Section 2 Wednesday, April 17, 1996 Sports\Week «Mountaineers start I _ 4 4 eo ® bh Ld with tough teams By LEN KRYESKI Sports Writer DALLAS TOWNSHIP - Last spring it all came down to the final game for the Lady Mountaineers. The winner of the season finale between Dallas and Tunkhannock would capture the AAA-North title and receive a post season bid. The loser would stay home. -. League MVP Robin Davies twirled a two hitter for the Lady Tigers and handed Dallas a dis- heartening 10-0 loss. Tunkhannock advanced to the district 2 playoffs with a 12-4 mark. Dallas finished 11-5, tied for second with Lake-Lehman. + This year the early going could very well determine what chance Dallas has of extending their 1996 season. Weather permitting, the Lady Mounts will meet the three Northern Division favorites dur- ing their first three games, all on the road. Dallas begins their league season Thursday at Wyo- ming Valley West. Next week they're scheduled to make trips to Tunkhannock and Lake-Lehman. “By the end of next week we'll know whether we'll be in the thick of (the division race),” said Dallas head coach Jay Pope, “or whether we'll be spoilers. Valley West is always tough, especially at home. We haven't won in Tunkhannock in a few years and Lake-Lehman is always an intense rivalry game.” Pope, who enters the season with 200 coaching victories, doesn't want his girls losing faith should they come out of the gate slow, however. Like last spring, he believes the winner of the AAA- North will once again lose as many as four or five games over the course of the year. Although they're somewhat in- experienced at a couple of posi- tions, the Lady Mounts have the attitude and a number of top- quality athletes to make a run at the division crown. “We're not very deep at any position,” said Pope. “These girls do have a strong sense of unity and the willingness to work hard. In fact they've challenged them- selves to make this the best sea- son for Dallas softball.” At first glance it appears Dal- las needs game experience and time to blend together as a team. oe Area gymnasts compete in Easter Classic Three Back Mountain students of the Northeast Gymnastics Acad- emy, Wilkes-Barre, recently competed in the Easter Classic in Pottsville. At Level 5, competing in the 7-8 year old age group, Emma Putney took second on bars, floor and in the all around, in addition to a third ori beam and a fourth on vault. For the 9-year olds, Sarah Rupert was third on bars, fourth on floor and sixth on beam and in the all around. Michelle Pribula competed in the 11-year old age bracket. Dallas takes Sth grade title Dallas Youth Basketball recently captured the 5th grade division of the Gate of Heaven Tournament. Dallas posted victories over Valley West, St. Aloysius, and St. Regis in the championship game. Team members are 1st row, Christian Cobleigh, Mike Fehlinger, Paul McCue, Brian Dempsey, Todd Kerestes; second row, Asst. coach Paul McCue, Donny Murray, Jeff Dickson, Greg Mascioli, Mike English, Jonathon Barbose, Coach Tony Barbose. The Dallas Post Jay Pope gave a little batting advice to Mary Ann Selenki last season. He'll be counting on her again this year. They got the jump they needed with an early April trip to Florida. The Lady Mountaineers fared well against prime competition and got a chance to see some of the top teams from around the country including squads from New Jer- sey, Florida and Minnesota. “What we really learned is that our brand of softball is as com- petitive as any in the country,” Pope said. : What Dallas can't afford is any more injuries. Sophomore third baseman Becky Beisel displayed tremendous promise last year, but will miss the entire season with a knee injury suffered near the end See DALLAS SOFTBALL, pg 10 By LEN KRYESKI Sports Writer LEHMAN - The right mix could carry the Lake-Lehman softball team a long way in the spring of "06. The Lady Black Knights lineup blends power and speed with youth and experience. Coach Flossy Finn will field upperclass- men with little experience as well as underclassmen with consider- able playing time under their belts. Although some of the younger players may have proven them- selves, the Lehman coaching staff warns they're still prone to mis- takes and streaks. The Knights are anxiously awaiting the league opener this week, after going through a pre- season of not only imperfect prac- ticing conditions, but one of mi- nor illness, bumps and bruises. With just 14 players on the roster, staying health is of vital impor- tance. “We don’t have quantity, but we do have quality,” Finn said. “I'm excited about the quality of each individual player on this team.” Opponents should find the Lehman offense hard to shutdown or even slow down for that matter. Missy Gray, Kacy Ziomek, Jen Johnstone, Kim Halowich and O'Reilly could challenge for league title By LEN KRYESKI Sports Writer Softball teams from Bishop O'Reilly, West Side Tech and Wyo- ming Seminary all compete in the nine-team race for the Wyoming Valley Conference Class AA title. The top two teams advance to district playoffs. O'Reilly figures to be in the thick of the race along with Hanover and Meyers. West Side Tech has turned to the Back Mountain for a boost, albeit not from the players. After afew down seasons, Wyoming Seminary fi- nally has reason to smile. The following is a preview highlighting local talent. Bishop O'Reilly coach Mike Lady Kmghts have all the parts Jeanette Thrash all have speed to burn. Power comes from sluggers Kim