BHS Academic Boosters Club hosts spring awards; SOAR Awards presented

Bellefontaine High School hosted its annual spring academic awards ceremony in the auditorium Friday morning.

The featured speaker was Bellefontaine alum Yvette Hunsicker.

Ms. Hunsicker reflected on her 35-year career at Honda.

She urged the students to keep pushing forward to build their confidence and skill set.

Hunsicker noted that putting in the work leads to self-confidence.

Following her highly successful career in the business world, Ms. Hunsicker transitioned to a teaching career at BHS in 2024. She is also an adjunct professor at Clark State.

The BHS Academic Boosters Club then recognized freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors for a variety of awards.

The first group of academic awards were decided by the BHS teaching staff across 15 different departmental areas.

Students were chosen based on five criteria: character, attitude, service, genuine interest in the content, and academic performance.

The awards were sponsored by various community members and businesses.

Each winner received $25.

Here’s a list of award recipients (grade level, subject, student’s name, sponsor):

Freshman Adjusted Career – Liam Steed – Eichholtz & Daring Funeral Home

Sophomore Adjusted Career – Cecelia Reier – Eichholtz & Daring Funeral Home

Junior Adjusted Career – Aiden Fitzpatrick – Quest Federal Credit Union

Senior Adjusted Career – Landon Brown – Quest Federal Credit Union

Freshman Broadcasting – Cameron Foreman – River Radio

Sophomore Broadcasting – Samuel Kline – V-Teck Communications

Junior Broadcasting – Christopher Morris – Peak of Ohio TV

Senior Broadcasting – Tanner Ballinger – Horvath Productions

Freshman Business – Cameo Greene – Dodds Wealth Advisors

Sophomore Business – Landon Gerwels – Dodds Wealth Advisors

Junior Business – Brandon Wong – Citizens Federal Savings and Loan Association

Senior Business – Kayla Sellars – Citizens Federal Savings and Loan Association

Freshman English – Blakely Vollrath – Keith & Cathy Wiley

Sophomore English – Addison Prosser – Edward Jones - Darin Olson Team

Junior English – Summer Maley – Edward Jones - Darin Olson Team

Senior English – Claire Brown – Edward Jones - Darin Olson Team

Freshman ESL – Luisana Quevedo Rodriguez – Citizens Federal Savings and Loan Association

Sophomore ESL – Ximena Marquez Diaz – Citizens Federal Savings and Loan Association

Junior ESL – Christian Matela – AGC Automotive

Senior ESL – Amanda Delgado Rengel – AGC Automotive

Freshman Family & Consumer Sciences – Kodi Palmer – Sloan Insurance Center

Sophomore Family & Consumer Sciences – Cadence Tyler – Sloan Insurance Center

Junior Family & Consumer Sciences – Jayliana Burruss – Sloan Insurance Center

Senior Family & Consumer Sciences – Maci Flesher – Sloan Insurance Center

Freshman Health & Physical Education – Allison Myers – David Lewis and Family

Sophomore Health & Physical Education – Marek Frazier – David Lewis and Family

Junior Health & Physical Education – Isaac Hall – Mary Rutan Health

Senior Health & Physical Education – Hayden Maus – Mary Rutan Health

Freshman Industrial Technology – Hayden Shreve – Sloan Industrial School

Sophomore Industrial Technology – Haydon Argabright – Sloan Industrial School

Junior Industrial Technology – Dalton Frazier – Sloan Industrial School

Senior Industrial Technology – Thessaly Reminder – Sloan Industrial School

Freshman Math – Deacon Lloyd – Pat & Debbie Ellis

Sophomore Math – Brody Miranda – Pat & Debbie Ellis

Junior Math – Jake Moreland – Farmers National Bank

Senior Math – Elliett Lang – Mark & Joan Haushalter

Freshman Music – Antonio Avalos Mendez – Steve Austin’s Auto Group

Sophomore Music – Constance Carmen – Logan County Commissioner Joe Antram and Marianna Antram

