UPMC in North Central Pa. honored local student-athletes at the 2026 Student Athlete Perseverance Awards (SAPA) ceremony, hosted by UPMC Sports Medicine.

The annual event recognized students from across the region for the determination and resilience they showed in recovering from injuries or other setbacks and returning to play with a positive attitude.

“The SAPA ceremony was an opportunity to recognize the grit and determination these student-athletes showed throughout their recovery journeys,” said Michael Ludwikowski, manager, Athletic Training and Development, UPMC Sports Medicine in North Central Pa. “Their commitment, along with the support of their families, coaches, schools, and care teams, helped them overcome challenges and continue pursuing the sports they love.”

The 2026 SAPA honorees are:

• Bucktail Area High School – Kylie Lebo

• Central Mountain High School – Ricky Rohrbach

• Cowanesque Valley High School – Max Millard

• Hughesville Jr./Sr. High School – Dylan McConnell

• Jersey Shore Area Senior High School – Zeke Sechrist

• Loyalsock Township High School – Ryan Lingg

• Montgomery Area High School – Logan Joy

• Montoursville Area High School – Jacob Schon

• Muncy High School – Nathan Rogers

• North Penn-Liberty/North Penn-Mansfield – Ryder Breon

• South Williamsport Jr./Sr. High School – Maddie Pinkerton

• St. John Neumann Regional Academy – Zairek Gohl

• Sullivan County High School – Zoey Reese

• Wellsboro High School – Mason Nowak

• Williamsport Area High School – Trace Town

• Williamsport Area High School – Zion Hughes

• Williamson High School – Barrett Heyler

Honorees are selected by certified athletic trainers who work closely with students throughout the school year and witness firsthand the effort it takes to recover, rehabilitate, and continue competing.

The Champions Cup is an additional, fun award set up in a “points for winning district and state titles” format.

All UPMC-contracted schools elect both boys’ and girls’ interscholastic teams they think will have successful athletics seasons for the upcoming year. The schools that accumulated the most points throughout the year were awarded a traveling trophy cup they can display for the upcoming school year.

This year’s Champions Cup recipients were: Small Division – Montgomery Area High School; Large Division – Hughesville Jr./Sr. High School.

UPMC Sports Medicine provides comprehensive care for athletes of all ages across north central Pennsylvania, including injury prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and return-to-play support. To learn more about sports medicine services available in the region, visit UPMC.com/SportsMedicineNCPA.