The Middle Atlantic Conference has announced the latest installment of its "All-Century" teams, part of the MAC 100 celebration. A number of former local student-athletes earned spots on the spring sports teams.
In track and field, one male and one female were selected as members of the MAC All-Century team. We'll do ladies first.
Former Lycoming and North Schuylkill standout Adrienne Wydra of the Class of 2002 earned selection primarily based on her two gold medals in 1999 and 2000 in the 400-meter hurdles at the MAC Championships. Wydra also placed fourth in the 100-meter hurdles each year in a display of her versatility.
Wydra was also an outstanding all-around athlete. She starred on Lycoming's basketball and softball teams after transferring from Susquehanna following her freshman year. She was Lycoming's Female Athlete of the Year in 2001.
On the hardcourt, Wydra was a starting point guard for three seasons, leading the Warriors to a 40-33 record and an appearance in the MAC playoffs. She is still fifth in school history in career assists and steals.
Wydra was also an all-conference outfielder on the Warriors' softball team, and helped lead Lycoming to multiple appearances in the Freedom Conference Championships. She did this while still competing in track and field for a portion of her collegiate career.
After graduation and earning an elementary education certificate, Wydra served as the college's head cross country coach for seven seasons and assistant women's basketball coach for five.
- Former Tamaqua standout Travis Pitts, who was a sprinter at Delaware Valley College, is the men's track and field All-Century team selection. Pitts graduated in 2012 after a career that included two consecutive selections as MAC Male Track Athlete of the Year and two consecutive All-America selections. He also captured a fourth place in his senior year in the 100 meters at the NCAA Division III Championships.
Pitts won three consecutive MAC outdoor titles in the 100 meters, two indoor and two outdoor 200-meter crowns, two 55-meter dash indoor championships and one 60-meter dash title. Pitts holds the school records in all those events. Pitts was also DelVal's men's track and field selection to the MAC Sportsmanship Team his senior season.
- Former Minersville and Lebanon Valley College catcher Chris Schank and former Tamaqua and King's College standout Caleb Calarco were named to the MAC All-Century Baseball Team.
Schank was an All-Commonwealth Conference catcher in 2007, when he hit .388 with a slugging percentage of .544 and 37 runs scored. He was a career .306 hitter
for the Dutchmen and graduated as the school's career walks leader with 65. That marks now ranks second all-time at the school.
Calarco excelled at King's from 2005-07 and played a multitude of positions. As a senior, he was named both the MAC Freedom Conference Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year after he batted .377 (55-for-146) with two home runs, nine doubles and 31 RBIs while compiling a 7-3 pitching record with a 2.05 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 61.1 innings.
In 2006, Calarco helped the Monarchs to the Freedom Conference championship and the program's first-ever berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament by batting .383 (57-for-149) with 11 doubles and 24 RBIs. On the mound, Calarco was 7-3 with a 4.76 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 64.1 innings.
Hall of Famers
Franklin & Marshall College has named the latest class to be inducted into its Athletics Hall of Fame. Among the inductees is the 1990-91 men's basketball team. A freshman member of that team was Pottsville's Kevin DiCello.
The 1990-91 Diplomats squad was the MAC champion with a 28-3 record and the NCAA Division III runner-up, advancing farther than any squad in school history. DiCello played in eight games and was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and 1-for-1 from the charity stripe. He had three assists, three steals and three rebounds and went on to a solid collegiate career for the Diplomats.
More Honorees
North Schuylkill graduate and University of the Sciences freshman pitcher Cassie Lapotsky has been named to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference All-Conference softball team. Lapotsky is a second-team selection.
She led the Devils in wins this season with 13, just the third pitcher in school history to reach that many victories. She also led the team in strikeouts with 90 and recorded five shutouts, tying the school record. Lapotsky was fourth in the conference in ERA with a nifty 1.87, fourth in wins and fifth in strikeouts.
- There is one more post-season honor for Bloomsburg senior All-American distance runner Vicki Davis of Schuylkill Haven, whose numerous other achievements were chronicled in some detail in a previous column.
Davis was most recently named to the 2013 Capital One Academic All-District Women's Track/Cross-Country Team's first team. Davis had a 3.74 grade point average, graduating with a degree in secondary education/history. She is already pursuing a graduate degree.
NCAA college baseball playoffs
Two locals were among those competing in the regional NCAA Division I Baseball Championships, which ultimately lead to the College World Series. Unfortunately, both players' teams were eliminated in regional competitions.
Coastal Carolina junior right-handed pitcher Tyler Herb of Williams Valley started the Chanticleers' first regional game against Oklahoma. Herb was going up against the Sooners' Jonathan Gray, who was picked No. 3 in last week's Major League Baseball 1st-Year Player Draft.
Herb pitched three-plus innings, allowing three hits and two runs with two walks. After Herb left the game, Oklahoma came back to win 7-3. Coastal Carolina was subsequently eliminated in a 9-1 loss to top-seeded Virginia Tech.
On the season, Herb was 6-1 in 12 starts with a 4.15 ERA. The Chanticleers ended the season with a 37-23 record.
The Binghamton Bearcats were competing in a different regional, and got some excellent relief pitching (albeit in a losing effort) from freshman right-hander Jake Cryts of Blue Mountain.
In the tournament opener against top-seeded N.C. State, Cryts hurled 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up only one hit and racking up three strikeouts in a 4-1 loss to the Wolfpack. Binghamton was then knocked out 8-4 by Ole' Miss in the Bearcats' next game.
Cryts, who also plays some first base, made 14 appearances overall this season, including four starts for Binghamton in his freshman season. On the mound he was 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA and a save. He also batted .333. He was the America East Rookie of the Week in March.
(MacLaughlin's college column appears bi-weekly. To make contributions, email Sports Editor Leroy Boyer at Lboyer@republicanherald.com)