LebCo’s female Track & Field athletes brought an elite level of performance to the spring season, making it no easy task to narrow down the top contenders in each event. With so many standout competitors, this year’s voting process was one of the most competitive yet.
Following the vote count, three athletes stood out with unanimous selections: Kaddel Howard in sprints, Mackenzie Wamsher in hurdles, and Makenna Haas in jumps.
Kaddel Howard not only secured the title of Sprinter of the Year, but she was also named the 2025 LebCo Female Track & Field Athlete of the Year by LebCoSports.com for an impressive third straight year. Her dominance in the 400m at the highest levels continues to elevate her as one of the nation’s premiere athletes in the event.
The competition for Athlete of the Year featured other exceptional performers as well. Eliana Schneider, nominated in four categories and earning two State medals, showcased her remarkable versatility. Kendall Cooper closed out her high school career on a high note, collecting four medals at the PIAA State Championship Meet.
A big thank-you goes out to everyone who reviewed the nominees and cast their votes.
With the incredible talent spread across all LebCo Track & Field programs, earning a nomination alone is something to be proud of. Congratulations to all of this year’s honorees!
If you like this type of coverage, please let us know by Following us on social media: Twitter/X – @lebcosports1 and Facebook.
For any questions, comments, or discrepancies, please reach out to dan@lebcosports.com.
LebCo Female Track & Field Athlete of the Year
Kaddel Howard
Entering 2025, Kaddel Howard faced the pressure of being a two-time defending State Champion in the 400m. With the Cedar Crest junior’s main focus on her marquee event, she responded to expectations by making it her most dominant season to date. The blue-chip recruit cruised to victories at the Lebanon County Championship, the Lancaster Lebanon League Championship, and the District 3 Championship. At Districts, Howard broke her own meet record by completing a full lap of Shippensburg’s track in an impressive 53.95. However, Howard hadn’t yet peaked, as she proved she had more left in the tank when she laid down the hammer in the prelims of the PIAA State Championship Meet, clocking a 53.12. The next day, she ran a 54.37, far outclassing her closest competitor, who ran a 55.68, to earn gold once again. With one year remaining in her high school career, all eyes will be on Howard to see if she can run a clean sweep of the quarter-mile, along with where she will choose to take her talents after graduating from Cedar Crest next June.
(Photo Credit: Travis Boyd)
Runners-up: Eliana Schneider (Cedar Crest) & Kendall Cooper (Annville-Cleona)
Plan that next vacation. Now!
First Team All-County
Sprinter of the Year
Kaddel Howard – Cedar Crest, Junior
Howard continued her dominance in the 400m, securing her third straight PIAA State Championship title. Along the way, she swept gold at the Lebanon County, LL League, and District 3 meets. She broke her own District 3 record with a 53.95, but her fastest performance of the season came in the state prelims, where she blazed to a 53.12.
Distance Runner of the Year
Mackenzie Stellmach – Annville-Cleona, Junior
Stellmach captured the 3200m title at the Lebanon County Championship before going on to win the District 3 AA crown in the same event. She capped off her season with a 10th-place finish at the PIAA State Championships, running a season-best time of 11:14.53. In addition to her 3200m success, she also earned District 3 medals in the 1600m (6th place) and as a member of the 4x800m relay team (2nd place).
Hurdler of the Year
Makenzie Wamsher – Cedar Crest, Junior
Winning this honor for the 2nd consecutive year, Wamsher claimed titles in both the 100m High Hurdles and 300m Intermediate Hurdles at the Lebanon County Championships. She set a new Cedar Crest school record in the 300m hurdles with a time of 46.1 and went on to place 3rd at the LL League Championships. Wamsher qualified for District 3 in both events.
Jumper of the Year
Makenna Haas – ELCO, Senior
Haas dominated the Lebanon County meet, claiming titles in both the Long Jump and Triple Jump. She went on to capture the LL League crown in the Triple Jump while placing 5th in the Long Jump. At the District 3 Championships, Haas earned silver in the Triple Jump and finished 6th in the Long Jump. She wrapped up her season with an 11th-place finish in the Triple Jump at the PIAA State Championships. Haas set ELCO school records with season-best leaps of 18’2.25” in the Long Jump and 38’8.25” in the Triple Jump. She also played a pivotal role on ELCO’s record-breaking 4x100m relay team. Haas will take her talents to the United States Military Academy at West Point to continue both her academics and athletics.
Thrower of the Year
Eliana Schneider – Cedar Crest, Junior
Schneider earned this honor for the 2nd straight year after she delivered an outstanding season in the javelin, capturing the Lebanon County title before finishing 2nd at Districts and 4th at the PIAA State Championships. She also made a splash on the national stage, placing 4th at the Penn Relays earlier in the year, then returning to Franklin Field in June to claim the New Balance National Championship. Her best throw of the season soared to an impressive 149’5”.
