Checking In: Alumni Update (11-21-11)

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MEN’S BASKETBALL
East Stroudsburg University guard Whis Grant (Plymouth Whitemarsh) has been named the PSAC East Men’s Basketball Freshman of the Week after averaging 20.5 points and earning a spot on the All-Tournament team at the season-opening Wolf’s Bus Lines Tournament at Shippensburg. Grant had 30 points, three rebounds, six assists and two steals in his ESU debut, a 96-92 loss vs. No. 6 ranked West Liberty last Saturday. He had 11 points, one rebound, four assists and two steals in a 74-66 loss against Charleston on Sunday. Grant scored 17 of his 30 points against West Liberty in the second half and had 15 in the final 8:43 to nearly bring the Warriors back from a 14-point deficit against last year’s national semifinalists. He was 9-for-16 from the field, 5-for-9 from the three-point line and 7-for-9 at the foul line for the game. He made four three’s late in the game, including three in just over two minutes to pull ESU within striking distance. Grant moved into the starting lineup during the preseason after the Warriors lost sophomore Will Brown for the season due to injury. Brown set ESU’s freshman record with 48 three-pointers and school record for three-point percentage (48.0) last season while Grant was 6-for-13 (46.2 percent from the arc early this season. Grant has won championships in each of the last two seasons, beating Brown’s Penn Wood team in the PIAA Class AAAA state championship game in 2010 and playing on the national prep championship team at St. Thomas More (Conn.) in 2011.

Sophomore Fran Rafferty (Upper Merion) scored 16 points – including 12 after halftime – in #14 Cabrini’s 77-65 win over Haverford College.

Nick Christian (Bensalem) contributed 17 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in Philadelphia University’s 92-67 loss to UMass-Lowell on Saturday. In Tuesday’s 71-59 win over West Chester, Christian contributed 16 points and seven rebounds.

CJ Aiken (Plymouth Whitemarsh) had nine points and four blocks in St. Joseph’s 78-70 loss to Seton Hall in the semifinals of the DIRECTV Charleston Classic on Friday. Last Monday, Aiken had 11 points, seven rebounds and four blocks in the Hawks’ 92-50 win over Scranton in an exhibition game.

Junior guard Khalif Wyatt (Norristown) scored 12 points in Temple’s 85-77 loss to Purdue in the semifinals of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Tournament on Friday. In Thursday’s opening round game, Wyatt grabbed a career-high seven rebounds while also making four steals in Temples 69-55 win over Western Michigan.

Sophomore guard Kenny Gula (Quakertown) contributed seven points and one assist in Moravian’s 92-50 win over SUNY Cobleskill on Saturday. On Friday, Gula had seven points in Moravian’s 82-74 loss to Immaculata University. On Tuesday night, Gula scored a career-high 18 points while going 4-for-6 from three-point range in Moravian’s 74-73 loss to Muhlenberg.

Senior Dan DelConte (Wissahickon) scored 13 points in Gwynedd-Mercy’s 76-70 loss to #5 Middlebury on Saturday.

Lorenzo Christmas (Norristown) scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting in Bloomsburg’s 82-50 win over Lock Haven on Saturday. He was 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. On Sunday, Christmas had seven points in Bloomsburg’s 77-68 win over Edinboro.

Julian Bond (Plymouth Whitemarsh) scored 13 points in Lock Haven’s 70-64 loss to Mansfield on Sunday. On Saturday, Bond recorded four assists and four steals in Lock Haven’s 82-50 loss to Bloomsburg.

Freshman Sam Pygatt (Plymouth Whitemarsh) contributed 11 points off the bench, including a pair of dunks, in Shippensburg’s 101-72 loss to No. 6 West Liberty in the final of the 2011 Wolf’s Bus Lines Classic last Sunday.  On Sunday, Pygatt scored 15 points off the bench on 5-of-8 shooting while going 4-of-4 from the free throw line in Shippensburg’s 80-64 loss to No. 19 Indiana (Pa.).

Sophomore guard Jesse Krasna (Pennsbury) scored 13 points in Ursinus College’s 78-67 win over Plattsburgh State on Saturday. In Tuesday night’s 65-58 loss to Marymount (Va.), Krasna had six points and a team-high seven rebounds.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Sophomore guard Jordan Dominic (Pennridge) scored a team-high 17 points in Gwynedd-Mercy’s 66-62 loss to Delaware Valley on Saturday in the championship game of the GMC Tip-Off Tournament. Dominic, who had four of her team’s five three-pointers, earned all-tournament honors. Sophomore Taylour Alston (North Penn) added 11 points. On Friday, Dominic had 12 points off four three-pointers in Gwynedd’s 61-53 win over Lycoming in an opening round tournament game. Alston collected nine rebounds on a night that saw Gwynedd outrebound its opponent 40-33. In Tuesday’s season opening 96-74 loss to Kean, senior guard Bryn Cotteta (Norristown) scored 18 points and added three assists. Sophomore forward Natasha Matthews (Norristown) scored 10 points and pulled down four rebounds.

