Participation, leadership development, on-field success honored

Two-thirds of Bethany’s 259 students participated in a highly successful fall sports season in which Bethany teams integrated faith and play, developed leaders, and combined for a 70-44-5 record at the varsity level. Five of the six varsity teams finished with winning records with boys soccer earning an outstanding team award for a winning percentage above 70%. Three teams were in sectional championship games with the girls soccer winning its first sectional since 2005. Additionally, individual players and coaches received area and state recognitions.

Leadership development led to more team unity this fall. Seven students attended the IHSAA student leadership conference in June and helped to provide strong leadership on their respective teams. Senior Jesse Ramer, who serves on the IHSAA Student Advisory Committee assisted athletic director Bryan Kehr in forming a Bethany student advisory committee with 16 students helping provide feedback on athletics at Bethany.

Bethany teams once again enjoyed great fan support from community and students. Pictured is the boys soccer team cheering on the girls soccer team on their senior night. The Student Body Association also grilled hot dogs for students at selected home games. Below are highlights of each varsity sport and award recipients.

Girls soccer finished 11-7-3 and lost to Penn in regional play after defeating Central Noble, Wawasee, and Warsaw to win its sectional. Senior Karli Graybill and junior Sharisse Yoder were selected to the all-conference first team and senior Kelly Snyder and Emma Caskey to the second team. Karli, Sharisse, Emma Gerig, and Marissa Weldy received state academic honors. Team honors were: Emma Caskey, offensive MVP; Sharisse Yoder, Midfield MVP; Karli Graybill, defensive MVP; Kelly Snyder, sportsmanship; and Paige Wheeler, most improved.

Boys soccer won the Northern Indiana Soccer Conference title for the third consecutive year and finished with an outstanding record of 14-3-2. The team’s only regular-season losses were close matches to Westview and Northridge. They lost 3-1 in the sectional championship game to Goshen, a team they had defeated 1-0 in the regular season. For the second consecutive year, the team had two players named to the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association district 2 team, which is comprised of players from approximately 60 schools in the northeast corner of the state, including the Fort Wayne area: senior Jesse Ramer to the first team and junior Aaron Stiffney to the second team. Ramer was later selected to the second team all-state, the first such honor for a Bethany player. Coach Hank Willems was also named the district's private school coach of the year for the second consecutive year and third time in four years. Earning first team conference awards were Ramer, Stiffney, senior J.D. Nafziger, and sophomore Femi Hollinger-Janzen. Senior goalkeeper Seth Kauffman and junior Ben Bontreger were named to the second team. Ramer and Bontreger also earned state academic honors. Team honors were: Femi Hollinger-Janzen, offensive MVP; Aaron Stiffney, defensive MVP and sportsmanship; Ben Bontreger, most improved; Jesse Ramer, leadership; Cory Bowman, JV MVP.

Volleyball finished with a record of 19-13. The team lost in the sectional championship in a close fifth game to Elkhart Christian, a team they had defeated twice in close matches earlier in the season. The Bruins helped Goshen High School raise nearly $2,300 in a Spike Out Breast Cancer fundraiser as part of their regular season contest in which both teams wore pink-and-white uniform tops. Team awards were: Corine Alvarez, team player; Mandy Schlabach, hustle; Lexi Kantz, mental attitude; Marla zumFelde, coach’s award; Maria Thomas, JV award; Kate Steury, sportsmanship.

Boys Tennis finished with a 13-8 record. After winning sectional last year and finishing as runner up the year before, the team lost in the first round this year to a tough Fairfield team. Team awards were: Seth Krabill, co-MVP; Ben Mast, co-MVP and sportsmanship; Austin Loucks, most improved; Blake Shetler, JV award.

Cross Country: The girls team finished 7-6. Junior Ali Hochstetler, hampered by injuries, qualified for regionals with her fifth-place finish in sectionals, but did not run due to illness. The boys team finished 6-7. Team awards were: Ben Hochstetler, MVP; Leanne Hochstetler and Luis Lopez, sportsmanship.

Middle school: In addition to these varsity teams, middle school soccer A team finished with a record of 8-7-4 and won its first-round conference tourney game in a shootout over Stanley Clark. The three volleyball teams all had winning records and combined for a record of 18-11.

Fall 2009 Sportsmanship Awards

Fall 2009 MVP awards