The 70th annual Better Sports Club of Arlington awards banquet honored high school student-athletes, along with their coaches and boosters, for successes during the 2025-26 school year.
More than 30 high school seniors received awards for their overall excellence during competition, in the classroom and in the community.
The June 9 event was held at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Little Falls Road. Club president Dave Sterling welcomed attendees, while longtime club member and current vice president Bill Murray opened the event with remarks about the banquet’s long history.
Local sportscaster Byron Kerr, the event’s longtime emcee, returned this year.
As each winner was introduced, Kerr read some of their accomplishments, adding where they will attend college this fall. Kerr handed each winner the microphone to say a few brief words, often thanking others for their help along the way.
Among the honorees, Yorktown High School’s Kaiya Ovanda was chosen the Female High School Student-Athlete of the Year, while Washington-Liberty’s David Toepel was the Male High School Student-Athlete of the Year.
Both were multi-sport athletes. Ovando was a girls softball and track and field standout, with Toepel playing football and soccer.
In addition:
- The Challenger Sportsperson of the Year award went to LJ. Seiff of Arlington Little League
- Coaches of the Year were Washington-Liberty head girls and boys swim and dive coach Kristina Dorville and Yorktown head wrestling coach Andrew Adams
- The club’s President’s Award and Outstanding Club Member went to Jim O’Reilly
- The club’s Arlington Sportsperson of the Year was awarded to Josie Clayton for her involvement in women’s flag football as a player, coach and organizer
High-school Sportspersons of the Year awards were presented to:
- Washington-Liberty’s Henry Gerber, baseball
- Washington-Liberty’s Eve Jungman, girls basketball
- Bishop O’Connell’s Darius Bivins, boys basketball
- Washington-Liberty’s Logan Milton, cheer
- Washington-Liberty’s Emily Kiesel, girls crew
- Yorktown’s Declan Leighton, boys crew
- Washington-Liberty’s Mina Dowler, girls cross country
- Washington-Liberty’s Morgan Fritz, boys cross country
- Bishop O’Connell’s Genevieve Cribb, dance
- Yorktown’s Reagan Fruzzetti, field hockey
- Yorktown’s Samson Schneider, football
- Yorktown’s Caitlin Wright, girls golf
- Washington-Liberty’s Finn Watson, boys golf
- Yorktown’s Anya Clemmer, gymnastics
- Washington-Liberty’s Nathan Myers, ice hockey
- Yorktown’s Zoe Davis, girls lacrosse
- Yorktown’s Eli Pilch, boys lacrosse
- Wakefield’s Taylor Kunic, rifle
- Washington-Liberty’s Sulley Allen, girls soccer
- Washington-Liberty’s Darragh Cahill, boys soccer
- Washington-Liberty’s Celia Anbinder, softball
- Bishop O’Connell’s Anna LeNard, girls swim and dive
- Washington-Liberty’s Kedar Kambhampaty, boys swim and dive
- Yorktown’s Zaineb Qadir, girls tennis
- Yorktown’s Chase Whittaker, boys tennis
- Washington-Liberty’s Gabriela Netwall, girls track and field
- Bishop O’Connell’s Cameron Bowser, boys track and field
- H-B Woodlawn’s Sidney Wang, girls matching division ultimate disc
- H-B Woodlawn’s Henry Gould, open division ultimate disc
- Bishop O’Connell’s Ellyson Miller, girls volleyball
- Washington-Liberty’s Makaela Trejo, girls wrestling
- Yorktown’s Logan Futrel, boys wrestling