Relay Team of the Year
Annville Cleona – 4x100m
The quartet of Sophia Caporaletti, Kendall Cooper, Miracle Hershey, and Jada Morales capped off a standout two-year run by taking silver at the PIAA State AA Championship. Their postseason success included a District 3 title, gold at the Lebanon County Championship, and a 3rd-place finish at the LL League Championships. In their final race together in the 4x100m, they clocked a school-record 48.46—marking yet another milestone for the Annville-Cleona relay squad. They then finished off the State Championship meet by finishing 7th in the 4x400m.
Flashback: 2024 LebCo All-County Track & Field
Second Team All-County
Sprint
Kendall Cooper (Annville-Cleona / Sr.) – Cooper claimed the Lebanon County titles in both the 100m and 200m before finishing as runner-up in each event at the LL League and District 3 Championships. She closed out her high school career with two 8th-place finishes in the sprints at the PIAA State Championships, posting season-best times of 12.04 in the 100m and 24.84 in the 200m. Additionally, Cooper played a key role in leading Annville-Cleona’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams to District gold, with those squads placing 2nd and 7th, respectively, at States. She will continue her running journey at St. Joseph’s University.
Distance
Eliana Schneider (Cedar Crest / Jr.) – Schneider proved her versatility by shining in the 800m alongside her javelin success. She took home the Lebanon County title in the event, clocked a season-best 2:14.7, and earned a strong 3rd-place finish at the LL League Championships. She also was a key member of the District 3 Championship 4x800m team from Cedar Crest.
Hurdles
Julia Sattele (Palmyra / Sr.) – Sattele delivered strong performances at the Lebanon County Championship Meet, finishing 2nd in the 100m High Hurdles and 3rd in the 300m Intermediate Hurdles. She posted season-best times of 16.73 and 49.10 seconds in the respective events.
Jumps
Eliana Schneider (Cedar Crest / Jr.) – Schneider continued to build on her success by clearing 5’6” in the High Jump this season. She claimed the LL League title, earned a 3rd-place finish at the District 3 Championships, and capped the year with a 6th-place medal at the PIAA State Championships.
Throws
Liliana Harrison (Lebanon / Sr.) – Harrison broke the Lebanon school record in the discus with a top throw of 127’4”. She went on to place 9th in the event at the District 3 Championships. In the shot put, she earned 6th at the LL League Championships and finished 7th at Districts, recording a season-best throw of 38’8.5”.
Relay
Cedar Crest – 4x800m
Audrey Fugate, Hayden Wamsher, Emma Pavlesich, and Eliana Schneider teamed up to capture gold at the District 3 Championship, delivering a winning time of 9:25.43.
All-County Honorable Mention
Sprints
Maddy Waldron (Palmyra / So.) – Waldron enjoyed a breakout season, finishing 2nd in the 100m and 3rd in the 200m at the Mid Penn Championships. She continued to impress at the District 3 Championships, placing 6th in the 200m and 9th in the 100m. Waldron earned a spot at the State meet in the 200m, where she finished 13th. Her season-best times of 12.38 (100m) and 25.51 (200m) reflect her steady improvement. At the Lebanon County Championship, she was runner-up in both sprints.
Distance
Amber McCurdy (Palmyra / So.) – McCurdy turned in a strong showing at the Lebanon County Championship, taking second in the 1600m and third in the 800m. She posted season-best times of 5:35.28 in the 1600m and 2:31.73 in the 800m. Additionally, she helped Palmyra’s 4x800m relay team earn an 8th-place finish at the Mid Penn Championships.
Hurdles
Johbrianna Long (Northern Lebanon / So.) – Long earned a 3rd-place finish in the 100m High Hurdles at the Lebanon County Championship Meet and contributed to the Vikings’ 4x100m relay team, which secured 5th place.
Jumps
Elaina Potter (Palmyra / Sr.) – Potter soared to victory in the Pole Vault at the Lebanon County Championship Meet with a season-best clearance of 10’6”. She followed that up with an 8th-place finish at the Mid Penn Championships and earned a spot at the District 3 Championship Meet.
Throws
Sofie Price (Palmyra / Sr.) – A seasoned State qualifier with four straight appearances in the Javelin, Price wrapped up her senior year with a 13th-place finish at the PIAA State Championship, throwing 129’6”. Earlier in the postseason, she claimed the Mid Penn Championship title and earned a 3rd-place medal at the District 3 Championships.
Relay
Palmyra – 4x100m
Cala Hipple, Julia Sattele, Delaney Miller, and Maddy Waldron clocked a season-best 50.34 to place 5th at the Mid Penn Championships, capping off a strong performance in one of the meet’s most competitive events.
The nominations for this honor were done by the coaches. The final rankings were compiled based on votes by the coaches, our writers, and the members of the LebCoSports.com community.
ProSeal
Penn Realty
