The Grapevine

by Martin McConnell

Independence High School alumna Alyssa Hoffert Walters competed in the Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run from July 30 to July 31. This annual race is held in Northeast Ohio, traveling through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Summit Metro Parks. Walters placed first among women and eighth overall.

Fellow IHS alum and current Cleveland Heights English teacher, football coach, and wrestling coach Alex Scotton also competed in the race. Both Walters and Scotton finished the event in less than 48 hours.

Independence crowned three local homeowners as the winners of the annual Home Beautification contest on Aug. 6.

The home beautification awards went to Rob Edwards (6895 Brecksville Rd.), John and Marian Newton (6916 Brettin Dr.), and Lisa Adams (5335 Arbor Ct.) Each of the three homeowners thoroughly impressed the panel of judges in areas such as property management, use of landscaping and general environmental friendliness.

Pickleball has taken the recreational sports world by storm over the past year, and was even named the official sport of Washington state in March 2022. As a mix of wiffleball and tennis, its accessibility to all ages has made pickleball the fastest growing sport in the world.

The city held a pickleball round robin tournament on Aug. 6 during Home Days. The mixed doubles tournament took place at the Elmwood Park pickleball courts, a new addition to the 46-acre park. The team of Emma Wensink and Kyle Striebel defeated brothers John and Jerry Veres in the finals, with each winner receiving a $50 gift card.

Nolan Michaels was one of a school-record total of 297 Bloomsburg University student-athletes to be named a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete for 2021-22. Michaels is a member of the men’s soccer team at Bloomsburg. To be eligible, the 2021-22 student-athletes must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 upon completion of the academic year.

Through Baldwin Wallace University’s Study Abroad Center’s independent study program, Miranda Lyons, an Independence High School alumna, traveled to London, England, for an individualized immersion experience at Kingston University. Kingston is a public research university located in Kingston upon Thames in southwest London.

Kimberly Rega, of Independence, received her undergraduate degree from Capital University in May. She also was named to the President’s List for the spring 2022 semester. To be named to the President’s List, students must have achieved a grade point average of at least 3.85.

John Eisenmann, Independence High School class of 2021, made the spring 2022 semester Dean’s List at The Ohio State University with a 4.0 GPA. John is majoring in biological engineering.

Tyler Polman, of Independence, received a BS in Exercise Science and Physiology from Youngstown State University this spring. ∞