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Athletes: O-M's Kenney, WG's Kottwitz

ODESSA, May 12 -- This week we have a three-peat winner, and the reappearance of a pitcher who defeated a powerhouse Candor team.

Odessa-Montour's Michele Kenney is the honoree from her school for the third straight week for her performance at the Twisted Classic team-format invitational track meet at Watkins Glen -- a competition involving 13 schools. Kenney was a winner in three different events -- with teammate Sam Davis in the Pole Vault, with Brooke Gardner in the Long Jump, and with Davis, Ashley Bryington and Ariel Naylor in the Shuttle Hurdles. Her team managed 37.5 points in the meet; she had a hand in 24 of them. She was the only three-time winner among the girls in the meet. For good measure, she excelled earlier in the week, as well, posting two individual firsts (in the 100 Hurdles and the Long Jump) and a first in the 4x100 Relay as O-M defeated Edison.

Watkins Glen pitcher Brandon Kottwitz, meanwhile, grabs Athlete of the Week honors for the second time in three weeks for a feat few thought probable -- shutting down the Candor baseball team's bats ... and defeating that IAC power. Candor scored in only one inning as Kottwitz went the distance, striking out 12 batters and walking just two. He was also 1-for-3 at the plate, driving in a run and scoring one. He added a strong offensive performance later in the week, going 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and three runs scored as his team defeated Odessa-Montour.

All-Star teams

In addition to Athlete of the Week and Athlete of the Year awards at each school, we are naming seasonal All-Star teams as well -- helping to provide wider recognition missing this year with our decision to jettison Athlete of the Week Honorable Mentions and cumulative point totals.

One team was announced after the fall sports season, and another after the winter sports season, based on performance and sportsmanship by athletes at each of the two schools covered -- Odessa-Montour and Watkins Glen. Now, with Trumansburg and Bradford High Schools added to our coverage area, we will examine ways to expand the honors.

Each season, several days after announcement of the All-Stars, a seasonal MVP -- just one from the county -- is named from among the All-Star honorees.

This year's Fall MVP was Odessa-Montour soccer standout Makenzi Alling, while the winter honor went to Watkins Glen track standout Somer Pettet.

Each All-Star receives a specially-designed T-shirt marking the occasion -- along with the attendant publicity on this website. Each MVP receives a trophy.

Color coding, and Athlete of the Year

Each Athlete of the Week at Watkins Glen and Odessa-Montour receives a T-shirt with that designation on the front, and his or her first name and the date of the honor on the shirt sleeve. First-time wins merit a T-shirt in the honoree's school color. If a person wins more than one weekly award, the color of the subsequent shirt or shirts will reflect that: green for a second win, followed by burnt orange, chestnut brown and honey ... with perhaps a red thrown in.

The person with the most shirts at the end of the year might well win Athlete of the Year at his or her school, although a close race could be affected by sportsmanship and leadership -- intangibles that call for a subjective judgment. In such a close contest, inclusion on The Odessa File All-Star teams would also be taken into account, and coaches would be consulted for guidance as a final decision is made.

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History (since inception of the awards on Aug. 30, 2004):

2007-08

Week One Winners: Bobby Hornick of O-M; Izell Jones of Watkins Glen.

Week Two Winners: Derek Thoman of O-M; Alan McIlroy and Sophie Peters of Watkins Glen.

Week Three Winners: Allison Stamp of O-M; Haleigh Wixson of Watkins Glen.

Week Four Winners: Aaron Linton and Matt Shutter of O-M;.Jaclyn Conklin of Watkins Glen.

Week Five Winners: Katey Cheplick and Makenzi Alling of O-M; Jaclyn Conklin of Watkins Glen.

Week Six Winners: Cassie Fitch of O-M; Kelly Martin of Watkins Glen.

Week Seven Winners: Makenzi Alling of O-M; Somer Pettet and Joe Stansfield of Watkins Glen.

