The CORE Butte gymnasium was filled with applause and pride on Thursday, November 6th, as student-athletes, coaches, and families (and the CORE Insider) gathered for the annual Fall Sports Awards Night. Beginning at 6:00 p.m., the event honored athletes from all four of CORE’s fall programs, soccer, varsity and JV volleyball, and cross country, for their achievements, dedication, and perseverance throughout the season.
Athletic Director and Varsity Volleyball Coach Stephanie Haas opened the evening by welcoming the crowd and reflecting on the athletes’ efforts over the past several months.
“We are excited to host our annual Fall Sports Awards Night and honor our volleyball, soccer, and cross country athletes,” Haas said. “After long seasons, some of which are still going on, our athletes have demonstrated determination, persistence, and grit. Although there are many reasons to celebrate, some most notable achievements include league championship victories for boys and girls cross country, several all-league selected players, and a volleyball league MVP.”
The event brought together nearly the entire CORE athletic community. Athletes were seated in the front row chairs, and families and community members filled the bleachers behind them. Each athlete received a round of applause as their name was called.
Soccer
The evening’s first recognition went to the CORE Butte co-ed soccer team, led by Head Coach Chris Spears, Assistant Coach Jason Jueckstock, and two others. Coach Spears reflected on the team’s resilience through a season marked by early challenges.
“This season was a bit of an anomaly for us,” Spears said. “We graduated seven seniors, six of whom were starters, so it was a big hurdle for us to fill those positions with new players. We started with all away games while waiting for our new field to be ready, but once we were home, it was fantastic. Through it all, we ended up 6-1-1 and competitive in every game.”
Coach Jason giving seniors Brianna and Ashlynn Hayes their awards.
Following Spears’ speech, Coach Jueckstock presented the soccer awards to the following players:
Most Improved Player: Sophomore Benjamin Feather
Defensive Player of the Year: Senior Ashlynn Hayes
Offensive Player of the Year: Senior Brianna Hayes
Most Valuable Player: Junior Carsten Balint
Both Ashlynn and Brianna Hayes received All-League honors for their outstanding performances and leadership.
Cross Country
Cross country coach Ernie Freer spoke next with humor and admiration for his team as he reflected on the program’s long and successful season. He highlighted the endurance and dedication his runners displayed throughout the year.
“Cross country is a long season,” Freer said. “Some of our varsity runners have been training since early June – running 30 to 35 miles a week for over 20 weeks. That’s about 700 miles total. These kids really put in the work.”
Freer also celebrated the team’s accomplishments at the Mid-Valley League Championships, where CORE Butte’s varsity boys and girls both claimed league titles. The girls earned their third consecutive championship, while the boys captured their first in program history.
Sophomore Luke Schooling and his Coach Ernie Freer
Cross country award recipients:
Spirit of the Lynx Award: Senior Katelyn Copper
Epic Attitude Award: Sophomore Luke Schooling
Outstanding Varsity Runner: Senior Brianna Hayes
Coach’s Award: Senior Amanda Mabie
Outstanding Varsity Runner: Senior Adrik Dyer
Outstanding JV Runner: Freshman Lance Tennis
All-League Athletes: Senior Brianna Hayes, Senior Amanda Mabie, Sophmore Luke Schooling, Senior Brian Patton, and Senior Adrik Dyer.
Coach Freer concluded his remarks by encouraging his athletes to finish strong as the cross country season is still ongoing.
“We’ve got section finals next week, and if things go our way, we might even be on our way to state,” Freer said.
JV Volleyball
The JV volleyball team, coached by Allison Patton, came up next. Patton expressed appreciation for the parents and staff who supported the team throughout the season, particularly those who helped with travel, scorekeeping, and organizing team events.
Patton reflected on the team’s progress throughout the season.
“Early on, I could tell our biggest challenge was going to be getting a serve over the net consistently – but these girls stuck with it,” she said. “By the end of the season, everyone was serving strong, and the gym erupted when one of our players finally nailed her serve in practice.”
JV volleyball award recipients:
The JV Volleyball team.
Most Valuable Player: Sophomore Makaylia Nichols
Best Offensive Player: Freshman Polly Hansen
Best Defensive Player: Sophomore Serina Rogers
Lynx Award: Freshman Zoe Gibson
Patton closed her speech by commending her players for their hard work, teamwork, and growth.
“They’ve made tremendous progress this season,” she said. “I can’t wait to see how much stronger they’ll be next year.”
Varsity Volleyball
The final recognitions of the evening went to the varsity volleyball team, led by Coaches Stephanie Haas and Kelsey Klick. Both coaches brought their players up to stand beside them as they reflected on the team’s season and accomplishments.
Coach Klick summarized the team’s impressive campaign, which concluded with an 18–8 record and the #4 seed in the Division IV playoffs, the highest playoff ranking in the program’s history.
“Each of these girls improved week after week,” Klick said. “They gave it their all at every practice and every game. This was a special group.”
The varsity volleyball team, seniors holding their posters.
Varsity volleyball award recipients:
Lynx Award: Senior Bella Haselton
Coach’s Award: Senior Allison Freimuth
Heart & Hustle Award: Junior Elizabeth Jueckstock
League honors:
Seniors Gracy Rabo and Reagan Coates holding their posters.
Senior Apple Bolton – Five Star League MVP
Senior Macey Ascherman – All-League Player
Senior Reagan Coates – All-League Player
Junior Xiomara Gonzalez – All-League Player
Mrs. Haas expressed pride in the program’s continued growth.
“We took on teams in higher divisions this season and held our own,” she said. “These girls have set a new standard for CORE volleyball.”
Great job to all our talented student-athletes, and a special thank you to our senior athletes who have dedicated their final year to fall sports. Good luck to the cross country team as they finish off their season by the end of November. But whether their seasons have ended or not, every athlete honored on Thursday left the gym as part of something larger, they’ve built a growing tradition of excellence and pride at CORE Butte.
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adviser • Nov 12, 2025 at 12:29 pm
We have so much athletic talent packed into this small school!