Boys Cross Country: Grant Breger

After missing nearly his entire cross country season last year with a hip injury, Cleveland senior Grant Breger put together one of the most impressive comeback stories in recent program history. Breger spent months cross-training, lifting, and rebuilding consistency. “That consistency of always working hard is what led to a good season,” he said.

The hard work has paid off. Breger placed sixth at the PIL district meet, one of his best races of the year. “My mindset going in was all confidence,” he said. “I just thought that I could be in that top group, and I hung on as long as I could.” This performance is even more impressive since he got 37th at the junior varsity district meet his junior year.

Breger is leaving the program with quite a legacy. He ran a school record 3k time at the “Night Meet” in August and the second-fastest 5k time at “The Mook XC Invite at Alderbrook.” He now turns toward indoor track in the winter and high school track in the spring.

Girls Soccer: Ella Cohen

On the girls soccer team, junior midfielder and team captain Ella Cohen emerged as one of Cleveland’s most reliable leaders this fall, helping guide a young varsity team. With more than a dozen goals on the year, Cohen followed up her sophomore season honor as PIL Co-Offensive Player of the Year by earning First Team All-PIL again as a junior, solidifying herself as one of the top forwards in the state going into her senior season.

“This season was a lot of fun,” Cohen said. “It didn’t go the way we wanted, but we had a good group of girls. I’m happy I got through it all injury-free.”

Stepping into leadership roles as an upperclassman and captain was big. Cohen said, “It meant a lot that my teammates thought of me that way.” 

Now shifting into the club season, she’s playing with new goals in mind. For next season, she wants to earn First Team All-League honors once again, as well as help Cleveland to return to the playoffs in her final high school season. Prepare to see her out on the pitch torching top PIL competition through next fall.