WAYNESBORO, Pa. — The spirit of volleyball Coach Kim Saunders could be felt in the Oyer Auditorium as a large crowd of student athletes and their families gathered with community members to honor high school athletes who excelled this 2026-27 fall sports season. The event took place on Tuesday night prior to the scheduled district board meeting.
It was the final presentation of the ceremony that was the most emotional for the attendees. 2026 Volleyball Coach of the Year winner Emily Nystrom stepped up to the podium surrounded by her 2026 Mid-Penn Colonial Division championship winning team, not just to award them with the honors they deserve, but to also pay respect to former coach Kim Saunders, who passed away just one month before the 2026 season started.
Nystrom took up the mantle of leading the team under the most difficult of circumstances, with a team and community grieving the loss of one of their own. The challenges of pulling the team together to not just to go out on the court and play, but to play at a level that would lead them to the very top. With tears in her eyes, Nystrom spoke proudly of her team and her efforts honoring the memory of Coach Saunders.
“Stepping into the head coach role this season, I knew it was going to be tough, and I expected it to be very emotional.”
She then thanked the community, the school board, the school administration, parents, her bus driver, Dave, past coaches and teachers, her “unselfish” family, her coaching staff and the Saunders family for all their support.
“They gave me the energy and confidence to continue. I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart, but most importantly, it was these young ladies.”
She then commended them for the strength and heart that they showed each night they performed. She highlighted both the junior varsity and varsity before announcing the award-winning championship team members:
Sarah Aldrich, Ruby Beck, Piper Beckner, Bailey Dill, Kara Eskridge, Bailey Kirkpatrick, Chloe Levick, Kayaunna Mouer, Madeline Nystrom, Bryn Reed, Allison Rinehart-Strawser, Chloe Shacreaw, Lylah Shacreaw, Kaileigh Walker, Jaylyn Wentz.
Individual achievement awards went to:
Mid-Penn Colonial First team- Middle Hitter: Sarah Aldrich
Mid-Penn Colonial Second team- Setter: Kara Eskridge
Mid-Penn Colonial First team- Outside Hitter: Madeline Nystrom
Mid-Penn Colonial Third team- Outside Hitter: Chloe Shacreaw
The Student Recognition Awards ceremony began with academic awards being given to students recognized for their achievements both in and out of the classroom. The requirements for eligibility were that the student must be in 10th or 11th grade, have a grade point average of B+ or higher at the time of award submission.
Eligible students must also have scored 3 or higher on two or more Advanced Placement exams by the end of 10th grade or be in the top 10% of test takers in the AP and state exams in their high school, state, national, first-generation or national rural or small-town pool.
The National First-Generation Recognition Award honors students who are on track to become the first in their families to complete college. The awards were presented to Destiny Colunga, Carl (Vaughn) Tyndall, Dominic Kipe and Tristan Willis.
The National Rural and Small-Town Awards are presented to students who reside in small communities and rural areas. These awards were given to Zoe Bowersox, Isabella Bupp, Alianna Cox, Marlie Fitzwater, Alexandra (Dylan) Hull, Jason Imwald, Corrina Ingels, Zach Kaiser, Dominic Kipe, Alexa McCallum, Caiden Shacreaw, Chloe Shacreaw, Carl (Vaughn) Tyndall, Adrienne Warner and Leah Yost.
The School Recognition Awards are given to high school students who hold a high level of academic excellence within the community. These were awarded to Isabella Bupp, Alianna Cox, Zach Kaiser, Caiden Shacreaw, Chloe Shacreaw, Carl (Vaughn) Tyndall and Leah Yost.
The National Merit Scholarship-Commended Scholar award was presented to Chloe Shacreaw.
Waynesboro Area High School football coach Robert McClure took the podium next to address the high school football season, which saw the Waynesboro Indians finish with an 0-9 record. McClure acknowledged the team and community’s disappointment with the winless season but proudly commended his team for the effort they put in on the field.
“I was extremely proud and that we had a young team, and I didn’t see any quit at any one time this year,” he proclaimed. He then commended his team’s heart and perseverance as they faced many games where they fell behind on the scoreboard and had to try and battle back. McClure then highlighted some standout players from this year’s team.
- Kaiden Barlow was first in the division with 15 tackles for a loss.
- Aaron Fortney was sixth in the division with 94 total tackles.
- Brayden Heimbuck was third in the division with 1,257 yards passing and was third in the division with 1,700 yards, which combined passing and rushing yards.
- Ronan Mencia was second in the division with 13 tackles for a loss and first in the division with seven sacks.
- Bryghton Naveja-Irish was tied fifth in the division with five interceptions and second in the division with 14 pass breakups.
- Gavin Starkey and Rian Stull tied for fifth in the division with 10 tackles for a loss.
- Dwayne Robinson was third in the division with 637 receiving yards and fourth in the division with 37 receptions.
- Rian Stull was 10th in the division with 84 total tackles averaging 10.5 tackles per game.
The ceremony continued with the Athletic Recognition Awards. Coaches from each sport came to the podium and awarded the athletes that stood out this fall season. Here is a list of eacfeh sport and the athletes that were recognized.
Cheerleading: Abby Bird, Alexandra Boyd, Kiley Bui, April DiGiacomo, Raelyn Diffenderfer, Jade Harris, Alyssa Jaskula, Trinity Martinez, Charisma Naylor and Allison Stone.
Cross Country (Male): Richard Bryan, Noah Hartman, Joshua Snyder, Nathaniel Snyder and Henry Stewart.
Cross Country (Female): Katherine Behnke, Leah Bryan, Vera Cook, Genevieve Garling, Morgan Jones and Lillian Lego.
Field Hockey: Morgan Kaiser and Maggie Wile
Golf: Abby Byers
Soccer (Male): Jack Knepper, Conlan Kuhar, Drake Malcolm and Justus Walters
Soccer (Female): Abby Byers
All of the athletes that evening and for the entire high school sports season were congratulated by all the members of the school board and school administration. Board member Chris Mabry stated that no matter what the statistics say, the efforts given by every student athlete in the Waynesboro area should be applauded for not just their efforts given on the field, course or court, but for their ability to balance academics, sports and family and friends.
