SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013 Tue DALLAS POST PAGE 9 SPOrts *Rome runs best 3200 of career Several other Back Mountain runners come close to winning medals at state track meet. By TOM ROBINSON For The Dallas Post egan Rome and coach Matt Sam- R= set up Rome’s competition chedule in the District 2 Track and Field Championships with the in- tention of putting her in position to pro- duce the best performance possible in one event on the state level. That plan fell into place May 25 when Rome finished her junior season at Dallas by running the best 3200-me- ter time of her career on the way to a fourth-place finish in Class AAA at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Track and Field Champion- & ships. “That’s the longest race we could possibly put her in,” Samuel said of Rome, a three-time District 2 cross country champion who finished third in the state in Class AA in that sport in the fall. “We wanted to try to set her up in the best possible scenario.” Rome ran with District 2 rival Tessa Barrett of Abington Heights, the even- tual runner-up, in the lead for the first mile of the approximately 2-mile race. Unionville’s Courtney Smith eventu- ally won in 10:24.06, just three seconds off the state record. Barrett finished in 10:25.16. Rome was fourth in 10:36.13, making her one of five runners in the deep field to post a time worthy of the National Federation of State High School Ath- letic Associations Honor Roll. She won her third state medal in the event after placing sixth as a freshman and third last year as a sophomore. “She’s definitely satisfied,” Samuel said. “Even when you win a race, you always think you can go faster. “This state, and even our district, is highly competitive as far as that race goes. There are some very good girls in that race on the local and state level.” Runners in every other event on the track had to go through a round of qualifying on the first day of the state championships. Because of its endurance test, the 3200 was held just once, beginning the second day of competition and deter- mining the first medals award for track events. The top eight finishers in each event earned state medals. Barrett and Rome went in seeded second and third, based on their times at the District 2 Champi- onships, and lived up to expectations as medal winners. Each year, Rome has improved her state time and run her best time of the @®-- at the season-ending state meet. More than half the Back Mountain competitors in the state meet compet- ed at 3200 meters. All four finished in the top half of the field in their races. Lake-Lehman senior Kieran Sutton calif. came within one spot of a medal when he finished ninth in 9:38.98. Sutton and teammate Dominic Hock- enbury were part of a District 2 combi- nation that put four runners in the top 11 in Class AA boys. Rico Galassi of Holy Cross won the title and Luke Jones of Elk Lake was fourth. Hockenbury, the second-highest finisher among freshmen, was 11th in 9:44.65. Dominic Deluca, of Dallas, was 14th out of 33 runners in Class AAA boys with a time of 9:33.71. Like Sutton, Dallas freshman Katie Kravitsky came close to earning a state medal. While Rome is well-established as a veteran of state championship events, Kravitsky is new to the entire sport. She became a state medal contender in her first year trying track and field. Kravitsky was among six girls who cleared 5-2 in the Class AAA high jump, but could not make 54. Two of those girls shared eighth place based on the fewest misses at earlier heights. Kravitsky was one of four girls who tied for 10th place. Dallas co-coach Ed Radzinski point- ed out Kravitsky, a basketball player, to Samuel last year as a potential future high jumper. When Kravitsky wound up in Samuel’s English class this year, he talked her into giving the sport a try. “That was very big for a freshman to go down and come very close to a med- al in very adverse conditions,” Samuel JOHN MEDEIROS/ THE TIMES LEADER ABOVE: Regan Rome finished her junior season at Dallas by running the best 3200-me- ter time of her career on the way to a fourth-place finish in Class AAA at the Pennsylva- nia Interscholastic Athletic Associa- tion Track and Field Championships. AT LEFT: Dal- las’ Catie Gawlas runs in the girls 100-meter dash in the District 2 | Class 3A Track & Field Champion- ships at Scranton Memorial Sta- dium. BILL TARUTIS/FOR THE DALLAS POST said. “She learned a whole new event and was able to do that and compete well not only on the district, but on the state level. “Her performance there was that of a veteran.” All four Dallas athletes at the meet were underclassmen. Catie Gawlas, of Dallas, and Shosha- na Mahoney, of Lake-Lehman, each made it through preliminary qualifying on the first day to reach the semifinals in the 100-meter dash. Gawlas was among the 16 to advance in Class AAA, qualifying 15th best out of 30 in 12.49 seconds. Mahoney was 16th out of 24 Class AA girls, finishing in 12.88 the first day. Both girls ranked the same on the second day and were eliminated in the semifinals. Gawlas finished 15th in AAA in 12.61 and Mahoney was 16th in AA in 12.97. Gawlas