Checking In: Alumni Update (5-1-11)

To include your favorite SOL alum in our regular updates, simply send the links directly to the web site or ask the college to add SOS.com to its media contact list by sending updates to SuburbanOneSports@comcast.net.

University of Maryland standout Da’Rel Scott (Plymouth Whitemarsh) was drafted in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL draft by the New York Giants. One of just four players in Maryland history to post 2,000 career rushing yards and 500 receiving yards, he is fourth on the Maryland career 100-yard rushing game list (eight) and is second in school history in yards per carry (5.58). Scott posted the fastest 40-yard time (4.34) at the NFL combine for any running back measured. In 2005, Scott had a remarkable senior season at PW, rushing 232 times for 2,523 yards (10.9 yards per carry) and 38 touchdowns. He also won the state title in the 100 meters as a junior with a time of 10.56.

Temple freshman Connor McNicholas (Hatboro-Horsham) was named to the 10-man Atlantic 10 All-Conference squad while also earning A-10 Most Outstanding Rookie Performer honors. McNicholas tied for seventh (73-74-76, 223) to lead Temple to a fourth place finish at the 2011 Atlantic 10 Conference Golf Championships held at the Mission Inn Resort on Sunday. McNicholas joined Jim Sullivan (1995) as the only two Temple golfers  to win top rookie honors in the A-10.

Freshman Amy Cross (Upper Dublin) scored a career-high four goals in #18 Syracuse’s 13-9 win over Cornell on Tuesday. In Syracuse’s 10-9 upset of #7 Loyola (Md.) on Friday, Cross contributed an assist. On Sunday, Cross contributed a goal in Syracuse’s 20-6 win over Villanova. The win clinched a share of the 2011 Big East regular season crown for the Orange.

Bernadette Maher (Council Rock North) was named to the inaugural Academic All-Patriot League Team. The Academic All-Patriot League Team is limited to only 12 recipients. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and be a starter or key player in his/her sport. Freshmen or student-athletes in their first academic year at their school are not eligible for the honors. American’s top goal scorer this year, Maher boasts a 3.534 cumulative GPA as a public communications major in the School of Communications and is minoring in psychology. She scored a career-high 32 goals this season and also posted a career-best 35 points, .873 shot on goal percentage, nine draw controls and nine caused turnovers. The junior has also been named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll each of the last two seasons. In American’s 15-14 loss to Colgate on Thursday, Maher scored a team-high three goals and also was credited with four groundballs. Teammate Emily Maher (Pennridge) contributed a goal and two groundballs.

Cabrini freshman midfielder Kellie Manoppello (Upper Merion) was named to the All-Colonial States Athletic Conference honorable mention team. Manoppello ranked fourth on the team with 21 points on 12 goals and eight assists. In Saturday’s 18-10 win over Immaculata in a quarterfinal game of the Colonial States Athletic Conference Tournament, Manoppello contributed three goals, two groundballs and two draw controls. As a result of its win, Cabrini will advance to Tuesday’s semifinal round where it will face second-seeded Gwynedd-Mercy College. On Tuesday, Manoppello contributed a pair of goals in Cabrini’s 15-7 win over Centenary College.

Senior Tim Pfender (Neshaminy) was named the MVP for men’s soccer at Bloomsburg’s annual Awards and MVP dinner on Wednesday night. The senior captain and former All-Conference player was a key member of the Huskies defense this season that limited teams to just under two goals per game. As one of just three seniors on the roster, Pfender helped the Huskies stay together as the team overcame some early season adversity. The one goal he scored this season was a big one as it was the only score of the game in the Huskies’ win over 9^th-ranked Slippery Rock.

Erin Holloway (Souderton) was named MVP of the PSAC Softball Tournament. The senior righthander led IUP to its first ever PSAC title, starting and completing all six PSAC tournament games. In six tournament games, Holloway threw three shutouts and allowed only 16 hits and four runs – three earned – while striking out 57. Her ERA for the tournament was 0.51, and opponents batted just .119 against her. She had 30 strikeouts in three games in this weekend’s championship series at Kutztown. Holloway increased her school-record totals to 73 wins, 98 complete games, 30 shutouts and 958 strikeouts, ranking third in PSAC history in the latter category.  IUP, ranked 17^th in the nation by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, will be making its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance when play begins on Friday.