Sophomore Daniella Ciccarone (Quakertown) scored 12 of her 16 points in the first half of Walsh University’s 83-54 win over Urbana University on Tuesday. She was 6-for-10 from the field and 4-for-4 from the foul line. She also had four steals. In Walsh’a 61-58 loss to Shawnee State University in the final game of the Walsh Classic last Sunday, Ciccarone led all scorers with 20 points. She also had six rebounds and was 7-for-14 from the floor and 5-for-5 from the foul line. In Walsh’s opening round 76-59 loss to Cedarville University, Ciccarone had 13 points. 

Sarah Martin (Central Bucks East) recorded a double-double, contributing 13 points and 11 rebounds in Ursinus College’s 68-66 loss to Utica College in the day two of the 2011 Skidmore Invitational. Teammate Liz Martin (Central Bucks East) had 14 points and seven rebounds. In Friday’s 65-39 loss to Skidmore College, Liz Martin contributed six points and five rebounds.

Heather McHugh (Norristown) scored 10 points in Lock Haven’s 67-61 win over Mansfield on Sunday. Teammate Kelsey Ryan (Neshaminy) added six points. On Saturday, McHugh scored 14 points in Lock Haven’s 73-55 loss to Bloomsburg.

Mashira Newman (Upper Dublin) scored 19 points, which included 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc, in Millersville’s 62-48 win over Mercyhurst in its season opener on Saturday. Newman also had eight assists. She scored 12 of her 19 points in the second half, including 3-for-3 from beyond the three-point line. On Sunday, Newman posted her fourth career double-double, contributing 16 points and 11 rebounds in Millersville’s 81-49 route of Silppery Rock. She also recorded a career-high four blocks to go along with six assists and four steals. Senior Sophia Waters (Norristown) led all scorers with 17 points, including 10 in the second half. Waters was perfect from beyond the arc, going 3-for-3.

Senior forward Brittany McClain (Harry S. Truman) scored five points in East Stroudsburg’s 77-59 loss to Gannon in its season opener on Saturday.

Redshirt freshman forward Emily Leer (Abington) scored a team-high 10 points – all in the second half – in Villanova’s 56-41 loss to Princeton on Saturday. On Wednesday, Leer contributed four points off the bench in Villanova’s 60-53 win over Marist.

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Nick Crits (Wissahickon)
finished second in the 2011 IC4A/ECAC Championships on Saturday at VanCortland Park in the Bronx. For his efforts, Crits earned All-East Region honors. The Explorers finished third overall, behind only Princeton and Albany.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Taylor Goldworthy (Central Bucks South)
placed inside the 19-minute mark and finished among the top 100 runners in the 2011 ECAC Championships on Saturday. Goldsworthy finished 75th to help the Owls finish 15th overall, the program’s highest ever finish at ECAC Championships. Senior Karrie Finn (Council Rock North) finished 136th with a time of 20:38.
Laura Histand (Neshaminy) was Lock Haven’s top finisher in this weekend’s NCAA Division II National Championship Meet in Spokane, Wash., finishing 86th overall and covering the snowy 6K course in 23:23.9. Lock Haven finished 20th overall as the Lady Eagles made their first ever appearance in the national meet.

FIELD HOCKEY
Gwynedd-Mercy sophomore Maria Karidas (Council Rock South) was named to the National Field Hockey Coaches’ Association (NFHCA) All-South Atlantic Region Team.  She earned a second team spot after leading the CSAC in goals, assists, points and game-winning goals. A first team all-conference selection, Karidas was an integral part of Gwynedd winning its second CSAC Championship and earning an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. She was named the CSAC Player of the Week on Oct. 3.

University of Scranton senior Gretchen Kempf (Central Bucks South) was named to the NFHCA All-South Atlantic Region Second Team. Kempf led the Landmark Conference with 16 goals and 34 points, both career highs. The 16 goals are the fifth highest single-season total in Scranton history while the 34 points are the eighth highest single-season total in school history. She has 26 career goals, eighth most in school history. Earlier this fall, Kempf was named the Landmark Offensive Player of the Year after leading the Royals to a 12-6 record, which included a berth in the conference playoffs. Kempf is the seventh player in Scranton history to earn NFHCA All-Region honors and the first since 2005.

