MMI Preparatory School recently held an Athletic Awards ceremony outside in the Mildred Culp Kahler Courtyard to honor upper school and middle school student athletes and their achievements during the 2021-2022 school year.

MMI Head of School Justin Kleinheider opened the program with welcoming remarks and Joseph Flanagan, Athletic Director in conjunction with coaches, announced the award winners. During the ceremony, athletes received awards in the MVP, Most Improved, and Coach’s Award categories and varsity letter recipients were recognized.

Kleinheider said, “We were happy to be able to recognize our student athletes for their accomplishments. Athletics at MMI is an important part of our program and helps to build well-rounded students.”

The upper school Most Valuable Players, Most Improved Players, and Coach’s Award recipients, as well as members who received varsity letters, are as follows:

Basketball: MVPs – Thomas Mayernik (Freeland); Carson Valkusky (Drifton); and Chance Eyerly (West Hazleton). Letter Winners –Thomas Mayernik (Freeland), Chance Eyerly (West Hazleton), Carson Valkusky (Drifton), Caden Pease (Drums), Edgar Lopez-Rodriguez (Hazleton), Lex Lispi (Lake Harmony), Ryan Clymer-Sones (White Haven), Brendon Brobst (Mountain Top), Reed Floryshak (Sugarloaf), and Nicholas Pantages (Lake Harmony).

Girls Basketball: MVP – Bria Kringe (Drums); Most Improved – Chloe Allen (Freeland); and Coach’s Award – Ava Putnam (Sugarloaf). Letter Winners – Chloe Allen (Freeland), Silvia Roberto (Hazle Township), Bria Kringe (Drums), Emily Borchick (Mountain Top), Phoebe Bramley (Blakeslee), Angelica Jimenez (Hazleton), and Ava Putnam (Sugarloaf).

Baseball: MVPs – Carson Valkusky (Drifton) and David Castro (Freeland); Most Improved -Jacob Magula (Hazleton). Letter Winners – David Castro (Freeland), Carson Valkusky (Drifton), Jacob Magula (Hazleton), Ty McDermott (White Haven), Andrew Burns (White Haven), Zachary Yenchko (Freeland), Heath Williams (Mountain Top), John Drobnock (West Hazleton), Lex Lispi (Lake Harmony), Nicholas Pantages (Lake Harmony), Joshua Witner (Freeland), and Michael Kranyak (Hazle Township).

Cheerleading: Most Improved-Eve Corazza (Sugarloaf); and Coach’s Awards – Lindsay Horvat (Drums) and Kate Malay (Jim Thorpe). Letter Winners – Lindsay Horvat (Drums), Kate Malay (Jim Thorpe), Khristian Banks (Mountain Top), Erica Kline (Mountain Top), Ashley Bonifacio (Hazleton), Eve Corazza (Sugarloaf), Willa Bartholomew (Jim Thorpe), and Gracie Magula (Hazleton).

Boys Cross Country: Most Valuable Runner – Eric “Woobie” Kupsky (Bear Creek Township); Most Improved Runner – Edgar Lopez-Rodriguez (Hazleton); and Coach’s Award – Connor Spencer (Mountain Top). Letter Winners – Connor Spencer (Mountain Top), Eric “Woobie” Kupsky (Bear Creek Township), and Edgar Lopez-Rodriguez (Hazleton).

Girls Cross Country: Most Valuable Runner – Mary Kate Kupsky (Bear Creek Township); Most Improved Runner – Gracie Magula (Hazleton); and Coach’s Award – Rachael Betz (Tamaqua). Letter Winners – Rachael Betz (Tamaqua), Mary Kate Kupsky (Bear Creek Township), Chloe Allen (Freeland), Gracie Magula (Hazleton), Silvia Roberto (Hazle Township), and Erica Kline (Mountain Top).

Golf: MVP – Thomas Mayernik (Freeland); Most Improved – Lex Lispi (Lake Harmony); and Coach’s Award – Carson Valkusky (Drifton). Letter Winners – Thomas Mayernik (Freeland), Kade Lutz (Lake Harmony), Lex Lispi (Lake Harmony), Carson Valkusky (Drifton), John Schwear (Sugarloaf), and Heath Williams (Mountain Top).

