Two hundred thirteen athletes feted by Touchdown Club
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Among top high school golfers in Portage, Summit and Medina Counties are Stow-Munroe Falls state champion Ian Holt (back row, second from left) and Highland junior Jessica Porvasnik (seated, left). All seven were honored Monday night at the 70th annual Greater Akron Touchdown Club.

 

AKRON, Ohio -- An estimated crowd of 500 parents, athletes, coaches and administrators attended the 70th annual Touchdown Club of Greater Akron fall sports banquet Monday night at Guy's Party Centre.

Touchdown Club president John Floyd, Jr., and his executive committee were prepared to award medals to 213 athletes representing 43 high schools in the sports of football, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls golf, boys and girls cross country, girls tennis and volleyball.

"We do the best we can as far as selecting the athletes to be honored," Floyd said.

Aurora coach Bob Mihalik and Wadsworth coach Greg Dennison were named 2011 Co-Football Coaches of the Year.

In addition, the H. Peter Burg Sportsmanship Awards were presented to Mogadore (Summit) and Aurora (Portage) High Schools.

Floyd explained the Club's decision several years ago to split the event into two separate banquet halls.

"The idea was to shorten the banquet," he said. "It makes it much simpler and things go a lot smoother, and people don't have to get up and leave in the middle because they have something else to do. A three-to-four hour banquet was just too much."

The Touchdown Club also sponors a banquet for winter-sport athletes in the early spring. 

Players of the Year

The 2011 Touchdown Club Football Players of the Year are Jack Snowball (Wadsworth), TraVon Chapman (Kent Roosevelt) and D.J. Jones (Ravenna).

In volleyball, Kyra Coundourides of Walsh Jesuit, Kelly Vitt of Stow-Munroe Falls and Alana Woodard of Southeast are Players of the Year.

In girls golf, the honor goes to Jessica Porvasnick of Highland; in boys golf, Ian Holt of Stow-Munroe Falls is this year’s Player of the Year.

In girls singles tennis, Maddie Gilley (Aurora), Asia Harris (CVCA), Katelyn Hissong (Walsh Jesuit) and Kati Mdzinarishvili (Huson) are this year’s Players of the Year. The Hudson doubles team of Grace Lu and Lizzy Adams also was honored.

Boys cross country honors go to Nick Pupino of Copley and girls winner Samantha Bockoven of Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy.

In boys soccer, Colin Romisher of Revere is Player of the Year; in girls soccer, the honor is shared  by Walsh Jesuit seniors Katie George and Christen Westphal.

Coaches of the Year, Championship Honors

Football: Greg Dennison (Wadsworth), Bob Mihalik (Aurora)

Boys cross country: Pat Ritchie (Walsh Jesuit)

Girls cross country: Dan Lancianese (St. Vincent-St. Mary)

Boys golf: Joe Denton (Walsh Jesuit)

Girls golf: Mary Becker (Highland)

Girls tennis: Sue Ciccolini (Green)

Boys soccer: David Antal (Copley)

Girls soccer: Paul Williford (Wadsworth)

Volleyball, Portage County: Brenda Ward (Field); Summit County: Missy Sturm (Walsh Jesuit)

One team was recognized as OHSAA champions: St. Vincent-St. Mary High girls cross country Division II state champions

Stow's Ian Holt was a co-individual state champion in Division I boys golf.