Thought for the day: At the risk of seeming to encourage students to spend less time on their studies (which I'm not), we take note of the words of Albert Einstein: "Imagination is more important than knowledge." I would never have imagined it, and thus never known!
HEY Awards
The Higher Education Yahoo Awards are back, and the first of this season goes to Susquehanna junior volleyball player Hayley Dunkel of Pottsville. Initially she was named Tournament MVP of the Hampton Inn Crusader Classic (Susquehanna was co-champion), after which Dunkel, an outside/middle hitter, was selected the Landmark Conference Women's Volleyball Player of the Week. In the tournament, Dunkel had a .481 attack percentage, averaged 2.33 kills per set and had eight digs and 13 blocks.
Overall, Dunkel leads Susquehanna in blocks and attack percentage, while averaging 2.04 kills per set. Her play is one big reason the Crusaders have a sparkling 10-1 record, their best start since 2008.
Lending a strong assist is Dunkel's teammate Sarah Paluck, a sophomore
defensive specialist from Tamaqua. Paluck routinely leads Susquehanna in digs, usually recording 30-plus per match. Also on the Crusaders' volleyball ball roster is freshman outside hitter MaryKate Sherkness of Marian.
- Earning the second HEY Award is Lebanon Valley College sophomore cross-country runner Kelsey Patrick of Tamaqua, named the Middle Atlantic Conference Cross Country Player of the Week. Patrick, the 2012 MAC champion, won the Dutchmen Invitational by 22 seconds, shattering a course record, and leading LVC to the team title.
Patrick (and LVC) then won for the second time in two weeks when she captured the individual title at the Misericordia Cougar Classic, winning by 25 seconds and chopping 1:05 off her 2012 MAC Championship winning time run on the same course.
The captain of the LVC women's cross country team is senior Alyssa Miller of Schuylkill Haven. Also on the squad is freshman Jeanette Tropp of Nativity.
- The next HEY goes to Bloomsburg graduate student and cross country runner Vicki Davis of Schuylkill Haven, who has picked up where she left off last season, which for her was a tour-de-force with Davis being awarded numerous school, conference and NCAA awards. She has already won her first two events of this season, the Mansfield Flatland Invitational and the Division II Challenge Meet, where her margin of victory was 42 seconds.
- The final HEY Award goes to LVC junior football player Frank Gaffney of Blue Mountain. Gaffney, who was a quarterback for two years at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, transferred and is now playing linebacker for the Dutchmen. He was named to the MAC Week 1 Honor Roll for his play in LVC's season-opening 15-14 win over Montclair State. Coming off the bench, Gaffney had five solo tackles, a sack, a hurry and batted down two passes. In the Dutchmen's second game, a 35-28 loss to Widener, Gaffney had nine solo tackles (three of them for a loss) and a sack.
Football highlights
Speaking of Lebanon Valley, Gaffney is just one of 10 local football players there. Junior Brian Murphy of Schuylkill Haven is a co-starter at quarterback. He was 16-of-28 for 222 yards and two TDs, while running for one score against Widener. Another former Hurricane is team captain and fullback Evan Fink, who ran for a TD against Montclair State, and North Schuylkill grad Tyler Dean is a starter at left tackle. Other players on the roster are sophomore FB Billy Powanda of Minersville, junior LB Tyler Laudeman of North Schuylkill, junior DE Adam Soltys and sophomore center Trent Mars of Pine Grove, senior guard Dylan Smith of Williams Valley and junior NT Clayton Williard of Tri-Valley.
Kutztown sophomore wide receiver Anthony Kelly of Pottsville had a big game in the Golden Bears' 38-37, overtime loss to Clarion. Kelly had 10 catches for 85 yards - both career highs. One of his 10 grabs was a 7-yard TD catch.
Lycoming junior defensive back Tanner Troutman has started the season strongly. He had an interception and made seven tackles in a season-opening loss to Brockport and recorded seven more tackles in a 34-18 win over Wilkes.
Speaking of Wilkes, freshman running back Paul Martin of Marian had an auspicious season opener, scoring three touchdowns (4, 1 and 2 yards) and running for 78 yards on 20 carries in a 41-26 win over Morrisville State.
Wilkes features eight locals on its football roster, including Martin. The others are freshman RB Jake Love of Tamaqua, senior starting WR Tim Bousson of Shamokin, junior starting DB J.T. Keer of Marian, junior starting guard Michael Litwak of Minersville, freshman DL Nathan Kustan and sophomore punter Bryan Mellon of Nativity, and sophomore OL Lucas Amarose of Mount Carmel.
Another Mount Carmel alum, Bloomsburg senior center and captain Chris Steck, picked up another honor when named to the D2Football.com preseason All-America second team.
Notables
Northampton Community College sophomore middle hitter Barbara Dimon of Pine Grove is ranked fourth in the country (NJCCA, D-III) in hitting percentage. She recorded a career-high 15 kills in a sweep of Montgomery County Community College, and Northampton is undefeated. Dimon is joined by another Pine Grove grad, freshman outside hitter Samantha Bertasavage. â¦Wilkes sophomore volleyball setter Megan Powers of Pottsville recently set a school record for assists with 54, breaking her own record of 48 set last season. She is Wilkes' team leader in assists, recording close to 40 per game consistently. Other teammates are senior defensive specialist Vicki Yakobosky of Nativity, and two Shamokin graduates, senior outside hitter Alisha Rupp and freshman hitter Kelsey Yacko.
(MacLaughlin's college notebook appears biweekly during the collegiate calendar. Send items to him in care of Sports Editor Leroy Boyer at Lboyer@republicanherald.com.)