Week Eight Winners: Alyssa Bruno and Whitney Ayers of O-M; Haleigh Wixson and Jaclyn Conklin of Watkins Glen.

Week Nine Winners: Matt Shutter of Odessa-Montour; Jaclyn Conklin and Haleigh Wixson of Watkins Glen.

Week Ten Winners: Alyssa Bruno of O-M; Molly Murphy and Somer Pettet of Watkins Glen.

Week Eleven Winners: Katey Cheplick and John Blaha of Odessa-Montour; Kris Larson of Watkins Glen.

Week Twelve Winners: Aaron Linton and Rebecca Ayers of Odessa-Montour; Taylor Chaffee of Watkins Glen.

Week Thirteen Winners: Todd Kautz and Jesse Johnson of Odessa-Montour; Sophie Peters and Jarrad Peters of Watkins Glen.

Week Fourteen Winners: Aaron Linton of Odessa-Montour; Taylor Chaffee and Justin DeDominick of Watkins Glen.

Week Fifteen Winners: Rebecca Ayers of Odessa-Montour; Taylor Chaffee and Luke Buckman of Watkins Glen.

Week Sixteen Winners: Aaron Linton and Luke Smith of Odessa-Montour; Taylor Chaffee and Ernie Brennan of Watkins Glen.

Week Seventeen Winners: Aaron Linton and Cassie Fitch of Odessa-Montour; Ernie Brennan and Brandon Persha of Watkins Glen.

Week Eighteen Winners: Jesse Johnson and Todd Kautz of Odessa-Montour; Somer Pettet of Watkins Glen

Week Nineteen Winners: Jason Hubbell of Odessa-Montour; Ernie Brennan of Watkins Glen.

Week Twenty Winners: Cassie Fitch at Odessa-Montour; Taylor Chaffee and Chris Hong at Watkins Glen.

Week Twenty-One Winners: Cassie Fitch and Todd Kautz at Odessa-Montour; Sophie Peters and Luke Buckman at Watkins Glen

Week Twenty-Two Winners: Aaron Linton and Jesse Johnson at Odessa-Montour; Somer Pettet at Watkins Glen.

Week Twenty-Three Winners: Aaron Linton and Rebecca Ayers at Odessa-Montour; Somer Pettet and Luke Buckman at Watkins Glen.

Week Twenty-Four Winners: Katey Cheplick and Kala Rounds at Odessa-Montour; Mark Fraboni and Jordan Niver-Johnson at Watkins Glen.

Week Twenty-Five Winners: Jordan Eaves at Odessa-Montour; Phillip Kellogg at Watkins Glen.

Week Twenty-Six Winners: Michele Kenney at Odessa-Montour; Brandon Kottwitz and Shelby Olafson at Watkins Glen.

Week Twenty-Seven Winners: Michele Kenney at Odessa-Montour; Somer Pettet at Watkins Glen.

Week Twenty-Eight Winners: Michele Kenney at Odessa-Montour; Brandon Kottwitz at Watkins Glen.

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Previous Athletes of the Year:

Watkins Glen: Courtney Warren (2004-05), Michelle Thorpe (2005-06), Jaclyn Conklin (2006-07)

Odessa-Montour: Katie Taber (2004-05), Katie Taber (2005-06), Bobby Potter (2006-07)

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2006-07 Seasonal MVPs:

Schuyler Fall MVP: Jaclyn Conklin, Watkins Glen

Schuyler Winter MVP: Sparky Gardner, Odessa-Montour

Schuyler Spring MVP: Michele Kenney, Odessa-Montour

2007-08 Seasonal MVPs:

Schuyler Fall MVP: Makenzi Alling, Odessa-Montour

Schuyler Winter MVP: Somer Pettet, Watkins Glen

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Note to Athletes: While each week's decisions are based on performance, matters of leadership and sportsmanship -- which include attitude -- are also factored in, and can make the difference in who is honored, and who isn't.