Lorain County Miss Softball: Multiple-sport standouts Kristen Kelley of Amherst and Lily Tomasheski of Midview share award

AMHERST — For the seventh time in the 32-year history of the Lorain County Miss Softball Award, one winner wasn't enough. Amherst's Kristen Kelley and Midview's Lily Tomasheski were named co-winners Wednesday night at a ceremony moved to Amherst High School due to expected bad weather. Both were impact players for their teams and both excelled in the classroom. Both are also multisport athletes. Kelley, who will attend Merrimack University to play basketball, batted .489 with 43 RBIs, 38 runs scored, six doubles, five triples and two home runs. She was also named honorable mention All-Ohio. Tomasheski, who will attend Cleveland State on a track scholarship, batted .575 with 42 RBIs, 10 doubles, four triples and two homers. She was also a two-time captain and a four-year letterwinner on the volleyball team. Amazingly, despite competing just one year in the shot put, she impressed CSU's coaches so much, she'll continue in the event for the Vikings. "I honestly didn't expect it," Tomasheski said of the Miss Softball award. "Definitely an honor to pick me." Her parents are Todd and Amy Tomasheski. "Everyone knows the Tomasheski name and she wears it very well," Midview coach Cassie Haight said. "I think Lily's goal was to play at the collegiate level and I don't think at the end of last year and this year what sport that was going to be in at that point in time. I think Lily just naturally works hard and that's the outcome when you work hard. Her dedication and hard work throughout her softball career paid off. She's the kind of athlete that can transition from one sport to another." Perhaps her biggest claim to fame may have been the day she set a personal record in the shot put at the Southwestern Conference track meet and then quickly suited up for softball, going 5-for-5 with three doubles, four runs scored and three RBIs in leading the Middies past Wadworth 16-6 in the DivisionI sectional finals. "It was a little bit nerve-wracking to go from one big event to another one," she said. "The adrenaline kind of pushed me to do better in both. It's been fun, it's been thrilling to do two sports. My parents are amazing getting me to all the sports and getting me to be on all the teams I needed. Putting in the extra work, like going to the batting cages, open gyms, working by myself — things like that." "Quite frankly, it makes me proud," said her father, Todd. "I've coached my daughter for 12 years and I've probably been the hardest on her. She's put in the work, she's put in the time. I can't think of anyone more deserving of it. As parents, we've pushed academics over athletics first and foremost and she's answered the call." Kelley, whose father Chris was a three-sport star at Lorain Catholic in the 1980s and is a member of the Lorain Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Akron Hall of Fame, credited growing up in an athletic family with a lot of her success. She had three older brothers (Kyle, Kevin and Casey) who showed her no favoritism in the neighborhood pickup games. Her mother, Jill, is the sister of John Srnis, a longtime area basketball, baseball and softball coach. "I honestly didn't expect it whatsoever," Kelley said. "My dad's a great athlete so I guess some of that got passed down to me. I'm going to play college basketball — maybe softball." Her brothers certainly played a role in her success. "Most girls would shy away from that but I feel growing up in that environment — you know — basketball in the basement — there were no rules," she said with a grin. "It toughened me up." "I'm just happy for her," said her father. "She's worked so hard playing two sports. She put the work in, the time in. It's nice to see her being rewarded." "All four years, she was a starter for us," Amherst softball coach Lacey Reichert said. "Two-time All-Ohioan, great center fielder — one of the best I've seen in Northeast Ohio. Team leader, offensive leader in many offensive categories, she was fun to coach, fun to have around, a blessing. "She could have played college softball. She definitely had some looks from people that were interested but her first love is basketball." Avon Lake's Avery Orille, Columbia's Elise Champagne, Elyria Catholic's Savanna Dixon, Keystone's Hannah Gurich and Avon's Grace Mangan, were named honorable mention for the Miss Softball award. Veteran coaches Tom Roth of Wellington and Bill Mathews of Amherst and Vermilion along with the husband and wife umpire team of Walt and Cheryl Opperman were elected into the Lorain County Coaches Softball Hall of Fame. The Oppermans have been staples of Lorain County softball and have been picked to officiate many state tournament games over the years. Contact Tim Gebhardt at (440) 329-7135 or timothygeb@msn.com. Miss Softball Winners 1992 — Heather Zehel, Amherst; Cassie Wilmoth, Firelands1993 — Ashley Anderson, Elyria1994 — Amy Johnson and Sarah Martin, Keystone1995 — Jamie Cendrosky, Keystone1996 — Laura Dragan, North Ridgeville; Tammy Yount, Elyria1997 — Kim Evans, Keystone1998 — Rachel Baran, Firelands1999 — Amie Leffew, Keystone2000 — Lacey Reichert, Amherst2001 — Megan Meyer, Vermilion2002 — Jess Jesko, Firelands2003 — Brittney Robinson, Keystone2004 — Christina Swiers, Amherst2005 — Alex Boros, Elyria2006 — Kristie Malinkey, Keystone2007 — Sarah Stromack, Keystone2008 — Jillian Van Wagnen, Admiral King2009 — Tess Sito, Elyria; Kara Dill, Keystone2010 — Melissa Rennie, Wellington2011 — Kristen Boros, Elyria2012 — Kenzie Conrad, Keystone2013 — Caitlyn Minney, Elyria2014 — Carleigh Herrington, Keystone2015 — Anna Edwards, Avon2016 — Summer Constable, Keystone2017 — Sammie Stefan, Keystone2018 — Madi Nunez, Keystone; Gabby Shackelford, Midview2019 — Sydney Campbell, Keystone2020 — No Award (season canceled, Covid)2021 — Madi Herrington, Keystone2022 — Cassidy Kettleman, Avon; Annika Bredel, Elyria Catholic2023 — Autumn Behlke, North Ridgeville2024 — Kristen Kelley, Amherst; Lily Tomesewski, Midview