Senior Taryn Gjurich (North Penn) was a starter for the University of North Carolina field hockey squad that advanced to the NCAA Championship game where the Tar Heels fell 3-2 in overtime to Maryland.

Shippensburg’s Casey McGowan (Central Bucks South), who was named the PSAC West Freshman of the Year, was named to the All-Rookie Squad by omensfieldhockey.com. A second team All-PSAC pick, McGowan anchored an IUP defense that was one of the best in the conference this season. As a team, the Crimson Hawks’ defense allowed just 2.69 goals per game. McGowan also chipped in on offense with an assist.

Ursinus senior Jill Lukens (Central Bucks East) was named to the second team All-Centennial Conference squad. In Ursinus College’s season-ending 2-0 loss to The College of New Jersey in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament, Lukens made 12 saves.

Penn State sophomore Lauren Purvis (Hatboro-Horsham) was named to the second team of the Longstreth Field Hockey All-Region team as selected by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. Purvis was one of Penn State’s most steady contributors all season in the midfield, contributing 12 points on five goals and two assists.

Lebanon Valley junior Caitlin Vasey (Central Bucks East) has been named to the Longstreth/NFHCA Division III All-Region team. Vasey switched to midfield as a junior and drove LVC’s transition offense and ability to control the ball. With six goals and eight assists, she also became LVC’s all-time assist leader with 46. Vasey was also a key defensive player as the corner flyer, helping hold opponents to 11.9 shots per game.

FOOTBALL
Ursinus senior linebacker Greg Martell (Neshaminy) was named the Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Year and was a unanimous first team selection. He is the first Ursinus player to receive this honor. He finished the season with 87 tackles, including 54 solo stops. He had five sacks, an interception, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble along with seven tackles for losses of 48 yards. His 87 tackles were the most for an Ursinus player since 2006.

Ursinus senior defensive lineman Sean Whelan (Central Bucks East) also earned a spot on the first team 2011 All-Centennial squad. He ranked second in the Centennial with nine sacks, which included a four-sack performance against Susquehanna. A second team All-Centennial pick in 2010, he finished the season with 47 total tackles, 14 of which were for losses of 81 yards.

Ursinus junior punter Derek Giannetti (Upper Dublin) earned honorable mention All-Centennial recognition for the second consecutive year. He punted 35 times for an average of 36.3 yards per punt and had six punts land inside the 20.

Bloomsburg’s Dylan Manni (Bensalem) received first team All-PSAC East honors after catching 13 passes for 115 yards at the tight end position. This is his first all-conference honors.

Senior CJ Marck (Pennsbury) finished the season seventh in tackles on his Miami University squad with 38 tackles – 24 solo and 14 assisted. He had 8.5 tackles for a loss and recorded three sacks for a Miami squad that closed out the year with a 4-7 mark.

The College Football Performance Awards honored Temple junior placekicker/punter Brandon McManus (North Penn) with Honorable Mention national player of the week accolades. It is the third consecutive week he received this honor.  In Temple’s 42-14 win over Army, McManus made six PATs to extend his consecutive streak to 42 makes. He also kicked off seven times for 488 yards, averaging 69.7 yards per kickoff. He punted three times for 139 yards (46.3 average) with two touchbacks and one inside the 20. In 11 games, McManus is second in team scoring with 75 points. He leads the MAC with a perfect 42-of-42 in PATs. In his first season with the added duty of team punting, McManus has punted 43 times for 1,985 yards. Fifteen of those 40 landed inside the 20 while 16 were longer than 50 yards. On the career charts, McManus is No. 2 in field goals (41) and No. 3 in career points (241). In this week’s national statistics, McManus is No. 5 in punting (46.16). This is his seventh weekly honor from the CFP this season.

Kutztown quarterback Kevin Morton (Abington) was named the PSAC Eastern Division Offensive Player of the Year. It is the second year he has received this award. A Harlon Hill candidate as the top player in Division II, Morton is second in KU history with 85 touchdown passes and 8,220 passing yards. He is also second in completions with 623. His 27-for-30 (90 percent) throwing percentage against ESU is believed to be a school record for the highest percentage with at least 25 completions. Morton established a school record this season by throwing at least one touchdown pass in 21 straight games. During his time at KU, he has thrown at least two TDs in 23 of Kutztown’s last 28 games. With Morton under center, Kutztown has scored 914 points in its last 24 games (38.08/game). Morton threw for a school record 458 yards on 38-for-46 accuracy against CW Post. He threw a career-best six touchdown passes against Saint Anselm in the 2011 season opener. Morton has 8,898 yards of total offense in his career, good for 11th in PSAC history. He is tied for 13th with 8,220 passing yards, eighth with 85 passing TDs and 10th with 625 completions. He has thrown for 2,666 yards this season.

