Kirtland High School alumnus Maro Valentic was named as the Boys National Scholar Player of the Year by the United Soccer Association and the Scholar All-America Committee in July 2022. This January, Marco and his family attended the awards ceremony to celebrate the honor.
Valentic continued his soccer career at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA this past fall. While at the Kirtland Local Schools, Valentic was named the Ohio Division 3 Player of the Year, Greater Cleveland Division 3 Player of the Year, Chagrin Valley Conference Player of the Year, News Herald Player of the Year, and a High School All-American. He led his 2021 team to an 18-3-1 record and to conference and district championships. Valentic set team records for goals (35), assists (32), and points (102) in a season. He also played in four matches with the U15 Croatian National Team.