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LEHIGH VALLEY WEATHER
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LVRR awards scholarships to local athletes

Published August 12. 2026 11:37AM

The Lehigh Valley Road Runners is the outlet where many great athletes get their start.

The club holds races and events where adults and children can compete or just run for enjoyment.

The LVRR supports runners at every level.

In the mid-1980s, it began awarding college scholarships to local runners.

Four decades later, the club has expanded its giving and now offers several different types of scholarships to athletes from all parts of the Lehigh Valley.

This year’s awards were announced last month at a ceremony at the LVRR Clubhouse in the Little Lehigh Parkway in Allentown. Twenty-five athletes from 13 area high schools applied for awards this year with five of them earning scholarships.

This year’s winners include Central Catholic’s William Haring (LVRR Scholarship 1), Emmaus’ Madelyn McCartney (LVRR Scholarship 2), Parkland’s Kaley Seide (LVRR Scholarship 3), Wilson Area’s Jeffrey Sunderlin (LVRR Scholarship 4) and Dieruff’s Aniya Holder (Trailblazer Scholarship).

Haring was part of back-to-back District 11 team titles. Individually he earned gold medals in spring and fall as the Class 2A champ in cross country and two track and field events (the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs).

The Viking earned First Team All-EPC honors twice and holds his school record in the 3,200 (9:50.66).

Haring plans to attend Widener University and major in mechanical engineering.

McCartney, who ran to a PIAA Class 3A cross country title last fall, set a new standard in a program that already had a long history of success.

She holds every girls distance running record at Emmaus High School after leading her teams for four years since stepping onto the high school teams.

McCartney was a three-year league MVP in cross country and three-time state medalist. She also earned state medals in track and field, including a second-place overall finish in the state 3,200 championships in 2025 while running a school record time.

McCartney is headed to the University of Kentucky to study health sciences.

Seide has been one of Parkland’s top sprinters and jumpers for her entire high school career.

After winning a state title as part of a relay team in 2025, an injury derailed Seide’s senior season in the sprints. But she rehabbed and returned in long jump late in the season, eventually earning her first individual state medal in the event after landing her career best jump at the state championships.

A former gymnast, Seide earned five District 11 gold medals in track and field during her career.

Seide will attend Rider University to study health sciences in the pre-physician assistant track.

Sunderlin is not only a versatile athlete who has earned letters in tennis, soccer, cross country and track and field, he’s also deeply involved in the drama program at Wilson.

The 2026 District 11 cross country champ is a three-time state qualifier in cross country, a two-time Colonial League champ in the 3,200 and a one-time league champ in both the individual 1,600 and 3,200 relay.

He earned the Warrior Service award for his active participation in school functions and leading the crowd at sporting events.

Sunderlin is headed to Wesleyan University to major in either engineering or theater/film production.

Holder is just the second recipient of the Trailblazer Scholarship, which was started last year to assist athletes from the Allentown School District and to provide incentive for first-generation college-bound student-athletes.

A sprinter and hurdler, Holder was her team’s MVP in 2024 and 2025. She earned a District 11 title in the 400 and finished second in the state in the event. She is just the sixth athlete in Dieruff history to attain 100 first-place finishes during her high school career.

Holder leaves east Allentown as the owner of seven school track and field records.

Holder will attend the University of Iowa to major in exercise science.

LVRR Scholarship Committee members include Meredith Longo, Wendy Lee, Barbara Deffley, Terry Norcott-Gibbons, Dot Ouellette and Jackie Karpow.

Athletes interested in applying for LVRR scholarships can learn more at lvrr.org/scholarships/.

PRESS PHOTO BY GRACE DEPPEEmmaus High School gradaute and 2025 PIAA cross country champion Madelyn McCartney (right) will continue her running career at the University of Kentucky. She was presented her scholarship check by Lehigh Valley Road Runner Scholarship Committee member Jackie Karpow.
PRESS PHOTO BY GRACE DEPPEParkland High School graduate Kaley Seide (right) will continue her track and field career at Rider University. Presenting her scholarship check is LVRR Scholarship Committee member Terry Norcott-Gibbons (left).
PRESS PHOTO BY GRACE DEPPECentral Catholic’s William Haring (left) will continue his running career at Widener University. He was presented his scholarship check by LVRR Scholarship Committee member Dot Ouellette (right).
PRESS PHOTO BY GRACE DEPPEWilson Area High School’s Jeffrey Sunderlin (left) will continue his running career at Weslyan University. Presenting his scholarship check was LVRR Scholarship Committee member Barbary Deffley (right).
PRESS PHOTO BY GRACE DEPPEDieruff High School’s Aniya Holder (right) will continue her track and field career at the University of Iowa. Lehigh Valley Road Runners Scholarship Committee member Jackie Karpow (left) presented Holder’s scholarship.
PRESS PHOTO BY GRACE DEPPEMeredith Longo of the Lehigh Valley Scholarship Committee introduced this year’s winners at a recent ceremony at the LVRR Clubhouse in the Lehigh Valley Parkway.
PRESS PHOTO BY GRACE DEPPEThe 2026 Lehigh Valley Road Runners scholarship winners are (left to right) Kaley Seide (Parkland), Jeffrey Sunderlin (Wilson), William Haring (Central Catholic), Madelyn McCartney (Emmaus) and Aniya Holder (Dieruff).