The Mount Vernon News sports department’s MVN ATHLETE of the WEEK (AotW) is a weekly feature that spotlights local student-athletes and their schools. Based on their performances, we have asked coaches, ADs and community members to nominate worthy student-athletes. We select an ATHLETE of the WEEK and recognize other outstanding athletic accomplishments.
The 2022-23 high school sports seasons showcased some exceptional performances, and as the school year is over, we take this time to honor the top male ATHLETE of the YEAR from among the 27 student-athletes who were chosen ATHLETE of the WEEK this past school year. Last week, we showcased the female ATHLETE of the YEAR, Juliette Laracuente-Huebner of Highland. This week we spotlight the top male ATHLETE of the YEAR from among three finalists.
If you feel that an athlete has not been duly honored, please be proactive next school year and either nominate the athlete yourself (as a community member) or encourage your coaches to nominate a team member. Please send us your nominations, why they are deserving, and a picture of them. Let’s give these student-athletes the recognition they deserve.
Narrowing down the 27 young men who have earned our top weekly honors, along with others who might not have been named No.1 in a given week, but who were listed with honorable mention, is not an easy task. So many student-athletes were considered and deserve the top spot, or at least demonstrated the skill sets, dedication and team spirit to be among the finalists.
Our ground rules are these: The athlete must have been nominated for the weekly honor, and we will weigh the number of times and number of sports for which the athlete was nominated, and the overall impact and influence the student-athlete had on their team. The number of times nominated may come down to timing – did the athlete have five great weeks (not nominated), but each week someone different had a strong enough week to warrant nomination – or did the coach or community prefer to spread around nominations for various team members instead of nominating the same athlete each week?
Did a 300-yard performance outweigh a last-second, game-winning catch or interception? Did 32 points overshadow a buzzer-beating game-winner or a six-goal soccer performance, or 21 kills and 10 blocks? Did an eight-RBI game take precedence over a no-hitter or a three-podium day on the track?
All of these circumstances are arguable and subjective. The end line is, we need to hear from you because the community has a voice in this.
For ATHLETE of the YEAR, does domination in one sport weigh more than solid performances in multiple sports? Let’s find out.
For this year, there were many deserving student-athletes, but we cut the list down to three finalists and selected one winner as the Mount Vernon News male ATHLETE of the YEAR. Football, basketball and track seem to take precedence this year, but baseball played an important role in the process as well.
Eleven student-athletes won the weekly honor more than once, two won it three times and one competitor took home the honor five times. The finalists are: Dane Nauman (Highland), Grant Bentley (Northmor) and Nathan Streby (East Knox). And the MVN Male ATHLETE of the YEAR is Dane Nauman.
Dane Nauman
Dane Nauman was an offense machine for the Highland Fighting Scots’ football team. He was named All-Ohio Division V Offensive Player of the Year and was an All-Ohio First Team Division V running back. He finished fifth in Ohio in yards gained rushing with 2,380, and all of those ahead of him played from two to four more games because of playoffs.
Nauman was third in Ohio in yards per game at 216.4 and gained 8.1 yards per carry. He scored 28 touchdowns. Nauman was our first ATHLETE of the WEEK this season, with a 300-yard rushing performance and eight tackles – 2.5 for loss – in a 17-14 win over Fredericktown. He also ran for 336 yards rushing, four TDs, 65 yards in kickoff returns, 401 all-purpose yards, and 12 tackles vs. Marion Harding.
Nauman could have won three other times, but we spread the weekly award around to other deserving athletes. He gained 300 or more yards four times, 244 or more on six occasions, and scored five TDs in two games in which he did not receive AotW honors. He also had 10 or more tackles three times. Well, done and well-deserved, Dane Nauman.
Grant Bentley
Finalist Grant Bentley won a record five AotW honors. He earned a First Team basketball selection in All-Central District Division IV and was selected to Second Team All-Ohio baseball Central Division District IV honors. Bentley made First Team all-KMAC in basketball and baseball. Bentley won AotW honors for a 45-point night (Northmor school record) nine boards and four steals in basketball vs. Danville; and for 27 points vs. Delaware Christian. In baseball, he was AotW for throwing a no-hitter vs. Mount Gilead, for a shutout and two hits at the plate vs. Danville and for throwing a two-hitter in the OHSAA District semis vs. No.2 Fairfield Christian.
Nathan Streby
Finalist Nathan Streby of East Knox was the KMAC Track Runner of the Year, earning First Team in the conference in the 800-meter and 1,600 runs. He took bronze in the OHSAA state finals 800 run, and his EK 4x400 relay team took second-team honors. He set records all year long in cross-country and track events at various distances and set a KMAC finals meet record in the 1,600, falling just .03 short of his own meet record in the 800. His first AotW win came for his cross-country run at Seneca East's Stars, Stripes and Lights, winning his division by nearly 15 seconds. Some of his performances were nosed out for AotW honors by no-hitters or big games on the hardcourt and gridiron … the only time his timing wasn’t tape-breaking.
Honorable Mention
Honorable mention goes to Matthew Bland (Mount Gilead), a three-time AotW winner, KMAC basketball leading scorer and Player of the Year, and track gold medalist; Trenton Collins (Utica), a three-time weekly winner and LCL First Team in basketball as well as First Team All-Central District Division III; Levi Lyons (Danville), Division VII football Defensive Player of the Year and 21 tackles in Regional Semifinals vs, Lucas; Bryar Householder (East Knox) a back-to-back winner – the second win was for a perfect game thrown vs. Centerburg – and First Team All-Ohio District II in baseball; Konner Daughriety (Mount Vernon) All-Ohio first team in baseball and OCC Player of the Year; Kaid Carpenter (Fredericktown), First Team All-Ohio baseball Division III and Central Division District III Player of the Year (OHSBCA), as well as AotW winner in basketball; and Tyler Johnson (Centerburg), KMAC’s Player of the Year in football – 19th in Ohio in rushing with 1,501 yards, who also gained 1,287 yards passing and was seventh in total TDs with 36.
We congratulate all of the finalists and all of the student-athletes who gave it their all during the season. See you again in the fall, as we honor the top 2023-24 area student-athletes.