Kutztown junior offensive lineman Aaron McGlynn (Souderton) also earned first team All-PSAC honors.  KU is sixth in the PSAC in sacks allowed at 1.82 per game. The team’s offense is first in scoring (39.4) and total offense (483.8) and third in passing offense (274.0) and rushing offense (209.8).

Kutztown junior defensive back Alex DiNolfi (Norristown) earned first team All-PSAC honors. He had a conference-leading nine interceptions this season and is second in Division II (0.82/game). DiNolfi is third on the team with 55 tackles along with five pass breakups. It is his first post-season conference honor.

Kutztown junior running back and return specialist Josh Mastromatto (Upper Dublin) earned first team all-PSAC honors after earning second team honors in 2010. Mastromatto was recognized as a first team selection as both a running back and return specialist. He leads the PSAC and is fourth in Division II in kick return yardage (31.85/game). He had an 83-yard return for a TD against Bloomsburg and is the only player in the PSAC with two kickoff return TDs this season. His 100-yard kickoff return against ESU was the longest in KU history. Mastromatto is the 17th player in conference history to have a full-field kickoff return for a touchdown. He has nine touchdowns this season (four rushing, three receiving, two kickoff return). He has scored 23 touchdowns in KU’s last 22 games.

Kutztown senior defensive end Brett Moss (Bensalem) received all-conference recognition for the first time this season. Moss, who earned a spot on the second team, leads KU with 12.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for a loss. He leads the PSAC and is fourth in Division II in sacks per game (1.18). He is fifth in the PSAC and 10th in Division II in tackles for loss (1.82).

On Saturday, Moss had four sacks in Kutztown’s 17-14 win over Concord University in the opening game of the NCAA Super Region 1 playoffs, setting a KU single-season record with 17 sacks. He finished with eight tackles, including two forced fumbles and a pass breakup. DiNolfi intercepted passes on back-to-back possessions in Saturday’s win. He now leads the NCAA and set a KU single-season record with 11 interceptions this season. Teammate Jason Ulmer (Neshaminy) had seven tackles. Senior quarterback Marshall Vogel (Hatboro-Horsham) stepped in for an injured Kevin Morton, finishing with 88 passing yards on 6-for-15 passing which included a 21-yard TD strike in the final minute of the third quarter to give KU a 14-7 lead. Kutztown would not trail the rest of the game. It was the first-ever playoff victory for Kutztown, which will travel to second-seeded New Haven on Saturday for a second round game.

Shippensburg sophomore defensive end Jake Metz (Souderton) earned second team honors on the 2011 All-PSAC Eastern Division team. Metz and teammate Dainen Green were the bookends at defensive end and led the Raiders with 7.5 sacks each, which tied the teammates for third in the East with an average of .68 sacks per game. Metz also finished with 10.5 tackles for a loss and teamed with Green for three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.

WOMEN’S SOCCER
Maddy Evans (Abington)
contributed an assist in 13th-ranked Penn State’s 4-1 win over No. 12 Marquette on Friday night to advance to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

West Chester junior midfielder Jen Hutchinson (Neshaminy) was named to the second team of the 2011 All-PSAC women’s soccer team. Hutchinson started all 18 games for the Golden Rams. She ended her season ranking second on the team with a total of 18 points after contributing six goals and six assists.

IUP senior Melissa Kornock (North Penn) was named to the first team of the 2011 All-PSAC women’s soccer team. She closed out an outstanding career at IUP by recording 13 goals and a team-high seven assists this season. Kornock was fifth in the PSAC in assists per game and sixth in total points with 33. She is sixth in IUP history with 35 career goals.

MEN’S SWIMMING
Jeremy Frey (Central Bucks East)
posted an all-time top 10 win in the 200-IM with a mark of 1:59.12 in Bloomsburg’s 103-102 loss to Dickinson College on Saturday. Frey is the school record holder in that event.

Junior Dan Fitzgerald (Upper Dublin) was part of La Salle’s second place 400-medley relay that posted a time of 3:24.59 in the Bucknell Invite.

Shippensburg senior Joe Keefe (Neshaminy) surpassed the PSAC standard in the 100 backstroke with a time of 53.50 at the 2011 Patriot Invitational hosted by George Mason University. Keefe finished 20th in the ‘C’ Group finals of the 200 back with a time of 1:58.13. Sophomore RJ Phiambolis (Pennridge) posted a time of 7.22.56 in the 800-yard freestyle.

