Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Two named winners of Yoder Award
Unionville’s Wilks, Kennett’s Tomasetti selected for scholarship
WEST CHESTER >> The Chester County Sports Hall of Fame announced recently that Unionville’s Sophie Wilks and Kennett’s Kerry Tomasetti had been selected as recipients of the inaugural Richard B. Yoder High School Scholar-Athlete Award.
The senior duo will be honored at an awards ceremony hosted by former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Dick Vermeil on June 3 from 4-6:30 p.m. at the West Chester Golf and Country Club. Each will receive a $1,000 scholarship to be used towards the cost of college expenses.
“(The hall of fame) encourages excellence in academics, athletics and leadership,” said CCSHOF President Jerry Schneider. “The Yoder Award is one way we can contribute to the community by recognizing and encouraging the best and the brightest among future generations of Chester County scholar-athletes. Dick would be very proud of these two young people.”
“The Yoder Award is one way we can contribute to the community by recognizing and encouraging the best and the brightest among future generations of Chester County scholar-athletes. Dick would be very proud of these two young people.” – CCSHOF President Jerry Schneider
Student athletes were nominated by their home school and evaluated on their academic and athletic accomplishments, as well as other school and community leadership activities.
“My father would be humbled by having his name attached to recognizing Chester County’s outstanding scholar-athlete-leader,” commented Susan Yoder Schick, Dick Yoder’s daughter. “Both Sophie and Kerry are exceptional athletes and students, and both have exhibited leadership and community involvement impressive for their age.
“Dad would be bursting with pride.”
Wilks maintains a 4.2 grade point average in addition to being an outstanding tennis player. On the court, she was a fourtime All-League selection and was a 2015 Ches-Mont American Division singles champion.
In the classroom, Wilks is a member of the National Honor Society, the Vice-President of her senior class, and serves as the student representative on the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board. She also founded UThon at Unionville to raise money for pediatric cancer research, and in its first year the organization raised over $13,500.
Tomasetti ranks among the top 10 percent of his class and was selected to the first team of the ChesMont All-Academic Team. He is member of the National Honor Society and attained Commended Student status in the National Merit Scholarship Program. He also served as a Sunday School teacher at Willowdale Chapel, a mentor for disabled students in the Special Friends Cub, and is a member of the Fellowship for Christian Athletes.
His athletic resume includes the captaincy of Kennett’s football and basketball teams this season. He was a three-year starter in football and was named a first team All-League performer in 2015 and 2016.
The award ceremony is open to the public. Tickets are $125 each and may be ordered at: Yoder Award Ceremony / CCSHOF / P.O. Box 30 / West Chester, PA 19381, or by contacting Michael Peich: mpeich12@ gmail.com.