Meet the Penns Valley seniors who earned Snyder Awards for excelling in sports, school
Jack O’Donald and Cammie Upcraft have accomplished many things throughout their academic and athletic careers at Penns Valley.
Now they can add winning a Snyder Award to their trophy case. They earned the award on Wednesday night after excelling on the field, in the classroom and in their community. They will follow Maria Lovallo and Colton Sands as Penns Valley’s Snyder Award winners.
The two are excited to share the award with one another and enter into a legacy of past Penns Valley award winners.
“It’s great to be recognized for the work I’ve put in and of course I’ve gone to school with Cammie for years,” O’Donald said. “I know she’s smart, I know she’s great at sports. It has been fun to work with her in class to watch her in athletics and it is bit humbling to be in the same conversation as her. The same goes for the winners of the award last year — Maria Lavallo and Colton Sands. Through academic decathlon, I knew both of them fairly well and they were both real role models to me.”
“Everybody around school you say Jack and it’s like, ‘Oh, he’s super-smart,” Upcraft said. “So, to be named with him, it’s a high honor and obvious that’s he’s very smart. And to be compared to him, it is very honorable.”
The James H. Snyder Awards are given in memory of Snyder, a former Centre Daily Times sports editor who was killed in an automobile crash in December 1957. The awards have become an annual county staple celebrating the community’s young leaders — a pair of seniors from each of the county’s five public high schools plus Saint Joseph’s who embrace academics, athletics and community service.
O’Donald played soccer and was on the track and field team. While his team wasn’t able to pull out a victory in district quarterfinal soccer game, he fondly recalled spending the final moments that he and his teammates shared together while playing for Penns Valley’s varsity soccer program.
“We had a really hard-fought game against Huntingdon at Mansion Park and we got unlucky,” O’Donald said. “We came away with a 2-0 loss and it was tough. The entire team, we got back on the bus, we went to Sheetz, ordered food and we all got a last chance to hang out with each other. I’ve always valued social interaction and being able to be with the people around me.”
Upcraft played volleyball for the Lady Rams and had a standout senior season. She played 68 sets, with 199 kills, a 47.5% kill percentage, .329 hitting percentage, 38 solo blocks, 58 total blocks and 12 aces as a senior. She also won a district championship in track and field in the high jump, with a jump of 5-4 in the District 6 Class 2A championship on May 17.
“There was one track meet where it was pouring down rain and I was able to have fun and I was soaked,” Upcraft said. “Just those small, fun moments highlight my athletic career.”
Their athletic accomplishments were preceded by their outstanding achievements in the classroom and in clubs. O’Donald was crowned state champion in March’s academic decathlon state finals, finishing with 8,396 out of 10,000 possible points and medaling in eight out of 10 events. He additionally served as a resource to the rest of his team, finishing third place among the small schools in states.
“Just the cumulative work that I’ve put in and the overall benefit that I’m getting now at the end of my high school career, it’s definitely satisfying,” O’Donald said. “Like Cammie, I’m either at or near the top of our class. We don’t know who the valedictorian yet. But I’ve put in work similar to her and for us to be in that conversation is probably one of my favorite achievements.”
“I’ve worked hard throughout my whole time and I’ve been able to work my way up toward the top of the class,” Upcraft said. “Being named at the top of the class is probably one of my best accomplishments academically.”
Neither will just dwell on their current situation. Both want to continue to be leaders in their communities and will begin that by attending college.
O’Donald is set to attend Penn State’s University Park campus and is undecided as a major.
“It’s a really good school and I’m really excited to branch out and meet new people and have new experiences,” O’Donald said. “As far as what I’m studying, that part is a little bit more up in the air. I’ve never really had a strong or weak place in school.
“I’ve always just kind of been the same in each subject and it’s been hard for me to distinguish what I’m good at doing versus what I’d like to do. So, that’s the next part of my journey that I’m looking forward to accomplishing and completing. I want to do finding a purpose in the world and just trying to make it a better place with everyone else.”
Upcraft is set to continue her volleyball career and has already decided on a major.
“I’m planning to go to Lycoming, where I’m going to play volleyball and I’m going to study biology,” Upcraft said. “Then, I hope to go into research and start playing volleyball and continuing track at some point.”
High school meant a lot to each student-athlete.
“It’s just been a great opportunity in so many regards,” O’Donald said. “Academically, athletically, socially, the chance to prove myself academically the chance to compete athletically and meet people and learn life skills, like cooperation and teamwork that I don’t think I would have learned from a classroom alone. The people at Penns Valley have always been amazing. And I’ve always loved coming to school and seeing them every day. It’s the main reason to get up in the morning and go to school. “
“To be able to figure out like what was important to me and figure out that I definitely like academics was important,” Upcraft said. “But as well as like sports, building with the team, friendships and just like relationships overall in general (were the best part).
