Meet the Bald Eagle seniors who earned Snyder Awards as standouts in sports, school
READ MORE
2022 Snyder Awards
The James H. Snyder Awards are given annually in memory of Snyder, a former Centre Daily Times sports editor who was killed in an automobile crash in December of 1957. Stories on all of Centre County’s Snyder Award winners will run together in print on June 12, after they’re all announced.
Expand All
Matthew Knepp and Madison Perry are the newest Snyder Award winners at Bald Eagle. The two are excited to win the award with one another, following Sarah Holler and Zeb Fry as last year’s winners.
“Well, it means really a lot to me,” Knepp said of winning this year’s Snyder Award. “My coach let me about it before the awards ceremony and he told me that he had voted for me and that it was an honorable thing to earn. He told me that had to do with extracurricular activities and sports and as well as being in the classroom and you keep maintaining a high GPA.”
“This award is very prestigious and this has been a goal of mine since my freshman year,” Perry said. “I started pursuing sports and competing in three different sports. It has been hard to persevere, but this award made it all pay off and I just wanted to say thank you, and I’m super grateful.”
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 Saint Joseph’s who embrace academics, athletics and community service.
Knepp played soccer in fall, wrestled during the winter and participated in track and field during the spring.
“My favorite athletic memory was during wrestling season during districts,” Knepp said. “I was the underdog in the match and I came out on top and ended up winning. It was against Westmont-Hilltop my sophomore year. Unfortunately we didn’t win but it was a real awesome experience. It’s either that or during soccer districts. I scored the game-winning goal during first overtime to move us on to district finals.”
Perry played softball, volleyball and basketball and lettered each year.
“My favorite athletic memory would probably be having the opportunity to be starting shortstop as a freshman and just to be so young and we made it to state final,” Perry said. “I actually had a walk-off in the state semifinals my freshman year to get us there. And that was probably one of my most favorite memories.”
Knepp enjoys the STEM program and looks to achieve at a high level.
“I was always great at science and math. I’m going into the engineering field in college,” Knepp said. “And one of my greatest wage academic achievements was in the ROTC scholarship for the Marines. Academics is really a big part of that, and it was $185,000 for Penn State.”
As for Perry:
“My favorite academic achievement was probably maintaining National Honor Society and graduating in the top 10 percent of my class while pursuing all three,” Perry said.
The two are looking forward to achieving a great deal in their academic careers. Both will be attending college.
“So, right now, my plans are to attend Penn State for the next four years, earning a degree in biomedical engineering,” Knepp said. “And I’ll also be part of the ROTC program and then following that, I will be seeing, as an officer in the Marine Corps.”
Perry is headed to Bloomsburg University to major in forensics. She has also picked up another love over the course of her senior year that she discovered through her art teacher.
“Forensics is just something I’ve always had my mind on, but I decided to minor in graphic design this year because my art teacher actually pushed me and I began selling art this year on top of everything else,” Perry said. “And I just found a love for it that I didn’t know I had and I just think the graphic design field can help the community and I can help anybody.”
High school meant a lot to both students. Bald Eagle built a culture that the two won’t forget for a long time.
“I’m very sad to be leaving and I will be graduating tomorrow,” Knepp said. “And it was such an honor to be part of the school. Both my of parents went to Bellefonte, but they ended up bringing us to Bald Eagle. The schooling here is just amazing. All of the teachers here were amazing. And I had one of the best high school experiences I think you could ever asked for, some of the best friends you could ever ask for and I’ll I’m very sad to be leaving them and the school. I I like the saying, ‘Bleed, blue and gold.’ I think that I I definitely believe that. That’s what I do.”
“High school was an opportunity to make some of the best memories and it may sound cliche, but the time flew and I will look back and remember the bleacher full of hometown fans on a home football game.,” Perry said. “And all of that and high school has just been an opportunity to prepare me for what’s next.”
This story was originally published June 2, 2022 at 11:31 PM.
