Leah Onia says Liberty High School meant everything to her over the last four years. In those four years, she did just about everything a student-athlete could do for the school.
She may have been a standout on the Hurricanes softball and swimming teams, but Onia was involved in so much more both at Liberty and in the Bethlehem community.
Among the activities was her work with Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Also, she was a St. Luke’s University Health Network junior volunteer and greeted and assisted families and patients at the front desk and also did a variety of other activities such as supporting the NICU staff with stocking and equipment and being a patient advocate in the oncology unit.
In all, she put in more than 600 volunteer hours.
She was also the president of the Future Medical Professionals Club and a co-chair of the National Honor Society Special Olympics committee all the while earning a 4.744 GPA and being ranked 18th in a class of 536.
Somehow, she also found the time to become a four-year letterwinner in two sports while also participating for club teams such as Northwest Explosion and Force 18U in softball and the Hanover Stingrays in swimming.
Her hard work was recognized with the Lamp of Knowledge Award, the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference’s softball scholar-athlete award, the Association of Bethlehem School Administrators’ Award and the Roxanne and Mark Benetsky memorial scholarship among many other accolades.
And, she can now add one more. Onia is The Morning Call’s softball ambassador of the year for 2026.
Onia was a second-team all-league selection in the EPC’s Northampton County division after hitting .466 with 13 extra-base hits, including five home runs, and driving in 27 runs for the Hurricanes, who went 11-11, 9-7 in the EPC this spring.
But her value went well beyond the diamond.
“Leah is one of those players you love to have around you,” said Liberty coach Sam Carrodo. “She is constantly trying to improve herself and those around her. Her attitude toward her team is unrivaled. She is fiercely focused and intense on the field whether it’s a game or practice.”
Onia reciprocated the praise, saying, “I couldn’t have asked for a better coaching staff. Even though we didn’t get the outcome we wanted, we all connected as teammates and grew bonds as friends. It was an incredible experience to be with teammates like Addy Smith and McKenna Beck for all four years.”
She said her philosophy is to “always put others before yourself.”
“No matter what, it’s going to be hard, and you are going to have mental challenges with the game and yourself,” she said. “At the end of the day, it’s what the team can do and how you can support each other and pick each other up.”
Onia did that at Liberty and wants to do it again as she heads to the University of Scranton to continue her swimming career. While her love of softball hasn’t waned, swimming is more of a passion.
“Swimming has always been a part of my life; I started when I was 3 or 4,” she said.
Onia will undoubtedly make the same positive impression at Scranton that she made at Liberty where she won the Hurricanes’ swim coaches award the last three years and placed in the top four in the 100 breaststroke at the District 11 meet in each of the past three years and was part of a second-place medley relay team last year.
Just like her softball coaches, she has nothing but great things to say about longtime Liberty swim coach Reik Foust, who is one of the most successful coaches in District 11 swimming history.
“Coach Foust has been my coach for so many years I can’t even count them,” Onia said. “From little rec swimming all the way through high school, he has been an incredible mentor and so incredibly supportive.”
Foust, Carrodo and all of the coaches Onia had at Liberty will be rooting for her as she goes to Scranton and pursues her athletic and academic careers with a focus on becoming a doctor. She will be a biology/pre-med major.
Carrodo, a member of the Lehigh Valley Softball Hall of Fame, said Onia is one of the most special young ladies he has ever coached.
“I could always count on Leah positively changing the game at some point,” he said. “I will miss her very much, but she knows I will always be there for her. The University of Scranton is getting an amazing young woman.”
Onia acknowledges the importance of athletics in her life but has a larger perspective.
“Athletics will always be a part of my life, but there is so much more outside athletics that will carry you far,” she said. “Through my volunteer work and trying to be a mentor to younger kids, I have learned a lot. I think it’s important to find things you are passionate about because you can learn life lessons everywhere; lessons that you can take with you that will help you in everything you do in your life.”
Liberty’s Leah Onia slides into 3rd base as Freedom’s Maia D’Amico tries to catch the ball and make the tag on Thursday, May 30, 2024, during the District 11 6A softball championship at Patriots Park in Allentown.
