Here’s how Penns Valley’s Hannah Montminy and Aaron Tobias earned Snyder Award recognition
Two of the most successful athletes to ever play at Penns Valley brought their careers to an end this year, and both will be walking away as Snyder Award winners.
Hannah Montminy and Aaron Tobias were recognized Tuesday night as Penns Valley’s Snyder Award recipients as part of an awards ceremony livestreamed on Facebook and the school district’s website. Tobias leaves the school as the most prolific passer of all time in football, while Montminy leaves behind a legacy as one of the Rams’ best basketball and soccer players.
Montminy and Tobias were overjoyed to find out they won the award.
“The award means a lot to me,” Montminy said. “Winning it with Aaron makes it extra special. It’s nice to be recognized for my hard work in the classroom, in sports, and in the community. For me it’s especially special because my three older siblings won the award. To follow in their footsteps means a lot to me just because I’ve always looked up to them.”
Tobias added: “It’s an extreme honor for both of us. We’ve both worked hard throughout our careers, both academically and athletically, and it’s nice to see it pay off.”
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 plus St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy — who embrace academics, athletics and community service.
The pair’s athletic contributions in their high school careers are innumerable.
Montminy’s athletic success came on the basketball court and the soccer field in her time as a Ram. She scored over 1,000 points in her career as a basketball player and was named an All-State forward as a senior in soccer. Her greatest accomplishment, however, was winning the district basketball title her sophomore year.
“That accomplishment means more to me than any individual milestone because it’s a team sport,” she said. “To succeed with my team at the highest level is a great feeling.”
Tobias was the quintessential leader as an athlete. He played baseball, basketball and football at Penns Valley and excelled in his senior season. He was a floor general for the basketball team as its point guard and a record-setter at quarterback on the football field. Tobias finished his career by setting the state single-season passing touchdown record with 54 as a senior.
His favorite feat came when he helped his team earn the first Mountain League title in program history last season.
“It’d never been done before,” Tobias said. “It was a group effort and it was something special to do with the entire team.”
Montminy and Tobias both excelled in academics, as well, and hope to carry that with them into college. Montminy will attend Penn State, where she plans to major in biobehavioral health.
“I want to explore something in the health field,” she said. “That could be a stepping stone to do that. I’m not sure exactly what I want to do but I hope that my time at Penn State will help me narrow that down.”
Montminy, one of four valedictorians for her class, achieved plenty of academic and athletic success but is especially proud of the way she treated others in her time as a Ram.
“I think the small things (meant most),” she said. “Like reaching out to students who don’t feel included. Although those things so often go unrecognized, I’d say my contributions to the lives of my peers has been the biggest thing I’ve done in high school.”
Tobias will continue his academic and athletic careers at East Stroudsburg University, where he’ll play quarterback and major in exercise science/kinesiology. He hopes to be the best person he can academically, athletically and personally while seeing how far he can take his athletic and academic careers.
The former Rams’ quarterback also volunteered at several events, including the Relay for Life, several Penns Valley athletic camps and Red Cross blood drives. He said it was important for him to volunteer so he could give to those who need it most.
“Giving back to people who may be less fortunate is extremely important to me,” Tobias said. “Always giving help when it’s needed is very important. You’ve got to help those people who need it.”
Both Montminy and Tobias believe their success as Rams will help with their preparation for their lives ahead.
“Penns Valley has done a great job of preparing myself and my peers for the next part of life,” Montminy said. “Like hard work, time management and how to care for the people around you. I think all of those things will last much longer than my years in Penns Valley.”
Tobias added: “Penns Valley provided an opportunity for me to see how much I can accomplish when I just put my mind to it and work at it. I know I can do even better things if I just keep working hard and doing what I do.”
