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:
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For any questions, comments, or discrepancies, please reach out to dan@lebcosports.com.
Female Nominees
Elyse Ancharski (Palmyra / Jr.) – Basketball: The junior point guard led the Lady Cougars with 18 points in Wednesday’s win over Lower Dauphin, knocking down four of her six three-point attempts. Ancharski also added 7 points in an earlier victory over Hempfield as Palmyra continues to build momentum at 10-8.
Dakota Dengler (Northern Lebanon / So.) – Wrestling: The sophomore placed 2nd at 148 pounds at Saturday’s Lancaster-Lebanon League Championships, reaching the finals with a 39-second pin and a 13-6 decision. Along the way, Dengler hit the 50-career win milestone, joining teammate Anna Lanka who reached the mark earlier in the week. Now 20-7, she continues to work toward a return trip to the PIAA State Championship Tournament.
Kenzie Eckhart (ELCO / Sr.) – Basketball: The senior delivered a big week for the Raiders, leading ELCO to two major wins and producing on the biggest stages. Eckhart scored 20 points in a signature home win over Cocalico, then poured in 28 on the road at Blue Mountain while going 8-for-9 from the foul line. She also added 18 points in a tough loss to Manheim Central, continuing to set the pace offensively.
McKenna Kantner (New Covenant / Fr.) – Basketball: The freshman came up huge in a marquee 43-41 win over Shalom Christian Academy, the top team in District 3 Class AA. Kantner scored 23 points, including six three-pointers, to power the Flames to the statement victory. She followed it with 18 points vs. Covenant Christian as New Covenant improved to 15-1 and remains the #2 team in District 3 Class A.
Elli Malinoski (Cedar Crest / So.) – Basketball: The sophomore averaged 20 points per game across two wins last week, continuing Cedar Crest’s surge. Malinoski posted 15 points with 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 steals in a win over Lampeter-Strasburg, then exploded for 25 in a rivalry win over Lebanon while shooting 60% from the field and 100% from the foul line. Cedar Crest has now won seven of its last eight and sits at 12-6 (8-0 in Section 1).
Isabella Poole Martinez (Lebanon / Jr.) – Wrestling: Poole Martinez placed 2nd at 100 pounds at the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championships, putting together a strong run that included a 30-second pin and a 20-5 technical fall on the way to the finals. She is now 16-3 on the season and continues to establish herself among the area’s best.
Madelyn Shanfelder (Cedar Crest / So.) – Wrestling: Wrestling at 142 pounds, Shanfelder pinned all four opponents to win the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championship, including one match that lasted just 26 seconds. In the finals, she defeated the defending champion who placed 7th at States a season ago. Shanfelder now sits at 27-6 with 22 pins, joining teammate Lily Harchuska as a gold medal winner.
Kenzie Waters (Our Lady of the Cross / So.) – Basketball: The sophomore point guard produced in key moments, scoring 14 points in a loss to Fairfield before following with 15 points in a win over Linden Hall. Waters is averaging 8.9 points per game while running the offense and working hard defensively, providing steady leadership on the floor.
Kora Wolfe (Annville-Cleona / So.) – Wrestling: Competing at 136 pounds, Wolfe earned silver at the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championships with a strong run to the finals that included a 6-0 decision and a pin. In the championship match, she battled to the end in a 3:53 bout before falling by pin. Wolfe is now 14-7 on the season, with 11 of her wins coming by pin.
Past Winner Spotlight
Kylee Trostle (ELCO / Jr.) – Wrestling: The junior captured the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championship at 112 pounds, posting two pins and a 17-0 technical fall on her way to the title. Trostle ended the finals in just 18 seconds and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Male Nominees
Grant Canakis (New Covenant / Sr.) – Basketball: In two wins last week over Shalom Christian Academy and Covenant Christian, the senior made his impact felt in all the little ways that win games. Canakis averaged 5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals per contest, but his biggest contributions came as a lockdown defender and timely rebounder, making key stops and securing big boards when the Flames needed them most.
Ashton Kriss (ELCO / Sr.) – Wrestling: Competing at 133 pounds, the senior became ELCO’s first Lancaster-Lebanon League wrestling champion since 2016. Kriss climbed to the top of the podium with two pins followed by two major decisions, a run that helped highlight ELCO’s runner-up finish in the team standings in a razor-thin battle with Donegal (171.5–170). He is now 28-5 on the season.
Blaine Leitz (Annville-Cleona / Jr.) – Wrestling: Wrestling at 189 pounds, Leitz placed 4th at the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championships, earning his spot on the podium with two pins and a gritty 6-4 decision. Earlier in the week, he also picked up a dual match win against Northern Lebanon. Leitz is now 25-5, helping power the Dutchmen into the District 3 Team Tournament field.
Manny Martinez (Lebanon / Jr.) – Basketball: The junior demonstrated outstanding leadership, competitiveness, and production against two of the toughest opponents on the schedule in Hershey and Cedar Crest. Martinez averaged 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3 steals per game across the two matchups, setting the tone on both ends of the floor. His week was highlighted by a 23-point performance vs. Cedar Crest, where he added 5 rebounds and 3 steals while continuing to lead through injuries and depth challenges.
Nick Weidman (Palmyra / Jr.) – Wrestling: The junior delivered an electric moment at 145 pounds in Thursday’s match against Northern York, earning a huge pin that will be talked about in Palmyra lore for a long time. While the Cougars ultimately fell in a close team match, Weidman’s victory was a major highlight and he now stands at 21-7 on the season.
Sam Wolford (Northern Lebanon / Sr.) – Wrestling: Competing at 121 pounds, the Navy commit captured his third straight Lancaster-Lebanon League Championship in dominant fashion. Wolford won all four matches by technical fall, with none making it out of the first period, and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. He is now 31-3 on the season and also reached the 175-win milestone for his career.
Past Winner Spotlight
Oliver Funck (Annville-Cleona / Sr.) – Wrestling: Competing at 139 pounds, the senior placed 3rd at the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championships with a 4-1 tournament that included a pin, a major decision, and two technical falls. Funck is now 26-4 this season, helping power the Dutchmen into the District 3 Team Championship Tournament.
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