Nine student-athletes from Berean Christian School have been named to the National Christian School Athletic Association’s All-Southeast Super-Region teams in soccer, baseball and fast-pitch softball.
The Southeast Super-Region stretches from Florida to Alabama and as far north as Tennessee. The athletes who were considered for this post-season honor played for Christian schools in the southeastern section of the U.S. during the 2025-26 school year.
The nine Berean students are senior Elijah Brown (baseball), senior Jacob Linnell (boys soccer), junior Ryan Chamberlin (boys soccer), junior Kira Schartner (girls soccer), senior Ellie Schartner (girls soccer), junior Katharina Jochem (girls soccer), junior Julianne Severson (fast-pitch softball), sophomore Lillian Severson (fast-pitch softball) and freshman Sophia Britton (fast-pitch softball).
“Congratulations to all of these great student-athletes on their accomplishments during the 2025-26 school year,” Athletic Director Doug Walters said. “There are bigger things ahead for BCS athletics as we move forward into the coming school year!”
Brown was the ace of the Bulldogs’ pitching staff this past spring. In his senior season, Brown recorded 56 strikeouts and had a 2.84 earned run average. Brown will continue to play baseball at the collegiate level as a student-athlete at Stevenson University in Maryland.
According to Pat Moore, the head baseball coach at Berean this past spring, Brown led by example, providing on-the-field leadership to younger players on the team.
Linnell and Chamberlin had productive seasons for Berean’s boys soccer team. Linnell finished the season with 10 goals and 12 assists, while Chamberlin had seven goals and 10 assists, as the Bulldogs captured their fifth straight district championship.
Luke Schartner, the head coach of Berean’s boys varsity soccer team, said Linnell and Chamberlin were key players this past year. Both players were central midfielders for the Bulldogs.
“Jacob and Ryan were the reasons that we were in every game,” Schartner said. “Jacob was one of our captains. He represented the school well, and he is somebody that other players on our team loved and valued as a teammate. He was our assist leader, too. Ryan was arguably the one player on our team who could change the direction of a match, whether we were struggling defensively or needed a goal on offense. From 25 yards out, Ryan can score a goal with either foot.”
In girls soccer, Jochem finished the season with 18 goals, eight of which were scored in Berean’s three regional playoff games. Kira Schartner finished the season with 22 assists, which ranked her 51st in the U.S. and 12th in Florida. Her older sister Ellie Schartner, who is committed to playing collegiate soccer this coming fall for Palm Beach Atlantic University, has been the backbone of the team’s defense for the last four years. Together, the three girls steered Berean to a season-long record of 16-5 and helped lead the team to its third consecutive district championship, its first-ever regional championship, and the program’s first-ever berth in the Florida High School Athletic Association’s Class 1A final four last February.
Jon Iverson, head coach of the girls soccer team, said that the Schartner sisters and Jochem are true team-oriented individuals.
“What makes these three players special is not just their athletic ability, but also their ability to work with others and improve those around them. Each one brings a unique strength to the team,” Iverson said. “Most importantly, all three of them are young women of character who are fun to be around. Any coach or teammate would want them on their team. They do not make the game about themselves. They are kind, encouraging, unselfish and committed to making the people around them better.”
Iverson said all three girls have clear leadership skills on the soccer field.
“Ellie is incredibly intelligent when it comes to understanding the rules, reading the game and organizing the defense. Kira is highly skilled, sees the field exceptionally well, and thinks several steps ahead. She can create opportunities and deliver the ball to teammates in scoring positions, which is why she has recorded so many assists,” Iverson explained. “Kat is fierce and possesses unbelievable physical talent, especially when striking the ball. She also plays with tremendous heart, and when she is in the zone, she is nearly unstoppable.”
Julianne Severson, the team captain this past season for the girls softball team, was named the NCSAA’s National Hitter of the Year in the small school division for the recently completed girls high school softball season. Her .769 batting average and her .833 on-base percentage were the third best among all high school softball players in Florida, while her 1.333 slugging percentage was ranked 11th best in Florida. During the season this past spring, she had 35 RBIs, 30 base hits and scored 38 runs to lead Berean to their second straight district title.
Head softball coach Carrie Severson said Julianne led by example this past spring.
“With a high game IQ, Julianne uses her aggressiveness on the base paths to get home quickly,” Severson said about her second oldest daughter. “Defensively, Julianne dominated the left side of the field with her huge range as our shortstop.”
Julianne’s younger sister, Lillian, also received recognition from the NCSAA. She earned second-team All-American honors. Her 0.759 on-base percentage was ranked 11th in Florida, and her 0.683 batting average was ranked 16th in Florida.
Coach Severson said that Lillian is an exceptional athletic talent.
“Offensively, Lillian is a lefty slapper who reads the defense to either bunt directionally, drop a ball in the gap or hit for power to move runners into scoring position,” Severson said of her youngest daughter. “Defensively, Lillian is a smart second baseman who knows her coverage, cutoffs and quickly gets the ball to the correct person to consistently make outs.”
Britton was an All-Southeast Super-Region selection. For the team, Britton was the leadoff hitter who had a .628 batting average and was the team leader in stolen bases.
Severson has been impressed by Britton’s development as a softball player since she has just played two years of competitive high school softball.
“Offensively, Sophia is a contact hitter who grew in strength from the beginning to the end of the season,” the coach said. “Defensively, Sophia is our left fielder who flies to the ball on the ground or in the air.”
