Five individuals and back-to-back state championship teams will be inducted into the Elmira Heights Sports Hall of Fame on Friday, Jan. 23.
The ceremony will take place between the junior varsity and varsity boys basketball games against Newark Valley at Thomas A. Edison High School in Elmira Heights. JV start time is 5 p.m. and the ceremony is expected to begin between 6:15 and 6:30.
Individual inductees are Kelsi Root, Jaime Snyder, Mary Ann (Spotts) Callahan, Sue Zahorian and Steve Pickering. Edison’s 2005 and 2006 girls cross country teams will also be inducted.
Kelsi Root, class of 2011
Root played varsity volleyball three seasons, basketball four seasons, and competed in track & field for two seasons. She helped Edison win the 2009 Class D state title in volleyball and was part of the 2010 Class C state semifinalist, which followed an unbeaten regular season.
She was a first-team Class D all-state volleyball pick in 2009 and a second-team Class C all-state selection in 2010. Root earned All-Interscholastic Athletic Conference honors in volleyball and basketball.
Jaime Snyder, class of 2011
Snyder competed in varsity volleyball for three seasons, track & field for four seasons, and basketball for two seasons. She was Edison’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2011.
Snyder was part of TAE’s 2009 Class D state title in volleyball and the 2010 run to the Class C semifinals.
She was a first-team Class D all-state volleyball pick in 2009, an All-IAC choice, and a member of Edison’s 2007 and 2009 IAC champions in girls track & field. Snyder was a three-time New York State Scholar Athlete.
Mary Ann (Spotts) Callahan, class of 1985
Callahan’s high school career included five seasons of track & field, two seasons of volleyball, three seasons of gymnastics and one season of softball.
She was part of the 1983 and 1984 Far West regional champions in volleyball.
She was All-IAC in volleyball and Player of the Year in 1984/1985. She also earned All-IAC and Track Athlete of the Year honors, and was a member of Edison’s first varsity softball team.
Sue Zahorian
The coach also known as “Mrs. Z” guided Edison’s varsity volleyball team from 1982 to 1992. She also was a JV coach and varsity assistant.
She helped TAE to five IAC titles, three Section 4 Class C titles, a Section 4 Class D championship, and five New York state regional championships.
Zahorian, who also coached girls basketball, was the Elmira Kiwanis Club’s Female Coach of the Year in 1985.
Steve Pickering, class of 1996
Pickering competed in five seasons of wrestling at Edison, along with three seasons of varsity football and three seasons of baseball.
He was the Section 4 Class D Most Outstanding Wrestler in 1996, winning section and IAC titles. Pickering was part of the 1994 baseball team that won Section 4 and regional titles. He was All-IAC in baseball and team MVP in 1996.
He coached Edison’s wrestling team from 2000 to 2010, guiding the Spartans to back-to-back IAC Small School titles for the first time in Edison history. He was two-time IAC Small School Wrestling Coach of the Year.
Edison’s 2005 and 2006 girls cross country teams
The Spartans, coached by Skip Strobel, won New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class D state titles in 2005 and 2006. They became Edison’s first back-to-back state champions.
Edison went undefeated in dual meets and won IAC and Section 4 titles both seasons.
The 2005 team included Nele Baade, Paige Freeman, Jessica Overacker, Caitlin Palmer, Sarah Palmer, Lindsey Rice, Brittany Schrock, Jessica Stanton,Caitlin Sullivan and Meghan Sullivan.
The 2006 team included Paige Freeman, Jessica Overacker, Caitlin Palmer,Sarah Palmer, Lindsey Rice, Brittany Schrock, Jessica Stanton, Caitlin Sullivan and Amber Summers.
Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare. You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Elmira Heights Sports Hall to add 5 individuals, XC state champs
Reporting by Andrew Legare, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
