Centre County tradition continues with 12 new Snyder Award winners for 2025
Twelve graduating seniors in Centre County recently received Snyder Awards, continuing a tradition of recognizing outstanding student-athletes that spans nearly seven decades.
The awards are handed out at the end of each academic year to a pair of students at each of the county’s five public high schools — Bald Eagle Area, Bellefonte, Penns Valley, Philipsburg-Osceola and State College — plus Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy. The recipients are recognized for excelling in academics, athletics and community service.
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. The first awards were handed out in 1958, and the CDT is proud to carry on Snyder’s legacy while celebrating students in the county who display admirable character as they strive for success.
The CDT interviewed each award recipient to learn about their high school careers, contributions to their community and plans for the future. Read more about the winners below.
Bald Eagle Area
The Snyder Award winners from Bald Eagle Area are both three-sport athletes who managed to find time to make a positive impact on their communities.
Wyatt Spackman played football in the fall, basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring for the Eagles. Gabrielle Perry, who was given the award alongside Spackman during a ceremony on June 1, played volleyball, basketball and softball all four years of high school.
For both award winners, some of their best memories of high school stem from those sports teams. In Spackman’s junior year, the Eagles’ football team won the District 6 championship and had a playoff run.
“My best memories are some of the experiences I had with my friends during different sporting events,” he said. “Just being able to have such enjoyable moments together with some of my best friends and people I’ve played sports with my entire life.”
Sports memories that stand out for Perry include the volleyball team winning the District 6 title, and other memories are still being made. Perry is part of the softball team that has won four consecutive district titles — the first time ever — and advanced to the semifinals of the PIAA Class 3A Softball Championships after beating St. Mary’s on Thursday.
Perry, a member of National Honor Society, was the valedictorian of BEA’s 2025 graduating class, and said excelling in academics while being a three-sport athlete took a lot of hard work and dedication.
The Snyder Award is representative of that.
“It’s really a true honor, and it reflects all the hard work that sometimes I forget to take a moment to be proud of,” she said.
Much of Perry’s volunteer activities involved working with children. As Miss Bald Eagle Area this past school year, she read to local elementary school children for Read Across America. She also did work for the holiday families project, where money was raised to buy Christmas gifts for local children in need.
Spackman’s community service activities also often focused on children, including events held through his church, Martha United Methodist.
“A lot of what stands out to me is seeing the kids having an opportunity to have fun and see the laughter and fun that just a small event can bring to their everyday lives,” he said. “That’s the most enjoyable part to me, is just giving back to young people.”
Spackman also participated in 4-H since he was 8 years old, and participated in volunteer work through that program.
This fall, Spackman is headed to Lock Haven University, where he’ll play football and major in accounting. Choosing football wasn’t a hard decision for the multi-sport athlete.
“I knew growing up that playing college football was one of my lifelong goals,” he said.
Perry will major in biomedical engineering at West Virginia University.
For both accomplished student-athletes, Bald Eagle Area has had a profound impact on who they are and what they strive to do in the future.
“There are amazing teachers and coaches that see you as more than just a student, and they’ve inspired me and led me to where I am today, always pushing me to exceed my expectations,” Perry said.
Spackman also highlighted BEA’s coaches and teachers.
“Having those people definitely helped shape who I am as an individual today,” he said. “They helped push me to do things I may not have been comfortable doing, and that’s going to help me.”
Bellefonte
Annie Cernuska and Austin Smith both knew about the Snyder Awards prior to becoming Bellefonte Area’s newest recipients during a June 3 ceremony.
Smith said he read about last year’s winners and considered the award “pretty special.” For Cernuska, the award’s recognition of student-athletes who excel beyond sports was something to strive for.
“That’s something that’s always been really big to me, is being that student-athlete and really working hard on both sides to do everything that I can to help those around me and push myself to my limit, and striving beyond what I ever thought I could do,” she said. “This award encompasses all of those pieces together.”
