This fall, Cleveland High School had a total of five student-athletes make the all-PIL first team, and five make second team for their respective sports. Additionally, sophomore forward Eleanor Cohen was named Co-PIL Player of the Year in soccer.
Senior Brendan Treat, a center midfielder for Cleveland, was named to the all-PIL second team for boys soccer, thanks to his abilities on defense. Treat has been playing soccer since he was six, and he just finished his fourth year playing for Cleveland and his second year as a varsity player.
Treat told the Clarion, “My proudest moment playing for Cleveland was being named captain, and being a team leader this past season.”
Sophomore Oscar Johnson, another midfielder for the boys soccer team, was selected for the all-PIL first team. Johnson had a stellar first season on varsity, with five goals and two assists.
He said his favorite moment from the season was “scoring my first varsity goal,” a game-winning free kick against Willamette.
When asked about the team’s performance this season, Johnson said, “We lost a lot of good players from last year, but we did a good job overcoming challenges and playing up to better competition.”
Cohen was also selected for the all-PIL first team. She was the leading goal scorer for girls soccer team despite missing some games early on due to a concussion.
“My favorite moment was my first game back after my concussion, against Lincoln. I scored in that game, and it was just really fun being back on the field,” Cohen said.
She also told the Clarion that being named player of the year as just a sophomore was “really exciting. It was a nice surprise.”
Lola Pierce, a senior forward for the girls soccer team, was also named to the first team despite an injury early in the season. Pierce has been on varsity all four years of her high school career and will continue to play soccer at the Division 1 level next year for Gonzaga University.
Freshman Valentina Vaughn was named to the all-PIL second team for girls soccer, thanks to her defensive abilities. She was one of three freshmen chosen.
“I think it was hard early on because of injuries, but we bounced back and had a good season otherwise,” Vaughn said when asked about the team’s performance.
Warriors goalie Lloy Bartolottti was picked for the all-PIL second team this season, her second time being selected. Bartolotti played all four seasons of her high school career on varsity. She had a stellar league campaign, with four shutouts in seven league games.
Junior Karin Lee was named to the PIL first team for her performance as an outside hitter this season in volleyball.
Lee said, “I was really happy with the team’s overall performance this year. We were the closest to playoffs that we have been in my three years on varsity. We had a lot of grit and we connected on a deeper level,” she said, adding, “My proudest moment was beating McDaniel in five sets.”
Lee went on to say, “I think this year was a rebuilding season because we had very few returning players.”
Running back for Cleveland’s football team, senior Max Copus, was selected for the all-PIL second team. Many players and fans at Cleveland believe Copus should have been picked for the first team, but may have been hindered by the team’s record.
Senior Peter Bamer said, “Max would have been on PIL’s first team if we had won a couple more league games.”
Bamer was named to the honorable mention team, despite leading the PIL in sacks.
Junior Kai Jensen was picked for the all-PIL CrossCountry First Team thanks to his sixth-place finish at the state championship meet and 5K personal record of 14 minutes and 58 seconds.
Jensen said, “My favorite moment from the season was the first race of the season when I won the night meet, which is a race for all the juniors in the state.”
Finally, Charlotte Gardner was named to the all-PIL second team for cross country. Gardner placed 66th at the state championship meet with a time of 20 minutes and 12 seconds.
