Halftime of the January 17, 2026 Girls' Varsity Basketball game in the Flip Saunders Gymnasium provided the setting to recognize six new members of the Cuyahoga Heights High School (CHHS) Athletic Hall of Fame. Following the game, the alumni were formally inducted at a dinner attended by their families, friends, and supporters at Cuyahoga Heights Village Hall.
Members of the Class of 2025 include the following:
Meridith Chopka (Class of 2014)
Chopka earned two letters in softball and one letter each in basketball and bowling at CHHS. As a softball pitcher, Chopa earned 1st Team All-Conference, 1st Team All-District, and 1st Team All-Ohio in both 2013 and 2014, and was Cleveland.com’s Player of the Year in 2014. She also was the Chagrin Valley Conference's (CVC) Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2013 and Co-MVP in 2014. Chopa’s record in 2014 was 28-3 and her career record was 48-5. After graduation, Chopa earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Cleveland State University and is an X-ray technologist at MetroHealth Medical Center’s Main Campus.
Lauren Goetz (Class of 2015)
A softball, soccer, and basketball standout, Goetz earned four letters in softball, four letters in soccer, and two letters in basketball. As a softball player (third base and outfield), she was named 1st Team All-Conference and 1st Team All-District in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. She was also named 2nd team All-Ohio in 2015 and Honorable Mention All-Ohio (outfield) in 2014. In soccer, she was named 2nd Team All-Conference in 2012, 2013, and 2014; Honorable-Mention All-District in 2014; and 2nd Team All-Conference and All-District in 2012 and 2013. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Brandon Charles Eddy (Class of 2010)
At CHHS, Eddy earned four letters in both football and track and field. In 2009, he was named to All-Ohio and finished 6th in the pole vault.That year he was also Conference Champion in the pole vault. In 2010, he was also named All-Ohio, earning 2nd in the pole vault and 7th in the high jump. He was also Conference Champion in the pole vault. Eddy set two CHHS records: pole vault - 15', and high jump - 6' 4.25". Eddy attended Baldwin Wallace College (BWC – now Baldwin Wallace University) where he was a four-year letter earner in Indoor & Outdoor Track. He was named 213th World Ranking Heptathlon, NCAA All-American, US Track & Field XC Coaches’ Association Great Lakes Region Field Athlete of the Year, BWC Most Valuable Track & Field Athlete, six-time NCAA D3 National Championship Qualifier, seven-time All-Ohio Division 4 Honors. He set two BWC school records: indoor pole vault - 16', and heptathlon - 5,115 points. Eddy earned a Bachelor of Science Degree at BWC and is currently a special education teacher in the Garfield Heights City School District.
Zacary Lowther (Class of 2014)
Lowther earned three letters in baseball and two letters in football at CHHS. In baseball, the left-handed pitcher was named State Runner Up in 2012; 1st Team All-CVC in 2013; and 1st Team All-CVC, Conference MVP, 1st Team All-District, and 1st Team All-Ohio in 2014. He attended Xavier University where his accomplishments included All BIG EAST 2nd team and Cape Cod league strikeout leader in 2016; and All BIG EAST 1st team in 2017. He held the single season strikeout record at 123 strikeouts and was third in career strikeouts of 249. In 2017 he was Major League Baseball’s 74th overall draft pick to the Baltimore Orioles, the highest draft pick in Xavier's history. He made his debut for the Orioles on April 25, 2021 and remained with the team through 2023. In 2024, he played for the Atlantic League Professional Baseball Gastonia Baseball Club and in the Mexican Baseball League’s Tijuana Toros from 2024-25. He also played for the Dominican Winter League’s Estrellas Orientales, and the Chinese Professional Baseball League’s Wei Chuan Dragons in 2025. Lowther holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Xavier University.
