Here are all of the 2021 Snyder Award winners — and what makes them so unique

The Snyder Awards were first introduced and given to Centre County student-athletes 63 years ago, and have become a community fixture ever since.

The awards are named after James H. Snyder, a former Centre Daily Times sports editor who was killed in an automobile crash in December 1957. These awards are meant to carry on Snyder’s legacy while celebrating students in the county who display admirable character as they strive for success.

The recipients earn the award based on their accomplishments in athletics, achievements in the classroom and contributions to the community. The awards have changed somewhat over the years, like adding a second honoree at each school after initially having only one, but the intent has stayed consistent. The Snyder Awards continue to honor the best and brightest student-athletes in Centre County.

The awards were initially handed out to just four students back in 1958, and that total has grown to 12 with the influx of schools in the area.

Winners have gone on to find great success in their lives. From doctors and lawyers to coaches and teachers, many have continued their community contributions long after they received the award.

It is with great honor that we announce the 2021 Snyder Award winners from across the county: Bald Eagle Area’s Sarah Holler and Zeb Fry, Bellefonte’s John Daniel “J.D.” Besch and Leigha Schrader, Penns Valley’s Maria Lovallo and Colton Sands, Philipsburg-Osceola’s Hannah Minarchick and Parker Moore, Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy’s Jonah Clark and Camryn Eby, and State College’s Bayla Furmanek and Brady Bigger.

Bald Eagle Area: Sarah Holler and Zeb Fry

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 Area seniors were named the school’s 2021 Snyder Award winners at its awards ceremony last week.

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.”

Holler and Fry both played multiple sports in their time as Eagles.

Holler competed in 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’s 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 advisers, 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.”

Bellefonte: Leigha Schrader and J.D. Besch

When Bellefonte’s John Daniel “J.D.” Besch and Leigha Schrader weren’t busy winning district football titles or leading the Raiders’ girls soccer program, they could be found sitting on student council, reading the morning announcements or counseling kids at camp.

For these reasons and more, the pair were named Bellefonte’s 2021 Snyder Award winners on Wednesday evening at the school’s senior awards ceremony.

“It’s a really great honor to be awarded with this award,” Schrader said. “I’ve put so much time and effort into sports, it’s just kind of rewarding to be able to win this award back.”

Added Besch, whose sister, Catharine, won in 2019: “We hold it very high in my family, and it means a lot to win it. It’s really nice to carry on the family tradition now.”

Schrader played soccer and lacrosse for the Raiders, and was a member of the Unified bocce team, while Besch played football and was a thrower on the track and field team. Besch recently placed third in shot put at the District 6 Class 3A track and field championships.

When asked what athletic achievement she was most proud of, Schrader had a hard time choosing. She takes pride in both being chosen to lead the girls soccer team her senior season and in helping Bellefonte girls lacrosse win its first-ever game, when she was a sophomore.

While helping to build a new program can be hard work, Schrader said she enjoyed the time she got to spend with her teammates and friends, and seeing their efforts pay off made it all worth it.

“It was just amazing that all the hard work we put in for the four years before that, starting the program, then finally being able to be rewarded with that win,” she said. “Being able to know that I helped start a program is really rewarding.”

Besch didn’t have as much trouble identifying his proudest athletic achievement — winning two district titles in football (2017, 2019).

Family is a running theme for Besch, and that’s what made that feat so special to him.

“My dad was part of the first team ever to win a district championship at Bellefonte,” he said. “So, it felt great to continue to carry on the family tradition of winning at Bellefonte.”

Outside of sports, Schrader kept herself plenty busy during her time as a Raider. Of the activities she could remember off the top of her head, Schrader was involved in student council, the school’s safety committee, Raider Review (the morning announcements), Raider Nation and Mini-Thon.

But above all else, Schrader is most fond of the time she spent with the Unified bocce program. Unified bocce, co-sponsored by the PIAA and Special Olympics PA, pairs students with and without special needs in a competitive team environment.

“It was always an honor to be able to go out with those kids and show them that anything is possible, that even though they’ve been faced with really hard challenges in life, that they can still do anything they set their mind to,” Schrader said. “And just being involved with that community of kids was awesome.”

Outside of football and track, Besch was involved in the Walker Township 4-H, was a camp counselor and played saxophone in band for his first two years of high school. He also worked as a farmhand at Pelicks Queens Three Farm.

It was from his work as a farmhand that Besch said he learned a valuable life lesson.

