Here’s how Bald Eagle Area’s Sarah Holler and Zeb Fry earned Snyder Award recognition
Editor’s note: Stories on all of Centre County’s Snyder Award winners will run together in print on June 6, after they’re all announced.
Sarah Holler and Zeb Fry have found success athletically and academically and it’s paid off in the form of an award.
The two Bald Eagle seniors were named the school’s 2021 Snyder Award winners at the school’s award ceremony Tuesday evening.
Holler and Fry have become close this season as the two competed as throwers for the track and field team, and both were happy to see they’d won the award together.
“It’s a great honor,” Holler said. “We’ve been in school together forever. I think it’s really cool that he won. It means a lot, I’m really proud of him. He’s a great athlete and he’s really smart.”
Fry added: “She’s pretty good at everything in track. It was pretty cool to win with her because we’ve become a lot closer friends this year.”
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 of 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 Saint Joseph’s who embrace academics, athletics and community service.
Holler and Fry both played multiple sports in their time as Eagles.
Holler played soccer and basketball, along with track and field in her four years of high school. Her crowning athletic achievement came her junior year when she and the rest of the soccer team qualified for the state tournament.
“Just being on that team, and being an active member of that team, was so much fun,” Holler said. “It was so much fun to go so far in the playoffs. It was such a great feeling going so far into the state tournament.”
Fry played football for three years and basketball for one year to go with his time as a track and field athlete. The senior helped the Eagles make the state semifinals in football as a junior but said his best achievement came this track season when he finished fourth at districts in javelin and nearly qualified for states.
“Not a lot of kids throw into the 160s at districts,” Fry said. “I threw 161’ 6” and just missed states by less than the length of a pencil.”
While both were accomplished athletes, they also found a balance between athletics and academics and volunteer work.
Holler finished as the 2021 graduating class’ salutatorian and was a three-time state qualifier for the Future Business Leaders of America. She’s most proud of the work she put in to become salutatorian.
“It means a lot,” Holler said. “I worked really hard to keep my grades as high as I can. Being able to do sports and do that, I’m really proud of myself for that.”
Fry spent time volunteering and said it was most one of the most rewarding parts of his high school experience.
“I’ve been able to do so much stuff,” Fry said. “Last year there was a food distribution on the Mountaintop. I helped sort and hand out food. I had a lot of fun doing that. There’s so much other stuff, but that’s something that stood out to me.”
The two award winners already know what they want out of the next phase of their academic life, as well.
Holler will be attending Penn State, where she wants to major in meteorology and climate science. She cited the school’s strong meteorology program as one of the influences in her decision to go there.
“I’m really interested in climate change and want to make a difference there,” Holler said. “Penn State has an amazing program in meteorology so it just worked out perfectly for me.”
Fry will be attending Clarion University, and said he was unsure of what he wanted to major in prior to visiting the college.
However, after spending time on the school’s campus and meeting with academic advisors, he discovered he wanted to follow in the footsteps of those he learned from at Bald Eagle Area and major in secondary education.
“I talked to counselors and the head of the education department at Clarion,” Fry said. “They thought I would make a good teacher. I’m following in the footsteps of one of my role models, Mr. Besong, and going to become a physics teacher.”
That decision to follow in their footsteps makes sense given the impact the Bald Eagle community has had on the two winners. Holler and Fry both gave plenty of credit to the community for helping them achieve their goals.
“Everyone at Bald Eagle cares about you,” Holler said. “They’ll come to your games and they’ll support you. They’ll help you in school, no matter what you do, if you need help they’ll reach out. Everyone is just so supportive and they’re always there to back you up whenever you need it.”
Fry added: “Some larger high schools, there can be so many kids in a class. It’s just harder to learn that way. The learning atmosphere is so good at Bald Eagle.”
This story was originally published May 25, 2021 at 11:08 PM.