Junior Music – Ella Fultz – Dodds Wealth Advisors

Senior Music – Haidyn Bruce – Dodds Wealth Advisors

Freshman Science – Max Miranda – David & Tammy Gump

Sophomore Science – Trinity Fout – David & Tammy Gump

Junior Science – Oliver Grandstaff – Zimmerman Realty & Zimmerman Family

Senior Science – Jacob Henry – Zimmerman Realty & Zimmerman Family

Freshman Social Studies – Landon Severt – Bellefontaine Moose #2563

Sophomore Social Studies – Jack Wilson – Bellefontaine Moose #2563

Junior Social Studies – Grace Brown – Bellefontaine Moose #2563

Senior Social Studies – Kelsie Snapp – Mark & Joan Haushalter

Freshman Visual Arts – Olivia Cooper – Pauline Terebuh

Sophomore Visual Arts – Landon White – Pauline Terebuh

Junior Visual Arts – Maya Shazier – Wren's Florist and Greenhouse

Senior Visual Arts – Catherine Armstrong – Wren's Florist and Greenhouse

Junior Vocational – Drake Hoon – Elizabeth Hendershot

Senior Vocational – Gracie Hood – William Boy, CPA

Level I World Languages – Chloe O’Chocke – Richard Ramsey

Level II World Languages – Rylee Williams – Richard Ramsey

Level III World Languages – Caitlin Haley – Dairy Queen

Level IV or V World Languages – Ava Kunze – Dairy Queen

2026 Heart of a Chieftain Award Recipients:

Freshmen – Max Miranda

Sophomores – Trinity Fout, Sloan Stolly, Sarah Childs, and Brody Miranda

Juniors – Ava Layman, Sutton Daring, Spencer Stolly, Ella Fultz, Bryson Chrisman, and Jaylinn Foulk

Seniors – Natalie Snapp, Kaeleigh Flora, Ava Dolan, Addison Wical, Ava Kunze, Patrick Stolly, and Adison Postle

2026 Scholarship Winners – Adison Postle (Academic Boosters Club Scholarship), Natalie Snapp (Academic Boosters Club Scholarship), and Chloe Stolly (Jenny O’Connor Memorial Scholarship)

2026 Peter R. Marsh Foundation Silent Servant Award – Carter Caudill

Finally, BHS presented SOAR Awards.

Bellefontaine High School is very proud of the rigorous coursework available for students to help prepare them for their education beyond high school.

Honors classes, college credit plus classes, post-secondary options, and Advanced Placement classes are all available at BHS. Though all of these paths are difficult, the AP classes require the students to be willing to work above and beyond the usual expectations for a high school class. AP classes also require students to take a culminating standardized exam to show mastery of the material.

The SOAR Award was established to recognize high school seniors who have strived to challenge themselves by taking these AP courses. It recognizes those students who didn’t shy away from this difficult level of rigor and were still able to maintain a high grade point average.

To qualify as a 2026 SOAR Award recipient, students are required to take at least 7 Advanced Placement classes, have above a 3.9 GPA at the end of their 7th semester of high school, and completed 11 or more college-level courses.

Each SOAR winner received a certificate and $100 cash. Their names will also be added to the SOAR plaque displayed in the academic trophy case.

The SOAR Award recipients include (name, college, major):

Claire Brown – Ohio Northern University, Accounting

Max Fissel – Clemson University, Data Science

Kaeleigh Flora – University of Kentucky, Biology and Pre-Med

Caitlin Haley – Miami University, Pre-Law, Political Science, and Journalism

Jacob Henry – The Ohio State University, Molecular Biology

Elliett Lang – Miami University, English

Kelsie Snapp – The Ohio State University, Aviation Engineering

Chloe Stolly – The Ohio State University, Political Science and Legal Studies

Bellefontaine City Schools Gifted Coordinator Angie Horvath reflected on the ceremony. “The entire focus of the Academic Boosters Club is to enhance academics and honor kids who make academics a priority.”

Bellefontaine High School Principal Cliff Core served as the emcee.

The BHS Academic Boosters Club also hosted an awards ceremony in November.

Photos: BHS Academic Boosters Club Spring Awards ceremony

SOAR Award recipients (left to right) Chloe Stolly, Kelsie Snapp, Elliett Lang, Jacob Henry, Caitlin Haley, Kaeleigh Flora, and Claire Brown. Not pictured: Max Fissel, who was at the CBC Tennis Tournament.

Students honored during the ceremony.

Guest speaker Yvette Hunsicker

BCS Superintendent Brad Hall commends the award recipients.