“No matter how hard and how much you don’t want to work, you just have to push through it to achieve what you want to achieve,” he said.

Schrader will continue her soccer career this fall at Gannon University in Erie, where she plans to study biochemistry. Having always excelled at math and science, Schrader was inspired to choose the major by her senior biology teacher, because of its broad applications.

And just like with Snyder Awards and district football titles, Besch wants to follow in the footsteps of his family members — his dad, mom and several grandparents — and pursue a career in education. He plans to attend Shippensburg this fall, where he’ll continue to play football and major in secondary social studies education.

“It’s just kind of the family business,” Besch said.

As their high school careers come to a close and they set their sights on what lies ahead, both Schrader and Besch took a moment to reflect on their time in the Bellefonte Area School District, and the support they’ve received in both athletics and education.

“The support that Bellefonte has toward all its athletics programs is just amazing,” Schrader said. “It doesn’t matter the sport, there’s always people there to support. And knowing that that support is behind everyone and everyone involved in athletics at Bellefonte is really fun, and it’s really good to know we have all those amazing opportunities.”

Added Besch: “It means a lot. It’s great to have their support in school, athletics and in everything.”

Penns Valley: Maria Lovallo and Colton Sands

Two Penns Valley seniors will now have an award to take with them as they end their high school careers.

Maria Lovallo and Colton Sands were named Penns Valley’s 2021 Snyder Award winners at the high school last week. The two students excelled as athletes, in the classroom and in the community during their time as Rams.

Winning the award was made sweeter, for both, by who they won it with.

“He’s a really good guy and it’s been an honor to win this award alongside him,” Lovallo said.

Sands added: “We’re very good friends. I admire her work ethic and she’s probably the most driven person I know academically and athletically. To be recognized in that same academic and athletic realm is humbling.”

Lovallo and Sands found plenty of success as athletes in their time at Penns Valley. Lovallo was a captain of the girls soccer team over the last two seasons and helped her teammates navigate the difficulties of playing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Her greatest accomplishment as an athlete came as a sophomore when she and her teammates made it to the second round of the district tournament.

“Our greatest achievement was getting to that point as a team, learning to play together, gelling together, and finding a way to make it work,” she said.

Sands has a litany of accomplishments as a long-distance runner, including back-to-back PIAA Class A individual cross country titles in his junior and senior years. He takes most pride in his non-calendar year triple crown: winning the cross country individual title as a junior and senior, the indoor track 3,000 title as a junior and the outdoor 3,200-meter title as a sophomore.

“Winning that showed that, not only could I be competitive for one season, I could compete in all three seasons,” Sands said. “And not just against the small school runners in outdoor track and cross country, but against the 3A guys in indoor.”

The two participated in a variety of activities away from sports, including Lovallo doing Pennies for Patients — which involved collecting change for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society — and Sands volunteering at the food bank at the Grace United Methodist Church. Both also helped organize the Penns Valley Hope Fund Turkey Trot and competed in the academic decathlon together.

Their time on the academic decathlon team — when they made it to nationals — was something both cited as one of their favorite non-athletic accomplishments.

“We were not expecting to go to nationals,” Lovallo said. “We hadn’t been to nationals in a very long time. Getting to do that together and putting on a strong performance overall, I was really proud to be a part of that.”

Sands added: “To help send our team to nationals this year was incredibly fun. I really like the big group of people we have for Ac-Dec.”

Lovallo and Sands want to carry their achievements at Penns Valley with them to college, as well.

Lovallo will be attending Penn State where she plans on majoring in microbiology and hopes to play intramural soccer. The Penns Valley senior said her love for the science field has grown, especially over the past year.

“This pandemic has definitely piqued my interest,” she said. “But what really got me in love with microbiology was this idea of antimicrobial resistance. It’s basically when bacteria can develop a resistance to the antibiotics we use to treat them. I thought that was really cool because we have all of these treatments developed and now they’re not working anymore. Looking at how we have treatable infections that are now becoming more dangerous and thinking, ‘Hey, maybe I could be the person to do something about this,’ is really what piqued my interest.”

Sands will be attending the University of North Carolina, where he’ll be a long-distance runner. He’s undecided on his major but is looking to major in something that will help him understand — and be a part of — the solution to climate change.

