Penn Manor High School senior athletes were honored during a virtual awards ceremony that aired May 20. You can watch the awards presentations here. The full list of awards is available here.
In all, more than 40 awards were presented, including Coach of the Year to Brandon Vernalli (wrestling) and Assistant Coach of the Year to Denise “Gobie” Gobrecht (field hockey).
The top awards went to:
- Penn Manor All Around Male/ Female Athlete (multi-sport) Nicholas Baker (football, wrestling and lacrosse) and Anna May Barbusca (field hockey and lacrosse).
- Penn Manor Outstanding Male/ Female Athlete (single sport) Ethan Hine (basketball) and Tiana Edwards (field hockey)
- Penn Manor Coaches Association Scholarships — Aaron Gale, Abigail Overmyer, Anna May Barbusca, Catherine McMahon, Joshua Gibson, Kailey Stoner, Madison Henry and Kyle Ament.
Here’s what their coaches had to say about these student athletes:
Nicholas Baker displayed his talent on the football field and wrestling mat. This spring, he was set to become a three-sport athlete as he was a member of our boys’ lacrosse team.
Over the course of four years, Nick compiled an overall wrestling record of 113-46. He was a two-time PIAA state qualifier and a state place finisher, finishing sixth in 2020. During Nick’s senior year, he won the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championship, the PIAA AAA Section 2 Tournament, and the PIAA District 3 AAA Tournament.
Nick has great leadership skills that he was able to put to use in athletics. He was a great warrior on the football field. He unselfishly changed positions his senior year to help the team. After scoring very high on his ASVAB tests he has decided to join the United States Navy.
Anna May Barbusca excelled in both field hockey and lacrosse at Penn Manor. Anna May is one of the hardest-working, most skillful field hockey players in the area.
Her inner drive and relentless competitiveness are unparalleled. Anna May is the perfect example of “how you practice is how you play.” She gave her best at every practice and every game throughout her career.
She will play field hockey at Lock Haven University.
Ethan Hine is a disciplined, self-motivated young man. His drive and dedication to his development as a basketball player serves as a model for all members of the basketball program.
His daily ball handling and shooting workouts helped Ethan develop into one of the most explosive, dangerous scorers in the Lancaster-Lebanon League this past season. Ethan earned the following recognitions: Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 First Team All-Star, Coaches’ Association Senior All-Star, and a PennLive Big 15 team honorable mention.
Ethan will be attending Lancaster Bible College to continue his basketball career.
Tiana Edwards became a terrific field hockey player who has the keen understanding of when to defend and when to attack. Her strength and skills were widely well known and respected by her competitors.
Tiana has an imposing influence on the field with her strength, speed and skills. She will be playing field hockey at Millersville University in the fall.
Aaron Gale excelled on the football and baseball fields during his four years at Penn Manor. He was a leader on and off the field, and he earned the respect of his teammates, coaches, and opponents.
Aaron will be attending McDaniel College in the fall.
Abigail Overmyer has been a four-year softball player for Penn Manor and was on the varsity team her junior and senior seasons.
Abby was a great ambassador for softball. She showed extreme dedication to the program and helped Little League players during the team’s winter open gyms.
She was dedicated to improving her skills and always giving her best. Abigail will be attending Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in the W.E.T (Water Environmental Technologies) Program next year.
Catherine McMahon was a member of the girls’ tennis and track and field teams, lettering in both. She was also a member of Serteen/Civitas, National Honor Society, Penn Manor Orchestra and Aevidium.
Catherine will be attending Elizabethtown College in the fall.
Joshua Gibson was voted a team captain for the football team his junior and senior years. He led the team in tackles and offensive output over the past two seasons and was a two-time first team L-L all star on defense.
Josh also excelled in throwing the javelin in track and field and scoring points on the track in various running events.
He will attend Muhlenberg College to pursue environmental studies and play football.
Kailey Stoner was a multi-sport athlete in swimming and volleyball. She worked hard to make herself a valuable member of both teams.
Kailey earned a starting role for the last two seasons in volleyball, playing two different positions, and was a three-time L-L League qualifier this year for the swim team.
She will be attending Messiah College to study nursing.
Madison Henry was a four-year member of the volleyball team and played volleyball with Penn Manor since sixth grade.
She was a varsity starter for the last two years and was an L-L League All-Star this season. Maddie overcame several significant injuries in her career and became known for her relentless play and positive attitude, making her a 2019 senior captain.
She will continue her playing career at Elizabethtown College.
Kyle Ament was a four-year member (three years on varsity) of the soccer team and was named a captain his senior year.
He set such a great example for others to follow, and his leadership, work ethic and character earned him a place on the L-L All Star Second Team and the Penn Manor Coach’s Award.
He will be attending Elizabethtown College next year.
