improved Award.
Other Hilltop girls claiming BBC Scholar Athlete status were juniors Danny Ackley and Mikayla Eberly.
While the Lady Cadets were experience laden in 2015, three underclassmen were able to make a significant impact on the season. Sophomore Ariana Brown was given her first year Varsity Letter, while the freshman duo of Becca Miller and Aubrey Wyse took home their first year Varsity Letters as well. In addition, Wyse was named a Second Team BBC member, while Miller earned a BBC Honorable Mention.
The high number of league Scholar Athletes on Hilltop’s part appears to demonstrate that brain as well as brawn is essential to achieving consistent greatness. And, with so many award winners in the non-graduating classes, one shouldn’t expect the Cadet girls to cease their winning ways any time soon.