The Daughters of Penelope Zoe Cavalaris Outstanding Female Athlete Award, established by Past Grand President Zoe Lucas Cavalaris (1918-1985), honors an amateur Hellenic young woman who has achieved highest athletic accomplishments in high school or college and maintained a high sense of scholarship, community and civic involvement.
2023 Athletic Awards Luncheon
One of our many highlights at the AHEPA Family Supreme Convention is the Athletic Awards Luncheon.
The Daughters of Penelope is proud to announce Katie Burke, of Springboro, OH, as the 2023 Zoe Cavalaris Outstanding Female Athletic Award recipient. Katie graduated from Springboro High School in Springboro, OH and will attend Miami University in Fall of 2023. Katie graduated Springboro High with a 4.0 and was on the President’s list and Honor’s list all four years. Throughout high school she also volunteered with several organizations including the Kettering Backpack Program, Vacation Bible School, SCAC, Yearbook Staff, Prom Committee, and Springboro Recycling Program. She also attended Sunday school
throughout high school and also a Maids of Athena Venus Maliea Chapter No. 129 member serving as Chapter Secretary her junior year and Chapter Vice President her senior year.
Katie has been showing American Saddlebred horses competitively for over eleven years.
She started out at the academy level which is for riders who do not own their own horse and years later moved up to the performance level with her own horse. She is a member of the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA), American Saddlebred Horse Association of Ohio (ASHAO), Ohio American Saddlebred Pleasure Horse Association (OASPHA), Indiana Saddlebred Horse Association (IASHA), and United Professional Horsemen’s Association (UPHA).
Katie has placed at numerous shows during the last several seasons including 1st place at the 2018 Blue Ribbon Spring Show, 1st and 2nd at the 2018 Heartland Classic Show 1st place in the 2019 Stillwater Fun Show, and 1st place as 2018 State Campion, Tristate Champion, ASHAO Champion, and 1st in the region 6 and 4th in the Nation at ASHA. In 2019 she was awarded with the UPHA Platinum level Ribbons of Service, 1st place and State Champion at OASPHA, Tristate Reserve Champion and Jr. Exhibitor of the Year, and 3rd place at ASHAO. In 2020 she was 3rd place at ASHAO and 1st place and State Champion at OASPHA. In 2021 she was 2nd place at IASHA, 1st Place and Junior Exhibitor for the Year at Tristate, 1st place at OASPHA, 2nd place at ASHAO, and 1st in the region at ASHA. In 2022 she was 3rd place at IASHA and 1st place and scholarship winter at Tristate.
Katie is plans to pursue a degree in nursing at Miami University. Her competitive horseback riding achievements, academic record, leadership qualities, and volunteer activities in her Greek Orthodox Church personifies the Zoe Cavalaris Outstanding Female Athlete.
KATIE BURKE, Springboro, Ohio, the recipient of the Daughters of Penelope Zoe Cavalaris Outstanding Female Athletic Award, has been riding and showing American Saddlebred horses competitively for over eleven years as she moved up from the academy level to the
performance level once she owned her horse, “Arrowhead Fine Wine”. At age 15, Katie placed in numerous 2018 competitions earning 1st place & State Champion of OASPHA (Ohio American Saddlebred Pleasure Horse Assoc.), 1st in TRISTATE, 1st in ASHAO (American Saddlebred Horse Association of Ohio), 1st in the region 6 and 4th in the Nation at ASHA (American Saddlebred Horse Association). In both 2019 and 2020, she was
awarded 1st place and State Champion at OASPHA, and 3rd at ASHAO. In 2021 and 2022, Katie continued to excel with more 1st place positions at the Heartland Classic, Dayton Horse Show, Spooktacular, and finished strong with TRISTATE 1st place, Junior exhibitor of the year, OASPHA 1st place, ASHAP 2nd place, ASHA 1st in region, and TRISTATE 1st place, scholarship winner. Recently Katie and her horse competed to walk, trot, and canter both directions of the arena to place 1st in the qualifier and championship at Blue Ribbon Horse Show in Springfield, and 3rd in River Ridge Charity Show in Columbus. Besides being a skilled and dedicated competitive rider, she graduated with high honors all four years of
high school and plans to go into nursing at Miami of Ohio this fall. Her leadership qualities and volunteer activities at her school, horse farm, and church, including Maids of Athena secretary and vice-president, personify the Zoe Cavalaris Outstanding Female Athlete.
SOURCE; DOP