“I took a class at Penn State this fall and it was really focused on climate change and how that’s going to be affecting our world for the next 50 years,” Sands said. “Not only did I find that very interesting, I also found that very disturbing. It was kind of a call to action. Someone needs to do something — why don’t I be that someone and dedicate myself to the whole state of our world?”

Both are poised to have success at the next level and credit their time in Penns Valley for helping them grow as people.

“One word that definitely comes to mind when you think of Penns Valley is definitely community,” Lovallo said. “It’s so tight-knit and supportive. The fact that we have this great network of people who are all supportive of one another, just having that strong safety net has allowed me to take risks and in doing so flourish as a student and an athlete.”

Sands added: “When I came into high school I was not the person I am now. ... Penns Valley has molded me into the kind of person that I’m proud to be.”

Philipsburg-Osceola: Hannah Minarchick and Parker Moore

Hannah Minarchick and Parker Moore, Philipsburg-Osceola’s 2021 Snyder Award winners, are hoping to leave a legacy that athletes are more than what people see on the field or wrestling mat.

“I just want to prove to people that you can excel in the classroom and on the field,” Minarchick said after the school’s senior awards ceremony Tuesday evening. “You don’t have to choose one. Academics are obviously the most important because that will take you the furthest in life, and I just want to be a leader to younger kids and show them that sports are a very big part of your life to create so many different skills, (like) leadership, friendships that will last forever.

“I just want to show people that you can do both.”

Excelling in athletics, academics and in their community service work throughout their high school careers, the pair have been the embodiment of the James H. Snyder Awards.

Minarchick was a three-time varsity letterwinner on the Mountie softball team and a captain, winning the state championship her freshman year in 2018. Moore was a two-time state medalist for wrestling, and a captain and six-time letterwinner on both the Mountie wrestling and football teams. The pair say they’ve been friends since they were about 10 years old, and are happy to have won the honor together.

“He’s a very good leader and he’s very determined, as well as I, and it’s awesome to see one of my close friends get a very deserved award,” Minarchick said.

Added Moore: “We both have a love for sports and know how much work it takes to be good at sports, so it was pretty fun to win that with her.”

Winning that state title was the athletic achievement that sticks out the most to Minarchick over her high school career. But it wasn’t just the memory of having that medal around her neck that Minarchick cherishes, it was the experience of getting to learn from the older girls on the team.

Having the opportunity to learn from that group of players, Minarchick said, helped shape her into the leader that she eventually became.

“They showed me what a leader should be,” she said. “They showed me how to be a good teammate, a good person, how to take people under your wing. Because going in as a freshman, you’re scared, you don’t want to mess up. But these girls had your back every step of the way. They just made sure you were in good hands.”

Moore won his first state wrestling medal in 2020, finishing sixth at 195 pounds in Hershey after winning a regional championship crown the week prior. He placed eighth at PIAAs this season at 215 pounds.

The significance of winning that second state medal is the achievement that sticks out the most to Moore.

“I grew up admiring Philipsburg wrestling and all the older wrestlers,” he said. “I would make my parents stay to watch varsity wrestle, and I looked up to all those guys and all the people who are on the wall in the school for how great they were. To be one of the only people in Philipsburg to have gotten two state medals was really special.”

Outside of sports, Minarchick was involved in Key Club, student council, Powderpuff Ambassadors, Homecoming Court and the National Honor society, while logging 155 hours of community service. Moore is also a member of the National Honor Society and Key Club, as well as the Fly-fishing Club. He’s also logged more than 100 hours of community service.

Both Minarchick and Moore were heavily involved in volunteer-coaching and helping out with youth sports leagues.

“When I was a kid, I remember seeing the really good football players and wrestlers come to my practice,” Moore said. “And I think that’s really special to be able to do for the kids, to be able to give back in that way.”

After graduation, Minarchick will be attending Mount Aloysius, where she plans to continue her softball career and study biology. Moore will continue his wrestling career at Notre Dame College in Ohio, where he plans to follow in the footsteps of his mom and sister and study elementary education.

Both student-athletes credited their teachers at Philipsburg-Osceola for inspiring them to choose their fields of study. For Minarchick, it was her high school anatomy teacher who boosted her confidence in science and made her decide that’s what she wanted to do. Moore wants to become a teacher himself to impact younger students the way his teachers impacted him.

“One of the big things you remember from school is the effect that a teacher had on you, whether it be positive or negative,” Moore said. “And the teachers that have had positive effects on my life, I just want to be able to do that for other kids.”