(April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
2025: Alaina Weaver, Nazareth
2024: Delaney Troxell, Catasauqua
2023: Julia Heineman, Freedom
2022: Kate Gontkosky, Parkland
2021: Lindsey Nemeth, Northampton
Class Act Award winner
Emma Freeman, Northwestern Lehigh
Northwestern Lehigh’s pitcher Emma Freeman and catcher Abby Dunstan exchange high fives after an inning against Notre Dame Green Pond on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, during a Colonial League semifinal softball game at Cynthia L. Blaschak Field at Cedar Crest College in Allentown. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Freeman was a standout pitcher for the Tigers for four years and helped the team go 91-17, win two Colonial League and one District 11 championship while also earning six state playoff wins that got the team to the state semis three straight years.
While the 2026 season didn’t end with the appearance in the state finals that the team coveted, it was a golden era for Northwestern Lehigh softball and at the center of it was Freeman.
She and catcher Abby Dunstan formed arguably the best battery in local softball.
But besides being a catalyst in the pitching circle and at the plate, the Shippensburg-bound Freeman was a class act who led her team through example.
“My time at Northwestern was amazing,” she said. “I would not have wanted to go anywhere else and spend my four years at any other high school. It did go by real fast, but if I could go back, I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m grateful for everything.”
Freeman, who was also a standout basketball player for Tigers coach Chris Deutsch, dealt with injury issues as both a junior and senior. She never used being less than 100% as an excuse and did what she could to help her team.
“Now, as I look back, getting to the state semis three straight years was a hard thing to do,” she said. “We wanted to go farther, but just getting to the state semis three straight years was an accomplishment in itself.”
In 2026, she dealt with arm discomfort all season, but persevered while not getting to pitch as much as she did in her first three seasons.
“I was able to adapt to playing at second base, which I hadn’t done before,” Freeman said. “We used some different pitching combinations with Lizzie Diehl and Ainsley Behler, and it worked in our favor because the opponents didn’t know what was coming. It wasn’t the best way to end my career, but I wanted to do what was best for the team. Honestly, I just wanted us to win whether I was pitching, playing second base, playing the outfield or sitting on the bench. I wanted to be supportive and help us win. I love winning.”
Spirit award
Northampton shortstop Kiley Henritzy gets under an infield pop up against Tunkhannock on Friday. FRANK LAURI / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Kiley Henritzy, Northampton
The best teammates are there for their team even when things haven’t gone their way as an individual.
Henritzy, who was Northampton’s junior shortstop this spring, stayed upbeat through the good times and the not-so-good. She was always encouraging her team, boosting team spirit and making sure to turn the page to the next pitch, next play, next game.
“Growing up, I was taught that whatever sport I play, I would not allow that sport to define me,” she said. “I can’t live my life thinking this is all I can do. I don’t want people just to know me only as a softball player. I just want to be a good person.”
She had a good season, hitting .300, but like any player, there were ups and downs.
“But my whole team had my back and even when certain things didn’t go my way, I chose to look at the positive side,” she said. “There’s nothing more I can do. I don’t want to be down. I don’t want to be sad. What good is that going to do for me? I want to be upbeat and celebrating with my team. I never want to be selfish. I always want to be positive.”
Henritzy was involved on the final play of the District 11 6A title win over Emmaus. She couldn’t come up with a ball hit to her at shortstop, but second baseman JoJo Siegfried backed up the play, retrieved the ball and fired home to catcher Hannah Duerr who made the tag for title-clinching out.
Henritzy may get some extra scrutiny because her mother, Kristy, is Northampton’s coach.
“I am grateful to be playing for my mom, but I know she doesn’t single me out,” she said. “In fact, I think she might be harder on me than anyone else. When we step on the field, I am a player and she’s the coach. Our connection is good, but she has the same connection with every girl on our team because she cares about her players, our team and our sport. She works hard on building relationships with all of them.”
Coach Henritzy said, “I am proud of her because Kiley has been great about sharing me with all of her teammates and she has great relationships with them as well. There are many times I am spending more time with other players than I am with her. I am sure people will have something to say, but we try to build relationships with all of our players, and we try to build a strong family dynamic. That’s a big reason why we won the district championship.”