overcame a stress fracture in her shin from field hockey season to reach that level. “She worked extremely hard to get back to where she is now,” Samuel said. SPORTS BRIEFS CAMP REGISTRATION The Rock Rec Center is accepting applications for its summer basketball camp. Camps are open to boys and girls pre-K through sixth grade. Camp dates are pre-K through first grade, June 10-14 and July 15-19, 9 a.m. to noon; Second and third grades, June 24-28 and July 22-26, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m; fourth through sixth grades, July 8-12 and July 29 to Aug. 2, 9 a.m. to noon. There is a $10 early registra- tion discount for those who register prior to June 1. For more information, call 696-2769 or visit www.rockrec. org. BOBCATS REGISTRATION The Back Mountain Bobcats will hold a make-up date for youth football and cheerleading registration from 6 to 8 p.m. today, June 2 at the Idetown Fire Hall, Route 415. For more information, call Jason (football) at 760-0216 or Jessica (cheerleading ) at 706-6310. CHILDREN'S GOLF CAMP Registration will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4 in the lobby of the Lake-Lehman High School for the Lake-Lehman Children’s Golf Camp set for the week of June 24-28 at Twin Oaks Golf Course. Cost is $80 with proceeds to benefit the National Alliance of Accessible Golf. The camp is the senior com- pletion project of Lake-Lehman High School golfer Nick Egan. LEGION TOURNAMENT Daddow-Isaacs Dallas American Legion Post 672 will hold its annual golf tournament on June 8 at Stone Hedge Golf Course in Tunkhannock with its traditional steak dinner at the end of the tournament. A donation of $80 is request- ed. Hole sponsors for $50 and donations for door prizes will be solicited in the near future. Monies raised will support the fund that awards scholarships to Back Mountain residents who attend a two-year college. Applications can be picked up at the post home or from committee members. Further information may be obtained by calling Jim Baloga, golf chairman, at 690-0756 or Clarence J. Michael at 675- 0488. Third championship match is closest Dallas lacrosse team falls to Dela- Joa George Pfei- on er played ware Valley, loses for third time. . inthe DZ champi- By TOM ROBINSON onship For The Dallas Post lacrosse George Pfeiffer, Ray Schultz, Casey McAndrew and their Dallas teammates ended the boys lacrosse season by playing in the District 2 championship game for the third straight season. Pfeiffer, Schultz and McAndrew tarted each year as Dallas advanced o the championship game only to lose to Delaware Valley. This year, the Mountaineers closed the gap, falling to Delaware Valley, 10-6, in the closest of the champion- ship matchups. Delaware Valley moved in front of the May 23 championship game with four straight second-quarter goals for a 5-1 halftime lead. “A few transition goals put us in a hole,” said Dallas coach Rich Cohen. Dallas cut an 8-3 deficit to 9-6, but the comeback lost its momentum when a late penalty forced the Moun- A | the third | consecutive year. al } taineers to play shorthanded for three of the game’s final 4 %2 minutes. “It’s difficult to come back when you're playing a man short,” Cohen said. The team’s three-leading scor- ers during the season provided the championship game scoring. Corey Metz had three goals. He had 45 goals and 23 assists on the season. Matt Ross, who had 34 goals and 21 assists, had two goals against Del- aware Valley. Omar Nimjeh, who had 34 goals and 19 assists on the season, had the other goal. Pfeiffer finished the game with 17 saves. “George was outstanding,” Cohen said. Pfeiffer returns for a fourth season in goal after allowing fewer than 4 2 goals per game and saving 69 percent of the shots opponents put on goal. “That’s a nice backbone for next year,” Cohen said. Dallas went 10-2 in the first season of Wyoming Valley Conference place, finishing second of seven teams and losing only to Delaware Valley. Two playoff wins put the Mountaineers in ine oo i % SRT position for another championship game meeting with the Warriors. “Losing for the third year in a row was disappointing for the team,” Co- hen said. “But considering the per- sonnel we lost to graduation and in- jury, it was a very successful season.” The next step will be attempting to catch up to the district’s top pro- gram. “Hopefully, we can grow in the off- season and, if the boys can work on some of the skills we suggest they work on, hopefully we can make it go in our favor next year,” Cohen said. Aidan Conrad (No. 12) of the Phillies is tagge (No. 1) of the Astros during Back Mountain Little League action. Bufalino leads Astros win Nic Bufalino got the win for the Astros, pitching 5 2/3 innings while striking out six. Bufalino and Nick Kachur led the way for the Astros at the plate each with two hits and two RBI Dakota Banks and Matt Whitesell added singles. The Phillies were led by Alex Magdalinski’s two hits and two RBI as well as Jacob Stokes with two hits. Kyle Hromisin, Mark Shultz and Donnie Thompson each had hits for the Phillies. d out at home plate by Matt Dillon
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