Freshman TJ Guminski (Hatboro-Horsham) was part of Lycoming’s first place 200-yard medley relay team that posted a time of 1:41.95 in a Middle Atlantic Conference double dual meet on Nov. 12. Lycoming defeated Messiah (145-116) and Elizabethtown (192-67).

WOMEN’S SWIMMING
Kasey Blesh (Neshaminy)
hit a PSAC mark in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:18.40, which was just off the Lock Haven record and is one of the fastest times in school history. Blesh clocked her time in three-day John Pidgeon Memorial Invitational at IUP. She finished fourth in the 1,650 freestyle with a PSAC mark of 18:15.99.

East Stroudsburg freshman Melissa Smith (Pennsbury) placed fifth in the 500 free at the Golden Bear Invitational this weekend with a time of 5:39.37. She finished eighth in the 200 free with a time of 2:11.06 and was part of the Warriors’ second place 800 free relay (8:28.84) and their third place 400 free relay (3:56.35). She also finished ninth in the 100 free (58.97). The Warriors finished second in the five-team meet.

Tori Hall (Council Rock North) was part of Bloomsburg’s first place 200-medley relay that finished with a time of 1:53.92 in the Huskies’ 117-83 win over the Dickinson on Saturday.

Freshman Chelsea Kozior (Council Rock South) finished fourth in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:05.84 in Ursinus College’s 156-106 loss to Gettysburg on Saturday.

Amanda Thomas (William Tennent) and Ashley Kichline (Souderton) were part of Millersville’s eighth place 200-yard freestyle relay at the three-day Highlander Invitational. Both swimmers were also part of Millersville’s 12th place 200-yard medley relay team that finished with a time of 1:54.05. Victoria DeTample (Pennsbury), Kichline and Thomas were part of the 800-yard freestyle relay that took 10th place with a time of 8:08.97.

Junior Paige Whitmire (Souderton) was part of Penn State’s first place 200 freestyle relay that finished with a time of 1:32.45 at a tri-meet featuring Indiana, Virginia and Penn State this weekend. She also was part of Penn State’s second place 200 medley relay that posted a time of 1:43.32 as well as the second place 400 freestyle relay that finished with a time of 3:22.34.

La Salle senior Laurie McLaughlin (North Penn) placed second in the 3-meter dive with a score of 259.55 in the finals of the Bucknell Invite.

Megan Lafferty (Upper Dublin) and Melanie Busch (William Tennent) were part of Maryland’s 200 free relay that turned in a season-best performance, finishing first with a time of 1:31.20 in the opening day of the 2011 Terp Cup. Lafferty picked up her fifth straight 50 free win to start the season, posting a time of 22.64. On day two of the competition, Lafferty was part of Maryland’s first place 200 medley relay that posted a season-best mark of 1:40.80. She picked up an individual first in the 100 fly with a time of 53.56, and Lafferty also finished first in the 100 back with a time of 54.43. Bush finished sixth with a time of 55.76. On the final day of the three-day competition, Lafferty finished first in the 100 free with a time of 48.97 – it was her fourth first place finish of the meet. Busch, meanwhile, was fifth in the 200 back.

Lafferty was named the ACC Women’s Performer of the Week for the week ending Nov. 15. Lafferty picked up her fourth straight 50 free win to start the season as she helped guide the Terrapins to a rout of defending America East champion UMBC. She also swam the second and third legs respectively on the winning 200 medley and 200 free relays. Lafferty, who swam the fastest time in the 100 fly in the conference last year, won that event in the win over UMBC (55.77).

Freshman Jan Ikeda (North Penn) added another Lebanon Valley record to her collection, smashing the 200-meter butterfly mark with a time of 2:28.98 in LVC’s 143-34 win over DeSales. Her time was nearly 16 seconds under the old mark of 2:44.48. She also turned in a time of 1:03.77 in the 100-fly, just seven-hundredths over her personal best and again under the NCAA B qualifying cut.

Ikeda was named the Middle Atlantic Conference Swimmer of the Week for the second consecutive time to start her career. Ikeda became the first swimmer in LVC history to record an NCAA qualifying standard, swimming a school-record 1:03.70 to make the NCAA ‘B’ cut in the 100-meter butterfly. Ikeda also set a school record in the 200-meter free (2:14.01) and swam a 29.07 fly split to help the 200-meter medley relay to a win. No MAC swimmer has qualified for NCAAs in nearly a decade. 

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