College Spotlight: February 2008 Archives

Even after watching high school swimmers excel in this area from many years, I am still amazed at how good they are after the move on.

Perhaps no one had (or deserved) more accolades in high school than Spring Grove graduate Michele King, who recorded all personal best times for the University of Tennessee at the SEC swimming championships last weekend.

The former Rocket was just that in the water as she set a new Volunteer record in the 100 breaststroke with her time of 1:00.46, which was good for third in the conference.

Charlie Parker made just about every shot he put up -- and Millersville University still couldn't pull it out.

Parker, the Kennard-Dale High grad, scored a game-high 31 points on Wednesday night but the Marauders somehow blew a 26-point, second-half lead at home in losing to Cheyney, 77-69.

Jon Iati scored a team-high 18 points off the bench on Wednesday night to lead the University of Albany to an American East Conference victory.

Iati, a York Catholic graduate, made 3-of-4 3-pointers and all five of his free throws in leading the Great Danes to the 74-62 win over Binghamton.

For this edition of the college spotlight, I have decided to go off the field or court.
Out of the arena and stadium.

Why?

Because I can.

And because, there are some local student-athletes exceeding in that role with their performance in the classroom.

Saturday’s college spotlight highlights include Northeastern grad Siobhan Richards, who was great Shippensburg University’s last competition before the PSAC indoor track and field championships.

On Saturday, Richards won the 300 meter hurdles at the Kent State Tune Up with her time of 45.42 and had another top-10 finish individually with her eighth-place in the 60 meter dash.

Another YAIAA alum, Emily Dubs of Dover was on the Red Raiders’ 1,600 meter relay team that finished third at Kent.

Also at the Kent State Tune Up, Biglerville’s Joe Wagner ran his fastest 400 meter dash time of 49.94 and placed seventh overall.

The University of Pittsburgh’s Cookie McIntyre had a successful Friday in day three of the Big East swimming and diving championships at the Nassau Aquatic Center.

Behind a season-best 1:04.18 in the 100-yard breaststroke, the freshman finished in fourth place after advancing to the finals as the seventh seed.

The versatile McIntyre was a two-time Daily Record Sunday News girl’s swimmer of the year after her junior and senior seasons at West York.

Several past YAIAA athletes have continued their basketball careers at Lebanon Valley College.

On the men’s team is York Suburban grad Peter Ruth, Delone Catholic’s Matt Staub and Grant Becker of Red Lion.

Former York County stars Charlie Parker and Cory Bray led Millersville to a crucial basketball victory on Wednesday night.

The 80-67 home win over Kutztown pulls the Marauders within a half-game of second place in the eastern division of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference at 7-2 (18-6 overall).

Once again former Fairfield star and Shippensburg University sophomore Lauren Beckley was named the PSAC West Player of the Week.

She is single handedly making this blog redundant.

This time the award, Beckley's fifth of the season, comes on the heels of her scoring a school-record 47 points in the Red Raiders (17-7) win at Lock Haven last Wednesday. She broke the mark of 45 set by her coach, Kristy Trn, and fell one point shy of the conference record.

This little tidbit came from a swimming official at Friday night’s YAIAA championship meet.

Little is in name only, because indeed Joe D’Orsie has been pretty impressive at Division I Duquesne University.

The Dallastown grad is on the Dukes wrestling and football teams, which is extremely rare at a D-I school.

York Catholic graduate Jon Iati poured in the points on Thursday night.

Iati, a senior at the University of Albany, scored a season-high 23 points in a road victory at Maine.

He rallied the Great Danes (13-12, 8-5 American East Conference) in the first half by nailing back-to-back three-pointers to tie the game at 27.

For only a freshman, Tim Smith is an integral part of the Dickinson College football team.

The 2007 South Western grad played in all 11 games for the 9-2 Red Devil, carring the ball 121 times for 495 yards, an average of 4.1 yards per carry and scored six touchdowns.

He also caught four passes and returned 10 kickoffs, one year after being a 1,000-yard rusher with the Mustangs, but in high school he actually might have made his name on the other side of the ball.

