SPORTS Sunday, November 17, 2013 THE DALLAS POST Sunday, November 17, 2013 Nathalie oanlanne wins first-ever Sem state tennis title; mother coaches team TOM ROBINSON For The Dallas Post Joanlanne was just getting after taking time off from practice to try to be healthi- er for the tournament. leave Hershey with the title of Class AA singles cham- pion. Joanlanne lost her first set at the Hershey Racquet Club, then won eight straight, taking four match- es and the championship. “The score definitely showed the first match was the toughest,” Joanlanne Joanlanne, who became the Wyoming Seminary coach at the start of the 2012 sea- son “It’s been a long road,” Allison said. “A lot of work has gone into it in the past year or so from Nathalie. She’s really worked hard on and off the court.” The process of becoming a state champion - and the coach of a state champion — started much earlier. Allison, who played tennis at Old Dominion University and taught the “Ive played all my life,” I would take her out and I taught her the swing. I taught her all the basic When Nathalie arrived as a high school player, she began her Wyoming Seminary career playing for coach Mike Balutanski. As a freshman, she reached the district singles final, before winning a doubles title and a first-round state match with Sheena Syal and also helped the Blue Knights to ful girls tennis program needed a new coach. “Mike’s incident was to have him have to leave as a coach. We really loved his coaching.” There was, however, a solution and an opportuni- ty for the Joanlanne family. Allison resigned from her job as Misericordia University men’s and women’s tennis coach to take over the Wyoming and I knew I was already coaching her as her mom. She didn’t have a problem ued. Wyoming Seminary has gone 26-0 in the WVC under Allison and has now lost just one conference match in the last five years. The team seasons ended with district final losses to Scranton Prep, which went on to finish as state runner- up this year. Tennis victory is sweet in Joanlanne household Thehardestpartofgetting sport professionally in : through the Pennsylvania New York before moving to i St linlastic Athletic Dallas about 10 years ago, - di es i ssociation Girls Tennis introduced her daughter to i : . : : | " . : . Wyoming Seminary tennis coach Allison Joanlanne directs her BILL TARUTIS | FOR THE DALLAS POST | Championships for Nathalie tennis at an early age. team before a meet with Dallas. Wyoming Seminary’s Nathalie Joanlanne returns a serve against Scranton Prep’s Emily Jonsson dur- ing a semifinal match at the District 2 Class 2A girls tennis championships at Kirby Park. that hope between repeat- ing as district singles champion and heading to Allison said. “We didn’t think it was going to hap- pen. We weren't expecting it.” Lin Robertson of Berks Catholic added to those doubts by winning the first set of the first round match, 6-2. “I was a little bit shaky, a little bit nervous going into it pretty far, but the night before when I was prac- ticing, I was not playing nervous. When I won that first match, I regained all my confidence and actually said, ‘OK, now you can do this.’ “That first match was definitely a huge obstacle to get past.” Later that day, Nathalie rolled through the round where her season ended b started. Allison said. “ ... When stroke and was unable “Of course, I did think | Joanlanne arrived in she was about 3or4,Iput to continue coaching. about it but I had gotten ready to pursue a state title. “When I headed down After the tough start, b Hershey Nov. 1-2 abit rusty a racket in her hand. Just The Wyoming Valley to know the girls, my own The poorly-timed leg there, I had confidence Nathalie did not face trouble and lacking confidence for fun in the summertime, Conference’s most success- daughter was on the team trouble dampened some of that I was going to make again until the final set of the tournament. She defeat- ed New Hope-Solebury’s Genevieve Hobson, 6-1, The Wyoming Seminary fundamentals until she was definitely a huge upset,” with it and they welcomed Hershey. well at all,” Nathalie said. 6-3, before fighting through | nior and ‘Dallas resident about 9, then she had other Nathalie said. “The entire me with open arms.” “It's a good feeling to “My game was breaking a second-set tiebreaker to L shook off a tough start to people teach her.” team and I were devastated And, the success contin- win a state championship,” down and that made me defeat McConnellsburg’s Bronwyne Mellott, 6-4, 7-6 (74). “I knew Bronwyne was the toughest because I had looked up her rankings,” Nathalie said. “I was defi- nitely happy to see her on the opposite side of the bracket from me.” After watching Mellott and getting tips from her said. “I went into the tour- the final of the district team Seminary programs. Nathalie extended her the tournament, then Ilost a year ago. She handled coaches, Nathalie stuck nament not having played tournament. “They needed a coach singles seasons further. She that first match,” Nathalie Sewickley Academy’s were her game plan of for two weeks before The path of her high immediately,” Allison said. moved up to district cham- said. Samantha Gohh, the cham- hitting to the lefty’s back because I had strained my school career changed “I had to resign my posi- pion and state quarterfinal- When Nathalie rallied to pion of the Pittsburgh sub- hand and came away with calf.” Nathalie shared the title with her mother, Allison before Nathalie began her sophomore season. Balutanski suffered a tion at Misericordia, but I took the position with no hesitation. ist as a sophomore and put in the summer tournament play to enter this season pull out a 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 vic- tory, her hopes received a boost. urbs in District 7, winning, 6-1, 6-1, to reach the semi- finals. the first girls’ tennis state championship in Wyoming Seminary history. Borum makes impact as two-way lineman TOM ROBINSON For The Dallas Post Throughout the’ championship Lake-Lehman regular season, Pete Borum made a constant impact with his role as a two-way lineman on a team that produced a pair of 1,000-yard rushers. The job of a lineman, even one who is 