This year’s Schuylkill County Female Scholar-Athlete Banquet was scheduled last month but was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

One scholar-athlete from each of the 15 participating schools was to be honored at the 36th annual event. Included among them were Panther Valley’s Gianna Steber, Marian’s Julia Kreisl and Tamaqua’s Lottie Mateyak.

Below are bios on each of the three area recipients:

Gianna Steber, Panther Valley

Steber ranks second in her class, and is PV’s National Honor Society president.

She is also the president of the school’s student council, as well as senior class treasurer and the secretary for the Future Business Leaders of America chapter.

Other school activites that Steber is involved with include the Scholastic Scrimmage team, Prom committee, Recycling Club, Envirothon team, STEP UP, and Harmony Scholars. As a sophomore, she was PV’s Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership representative, and she is also a student forum representative.

Steber was a senior caption on this year’s volleyball and basketball teams. She played four years for both teams, including the volleyball squad that won four straight district titles.

The Panther senior volunteers her time for Toys for Tots, at fire company breakfasts, and with Carbon County Special Olympics.

She is the daughter of Joseph and Gena Steber.

Julia Kreisl, Marian

A member of Marian’s National Honor Society and the 600 Scholar Club, Kreisl has been a student ambassador for four years.

The senior has also been involved with Green Club, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Future Business Leaders of America and the COLTS Club.

Kreisl was a four-year member of the basketball team, the cross country team, and the track and field team. In basketball this past season, she averaged 8.67 points per game and had a season high of 23 points against Oley Valley. She was a captain two years for the basketball team, and one year for cross country.

The teams she has been a part of have won district titles, and a league championship.

Kreisl plans to attend the Villanova University School of Business.

She is the daughter of Henry and Alexis Kreisl.

Lottie Mateyak, Tamaqua

Mateyak holds the distinction of being the president of four National Honor Society chapters (Engish, Spanish, mathematics and science) at Tamaqua, and is also the president of the senior class, Biology Club, Chemisty Club, World Language Club and Gardening Committee (which she co-founded).

The school’s Delrose Scholar Athlete participated in cross country and track and field. She also received the A. Boyer Memorial Scholarship and the Regional American Legion essay contest scholarship.

The senior is also invloved in many other extra curricular activities including Drama Club, Tamaqua Area Student Government, Enrichment and Science Olympiad. Environmental Club, BIGS Impact Group and Honor Card Review Committee.

Besides being president in those respective organizations, she is also the head librarian of the Tamaqua marching band, jazz band and concert band.

Mateyak, who attended the Penn State 2019 Medical Camp, plans to attend Allegheny College and major in neuroscience.