Jordan Martin (Class of 2014)
At CHHS, Martin was a three-year letter earner in basketball, a two -year letter earner in football, and a four-year letter earner in track. In basketball in 2014, he was named All- =Ohio 3rd Team, CVC Co-MVP, CVC 1st Team, and Northeast Lakes District 1st Team. He set several school records, including Free Through Attempts (FTA) in a game (23), FTA Season (206), Free Throws Made (FTM) in a game (20), FTM season (151), game assists (12) and scoring career (904). In football, Martin was named CVC Metro 1st Team, Northeast Lakes District 1st Team, and Special Mention All-Ohio for both 2012 and 2013. Also in 2013, he was named Honorary Captain, Team MVP, and a Mike Wright Award Recipient. He set several CHHS records, including: pass yards - season (3,111), pass yards - career (5,368), pass yards/game - season (282.8), completion percent - season (64.3), completion percent - career (64.0), touchdown passes - season (36), touchdown passes - career (64), total yards - season (3,804), total yards - career (6,681), and total yards/game - season (345.8). In track, Martin was a 2014 State Qualifier in the 300 hurdles. That same year, he was named CVC MVP Metro, Team MVP, and Conference Champ in the 300 hurdles. His other accomplishments include Anchored Conference Championship in the 4x200 and 4x100 relays, and fastest split in the 4x400 relay at the Conference Championship. His CHHS record is in the 300 hurdles - 40.3 seconds.
Jenna Stegmaier (Class of 2015)
At CHHS, Stegmaier earned four-year letters in softball, basketball, and soccer. Her accomplishments in softball include two Final Four Appearances, Team Captain, 2nd Team All-Conference, All-Academic Team, twice-named Honorable Mention All-Ohio,
State Championship Team, Silver Bat Award, twice-named 1st Team All-Conference, Honorable Mention All-Conference, and 1st Team All-District. Her basketball accomplishments include twice-named Team Captain, thrice named Conference MVP, 2nd Team All-Conference, CVC All Academic Team, four-times named 1st Team All- District, twice-named 1st Team All-Ohio, 2nd Team All-Ohio, thrice-named Team MVP, thrice named 1st Team All-Conference, twice-named Player of the Year, and twice-named Ohio District 4 Player of the Year. Her records include career points (1,584), single season scoring (483), and career assists (362). She is a recipient of the CVC Sportsmanship Award and was listed in Sports Illustrated magazine’s Faces in the Crowd, was twice named the Plain Dealer newspaper’s Player of the Week, twice named to the Plain Dealer All-Star Team, twice named to Faces in the Crowd of the Greater Cleveland All-Star Game and Ohio North/South All-Star Game, and is a recipient of the Ohio High School Basketball Society’s Gold & Silver Certificate. In soccer, Stegmaier was a two-time Team Captain and Team MVP. She was named to the 1st Team All-District, 2nd Team All-District, thrice-named 1st Team All-Conference, Honorable Mention All-Conference, and All-Academic Team. Her other CHHS awards include the Doug Corlett Award, 12 Varsity Letter Award, 12 Season Award, and Archie Griffin Sportsmanship Award. Stegmaier holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree and a Masters of Science Degree in Athletic Training from the University of Findlay.
“Each of these individuals exemplifies the tradition of excellence and pride that defines Cuyahoga Heights athletics,” said Athletics & Activities Director Paul Gerycz. “Their accomplishments continue to inspire current and future generations of Cuyahoga Heights athletes.”
The Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1998 to recognize individuals who distinguished themselves as athletes or who made outstanding contributions to the CHHS athletic program. Candidates must have graduated from CHHS for at least 10 years and must meet an established set of criteria, including earning varsity letters and other forms of recognition. Coaches, school officials, and community residents may also be nominated provided they meet a separate set of criteria. To obtain a nomination form or for more information, contact the CHHS Athletic Department at (216) 429-5794.
Pictured left to right: Zacary Lowther, Jordan Martin, Brandon Eddy, Lauren Goetz, Jenna Stegmaier, and Meridith Chopka.