Thought for the Day — Autumn begins Wednesday. Recall the words of Sarah Morgan Bryan Piatt, who wrote: “It is the summer’s great last heat, it is the fall’s first chill: they meet.”
Higher Education Yahoo (HEY) Awards
It’s been a busy — and honor-laden — few weeks for Lebanon Valley senior cross country runner Kelsey Patrick of Tamaqua.
Patrick was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division III National Athlete of the Week on Sept. 8, has been the Middle Atlantic Conference Women’s Runner of the Week for two consecutive weeks, and on Sept. 11 was the top non- Division I finisher at Penn State’s Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational, finishing 15th overall. The USTFCCCA honor came after Patrick won LVC’s own Dutchmen Invitational in a course-record time.
• On the gridiron, Lycoming junior running back Blake Bowman of Tri-Valley was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week after an outstanding game in the Warriors’ 48-24 victory over Wilkes on Saturday.
Bowman was the game’s leading rusher with 26 carries for 140 yards and two touchdowns, scoring on runs of 1 and 3 yards. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry.
Bowman ranks third in the MAC in rushing with an average of 98.0 yards per game. His two scores give Bowman a team-leading four TDs on the year, tied for the league lead. Bowman also returned four kicks for 69 yards.
Cross Country Kudos
Junior Brendan Shearn of North Schuylkill is running cross country at the University of Pennsylvania. Shearn was eighth overall at the recent Main Line Invitational, won by Penn. Last season, he scored in every meet, was second overall at the Big 5 Invitational and was Penn’s second finisher four times.
• Lipscomb University sophomore Paige Stoner of Pottsville is off to a good start as well. She finished ninth as the Lady Bisons won the Belmont Opener in Nashville. Stoner was also Lipscomb’s third finisher and 24th overall at the Commodore Classic, helping her team to a fourth-place finish.
• Bloomsburg junior Jake Plachko, also of Pottsville, was the Huskies’ third finisher and 10th overall at the Flatlander Quad meet and the Flatlander Rag Relays, both at Mansfield University.
• A number of locals ran in the Misericordia Cougar Classic. Senior Mikael Hause of the host Cougars, a Mount Carmel grad, was fourth overall for the second-place Misericordia men. His younger sister, sophomore Lauren Hause, also competed for the Cougar women.
Senior captain Alyssa Keich of Tamaqua was Lebanon Valley’s top finisher, taking 25th overall. Widener senior Brianna Englert of Pottsville was her team’s third finisher and 31st overall, while her sister senior Taylor Englert was Widener’s fourth finisher and 39th overall. Susquehanna men’s runner Justin Skavery of Mount Carmel was 36th and the Crusaders’ fourth finisher.
• At the Lebanon Valley Invitational, Wilkes sophomore Michelle Brenneman of Schuylkill Haven recorded a personal-best time of 24:55. Brenneman also competed at Misericordia.
• Lycoming senior Anna Summers of Shamokin set a new career best at the Delaware Valley Invitational, finishing 38th. Summers is joined on the Lycoming roster by junior Jordyn Reilly of Blue Mountain, who switched from playing soccer to running cross country. Reilly recorded a personal best this weekend at the Highlander XC Invitational.
Scintillating Soccer
A couple of locals are playing soccer at the Division I level.
Saint Joseph’s senior goalkeeper Allison Ebling of Blue Mountain is 4-0 with a 1.00 goals-against-average for the Hawks (5-2), having allowed only four goals while making 14 saves. At The Citadel, sophomore forward and Blue Mountain grad Mady Riegel has started every game.
• Meanwhile, at Holy Family University, junior goalkeeper Sienna Smith of Pottsville has a 3-1 record, two shutouts and a 2.00 goals-against-average while making 22 saves and allowing seven goals, six of them coming in one game against nationally-ranked, non-conference foe College of St. Rose. Smith made a career-high 12 saves in the same game.
• Lycoming sophomore forward Hannah Rinaldo of Minersville has scored two goals and has four assists for the Warriors (5-2), while starting every game.
• Misericordia freshman forward Rileigh Jo Evitts of Schuylkill Haven has scored two goals, one of them a game-winner, and has one assist for the unbeaten Cougars (6-0).
• Another former Hurricane, sophomore forward Shelby Trumbo, is a starter at Wilkes and has one assist.
• At Kutztown, freshman midfielder Gabrielle Evans of Pottsville has started four games and seen action in all six for Kutztown (3-2-1).
Volleyball Vibes
Senior setter Megan Powers of Pottsville continues to rack up impressive assist numbers for Wilkes. Powers leads the team with 272 assists and is averaging 8.0 assists per set. Powers’ sophomore teammate, outside hitter Grace Boyle of Marian, is second in service aces with 15 and has recorded 42 kills.
• Another dynamic duo is getting the job done at Susquehanna. Junior outside hitter Marykate Sherkness of Marian leads the Crusaders (9-5) in kills with 158 and has 11 blocks. Senior libero Sarah Paluck of Tamaqua is far and away the team leader in digs with 266 and her 11 service aces are tied for the team lead.
• Millersville senior middle hitter Emily Kaledas of Nativity, a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete, has 10 kills and seven blocks for the unbeaten Marauders (7-0).
• The University of Scranton is 12-3 and senior outside/middle hitter Molly Loftus of Lourdes is part of the reason why. She has 54 kills and seven blocks.
Football Factoids
Getting back to Lycoming, Warrior senior linebacker Phil Schron of Marian racked up seven tackles against Wilkes, putting him over the 50 career tackle mark with 52. Schron entered the game tied for the team lead in tackles with 11.
Junior defensive lineman Jon Rummel of Williams Valley also recorded four tackles and two pass-breakups. Rummel was seventh in the MAC with 1.75 tackles for loss per game and tied for third with two sacks coming into the game.
• Down at Lebanon Valley, sophomore tailback Ryan Heim of Pine Grove picked up 55 yards on four carries, including a 49-yard TD, in last week’s 37-7 win over Misericordia. Freshman running back Ryan Fink of Schuylkill Haven had 10 carries for 31 yards, and sophomore linebacker Tom Gallagher of North Schuylkill recorded five tackles to tie for second on the team. Freshman placekicker Marcus Brown of Pine Grove kicked a 20-yard field goal and converted 4-of-5 PATs.
(MacLaughlin’s college column appears bi-weekly. To make contributions, email Sports Editor Leroy Boyer at Lboyer@republicanherald.com)