On Monday, Garrett Bull was named the Juniata College male Athlete of the Week.

The former Red Lion standout, scored 32 points last week, 20 in one game against Goucher College, leading the Eagles to two Landmark Conference victories.

The senior shot .769 from the floor (10-13) and was 7-of-9 from 3-point range as Juniata improved to 14-8 (7-4 Landmark).

Bull has only started two games, but has appeared in all 22 this season and is averaging 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest. His 29 offensive rebounds are second on the team.

The YAIAA was well represented when the York College wrestling team traveled to New York City and faced Hunter College.

Even without all-American Kyle Flickinger (Bermudian Springs) the Spartans romped 38-6 over the host Hawks.

Red Lion grad Jerrid Hartman got it started, albeit by a medical forfeit at 125 pounds and Sean Hightman, of Northeastern followed by winning 6-1 at 133.

Later at 165 pounds, South Western alum Brian Alwine won a tough 8-6 decision, which gave York an insurmountable 20-3 lead

South Western graduate Drew Snyder won the punting job and was solid for Bloomsburg University as a freshman this past fall.

In 27 attempts, the former Mustang averaged 35.3 yards per punt for Bloom.

Snyder dropped an impressive 10 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard-line and boomed a season-long kick of 64 yards at Clarion in September.

He also attempted four extra points, making two of them.

One liners: With the ongoing saga of did he or didn't he do steroids, Boston Red Sox fans are probably thrilled if Roger Clemens wears a Yankee hat on his Hall of Fame plaque.

Behind Nikki Lobach’s 24 points, Messiah College knocked off Albright, 65-52, on Wednesday and maintained first place in the MAC Commonwealth Conference.

Not that is should come as a surprise to anyone that the South Western graduate led the Falcons, who improved to 18-2, 5-0 in the league.

The win for was even more impressive for ninth-ranked Messiah considering Albright is 16-4 and teams were tied for first in the Commonwealth entering the game.

What a season Molly Ariail is having down at Randolph-Macon University.

The former York Suburban standout leads the Yellow Jackets with 16.6 points per game and averages a team-high nine rebounds per contest, which includes a team-leading 60 boards for the season.

So far, Arial is the only player to top the 100 field goals made mark, shooting 123-of-268 for a solid percentage of .459.

The 6-2 center also has made 73.4 percent of her free throw attempts, is second on the team in blocked shots with 17 and third in steals with 33.

Maybe we should just rename the PSAC West women’s basketball player of the week award, the Lauren Beckley award because the Shippensburg University sophomore keeps getting the honor.

Beckley, a former Fairfield star and the area's all-time leading scorer, was once again bestowed the player of the week by the conference after last week’s performance, marking the second week in a row – and fourth time this season – she has won the award.

In two games, Beckley averaged 22.5 points and 16.5 rebounds in the Red Raiders road victories over fifth-ranked IUP and Slippery Rock. She shot 51.4 percent from the floor (18-of-35) and was 5-of-9 from 3-point range.

Delone Catholic alum Meredith Cox started her second straight game for Georgetown and scored nine points helping the Hoyas to a 78-71 home win over No. 22 Syracuse on Saturday.

It was the first time in more than years that the Georgetown women knocked off a ranked opponent.

Cox played a career-high 38 minutes and made three of her seven 3-point shots against the Orange. She also reached a career mark with her seven rebounds, to go along with three assists and two blocked shots.

In 20 games, the sophomore is averaging 5.4 points and 2.9 rebounds in nearly 20 minutes of action per contest. She has team highs in 3-pointers made with 27, and attemps, 86.

Teammates in high school, now teammates in college.

Former West York mates Rob Estep and Tim Llewellyn have taken their act to the next level and Hobart College is the winner with an even brighter future.

Both players are averaging double figures in points. Estep has scored 11.5 per game in 15 contests, including six starts, while Llewellyn has started all 16 of Hobart’s games, posting 10.6 per game, for second and third on the team.