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Months of hard work on and off the court or field lead up to one moment local high school athletes are waiting for – who will become Athlete of the Year?
Allentown Central Catholic High School’s Emerson Springs and Southern Lehigh High School’s Sean Steckert were named the 2026 Female and Male Athletes of the Year, respectively, by Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute, part of Jefferson Health.
Both Springs and Steckert have impressive track records as multi-sport athletes and hearts focused on serving their communities. Each was awarded a $10,000 scholarship based on their athletic accomplishments, community involvement and academic excellence.
Volleyball has been a central part of Springs’ life since the fifth grade. She was nominated Athlete of the Week for her 1,000th kill and for being the top hitter in District 11 with 6.7 kills per set. She also led the Allentown Central Catholic Vikettes to a 6-0 record without losing a set.
“It was such a special moment finding out that I won this scholarship,” Springs says. “It meant so much to me and my family.”
Through her involvement with the Central City Project , Springs tended to the Amy Sullivan Memorial Garden and harvested vegetables to stock local food pantries. She also helped make homemade salsa to give to community members experiencing homelessness.
Springs achieved summa cum laude or cum laude honors every semester of high school and served as the Allentown Central Catholic High School president. This fall, she will be attending Bucknell University where she will play volleyball and pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology.
As the football captain for the Southern Lehigh Spartans, Steckert was nominated for Athlete of the Week for setting a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association championship game record with 301 rushing yards in the Spartans’ 43-21 win over the Twin Valley Raiders. The Spartans won the Class 4A title and Steckert carried the ball 37 times in the game, scoring four touchdowns.
“It is an absolute honor to be nominated for this award, especially with all of the great nominations that have been out there,” Steckert says.
He also cares deeply about connecting with his local community – from talking with neighbors, inviting people to get together as well as listening to and sharing advice with those who need support. Alongside his family, Steckert helped serve Thanksgiving Day meals to those experiencing homelessness.
Off the field, Steckert earned high honors each year of high school and received the Scholar Athlete Award from Southern Lehigh High School. This fall, Steckert will be attending East Stroudsburg University where he will continue playing football.
Athlete of the Year is the grand finale to The Morning Call’s Athlete of the Week program, sponsored by Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute, part of Jefferson Health. The 35-week program gives the community an opportunity to vote for three male and three female student-athletes weekly. Each weekly male and female winner receives a $500 scholarship. This year, there were 70 winners.
“One of the many ways in which we partner with our community is through the Athlete of the Week recognition, culminating in the Athlete of the Year awards,” says Thomas Graham, MD , Chief of Jefferson Orthopedics and Physician in Chief of Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute. “The entire Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute team congratulates these student-athletes on their outstanding accomplishments. We’re proud to contribute to their success on and off the field.”
