Presented in coordination with Froggy Valley 100.1/WiLBuR 99.7 & Lebanon Federal Credit Union.
Help us decide which male and female athlete should be honored for their outstanding efforts during last week’s local high school sports action. While you may have a favorite school or athlete already, we still encourage you to read through the lists below and then click on the link to vote.
Voting will remain open until Thursday at 10 pm.
While athletes can be nominated multiple weeks, the winners will be removed and updates will be provided as the season progresses.
While this may be a vote and emotions can run high, this is intended to bring attention to some of the best performances from our local student-athletes.
Nominations, which are made working with the schools, are listed below in alphabetical order.
Please read about each nominee, celebrate their accomplishment, and then go vote who you feel is most deserving of this week’s honor.
The winners will be announced at the end of the week.
The link to vote is below the nominations.
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.
Female Nominees
Olive Brandt (Lebanon / Sr.) – Basketball: Despite facing constant defensive attention, Brandt continued her scoring surge with a massive 43-point performance against McCaskey, knocking down five three-pointers and going 12-for-14 from the free-throw line. She followed that effort with 17 points against Penn Manor and 16 against Wilson, remaining the focal point of the Cedars’ offense.
Kenzie Eckhart (ELCO / Sr.) – Basketball: The senior guard put together a big scoring week for the Raiders, pouring in 25 points in a road win at Donegal. Eckhart followed that performance with 18 points in a hard-fought home loss to Lampeter-Strasburg, continuing to be a consistent offensive leader for ELCO.
Lily Harchuska (Cedar Crest / So.) – Wrestling: The sophomore enjoyed a perfect week on the mat, going 3-0 in dual meets before adding a 4-0 performance at the Lebanon Girls Wrestling Tournament. All four tournament wins came by pin, earning Harchuska the championship and improving her season record to 16-3.
Anna Lanka (Northern Lebanon / Sr.) – Wrestling: The senior went undefeated last week with a 5-0 record, highlighted by a pin against ELCO. Lanka also claimed first place at the Lebanon Tournament, posting four victories on her way to the championship.
Cadence Manney (Palmyra / Fr.) – Wrestling: The freshman turned in an impressive performance at Sunday’s Lebanon Girls Wrestling Tournament, finishing second overall with a 3-1 record. All three of Manney’s wins came by pin, including lightning-fast victories in 29 and 45 seconds.
Caitlin Shay (Annville-Cleona / Sr.) – Basketball: The senior played a key role in a perfect 3-0 week for the Dutchmen, scoring 11 points against Octorara, 13 versus Lancaster Country Day, and 8 in a win over Linden Hall. Annville-Cleona capped the week riding a five-game winning streak.
Moriah Simniskis (New Covenant / Jr.) – Basketball: With the Flames short-handed, Simniskis stepped up in a big way, helping New Covenant go 2-0 with wins over York Christian and High Point Baptist. In the High Point victory, the junior contributed 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal.
Male Nominees
Jaryn Beaver (Lebanon / Sr.) – Bowling: The senior delivered a standout week on the lanes, posting a 503 series against Ephrata before rolling a career-high 580 series versus Manheim Township (197-194-189). Against Township, Beaver also helped the Cedars record their highest single-game total of the season with a 781 in game two. His average has climbed by more than 40 pins since the start of the year, and he will compete in the Lancaster-Lebanon Boys Singles Championship in February.
Kenny Coles (Palmyra / Jr.) – Wrestling: Wrestling at 215 pounds, Coles has been red-hot, winning nine straight matches dating back to December 18th, including five victories by pin. Last week, he recorded a pin in just 1:02 to help the Cougars defeat Red Land and improve to 15-1 as a team. Coles now stands at 12-6 on the season and is ranked #7 in South Central PA at his weight class.
Blaine Leitz (Annville-Cleona / Jr.) – Wrestling: Leitz continues to be a force at 189 pounds, holding a 20-3 record this season while helping guide the Dutchmen to a 12-4 team mark. At the Dutchmen Duals on January 10th, Leitz went 5-0 with four pins and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Merlin Soler (ELCO / So.) – Bowling: The sophomore rolled a personal-best 201 game against Northern Lebanon last week, finishing with a 485 series. Soler’s continued improvement has made him a growing contributor for the Raiders on the lanes.
Grayden Summers (New Covenant / Jr.) – Basketball: Summers delivered clutch performances in a pair of wins last week. Against defending District 3 champion High Point Baptist, the junior scored 9 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter to fuel a comeback win, adding 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Earlier in the week, he led the Flames past York Christian with 18 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, and 5 blocks.
Jackson Walter (Northern Lebanon / Fr.) – Wrestling: The freshman earned a key section win over ELCO last week, pushing his season victory total to 20. Walter’s steady progression has been a boost for the Vikings’ lineup.
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