Cernuska, the valedictorian of her class, played soccer for the Red Raiders and was part of the track team all four years of high school. Track is a newer passion for her (she started in seventh grade, compared to playing soccer since age 3) but she was part of exceptional accomplishments in both programs.
In 2023, her team won the first-ever District 6 championship for girls soccer in Bellefonte school history. And in track, the 4x800m girls relay team she’s part of twice broke Bellefonte’s school record. That was a goal she credits her teammates and coaches for achieving.
“We worked for each other, we wanted it for each other — we just went in every day and worked hard, knowing that we had goals,” Cernuska said of the relay team.
Smith was part of big moments in the sports he participated in, too. He’s played lacrosse since middle school and joined the soccer team in 10th grade. This year, the boys soccer team won the District 6 championship and the lacrosse team had its first winning season, beating teams like Lewisburg for the first time.
“We have really good chemistry,” Smith said. “Everyone on the team got along and we all just worked hard and wanted to win.”
He also clocked nearly 80 hours of community service and was part of National Honor Society. In addition, Smith was a 2025 Class Cabinet member and was president of the ski club and a Tussey Mountain ski instructor, among other extracurricular activities.
Cernuska was also part of National Honor Society, was class president, a member of Future Business Leaders of America and Spanish Honor Society, among others. In her more than 100 hours of community service, being part of mini-Thon and working at the National Autism Conference and Family Learning Conference with the Central Intermediate Unit stood out.
Both student-athletes said that Bellefonte — both the school and the community at large — have been instrumental in their lives.
“I’ve had some pretty influential teachers help me figure out what I wanted to do in college,” Smith said. “And I’ve had some of the best coaches I’ve ever had, and they really just impacted me and made me into the person I am.”
Cernuska said she’s felt the support of the community, and learned from it as well.
“In Bellefonte we’re a small, close-knit community where everybody supports whoever needs help in the moment,” she said. “I constantly feel loved by this community and everybody in it. I feel like I’ve definitely learned what it means to work not just for yourself, but for others.”
Cernuska will attend Duke University in the fall, where she plans to study biology with a minor in medical sociology and will later pursue a physician assistant program. She expects to participate in intramural soccer and will continue running as well, with a half-marathon on tap for July.
Smith is headed to Point Park University in Pittsburgh, where he’ll play lacrosse and major in sports communications.
Penns Valley
Paige Auman and Owyn Corman have known each other since kindergarten, and earning the Snyder Award together on June 3 meant different things to the two decorated Penns Valley graduates.
Corman acknowledged he wasn’t fully aware of the award’s prestige until hearing his grandmother’s response after the ceremony: “Oh my gosh, I’m so proud!” Meanwhile, Auman was well-aware of the award’s history, considering both her mother and aunt were fellow Snyder Award recipients.
“I was shaking the entire night because it was one of the last awards being announced,” Auman recalled. “I was really, really excited and wanted to get it because it was personal. It just means a lot to me.”
The pair have impressed peers and faculty alike with their success and participation in academics, sports, clubs and community service. In athletics, Auman played hitting positions for volleyball and served two years as manager for the track and field program. Corman played soccer as a defender and was a sprinter for the track team.
Auman said she’s never been a “super competitive” person, so she counted the highlight of her athletic career as the friendships she made along the way. Corman was more direct, saying he was most proud of his soccer team going 15-4-1 when he was team captain.
“I was proud of my team, and I was really happy for such a great season,” he added.
Away from the courts and playing fields, Auman and Corman still shined. Corman was the class president, and Auman maintained a near-perfect 3.98 GPA (4.14 weighted GPA). Auman’s interests were diverse, as she was the stage manager for Penns Valley’s annual musical in addition to playing a key role on the National History Day club, where students create historical projects around a theme and hold presentations across the state. Corman was on the yearbook staff and belonged to YoungLife, a Christian nonprofit organization.
