Hannah and Caitlyn Cybart converse in the circle during a high school varsity softball game.

By JEREMY IZZIO

OBSERVER Sports Reporter

Two pillars of the Fredonia Hillbilly athletics program will be missing in action when the 2017-2018 sports seasons come around.

For many, it seems as if Caitlyn and twin sister Hannah Cybart have forever been playing varsity sports for Fredonia. The Cybarts have become synonymous with Lady Hillbilly athletics, which is fitting for twin sisters linked since birth.

Long before the Cybarts ever set foot on a varsity field or court, they were already making impressions on future coaches. Joe Pucciarelli, recently retired Fredonia varsity softball coach, knew long ago that the Lady Hillbillies had something special in the pipeline.

He first started coaching the twins in Dunkirk’s 9-10 year old Little League softball All-Stars. He also coached them during their NCCS basketball days and saw early signs of what Fredonia varsity basketball coach Carol Zirkle would see years later.

At a young age, both Caitlyn and Hannah showed high sports IQs, athleticism and the passion to win that would be the hallmark of their careers for years to come.

As of their freshman year, the sisters impact was made on the Fredonia varsity basketball and softball programs.

Caitlyn was a day-one starter at catcher and would go on to start every single game for the next four years.

For Hannah, who finished her career as one of the most dominant pitchers in Western New York, the transition to varsity tested her ability to adapt to any situation she was thrown into.

“Caitlyn is a very smart girl and was physically stronger than other girls her age, which she is to this day,” Pucciarelli said. “That helped her transition into a varsity starter from day one. Plus we had the opening at catcher. Hannah was different. We started her on jayvee and before the first game we needed her up. That year she earned the “Slash” nickname because she played pitcher, second base, third base and outfield. She was a true utility player as a freshman.”

Caitlyn was a prototypical catcher her entire career. Donning the tools of ignorance, she played the position with the toughness one would expect of an elite catcher.

That toughness carried over to the basketball court where Caitlyn also did the dirty work that often went unnoticed.

“Caitlyn was one of the most intense players I’ve ever coached and she despises losing,” Zirkle said. “She’s a very hard worker and did things that don’t get noticed by anyone other than coaches. She set great screens, made solid switches on defense, boxed out consistently and did the dirty work. Her passion for winning translated to the others. She got her teammates going. She’s a lot quieter than Hannah and was more of a role model through her actions. … She’s tough as nails.”

After a successful freshman campaign, the sisters began to grow into their roles as sophomores. Namely Hannah in the pitchers’ circle.

Bailey Tarnowski was the unquestioned leader in the circle when Hannah began cutting her teeth as a pitcher. Hannah was a sophomore when Tarnowski led Fredonia to a Class B2 title. Having Tarnowski as a weapon allowed Fredonia’s coaching staff to take its time and pick its spots with Hannah.

Hannah was used sparingly, but won big games for Fredonia en route to the league title that year, including a win over Falconer, who went on to states. Fredonia took its time with Hannah and it paid dividends her junior and senior seasons.

Meanwhile, Caitlyn continued to be the Lady Hillbillies’ rock behind the plate and played a big part in helping Hannah become the pitcher she would become in the coming years.

As Hannah grew into her role as the dominant pitcher for Fredonia throughout her junior and senior seasons, she also grew into the role of leader — as did Caitlyn — both on the diamond and the basketball court.

“Her leadership ability really grew to the point she could lead a team as an upperclassman,” Zirkle said. “She’s very encouraging. She lifted her teammates and made them better, which is critical to being a successful team. Her confidence grew, she took more shots and looked to score more each year. She looked for good shots, but never at the expense of passing. She learned to create more and her defense also really advanced.”

“Both Caitlyn and Hannah came in very smart and knew their roles on the team,” Pucciarelli said. “As sophomores they became a little more vocal and began to grow into the leaders of the team as juniors. As seniors they were very vocal and were the unquestioned captains. They set a great example for the younger players. Our assistant coach, Jesse Beers, said after the season how he was so happy his daughter, Kazlin Beers, got to play with them.”

The stats and accolades piled up as the years went on. The following is a non-comprehensive list of some of those awards:

Hannah was named to the All Western New York softball First Team her junior and senior seasons. Caitlyn was named Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association West I Player of the Year in 2016 while Hannah was named Pitcher of the Year in 2016 and 2017. Caitlyn earned CCAA West I First Team honors following the 2017 softball season. In basketball, Hannah earned 2017 All Western New York Second Team honors while Caitlyn was named Honorable Mention. Caitlyn was named to the 2017 CCAA West I First Team while Hannah won Most Valuable Player, averaging approximately 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists per game. Hannah also joined the 1,000-point club, which is rarefied air for any high school basketball player.

Hannah finished her pitching career with an eye-popping record of 42 wins and just three losses while going a perfect 25-0 in league play.

Those statistics and accolades were enough to earn both Caitlyn and Hannah the opportunity to play basketball and softball for Houghton College.

All of the above is impressive, but when asked, both coaches pointed to their work ethic and the impact they made on their teammates as what stood out to them most throughout the twins’ careers.

“They have left a group of girls who are able to pick each other up,” Zirkle said. “They were true teammates and that’s what they helped start for Fredonia basketball. It was a team that celebrated each other’s successes. It was always team over individual glory. They know how to sacrifice and how to work hard day in and day out.”

“They are very smart; Caitlyn was the Salutatorian and Hannah was No. 4 in their class,” Pucciarelli said. “They’d be up until 2 or 3 a.m. working on their advanced placement classes and then they’d come in and work harder than anyone the following day at practice after school. The success they had over their careers is their legacy. For their career, they had to be about 60-15. They showed others that if work hard and are a good person, good things will happen to you.”

So how do you replace Caitlyn and Hannah Cybart? The simple answer is you don’t. What they meant to the Fredonia athletic program is irreplaceable, but what they left behind is a legacy of winning, hard work and an example of how the game should be played. They may not physically be on the field next season, but they will be there in spirit, guiding the way through their teachings and examples over the past four years.

“It’s a huge loss, but they did a great job preparing those left to step up and fill their roles and do so in a way that will bring honor to Fredonia basketball. Entering last season, one goal was to be exciting to watch. They brought that to Fredonia basketball and the team had fun playing. That’s what I hope this next team brings even after the Cybarts have moved on.”