Spencer, Darby Wolfe, Diane Alters and Nicky Newell. Spencer paced all conference AAA players with three homers last season. The first team all- star catcher also smacked six doubles and a triple while hitting .386. Her teammates and coaches will be counting on her to make all-star status again this year, only she'll be utilizing her strong arm from the other end of the battery. Spencer, a fireballer with good control, struck out all six hitters she faced during her lone mound appearance late last sea- son. She appears ready to take on a full seasons worth of batters. “She’s going to surprise some people,” said Finn of Spencer. Halowich serves as Lehman's relief pitching specialist. When she pitches, Spencer can go be- hind the plate. Diane Alters, a Twardowski is expecting the 1996 season will be a return to the norm for his softball team. Dur- ing the ‘90s, the Queenswomen established themselves as peren- nial contenders for the confer- ence AA title while regularly rank- ing first or second in the league in hitting. O'Reilly got off to a rousing 9-2 start last spring before closing the season with five consecutive losses en route to a fourth place finish. There were plenty of miscues on the field and that’s going to hap- pen when you start four fresh- men, but O'Reilly's biggest disap- pointment was their offense, which ranked next to the bottom in batting average. Now for the good news. Having Bl School news HB Classified BW Calendar Darby Wolfe came up big as a freshman last season. She'll start at shorstop this year. senior with limited playing time, will see the majority of action be- hind the plate. She was the squads backup. last year, but basically served as a pinch hitter with Spen- cer ahead of her. The Lady Knights other return- ing all-scholastic player took the league by storm both on the field and at the plate as a freshman. Darby Wolfe hit .365 last year with three doubles. She'll start '96 at the position she finished at last season - shortstop. See LEHMAN SOFTBALL, pg 10 lost just one player to graduation, O'Reilly will field basically the same group of girls as last season. The roster was further boosted by the addition of Nicole Del Priore a senior transfer from Wyoming Area. Del Priore, an honorable mention all-star last year, will play left field and bat leadoff. She swings from the left side. “This team reminds me of our '91 team that won the district title,” Twardowski said. “That team played together three sea- sons and came together as tenth graders. Well, we have four start- ing sophomores.” The 11th year coach has never and will never take any opponent See AREA TALENT pg 10 Dallas Legion golf tourney will aid scholarship fund Joe McDonnell and Paul Jobson, co-chairpersons for the Dallas American Legion's Fifth Annual Golf Tournament, an- nounce they are seeking hole sponsors for $50 per hole. On the hole the name of the sponsor will be displayed. The monies raised will be used to help the Dallas Legion Scholarship Fund. The golf tournament will be held June 8 at the Four Seasons Golf Club at 750 Slocum Avenue in Exeter. Registration will begin at noon with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. and a Captain and Crew format. The cost to each player will be $50 per person, which will include green fees, golfcart, buf- fet, beverage and prizes. Awards will be given in cham- pionship flight, 1st flight, 2nd flight, 3rd flight, longest drive, closest to the pin, and closest to the tee. The prizes will be by lottery and presented at a ban- quet following the golf tourna- ment. The deadline for entries is May 25. Interested players should enter early as possible. For more informaiton, call 675-6542. Local fishing author to visit area April 19 Charlie Meck, a local author who wrote Pennsylvania Streams and Their Hatches and Fishing Small Streams With a Fly Rod, will visit Back ZMountain Outfitters Friday, April 19, from 3 to 7:30 p.m. to hold a book-signing.Back Mountain Outfitters is located on Route 118 at Lehman Corners. Soccer camp at Penn State Penn State Wilkes-Barre will hold its annual soccer camp on June Murrays take medals at championship Ryan and Donny Murray, sons of Kathy and Don Murray of Dallas, recently competed in the Northeastern PA swim championships at the Abington High School. Ryan captured three gold medals in the 25 freestyle, 50 freestyle and 200 freestyle relay. Donny captured a fourth and two seventh place finishing during the season, he was also a member of the record-setting 200 yard medley relay. Ryan and Donny swim for the Wilkes-Barre CYC Sea Lions swim team. 24-28 at the campus in Lehman. The morning session, 9a.m.-12 p.m., is for boys and girls in grades kindergarten through 5th; the afternoon session, from 12:30-3:30 p.m. is for boys and girls in grades 6-12. The fee for either session is $59. The Soccer Camp will teach basic and tactical skills. On the final two days of camp, special sessions on goalie, advanced defensive and advanced offensive skills will be provided to interested players. Bill Tooley of Dallas will be head coach of the soccer camp, who was assistant coach for the men's varsity soccer team at Florida Atlantic University, and in 1991 and 1992, piloted the Lake-Lehman Boys Varsity Soccer Team to two consecutive Wyoming Valley Conference titles. For additional information and/or registration forms, contact Jen- nifer Youngman at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, 675-9220.
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