Soccer: MVP – Caden Pease (Drums); Most Improved – Jayden Bonham (Sugarloaf); and Coaches’ Award – Thomas Horvat (Drums). Letter Winners – Aiden Hosier (West Pittston), Caden Pease (Drums), David Castro (Freeland), Evan Pedri (Drums), Jayden Bonham (Sugarloaf), Nicholas Pantages (Lake Harmony), Reed Floryshak (Sugarloaf), Samuel Pacchioli (Barnesville), Teagan Bonham (Sugarloaf), Thomas Horvat (Drums), and Waqas Arain (Bear Creek Township).

Softball: MVPs – Kaylee Witner (Freeland) and Grace Warner (Drums); and Most Improved-Gina Galada (McAdoo). Letter Winners-Amelia Minzola (Drums), Anna Hoxha (Hazleton), Ashley Loss (Hazleton), Gina Galada (McAdoo), Grace Warner (Drums), Kennedy Tavaris (Mountain Top), Kaylee Witner (Freeland), Lucille van den Berg (Mountain Top), Phoebe Bramley (Blakeslee), Emily Borchick (Mountain Top), Danica Karlick (Freeland), Chloe Allen (Freeland), and Mia-Lynn van den Berg (Mountain Top).

Boys Swimming: MVP and Letter Winner – Eric “Woobie” Kupsky (Bear Creek Township)

Girls Swimming: MVP and Letter Winner – Mary Kate Kupsky (Bear Creek Township)

Girls Tennis: MVP – Kendall Orozco (Zion Grove); Most Improved – Kathryn Sissick (Drums); and Coach’s Award – Brenna Eckhart (Lehighton). Letter Winners –Kendall Orozco (Zion Grove), Kathryn Sissick (Drums), Eve Corazza (Sugarloaf), Kasia Svendson (Drums), Kate Malay (Jim Thorpe), Diane Arias-Tejada (Hazleton), and Brenna Eckhart (Lehighton).

Boys Tennis: MVP-Thomas Mayernik (Freeland); Most Improved – Xavier Bleiler (Mountain Top); and Coach’s Award-Dustin Paul (Jim Thorpe). Letter Winners – Thomas Mayernik (Freeland), Dustin Paul (Jim Thorpe), Xavier Bleiler (Mountain Top), Nathan Sissick (Drums), Kyle Kocon (Mountain Top), Blake Warren (Beaver Meadows), Jason Salio (Sugarloaf), and Reed Floryshak (Sugarloaf).

Volleyball: MVP – Alessandra Marciante (Jim Thorpe); Most Improved – Kennedy Tavaris (Mountain Top); and Coach’s Award – Kaylee Witner (Freeland).

Letter Winners – Alexandra Tierney (Freeland), Gina Galada (McAdoo), Kennedy Tavaris (Mountain Top), Grace Warner (Drums), Kaylee Witner (Freeland), Lindsay Horvat (Drums), Sandra Abdulrahman (Hazleton), Anna Hoxha (Hazleton), Gianna Moisey-Hoover (Sugarloaf), and Alessandra Marciante (Jim Thorpe).

The middle school Most Valuable Players, Most Improved Players, and Coach’s Award recipients were:

Soccer: MVP-Adam Frask (Drums); Most Improved – Caitlyn Carter (Mountain Top); and Coach’s Award- Ruby Myers (St. John’s).

Boys Basketball: MVP-Caleb Skuba (Drums); Most Improved-Jozef Dovciak (White Haven); and Coach’s Award- Bryce Radzwich (Conyngham).

Girls Basketball: MVP – Georgia Washko (Drums); Most Improved – Arushi Solgama (Mountain Top); and Coach’s Award- Cassidy McDermott (White Haven).

Baseball: MVPs – Adam Frask (Drums); Caleb Skuba (Drums); and Bryce Radzwich (Conyngham).

Softball: MVPs – Cassidy McDermott (White Haven) and Erica Schwear (Sugarloaf); and Coach’s Award-Eve Corazza (Sugarloaf).