Hazel Jokl (photo above left) and Ellie Davis (photo above right) are the Valedictorian and Salutatorian of the HF-L Class of 2026. Photos provided by HF-L School District
Hazel Jokl and Ellie Davis were teammates on the Honeoye Falls-Lima Girls Varsity Tennis and Varsity Track teams, were involved in many of the same clubs at school and took many of the same classes, so it is fitting that the two are at the top of the HF-L Class of 2026.
Jokl is the valedictorian and Davis is the salutatorian of this year’s class.
Jokl, the daughter of Paige and Todd Jokl, will be attending Colgate University next fall to study biomedical sciences. She also considered Case Western University and Carleton College.
“I want to go into medical research, particularly cancer research,” Jokl said. “I have always had an interest in biology at the cellular level. I chose Colgate because it has good research opportunities and it is also a beautiful campus with great facilities.”
With a 4.18 grade point average, Jokl took 11 Advanced Placement courses: World History, Computer Science, U.S. History, English Language and Composition, Biology, Pre-Calculus, Calculus AB, Psychology, Spanish, English Literature and Composition and Chemistry. She also took Cell Biology and Human Biology for dual credit through Genesee Community College and Spanish for dual credit through Monroe Community College.
Jokl didn’t just bury her head in her academic coursework, however, as she participated in several clubs and sports teams at school. She was on Student Council for two years and was a class representative. She was in both National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society for two years. She was in the Interact Club for four years, serving as its secretary. She was a member of the Link Crew for one year. She was on the Math Team, serving as its secretary. She was on the Green Team for four years, being its head of recycling this year. She was one of the Social Media Managers for the athletic department. She was in the Big Cougar/Little Cougar program for two years, helping a student at the Manor School. She worked as a crew member, both stage crew and costume crew, for the high school musical for four years.
In addition to those activities, Jokl was a three-sport athlete. She was on the varsity tennis team for four years, winning the Section V Class B1 Individual Doubles title the last three years with fellow classmate Ava Youngblut and also helping the Cougars to the Section V Class B1 Team Tournament title and a spot in the state tournament the last couple of years. A co-captain, she recorded 12 wins in singles play last fall and eight wins in doubles, earning Monroe County All League 1st team honors, Monroe County Division 2 Co-Player of the Year honors and All-Greater Rochester 1st team this year and All-League 1st team and AGR 1st team honors as a junior. She was on the varsity Nordic ski team for four years, placing second in the Section V Individual Distance race in 25 minutes, 12.2 seconds and 12th at the state championship (25:28.2) this past winter. She was named to the All League 1st team this year after being named to the All League 1st team in 2024 and the All League 2nd team in 2025 and also was on the All-Greater Rochester 1st team this year and last year. She competed on the varsity track team for four years, finishing fifth with 1,827 points in the pentathlon at sectionals this spring. She was the team’s Scholar Athlete in 2023.
Outside of school, Jokl is a certified lifeguard. She was in a research program at RIT during the summer of 2024, researching microplastics in the water by collecting samples. She also helped with Girls on the Run, volunteering and helping set up at races.
Jokl received the Rochester Institute of Technology Science and Math Award as a junior and a National Merit Scholarship Program Commended Student Award and the Segar & Sciortino Award as a senior.
Her favorite memories of high school revolve around the sports teams.
“I think they are my favorite memories because being on the teams, it is like a family,” Jokl said. “Every year for Nordic ski, we went to Lake Placid. The last couple of years, we have gone to the state tournament at Flushing Meadows for tennis. The first year as freshmen, Ava and I teamed up in doubles and we reached the sectional finals and we came back the next year with a new fire.”
Jokl says her parents, her twin brother and two teachers at the high school have inspired and impacted her in major ways.
“My parents have inspired me by being so supportive of me and my twin brother Sam has impacted me by going through similar experiences with me and being supportive of my activities,” Jokl said. “At school, Mr. Corey and Mr. Benedict are both science teachers and they have a way of engaging students in their classes. They pushed me to do my best and have influenced my career path.”
Davis, the daughter of Rena and Matthew Davis, will be attending Cornell University to study environment and sustainability. She also looked at Brown University, Haverford College and Vassar College.
“I really liked Cornell because of their environment and biology programs and I think it is a great location to study the natural world. Growing up, I was exposed to nature and the outdoors by my parents by going on walks and seeing the natural scenery. I want to help preserve the environment so that future generations can experience that same feeling.”
Holding a 4.176 grade point average, Davis took 10 Advanced Placement courses: World History, Biology, U.S. History, English Language and Composition, PreCalculus, Calculus, Spanish Language and Culture, Chemistry, Psychology and English Literature and Composition. She took Spanish for dual credit through MCC and Cell Biology and Human Biology for dual credit through GCC.
Davis availed herself of the numerous clubs and activities in high school. She was in National Honor Society and President of the Spanish National Honor Society. She was a member of the Wind Ensemble for one year. She was vice president for the Interact Club. She served as the secretary of the Math Club. She was a member of the Green Team and involved in the Big Cougar/Little Cougar program for three years, mentoring a Manor School student.
“That was very meaningful for me,” Davis said. “It just felt like it completed something in me, that my presence was able to make a difference in a Manor School student’s life.”
Davis also played varsity tennis for three years, moving up to the varsity halfway through her freshman year and going to the state tournament with the team as a freshman. A co-captain last fall, she won 14 matches in doubles play and one match in singles play. She and her doubles partner Mady Etter were runners-up to Jokl and Youngblut in the sectional individual tournament last fall. She was named All League 2nd team as a junior and as a senior. Davis competed on the track team for four years, serving as a co-captain this past spring. She specialized in the long and triple jumps and also ran in the 100 and 200 meters, taking 10th at 29 feet, 8.25 inches in the triple jump and 12th at 13-6.75 in the long jump at sectionals this spring.
Outside of school, Davis volunteered this year at Equicenter and also with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, working on its raptor survey this winter. She also took part in the Flute Choir at the University of Rochester this year.
Davis has received numerous awards and honors. She is a two-time recipient of the Rochester Section of the American Chemical Society Award (as a sophomore and as a senior). She was named an Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction last year. She received the Rochester Institute of Technology Women and STEM Award as a junior. She earned the Honeoye Falls Mendon Rotary Club Service Award in Memory of Cherub and Gerald McMullen and a National Merit Scholarship Program Commended Student Award this year. She was the Scholar Athlete for both the tennis and track teams this year.
Her favorite memories of high school are the times that students from the Class of 2026 from different extracurricular clubs were together such as for the prom when the students bonded over the same music and the school’s Spirit Weeks.
In addition to her parents, Davis said she is grateful for the influence and impact on her by several teachers and coaches.
“My Spanish teacher, Mrs. Nichols, and my U.S. History teacher, Mrs. Boldt were both great teachers and people I could talk to about anything,” Davis said. “My tennis coach, Mrs. Orsini, was very motivating and getting us to work as a team. My track coaches, coach Sheridan and coach Mansfield, have been very supportive.”