As they prepare to graduate, Moore and Minarchick took a moment to reflect on the support they’ve received from the Philipsburg-Osceola community throughout their time in the district.

Both say they are grateful to everyone, including their friends and family, who have helped them get this far.

“The P-O community is honestly like a second family,” Minarchick said. “Everybody knows who everybody is, and they are so supportive and honestly would do anything you’d ask them to do, because our community is so tight-knit.”

Added Moore: “It’s everything. I love being a part of the Philipsburg community.”

Saint Joseph’s: Camryn Eby and Jonah Clark

Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy seniors Jonah Clark and Camryn Eby graduated this spring with an award to add to their high school legacies.

Clark and Eby were named the school’s 2021 Snyder Award winners at the school’s award ceremony on May 19. Both contributed as students and athletes in their time at Saint Joseph’s, including time for both as runners in cross country and track.

The two have gotten to know each other over the years and were happy to hear they would be winning together.

“I’ve seen how hard Camryn’s worked in both cross country and track,” Clark said. “I know how hard she works. It’s really cool because I’ve seen her work ethic and how much effort she puts into what she does.”

Eby added: “I’m really good friends with Jonah. He’s a super good kid. We have fun together and to win it alongside him is an extra bonus.”

Clark and Eby were highly successful athletes in their time as members of multiple WolfPack teams.

The former was a captain in three sports — cross country, soccer and track and field. His qualification for the state cross country meet as a senior stood out as his crowning athletic achievement.

“That was a really cool experience because they cut down the qualifiers a lot this year for who was going to be able to make the state meet,” he said. “Being able to go to that and compete was really special and really cool.”

But while he enjoyed his athletic achievements, there was another activity that stood out away from competition.

“I’m a member of the a cappella group and the musicals,” he said. “Being able to participate in those and do some shows at The State Theatre. I think it’s definitely going to be one of my fondest memories.”

Eby also ran cross country and in track and field. Her third sport at the school was basketball — which she lettered in three times. She helped the WolfPack girls basketball team make the PIAA state tournament three times on the hardwood. Eby’s success as a runner helped the team to a cross country state runner-up spot in 2017 and a state championship in 2019, helping her earn a captain spot in 2020. The state title was the senior’s greatest athletic accomplishment.

“We did it in a way that had never been done before in Pennsylvania,” she said. “We qualified as five individuals, instead of as a team. I was the fifth runner that year, so I took pride in being that fifth runner and helping the team win.”

Eby was also a member of two district title-winning teams — one in 2017 with the cross country team and one in 2019 with the outdoor track team. She also helped the indoor track team qualify for the TSTCA State Championships in the 4x800 relay.

Clark and Eby also contributed in the community with volunteer work in their time in high school. Clark served as a counselor at two summer camps, volunteered at his church and helped run the local Turkey Trot — a 5K race that also served as a fundraiser.

Eby made cards for the elderly in nursing homes, helped organize the same Turkey Trot and helped coach a youth basketball team in her free time.

Their volunteer work and athletic excellence was compounded by their ability in the classroom. Both achieved over a 4.10 in the classroom and will extend their academic careers.

Eby will attend Duquesne, where she will enroll in their physician assistant studies program that will allow her to complete both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years combined. She will also compete athletically as a member of the school’s cross country and track teams.

However, she chose the school primarily due to its academic reputation.

“I have always wanted to be a physician assistant,” Eby said. “I really just thought it would be a great place for me to spend my next few years. I like the atmosphere, and both the academics and athletics are pretty standout, so I wanted to take advantage of that.”

Clark will attend Northeastern, where he will major in chemical engineering. He hopes to continue his athletic career at the school, but is focused on his academics.

“I love engineering, I love solving problems,” he said. “I decided that was definitely the choice that was most appealing for me. I’m looking forward to studying that and I’m hoping that I’m really going to enjoy.”

The two successful student-athletes believe their time at Saint Joseph’s helped put them in position to have the success they’ve enjoyed academically and athletically.

“Saint Joe’s shaped me into being the best student and the best person I could be,” Clark said. “I’m really grateful for the teachers and staff and all of the people who work here for making sure that I leave high school prepared and ready to go into the world and make a difference.”

Added Eby: “Being at Saint Joe’s definitely helped me become the person I am today. They’ve totally encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and step up and be a leader. Being in an environment like this has been incredibly beneficial and has allowed me to grow.”