Freshman Stephanie Farrar (North Penn) was 4-for-4 with a double and two runs scored in Gwynedd-Mercy’s 5-2 loss to Cedar Crest on Tuesday. Teammates Renee Stiteler (Plymouth Whitemarsh) and Nicole Paleologus (Bensalem) each contributed a pair of hits. In Gwynedd’s 4-3 loss in the second game of the twinbill, Paleologus delivered an RBI double while Stiteler and Farrar each had a pair of hits. Wendell Tegan (Abington) contributed one hit.

Samantha Schoell (North Penn) delivered a solo home run in Temple’s 4-3 loss to St. Bonaventure on Sunday. The Owls came back to win the nightcap 6-3. On Tuesday, Schoell had a hit and scored a run in Temple’s 5-4 loss to St. Joe’s.

Penn State Berks freshman Dayna Harrison (Pennsbury) was named to the North Eastern Athletic Conference Southern Division first team at shortstop. Harrison led the team with a .454 batting average and a .660 slugging percentage. She broke the single season school record in home runs (four) and RBIs (41). She also scored 27 runs and recorded six doubles, a triple and five stolen bases. Teammate Shari Lynn Kluth (Norristown) also earned a spot on the first team for her play in the outfield. Kluth hit .361 and had a team-high 16 stolen bases. The freshman outfielder scored 34 runs and drove in 17 runs. Kluth, a permanent fixture at the top of the Nittany Lion batting order, had a team-high 108 at-bats.

MEN’S SWIMMING  Senior Ben Safran (Central Bucks West) was named the Senior Scholar-Athlete for the 2010-11 year in men’s swimming at Bloomsburg’s annual Awards and MVP dinner on Wednesday night. Safran has a 3.72 GPA while majoring in Business Marketing. He has been a four-year member of the men’s swimming team and is a four-year PSAC Scholar-Athlete. He has been in the Executive Board of Honors program for four years. In the pool, Safran qualified for the PSAC championships each of his four years and has the third fastest time in the 200-fly in school history and two of the all-time 10 best times in school history. This past season he served as team captain and finished first in the PSAC consolation finals. Out of the pool, Safran has been active in SAAC (Student Athletic Advisory Committee) for two years, serving as the Executive Committee Chairman this year.

Freshman Mark DiLemmo (Central Bucks East) was named the MVP for men’s swimming at Bloomsburg’s annual Awards and MVP dinner on Wednesday. As a freshman, DiLemmo swam a 1:54.57, an NCAA ‘B’ cut time, in the finals of the 200-fly at the conference championships to earn All-PSAC honors. In the process, he also broke a 32-year-old school record for the event set by BU Hall of Famer Wayne Richards in 1979. DiLemmo also took eighth in the 100 fly at the PSAC championships and was 10^th in the 500 free and scored a team-high 34 points in the championship. All together, he had three all-time top five swims at BU as a freshman.

Junior Keith Ogden (Cheltenham) led Millersville with an NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 100-meter hurdles at the Paul Kaiser Classic at Shippensburg University on Saturday. He took first place in the 400-meter hurdles, beating the second place finisher by two-hundredths of a second. His time of 53.32 seconds not only earned him an NCAA provisional qualifying standard, but his personal best also puts Ogden third all time in Millersville history.

Penn State freshman Brittney Howell (Cheltenham) finished third in the women’s heptathlon at the Penn Relays. Howell racked up a career-best total of 4,604 – just 134 points behind winner Kelly Curtis of Springfield College with 4,738. Her performance sits sixth in the conference. Howell’s afternoon included performances of 17-1.25 (5.21) in the long jump, 92-9 (28.29) in the javelin, and 2:33.22 for the 800-meter run.