With the 2024/25 school year now complete, the now second installment of the Barron’s Home Furnishings ‘Star Student Athlete of the Year’ program has been added to the archives.
Student athletes are selected throughout the school year by their coach’s for their outstanding efforts in the sports arena, as well as their exemplary scholastic and community participation, and the newly added ‘Star Student Athlete of the Year’ is selected from those ten 2024/25 school year selections.
This years ‘Star Student Athlete of the Year’ selection is senior Kamryn Koepnick, who’s parents, Amy and Glen Koepnick are both BHHS alumni, has participated as a two sport varsity athlete, working her way on to the girls varsity softball team for coach Tony Baron, as well as participating in the fall on head coach Vanessa Nidiffer’s varsity volleyball team for three years.
“Kami was always a hard-working and reliable contributor to the volleyball program.” coach Nidiffer said. “Even when she was injured for a season, she was our manager. Due to Kami’s versatility, we were able to play her in several positions and I knew I could trust her to get the job done!”
Regularly starting at first base for coach Baron, “she led the team in nearly every positive statistical category” coach Baron told the Compass, starting with hitting .500 with 43 hits in 86 at bats. with 45 RBI, and 11 walks, striking out only twice. Kamryn led the team with four home runs, six triples, and eight doubles and was the only player on the team with a hit in every game, earning her selection as “First Team All-League”.
Scholastic performance is an important part of the Barron’s Star Student Athlete program, showing leadership, leading by example, competitiveness, and work ethic both in the class room as well as in the community. This years ‘Star Student Athlete of the Year’ again checks all of the boxes. While playing two varsity sports and volunteering for beach clean-up and at the Humane Society, Kamryni also manages a 3.8 cumulative GPA in multiple college level classes including, Language Arts IV, Health Occ/Medical Law & Ethics, Chemistry, Work Based Learning-Medical, Body Structure & Functions Science, and Economics.
Kami has been awarded and has accepted an academic scholarship to the Oregon Institute of Technology and will be participating in their pre-medical imaging program in hopes of becoming an ultrasound technician.
“Kami has played this game at a high level all her life.” coach Baron continued, “She is a versatile player that can understand and play each position on the field showing great leadership this year, and has never let a bad game get in the way of her individual performance” – Head Coach Tony Baron
Congratulations Kami, we are confident that you will continue to be successful in any endeavor you should choose to pursue.
As a caveat to this award, the recognition goes to the student, however, the award goes to the parents, for their dedication to the students success, in the form of a beautiful gift card bouquet generously donated by local businesses.
