5 Avon Student-Athletes Make College Sports Committments

Five Avon High School seniors declared their college selections at a May 15 ceremony at the school.

Athletic director Erich Frombach said the five were part of a group of 17 Avon seniors who will go to participate in college athletics.

He said the group exemplified student-athletes.

“I was amazed to see not only were they successful athletically, but academically  successful in life,”  said. “Academics play a huge role.

“There’s way more money in academics than athletics.”

Frombach said the five students maintained adjusted GPAs of 3.9, 3.8, 3.8, 3.6 and 3.5.

Golf coach Frank DeSmit called Kaitlin Neumann, who will play women’s golf at Ashland University a great leader, but humble.

“One of the greatest gifts that I was ever given was K mom works in the district,” DeSmit said, saying he had a head’s up that she was quite a golfer.

Neumann joined the Avon golf team in the second year of the program’s existence. The four-year starter currently holds every women’s golf record in the school’s history. She is a multi-year captain and three-time WSC Conference MVP.

“She has been the standard that everyone else in the WSC had to measure themselves against,” DeSmit said. “I don’t look at her as a great golfer, but as a great kid, a great person.”

Coach Kevin Sapara called Matt Lawrence a natural leader on and off the basketball court.

“I knew he was a leader right away,” he said saying the first text he received from Lawrence was not about basketball but what kind of pizza Sapara liked.

Lawrence will be attending Westminister College to study criminal justice.

Lawrence endured two torn ACLs and surprised Sapara when he returned to the court before expected.

“I’ve seen anyone work so hard after an injury to get back,” Sapara said.

Lawrence, along with Jack Poyle, captained the team. .

“It’s about being a good teammate and good team leader,” Sapara said.

Lawrence averaged 6 points and 3 rebounds per game last year.

Called an “insider presence,” he was an integral part of the school’s first championship team in 20 years. He is also a teacher’s aide.

Jack Poyle has committed to play basketball  at Oberlin College where he will enroll in the pre-med program.

“Jack was another leader,” Sapara said of the team’s co-captain, who averaged more that 14 points a game and lead the team in assists.

Poyle was first-team all-county, all-conference and runner up for player of the year.

“He’s one of the best on-ball defenders I’ve ever been able to coach,” Sapara     said.

“He has some gifts,” Sapara said. He recounted Poyle’s stellar game against Bay High where he scored 25 points .

Kelsey Roney will attend the University of Louisville for cheerleading.

Her cheering coach, Sheri Vaccarella, called her an “integral part of the team. It’s hard to imagine her not being there,” said.

Roney has been a competitive cheerleader since she was 7 and has cheered for Avon schools since seventh grad.

A four-year varsity letterman, Roney was called a natural leader on the team.

“She helped make Avon High School one of the top teams in the area, Vaccarella said. “She raised the bar for competition. She’s been a force on the competition team.”

Roney has been named All-American at cheer camp every year in high school.

A team captain, she has participated in community toy and food drives.

The University of Louisville is considered one of the top schools in the nation for cheerleading.

“I think it’s the equivalent of a basketball player playing for Duke,” Frombach said, saying he was looking forward to watching her cheer on television at games.

Head track coach Sam Ulery lauded Madison Cooper, who will attend Troy University in Alabama on full scholarship and will participate in the track program.

Cooper is an 11-time varsity athlete. In addition to track, she earned varsity letters in gymnastics and cheerleading.

Despite her size, Cooper crushed the school record for the high jump setting a record of 5 5”. The previous record set in 1979 was 5’ 1”.

“She walks into the huddle with the other high jumpers and she is easily a foot shorter,” Ulery said.

Cooper set the high jump record as a sophomore. She advanced to the indoor state meet three times and earned the coaches’ award as a junior.

“She has one of the best forms of any high jumper,” Ulery said.

Cooper has also filled in as a sprinter.

Academically, Cooper holds one of the top-10 GPAs in her class, carrying a 4.22 GPA. She is also the class president, a member of the National Honor Society and has volunteer at the middle school working with the handicapped.