Unsurprisingly, both were also members of the National Honor Society.
“Penns Valley really prepared me in the best way,” Corman said. “The teachers really shaped me into who I am today.”
Auman additionally took part in Key Club, Rams Leadership Club and choir. She volunteered for Diaper Depot Distribution, where she helped collect diapers to provide to local families; and she contributed to Rise Against Hunger and a separate project involving sandwich packaging to raise money for a local church. Corman volunteered at the school’s concession stands during the winter, preparing food and serving as a cashier, and was also a volunteer at the annual Turkey Trot. That 5K raises money for Penns Valley’s Hope Fund, which helps those with a medical crisis or personal disaster.
Somehow, Auman and Corman still found time to hold summer jobs. Auman worked at S&A Landscaping, while Corman could be found painting the last two years.
The two longtime peers will each attend Penn State (University Park). Corman plans to major in kinesiology, while Auman wants to become a teacher by focusing on early elementary education.
“Penns Valley was perfect for me because I was able to be successful with who I am due to the closeness I had with my teachers and my classmates,” Auman added.
Philipsburg-Osceola
Megan Johnson and Matt Rowles expressed the same sentiment May 27 after discovering they each earned Philipsburg-Osceola’s Snyder Award.
Despite their long list of accomplishments, the two humble classmates both shared feelings of surprise.
“I was definitely shocked when I heard my name up there. I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Rowles said. “It means a lot just to be recognized for everything, and to receive an award like this is very special.”
Added Johnson: “I was definitely surprised, but I’m also very grateful because my family always taught me the value of hard work. So I’m glad I proved myself to them, and I just hope I show younger athletes to just try and give back to their community and work hard in their sport.”
Johnson and Rowles managed to go above and beyond in just about every aspect of their high school careers. In athletics, Rowles was a wrestler and football player who missed his senior season with a torn ACL. Still, he earned a reputation as a gritty 160- and 172-pound wrestler who was no stranger to eking out an upset. He also competed as a defensive end and offensive lineman on the football team.
Johnson, who was involved in volleyball and track and field, helped lead volleyball to three straight district titles and a state title her junior season.
“That meant a lot because it was definitely not easy,” Johnson said about the state championship. “We would spend a lot of hours in the gym working hard. We were in the state finals when I was in eighth grade and we lost, so I think a lot of us wanted to prove that we could win.”
Johnson and Rowles routinely proved their intelligence in their academics, their empathy in volunteering and their diversity in school clubs. Rowles was in chess club and served as the senior class vice president, while Johnson was in Key Club, student council and the Mountie Nation Service Organization. She also served as president for Mountie Pride, whose aim was to get students involved in the overall school community while also raising money for charity.
Both students were also Mountie Mentors, meaning they were hand-selected by their teachers to help the school outside of the classroom. That included activities such as helping elementary students with field trips, supporting freshmen finding their way early in the year and boxing up food items for people in need around the community.
But their volunteerism wasn’t simply limited to the Mountie Mentors, as they each put in more than 100 hours of community service. Rowles would run the clock and help with elementary wrestling matches, in addition to volunteering at the charitable Clearfield Moose Lodge. Johnson was a blood donor who also wrapped donated gifts for the less fortunate.
Johnson has worked at the We Are Inn since 2023, while Rowles was at Hi-Way Pizza for two years starting in 2022.
Johnson plans to follow in her aunt’s footsteps by becoming a nurse. She will major in nursing at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and she credited P-O for helping her time-management skills, which is a key characteristic of a good nurse. Rowles plans to major in mechanical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, before he moves to the main campus in two years.
He said, had it not been for P-O, he might’ve taken a different path.
“I wanted to be a finance major a couple years ago, and some of my calculus teachers said, ‘You know, you’re pretty good at this, so you could probably be an engineer,’” Rowles said, adding P-O taught him how balance working hard with playing hard.
Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy
Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy’s Snyder Award winners are both impressive athletes who also achieved great things academically. Luke Duckworth and Karimar Henriquez were announced as this year’s recipients on May 22.
Duckworth said the award is one he’d been chasing since he was a freshman in high school, while Henriquez said she was “very lucky and fortunate” to earn the honor.
“Every year I go to the award ceremony and see two St Joe’s people win, and I’ve always been like, ‘oh, I want that to be me my senior year,’” Duckworth said. “So it’s been just a huge honor to win this.”
Henriquez excelled as an athlete in volleyball, basketball, track and cross country, but her favorite memory was the time she spent with her teammates.
“I feel like I’ve always prioritized the relationship that I have with the people on my team, whether it’s an all-girls team or a co-ed team,” she said. “I feel like I’ve always been able to enjoy all the moments that we’ve been able to have together. So I think my favorite part would be just getting to know everyone on my team and being able to play alongside them.”
Duckworth played golf, baseball, soccer and basketball — and was a captain in soccer, basketball and baseball — in his high school years, and said sports have been a massive part of his life.
However, Duckworth tore his ACL in the first game of the basketball season. But still he was able to be a player-coach for the basketball and baseball teams this year.
And that created his favorite athletic memory — one that came from watching a teammate find success on the basketball court.
“Watching Chase Luckovich, we had a game at Susquenita,” Duckworth recalled. “Three seconds left on the clock, inbound play, and we inbound it to 5-foot-3 freshman Chase Luckovich and he drains probably a 35-footer and it was absolutely amazing to watch.”
The award doesn’t just highlight academic achievements for the student-athletes — it’s also about what they each accomplished off the field, too.
Duckworth was in the National Honor Society, was a school ambassador, the a cappella club’s business manager and was the Fellowship of Christian Athletes president.
His experience with the a cappella club was not something he foresaw before entering high school.
“I don’t know how to sing at all, but I was in a cappella for three straight years and actually was business manager for the group this year,” he said.
Henriquez was a house council member, mock trial vice president, Wolfpack Ambassador, in the National Honor Society and a musical participant.
Her time with the National Honor Society is what she’ll remember most.
“I was fortunate enough to have a larger leadership role within NHS,” she said. “Being alongside my classmates, who were also chosen for leadership roles, and my advisors, I was able to understand what it means to be a leader. Not just inside my school community but outside my school community.”
Both Henriquez and Duckworth are off to college for their next chapter.
Henriquez will be attending Penn State where she’ll major in pre-medicine — a career path she had no trouble choosing.
“My mom is a doctor and ever since I was little, I’ve always been fascinated with the way that the human body works,” she said. “It was kind of just a no-brainer for me to pursue a future in pre-medicine, not just because of my mom, but because I find so much enjoyment in the study.”
Duckworth will head to Allegheny College where he plans to play baseball and major in communication and media studies.
He chose his major with the hopes of getting into sports broadcasting down the road.
“I always say it’s my two favorite things — talking and watching sports,” Duckworth said. “So I just think it’s my best path.”
Both winners gave credit to SJCA, where they said they helped find who they are as high schoolers.
“St Joe’s means so much I can’t even describe it in words. It has given me a place where I can just go and be myself freely. I’ve been able to go step into so many different leadership opportunities. It’s just given me the opportunity to expand my horizons,” Duckworth said.
Henriquez added:
“Coming from someone who has been in a private school all my life, St Joe’s really helped me to come out of my shell and really understand who I was as a person. The transition from freshman year to senior year is dramatic. I’ve learned to work alongside people, but also work on myself and find myself. And although I still don’t really know who I am as a person, I feel like I have the ability to move on from high school thanks to the help of the St. Joe’s community and the St. Joe’s education.”
State College
State College’s Snyder Award winners are Ty Salazer and Sana’a Lunon — student-athletes who both excelled on and off the playing surface.
Both Salazer and Lunon said the award means a lot given how much time and effort they put into their high school careers.
