Four Shelby athletes feated by conference
Daily Globe Sports Editor
Shelby’s Kayla Gonzales, Marshall Shepherd, Grace Mahek and Mason Hendrickson garnered Player of the Year honors this fall in the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference.
All four red and gray athletes were key contributors on conference championship teams.
Gonzales, a junior, was a repeat Runner of the Year in girls cross country. She ran away with the conference race with a time of 18:52 and would help the SHS girls reach the state meet as a team for the first time since 2009.
At the Division II District, Gonzales posted a school-record time of 18:38. Previously, she participated in the state meet as an individual during her freshman and sophomore seasons.
Shepherd had a record-breaking season in powering Shelby to a 9-3 record on the football field.
The senior signal caller completed 270 of 415 passes for 4,273 yards with 48 touchdowns. He also ran 79 times for another 368 and 12 scores.
Mahek, a senior, played No. 1 singles for the Whippets in tennis.
Mahek helped SHS capture their third straight conference title. She was also the No. 1 singles champion for two seasons in a row.
Hendrickson boosted the Shelby boys cross country team to their fourth consecutive MOAC championship by claiming the conference race with a time of 16:13.
The senior runner also helped propel the Whippets to a berth in the state cross country meet.
SHS cross country coaches – Chris Zuercher (boys) and Steve Clark (girls) – were named Coaches of the Year in the MOAC. This marked the fourth straight year that Zuercher has captured the honor and was the first for Clark.
Shelby girls tennis coach Jeff Kurtzman repeated as Coach of the Year.
Other fall accolades went to the following: Players of the Year Boys golf — Minoy Shah, Marion Pleasant.
Girls golf — Dina Shah, Marion Pleasant.
Volleyball — Kendall Stover, Highland.
Girls soccer — Kyla Spencer, Ontario.
Boys soccer — Gage Weaver, Ontario. Coaches of the Year Boys golf — Jeremy Riddle, Clear Fork; Jeff Davis, Marion Pleasant.
Girls golf — Mike Ellis, Ontario.
Football — Demetrius Ross, Marion Harding.
Volleyball — Rob Terrill, Highland.
Girls soccer — Larry Atkinson, Ontario.
Boys soccer — Eric Palmer, Galion.