As the end of the school year is approaching, many high school sports seasons have concluded. With the exception of spring sports seasons which are nearing the end, baseball and softball are the only teams still waiting to compete.
On Wednesday, May 5, the senior athletic awards ceremony was held to honor all the athletes of the class of 2021. PV athletics thrived this year as it has sent 10 of its 13 teams who have competed so far to state, and is looking to send more as spring sports are reaching the postseason in the next few weeks.
At the senior athletic awards ceremony, there were five different specific awards given out to athletes who fit the criteria, and excelled in the PV athletic program.
The first award was given to athletes who competed in at least three sports, all four years of high school. Paige Berst, Cecelia Patramanis, Logan Paul, Anthony Tappa, Jessica Meyer, and Emily Wood were all recipients of this award.
The second award was The Bernie Saggau Award. This recipient was selected by all the head coaches in PV high school athletics as well as head strength and conditioning coach Ryan Arnold, and PV athletic trainer Jason Viel. The coaches were told to nominate someone who they felt exemplified a patriotic spirit, has strong religious and moral convictions, and possesses the qualities of honesty, integrity and sportsmanship.
This award was given to Seth Clausen, a crucial component of the PV baseball team’s success. Clausen is the fifth ranked baseball player in the state of Iowa and will continue his baseball career at the University of Minnesota.
The third award presented was the E. Wayne Cooley Scholarship Award. In order to be eligible to receive this award you must be a girl with a cumulative high school of at least 3.75 on a 4.0 scale, a minimum of a 25 on the ACT, must have participated in least two sports throughout all four years of high school, shall have earned at least one varsity letter in a minimum of two sports, must be an Iowa resident and must be attending an Iowa college or university.
The winner of this award was PV senior Sophia Lindquist. Lindquist participated in basketball and softball all four years of high school, and also joined the track team her senior year. She had a cumulative GPA of 4.565 on a 4.0 scale and scored a 34 on her ACT. Lindquist plans to attend the University of Iowa next year to study chemistry.
The final two awards presented were the male and female athletes of the year. These awards were given to athletes who all the head coaches felt displayed a work ethic above and beyond other athletes, excelled in their sport(s), and got it done in the classroom as well.
The male athlete of the year was presented to Jack Dumas. Dumas has been a varsity golfer for PV since he was a freshman and plans to continue his golfing career at Drake University.
After spending countless hours on the golf course since he was young, Dumas finds an extreme sense of joy in winning this award. “It feels great to win. I’m super thankful for my coach and everyone around me for all their help in making me a better athlete and person,” he said.
Although this award is an undoubted honor, Dumas does not plan to settle here. “It makes me want to work harder to become even better as I go off to college,” Dumas explained.
The receiver of the female athlete of the year award was Emily Wood. Wood has been a member of the varsity volleyball, track and field and softball teams since she was a freshman year. She also was a member of the varsity basketball team when she returned to the sport for her senior year. Wood will be continuing her softball career at Iowa State University next year.
Wood has been playing sports since she could walk and ultimately has been preparing for her senior year her whole life. “This award means a lot to me. It feels like years of hard work finally paid off. I can never thank my coaches and support system enough for helping me get to where I am today,” Wood expressed.
These athletes have all accomplished great things throughout their high school careers and will continue to turn heads in college.