“Now that my high school career is done, it makes a lot of those long nights and long days more meaningful,” Salazer said. “It gives a little more value to it. It’s a great feeling to have.”
Lunon added: “It means a lot, because there’s a lot of things that happen behind closed doors. … It’s uplifting and inspiring. With this award, it pushes me to keep on going.”
Lunon participated in basketball, track and field and rugby during her career. And it was her time this year with Doylestown, where she played this year that she’ll remember most from the rugby pitch, in part because it ended with a state championship.
“Winning a state championship has been something that I’ve had my eyes set on since I began playing, so all the way back in eighth grade,” Lunon said. “I remember when I was in ninth grade, I was watching my brother play from the sidelines, and I played a few weeks ago on that field. It was just such a full circle moment that I got to actually be on that field. I got to win on that field and contribute to the success of the Doylestown program.”
Salazer was a prolific athlete, finding success in lacrosse, basketball and football for State High. He’ll remember his Senior Night with the football team most from his career.
“It was a bit of a bloodbath,” he said. “But it was a heck of a game, and I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”
Salazer also took pride in his time as a student. He took a class called the Little Lion Fund, and it culminated with a presentation that he found plenty of joy in.
“We just had our annual fund meeting last month,” he said. “That was a big success, it was a lot of fun. We got to present in front of the investors of our club. It was a great experience for me and a lot of the people in my class. It was a great way to end the class.”
Lunon was heavily involved in DECA — a competitive business club that prepares participants for futures in the business world — at State High, but it was a recognition she received for one of her classes that stood out most in her highly successful academic career as a high schooler.
She recalled being at the awards ceremony as a junior, and winning the AP U.S. History student of the year award, something she was not prepared for.
“It was very shocking to me that I got that award, considering I didn’t actually like [AP U.S. History] that much,” she said. “But of course, I still gave it my all and I tried very hard during that course. It meant a lot that my teachers saw all the hard work that I put in, despite me not actually liking it.”
Both student-athletes will be continuing their careers on the field when they get to college.
Lunon will head to Harvard, where she will be part of the women’s rugby team, and pursue a degree in history with the intention of going to law school and eventually becoming a judge. But she chose a major in history because she developed a passion for it during her time at State High, specifically after taking an AP World History class in 10th grade.
“Since then, it’s been a really big interest of mine to just understand all that I can from the past,” Lunon said. “Because it explains the future, or at least it tries to warn us for the future.”
Salazer will head to Delaware where he’ll play football and major in finance. The now-former Little Lion said he had always had a knack for finance, and even predicted his career as an elementary schooler.
“It’s funny, I just read a note I wrote to myself in sixth grade,” he said. “My thought of what I would be doing was financial planning or money-managing. I don’t even know where I got that from. But even since back then I’ve had a knack for it. We have a lot of opportunities at State High with business classes. So I’ve been taking advantage of those opportunities and I’ve loved all the business classes that I’ve taken.
Lunon and Salazer said State High played a major role in shaping who they are.
“I think something very unique about State College is that they have so many opportunities, so many resources, for us,” Lunon said. “And whenever we need to succeed, they’re going to be there for us. And I’ve always felt that presence. I know [longtime athletic director Chris] Weakland and [incoming athletic director Loren] Crispell are very busy men, but they always seem to make time for me. They know all about my family, about my mother, and it seems like we just have such a strong relationship. So because of that, I knew that if there’s anything that I needed, I could go to them.”
Salazer added:
“A ton of great memories at State High. I feel grateful to the teachers I’ve had. Mrs. Miller, I’ve had her for four years and she was amazing to me. Same with all my other teachers. And every single coach I’ve had has been absolutely awesome. Coach [Matt] Lintal on the football team, Coach [Tyler] Kaluza, football and lacrosse, which we just finished up last night. Those are guys that I can talk to about anything, and I’ve built strong relationships with them.”
