CCDS Celebrates Athletic Excellence Across Generations at Hall of Fame Ceremony
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME CEREMONY | PHOTO GALLERY
For a century, athletics at Cincinnati Country Day School have been about far more than wins and records. As Head of School Rob Zimmerman `98 reminded attendees at the 2026 Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, "Athletics have never been merely ornamental here. From the beginning, athletics were deemed an essential component of a Country Day education. Athletics are classrooms of character, and character development was the very purpose of the school at its founding."
That philosophy was on full display as Country Day honored four inductees – Joey Fritz `10, Elizabeth Blackburn `11, Cam Alldred `15, and Tony Strauss `57 – alongside 10 student-athlete record breakers and three 12-season athletes. Together, they represent generations of student-athletes who carried forward the relay of Country Day athletics, one in which students discover they are responsible to other people and to the standard handed down by those who came before them.
Ellie Albers `27, Gabriel Benitez `26, Caroline Connelly `26, Katherine Connelly `26, Alyssa Easter `26, Thomas Huckleby `28, William Lothmann `26, Brandon Proffitt `26, Luke Schnieber `27, and Jason Starodub `26 all broke school records during the 2025-26 school year. Seniors Katherine Connelly, Greta Varga, and Zsofia Varga each participated in athletics during every season of their high school careers. "They remind us that our tradition is more than simply our past; it is happening now, in real time, in the lives of students who compete."
The ceremony celebrated not only extraordinary athletic achievement, but also the balance and community that define the Country Day experience.
For Joey Fritz `10, that balance proved transformational. One of the most accomplished tennis players in school history, Fritz still holds the school record for career match victories with more than 100 wins and later became an NCAA Division III singles champion at Amherst College.
Speaking virtually from Singapore, Fritz reflected on the way Country Day nurtured both his competitive drive and intellectual curiosity. "What comes to mind is the healthy balance of tennis and learning. My experience at Country Day gave me a love of learning that perfectly balanced my athletics experience. Very few schools can offer that all-around experience for their students."
That foundation shaped decisions throughout his life, including choosing Amherst over larger Division I tennis programs. Fritz and his mother, Jane Fritz `78, who introduced him during the ceremony and is also a former trustee and staff member, credited Country Day's teachers and coaches for ensuring he could pursue elite athletics without sacrificing academic rigor.
Elizabeth Blackburn `11 embodied that same spirit of all-around excellence. A five-sport varsity athlete, Blackburn earned All-MVC honors in tennis, swimming, and track while representing Country Day at the state level in both tennis and swimming.
Former coach Lynne Schneebeck `84 praised Blackburn's leadership, work ethic, and sportsmanship, calling her "an outstanding student-athlete and a wonderful representative of Country Day. She competed not only for herself but for her teammates and her friends, while balancing athletics with the rigorous academic and social expectations of Country Day."
In prerecorded remarks, Blackburn said, "Country Day's unique and supportive ethos gave me the freedom and encouragement to try new sports and truly explore my full potential. Life is a team sport; so many things cannot be accomplished alone. As someone who loves sports and truly believes in the power of athletics to teach, connect, and inspire, this honor means everything to me."
For Cam Alldred `15, athletics created lifelong memories and relationships. A standout three-sport athlete who reached Major League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2022 and still pitches professionally, Alldred reflected on the friendships and shared experiences that defined his CCDS career, following his introduction by Tim Dunn, legendary Country Day coach, teacher, and fellow Athletic Hall of Fame inductee.
"I have tremendous gratitude for those who helped me along the way, especially my coaches for pushing me, motivating me, and occasionally yelling at me. They helped shape me into the athlete I am today, but, more importantly, the person I am. To my teammates, thank you for making every practice fun and every game – as well as the locker room banter, pregame meals, and bus rides – unforgettable. We grew up together," Alldred said in remarks from Mexico, where he currently pitches for the Saltillo Saraperos. Speaking directly to the students in attendance, he encouraged them to "enjoy the moments while you're in them; these are the 'good old days.'"
The ceremony also honored the lasting legacy of Tony Strauss `57, who devoted nearly half a century to Country Day as both a teacher and coach. Strauss competed in five sports as a student before returning to CCDS in 1963 and spending 44 years mentoring generations of student-athletes.
Former colleagues Theresa "Hirsch" Hirschauer and Merle Black described Strauss as someone who fully embodied "the Country Day Way," emphasizing involvement, integrity, character, and commitment to students beyond the playing field. "Every school needs its hall of famers, the people whose life's work embodies the school's values. That person was, without a doubt, Tony Strauss," said Hirsch. Merle echoed that sentiment. "At Country Day, no teacher stood higher in the judgment of the faculty than Tony Strauss."
Accepting the honor on his behalf, Strauss's wife, Gerri, reflected on his lifelong devotion to the school. "He loved this school with a passion I cannot even begin to explain to you. Country Day was part of every day of our lives."
Zimmerman closed the ceremony by connecting the honorees across generations of Country Day athletics. "You make us proud, whether you carried the banner in the 1950s or carry it today."
12-season athletes:
Katherine Connelly `26: tennis, swimming, lacrosse, flag football
Greta Varga `26: tennis, swimming, lacrosse, flag football
Zsofia Varga `26: tennis, swimming, lacrosse, flag football
2025-26 record breakers:
Ellie Albers `27 (volleyball): most kills in a season (236)
Gabriel Benitez `26 (boys soccer): most saves in a career (442) most saves in a season (146)
Caroline and Katherine Connelly `26 (girls tennis): most double matches won in a career (40) and season (21)
Alyssa Easter `26 (girls soccer): most saves in a career (509), season (215), and a game (20)
Thomas Huckleby `28 (football): most receptions in a career (115), more receiving yards in a career (1,819), and most touchdown receptions in a career (22)
William Lothmann `26 (track & field): best boys' 400-meter dash (49.76)
Brandon Proffitt `26 (football): most punt return yards in a career (417)
Luke Schnieber `27 (track and field): best boys' pole vault (17'1.25")
Jason Starodub `26 (swimming): best boys' 100-yard backstroke time (52.62)