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds, often goes unnoticed, particularly on offense where Borum’s personal success relies on precision work of | a unit including the other tackle, | two guards, a center and even the one or two tight ends the Black | Knights use, depending on forma- | | tion. It was impossible to miss Borum'’s presence on defense, how- ever, when the playoffs opened Nov. 8 at Edward Edwards Stadium. Borum pronounced himself ady for the postseason by mak- g tackles on the first three plays BILL TARUTIS | FOR THE DALLAS POST Lake-Lehman’s Kody Pachamovitch, left, bobbles the ball in the end zone but gains control for a touchdown as Susquehanna’s Craig Stanley defends in a District 2 Class 2A semifinal. CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK | FOR THE DALLAS POSt of the game as Lake-Lehman over- powered Susquehanna up front, 350, in the semifinals to reach the District 2 Class AA champion- ship game for the first time in 16 years. The Black Knights played for that title Friday night, putting a 10-game winning streak on the line as they tried to land a spot in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament. “It's a playoff game; every- body’s pumped up,” Borum said. “Everybody's ready to go. “I was real excited.” It showed in Borum’s play in what he acknowledged might have been his best defensive game of the season. By the time Susquehanna had run seven offensive plays, Borum already had five tackles, including Hockey players Pete Borum (No. 55) plays an important role for the Black Knights’ defense this year. one for loss and one for no gain. He took away much of the inside running threat in the Sabers’ vola- tile veer option game. “I was just trying to read what their running backs were doing,” said Borum, who teams with Dustin Jones as defensive tackles. “I was holding my guy, sitting in the hole and seeing what was hap- pening. “Dustin and I were responsible for the running back behind the quarterback.” Borum had eight tackles in the first half. On a night when Susquehanna ran just 34 plays against the starting Lake-Lehman defense, Borum finished with a team-high nine tackles, assisted on two others, batted down one pass and rushed the quarterback into an incompletion on another. Lake-Lehman coach Jerry Gilsky has been able to count on the play of Borum, and the team- mates with which he works most often, throughout the season. He credits Borum, Jones and Brady Butler for taking away the inside from opposing offense and Borum, Luke Hummel, Cory Hoyt, Phil Hetters, Conner McGovern, Zach Brucher and Kody Pachamovitch for providing the blocking that has allowed Lake-Lehman to remain almost exclusively on the ground while averaging more than 42 points per game. “We're very athletic and very - unless they have some- physical up front,” Gilsky said. Borum shows his athleticism year-round at Lake-Lehman where he is also a standout as a center on the basketball team and a pitcher in baseball season. The Black Knights had other players excel in the playoff opener. Jones carried 20 times for 125 yards, three touchdowns and a two- point conversion. Joey Vigil carried seven times for 124 yards, includ- ing a pair of 51-yard runs to set up scores, and also returned an inter- ception 44 yards. Antonio Ferrari threw a touchdown pass and made an interception. Pachamovitch caught the touchdown pass and Wright ran for the other score. be coached by Wyoming @ amed all-stars Wyoming Valley Conference scoring cham- pion Vanessa Parsons led a group of three Dallas players selected as first- team Division 1-2A all- stars in voting by confer- ence’coaches. Michelle Thompson and Cortlyn Van Deutsch also represented Dallas on the first team. Lily Amadio and Abby Downs were named to the second team. Lake-Lehman’s Alyssa Adams and Korri Wandel were named to the first team while Taylor Abda, Emily Galasso, Tiffani Malinowski, Sarah Sabaluski, Tracy Snyder, Lilli Stepanski and Katie Supey were all selected for the second team. Tunkhannock placed Marley Mason and Haylee Underwood on the Division 2 first team and Kailey Reposa, Mary Sickler and Alissa Zamber on the second team. West gridiron classic set for Nov. 30 TOM ROBINSON For The Dallas Post Lake-Lehman will host the UNICO All-Star Football Classic for the first time at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30 a nd six Black Knights will play on their home field thing better to do that weekend. Rosters for the game, which features senior players from the Wyoming Valley Conference, were revealed last week with the understanding that players on teams still active in the state play- offs will not be eligible to play. Lake-Lehman, which is in the District 2 Class AA playoffs trying to advance to state play, had six players selected to the West team scheduled to Valley West’s Pat Keating. If Keating is still busy with state playoffs, Holy Redeemer’s Pat Reece will step in. Two-way lineman Pete Borum, running back/linebacker Brady Butler, running back/ defensive tackle Dustin Jones, wide receiver Kyle Romanofski, wide receiver/linebacker Josh Winters and running back/linebacker Bobby Wright were selected from Lake-Lehman. The West will try to Edmondson extend a seven-game win- ning streak. Dallas also has six play- ers in the game - run- ning back/linebackers Logan Brace and Bill Gately, two-way linemen Luke Edwards and Rocky Rutkoski, tight end/defen- sive lineman Mark Michno and offensive lineman/ linebacker Mike Mihal. Tunkhannock had offensive lineman/line- backer Alex Bishop, two- way linemen Josh Kosak and Ben Swilley, running back/linebacker ~~ Shane and wid Lake-Lehman’s Brady Butler celebrates after recovering a fumble against Susquehanna. Lehman prepares to host UNICO game for first time Annual East- receiver/defensive back Mike Markovitz selected for the team. The West also fea- tures players from Berwick, Holy Redeemer, Northwest, Wyoming Area and Wyoming Valley West. The East, which will be coached by Hanover Area’s Ron Hummer and GAR’s Paul Wiedlich Jr., has players from those two schools as well as Coughlin, Crestwood, Hazleton Area, Meyers, Nanticoke and Pittston Area
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