Dayton Athletes Honored at Awards Banquet

DAYTON - Most Day­ton fall sports coaches are losing only a few seniors this year. But regardless, each spoke with fondness of youth they've had a hand in raising over the past four years at last Thursday's 2013 Fall Sports Banquet in the Dayton multipurpose room.

Head football coach Dean Bickelhaupt had, by far, the largest number of seniors on his team.

"We had probably the best team chemistry this year that I've had in all my years coaching," Bickelhaupt said Thursday. "The older players really worked well with the younger kids."

Five of Bickelhaupt's 19 varsity players are graduat­ing this year, including most valuable offensive player, first team all-league athlete, and captain's award-winner Lowden Smith, most inspi­rational player Logan Hays, and captain's awards win­ners Christian Warner and Guy Spalinger.

Junior Andrew Mendoza was awarded most valuable defensive player and was also voted first team all- league. Freshman Ben Kleck won most inspirational.

Head soccer coach DJ Frame is losing two seniors this year, Junior Dedloff and Willie Weppler. Both young men have been on the Bulldog soccer team since they were freshman. Coach Frame, assistant coaches, and fellow teammates will be sad to see them go.

"You feel like you get to know them," Frame said Thursday. "It has really been fun watching them develop."

Dedloff and Weppler started when the soccer team was young and strug­gling, sticking it out with the blossoming Bulldogs until the team has now beat all but about two teams in the league, Frame said.

"The good part is, there's only two of them we're los­ing."

Soccer awards went to freshmen Derek Brincken and Hunter Walker for most improved and sophomore Angie Dedloff for most inspirational. Junior Alex Weppler won coach's award. Juniors Roy Han and Ian Smay earned "team one" awards.

In volleyball, only senior Courtney Mings played her final year this fall. And she played it well, if the num­ber of awards she garnered Thursday is any indication. Mings earned most valuable player, first team all-league and the captain award. Min­gs started on varsity as a freshman.

Other volleyball recogni­tion went to junior Sarah Phillips, who received a co-captain award and was also voted most inspira­tional player and first team all-league. Junior Chelsea Wooldridge won co-captain and honorable mention all- league.

Most improved Dayton varsity volleyball player was freshman Jenna Phil­lips. Coach's awards went to juniors Taylor Frame and Keelin Hovrud, who played not only varsity, but also in junior-varsity games.

"These ladies took on a tough role, going between varsity and JV," said head coach Shannon Turner. "It's not an easy thing to do, but they were critical to both teams."

Cross country had five team members this year. Coach Dan Nechodom talk­ed about how tough an ath­lete has to be to compete in this sport. And he told a full audience Thursday that each student this year inspired him in some way.

Most inspirational runner, as voted by her teammates, was senior Kiara Biggar. Most improved - the student who improved her paces dur­ing the season by the num­bers - was junior Caitlyn Robins, who increased her pace by 17 percent between her first race and her final race, Nechodom said.

Nechodom selected one of his toughest, most adapt­able runners, junior Levi Laib, for coach's award.

As the last presenter of the evening, head cheer coach Jillian Henze had just one award to give out - Ally Chapman received the fall coach's award. DHS cheerleaders are just getting started with their year. They will continue into the winter for basketball.