Swanville Public Schools’ Athletes of the Month in April

Swanville Public schools announced its April athletes of the month.

Sophomore Zac Johnson plays first base and pitcher for the Upsala/Swanville Patriots. He shows effort on improving his craft.

“Zac has been working his tail off in practice iand doing what has been asked of him,” said Head Coach Adam Gerads “He is currently third on the team in batting average with a .400 average. He has also pitched a few innings for us as well. He is an ultimate team player.”

JV baseball player of the month is sophomore Ethan Barthel. No matter where you put him on the field, he proves to give his 100%.

“Ethan has played multiple positions for the JV this Spring so far, but mainly catches and pitches,” said JV Assistant Coach Peter Suska. “Everything Ethan does is done with maximum effort”

The junior high baseball player of the month is Ryan Veldkamp. He’s been supportive to his teammate as well as willing to take on new roles.

“Ryan is a great kid to coach. He’s always looking to get better at the game, and cheers on his teammates. Coach Jason Lee said. “He’s helped out his team by deciding to try out catching, and he is figuring out the position fast.”

Reese Jackson is the Bulldogs varsity softball player of the month. Head Coach Mike Chuba said she’s already put up great numbers so far this season.

Reese is batting .526, tied team high with 10 hits, leads the team in (three-base hits) with three and has 12 RBI’s and 14 runs scored. Reese has been a great leader on and off the field and works really hard at improving her game at shortstop.”

The junior high softball player of the month is Ali Barthel. Coach Jordan Sales says Barthel’s leadership has been a big asset to the team.

“Ali’s commitment to teamwork and her eagerness to take on any task makes her an exceptional leader both on and off the field. With her remarkable skills and dedication, Ali consistently rises to the occasion, earning the trust and admiration of her teammates. Coaching Ali has been a true pleasure, and I eagerly anticipate witnessing her continued success throughout the remainder of the season.”

Junior Ethan Wimmer competes as a thrower for the USA Patriots track and field team. He’s already achieved season bests in 2024 and still looks to get better.

Ethan has made good progress on his throws from last year,” said head coach Pete Swisher. “He has season bests of 101-7 in the discus and 33-8 in the shot put. Best of all, he is not satisfied with those numbers and wants to improve them every meet.”

Mya Proell represents the girls team. The sophomore has improved as a sprinter for the Patriots.

“Mya is more comfortable this year after joining the track team last year’” Swisher said. “She has season bests of 8.28 in the 55 meter dash, 15.26 in the 100 meter dash, and 32.44 in the 200 meter dash. Mya is also a valuable relay runner.”