State College: Bayla Furmanek and Brady Bigger

State College’s Bayla Furmanek and Brady Bigger have earned a laundry list of awards throughout their careers as Little Lions student-athletes. They’ve recently added another one to the ledger.

Furmanek and Bigger were named State College’s 2021 Snyder Award winners at the school’s award ceremony on Tuesday. Furmanek stood out as a field hockey and lacrosse player, while Bigger excelled as a cross country and track runner.

Despite not being well-acquainted with one another throughout their years at State College, the two have a deep mutual respect for each other.

“He’s a great athlete and a leader in our school,” Furmanek said. “I’ve always had good interactions with him. I just know of all of the great things that he’s done and I’m honored to be recognized with him.”

Bigger added: “I don’t know Bayla super well, but I do know her and have had the opportunity to talk to her a little and I have friends who also know her. She’s a great person and a talented athlete, and I’m glad to receive this award alongside her.”

Furmanek is friends with 2020’s award winners Elly Haushalter and Elliot Sheehan. The award is a large honor for Furmanek, as she’s well aware of the legacy that each winner carries.

“I’m very honored to win this award,” Furmanek said. “I really didn’t consider myself as a candidate, but I had friends that won it last year and I knew a little bit about it and how much of an honor it is and how much hard work that you do can pay off. To be recognized, just for the stuff that I’ve done is really cool.”

Bigger stated: “It’s great. I appreciate it — I really do. I know that it’s a big award and given to really good students. It’s really an honor.”

Furmanek played field hockey and lacrosse all through her years at State College. For field hockey, she was one of the Mid Penn’s stat leaders in saves her junior year and was named a Mid Penn Second-Team All-Star as a goalkeeper her senior season.

In addition to her career on the field, Furmanek has served as the class president during her sophomore, junior and senior years, the vice president of her freshman class and is heavily involved in a number of organizations, which span from social justice to honor societies.

“I’m in Pulse, which is an athletic leadership group through school with Loren Crispell, who is our assistant athletic director,” Furmanek said. “It’s working on giving opportunities to student-athletes through community service. I’m in a women empowerment group called EmpowHer. It’s also a club where we work in community service.”

Also on Furmanek’s long list of activities are: being an anchor on the school’s morning show, a member of the Racial Justice Rally Planning Committee and the Leadership Council.

Bigger ran for the track and cross country teams throughout his high school career and loved being with his teammates. He cites his biggest accomplishment as winning the 2020 cross country Class 3A state championship.

“I will remember that day, with my friends, coaches and family forever,” Bigger said. “Without them, it wouldn’t have been possible, and I sincerely appreciate all they’ve done for me.”

He was also a member of State College’s boys track and field team, which just brought home its second PIAA state title in three years. Bigger won four medals at this year’s event, including a sliver and bronze.

Outside of athletics, Bigger is involved in a number of organizations that are founded on service and volunteering.

He’s a part of the National Honor society, a member of the Little Lion Ambassadors — a group of students at State High who assist new students and families in the district — and heavily involved in his religious community: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“We have a youth group that I’ve been privileged to be a part of for several years now, and I’ve been able to serve in leadership positions therein,” Bigger said. “Sometimes we’ll go activities just for fun, other times we will go out and serve others within the State College area.”

Furmanek made the High Honor Roll each of her four years at State College and won the Class of 1954 Memorial Award and the U.S. Marine Scholastic Excellence Award as a senior. Her grade-point average is 4.1 and she will attend Babson College to pursue a degree in business and play field hockey.

Bigger finished with a weighted GPA of 4.55 and an unweighted GPA of 3.96. The State College track and field student-athlete will eventually attend Brigham Young University and looks forward to majoring in either criminology or biology after he completes his religious mission.

Both are grateful for the support that State College as a community has shown them.

“I felt all of the time throughout high school that the support system that my family, from the athletic department, my coaches, teachers — everyone is there to help when you need it and wants you to be the best you can be,” Furmanek said. “I truly wouldn’t be able to do the things that I’ve done without those people. Even yesterday, when I found out that I was awarded this awesome award, so many people surrounded me with congratulations just within the day’s time.”

Bigger continued: “The State College community is truly unique. The scholastic and athletic programs available to the students are unparalleled. No matter what our interests and skill sets are, there are faculty members, other students and community members as well who will assist and support us, and that is quite special. I can think of teachers, coaches, friends and many others who have made my high school experience what it’s been and I am very grateful for them.”