Local connection starring for Shorewomen
Washington College benefitting from sophomores Luecke, Draves
The Washington College women’s swim team has a solid onetwo punch in sophomores Alexa Luecke and Teresa Draves.
Luecke, from Pottstown and an Owen J. Roberts graduate, and Draves, from Gilbertsville and a Boyertown area graduate, showed their stuff was the Shorewomen turned back Bryn Mawr 187-70 and Albright 174-76 last Saturday in Bryn Mawr.
Luecke finished first in the 100 freestyle (56.892) and the 200 freestyle (2:04.09) and was a member of the winning 400 medley relay (4:16.61) and the 200 free relay (1:45.80). She’s also the team’s top performer in 50, 100 and 400 free.
“Alexa has displayed a huge amount of potential from her freshman to sophomore year,” coach Mark Hill said. “She has stepped up to win many key events during the season. She is an integral part of our success in relays which comes with some pressure, but she is someone that we rely on regularly in those situations.”
Draves finished first in the 200 breaststroke (2:33.82), the 200 IM (2:15.58) and was a member of the winning 200 free relay. She also has the best times on the team in the 100 backstroke and the 400 IM.
“Teresa is one of those swimmers that any coach would consider being the backbone of the team,” Hill said. “Outside of her performances in the water, she brings a light-hearted attitude to tough practices and a focused outlook when displayed with a challenge. She has significantly improved her mechanical swimming with her sprinting and middistance stroke from last season to this season.”
CHRISTIAN KELLY (PHOENIXVILLE) >> The 6-foot-4 senior has been on a tear for the Lock Haven men’s basketball team. He had 27 points in an 89-84 victory over West Chester on Jan. 13 and came back with 27 points in a 9580 triumph over Bloomsburg last Friday to lift the Bald Eagles to 8-7 overall and 5-6 in PSAC East play. Kelly leads the team in scoring (20.1), rebounding (8.3) and
blocked shots (24). He also has 37 assists and 17 steals and has five double-doubles on the season. He had a season-high 28 points in a 9692 loss to Pitt-Johnstown. ABBY KAPP (BOYERTOWN) >> The 6-foot junior guard is a big outside threat for the Bucknell women’s basketball team, the Bison 13-4 overall and 6-0 in the Patriot League after 71-50 league victory over Lehigh last Saturday. Kapp had a career-high 23 points and hit 6-of-8 from 3-point range. On the season, she’s connected on 46 of 109 shots from outside the arc (42.2 percent). Kapp, who has started all 17 games, also is averaging 3.2 rebounds a game and has 21 assists, 14 steals and seven blocked shots.
TIM YOUNDT (THE HILL SCHOOL) >> The freshman from Pottstown had a big debut competing with the Rose Hulman men’s indoor track team at the school’s Friday Night Spikes Opener last weekend in Terre Haute, Ind. He captured the triple jump with a 43 foot, 3 ¼ inch effort and helped the Fightin’ Engineers’ 4x200 finish second with a time of 1:34.24. Youndt also finished sixth in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 9.06.
He was the second freshman finisher in the event. CHRISTINA WARREN (PERKIOMEN VALLEY) >> The freshman is off to a solid start in her career with the Arizona State women’s indoor track team. At Northern Arizona’s Lumberjack Team Challenge last Friday in Flagstaff, she finished third in the long jump (18 feet, 7 inches) and third in the 60 meter hurdles (8.70). She was the top freshman finisher in both events. Warren kicked off the season by finishing fifth in the 60 hurdles at NAU’s Friday Night Duals in Flagstaff on Jan. 10 with a time 8.68 after being fifth in the prelims with a time of 8.63.
GREGG HARVEY (BOYERTOWN) >> The red-shirt junior is the top performer at 174 pounds for the No. 10-ranked Pittsburgh wrestling team. He has an 11-6 overall record and a 4-3 dual meet after losing a 10-0 major decision as the Panthers dropped a 30-10 decision at No. 9 Oklahoma State last Saturday. Harvey was the highest finisher for the team when he was second in the Southern Scuffle on Jan. 1-2 in Chattanooga, Tenn. He won four bouts, two by major decision, before losing 11-6 in the title match to Carter Starocci of Penn State.
RACHEL SCHAAF (THE HILL SCHOOL) >> The sophomore from Phoenixville captured the triple jump and finished third in the long jump for the Colgate (N.Y.) women’s indoor track team at the Moravian College Indoor Meet last Saturday in Bethlehem. She had a 37 foot, 1 ¼ inch effort to win the triple jump and a 17 foot, 1 ½ inch leap in the long jump. Schaaf captured the long jump with a 17 foot, 5 ¼ inch effort at the Pioneer Winter Classic on Dec. 14 in Utica, N.Y.
RICH DUNHAM (POPE JOHN PAUL II) >> The 6-foot-1 senior guard leads the Gwynedd Mercy men’s basketball team in scoring with an 18.3 record, the Griffins 12-4 overall and 3-0 in the Atlantic East Conference after a 78-61 league victory over Marymount (VA) last Saturday. Dunham had 23 points in the game and he’s averaging 23.0 points in the team’s last seven outings. He’s hit 24 of 60 from 3-point range (40 percent), is averaging 4.3 rebounds a game and leads the team in assists with 54 and steals with 37.
RACHEL WOOMER (DANIEL BOONE) >> The freshman was named Middle Atlantic Conference Swimmer of the Week on Jan. 13 for her performance with the King’s women’s swim team in a 157-104 triumph over Messiah on Jan. 11, the team’s first victory over the Falcons since 2010. Woomer captured the 200 butterfly (2:12.72), the 200 breaststroke (2:37.47) and the 100 butterfly (1:01.14). She also swam a leg on the winning 200 medley relay. She won the 400 IM (4:54.11) as the Monarchs topped Lycoming 128-59 last Friday.
WILL HARE (THE HILL SCHOOL) >> The junior from Birchrunville has a 12-4 record at 285 pounds competing mostly in open tournaments for the University of Chicago wrestling team. Hare finished fifth in the Trine Tournament on Nov. 16 in Angola, Ind., going 5-2 with three pins. He opened the second half with his fourth fall of the season which came in 1:55 as the Maroon topped Case Western Reserve 44-12 in the D3 National Challenge on Jan. 4 in Cleveland, OH. JORDAN BARTH (PERKIOMEN SCHOOL) >> The 6-foot-1 senior forward is second in scoring (12.5) and rebounding (9.3) for the Misericordia women’s basketball team, the Cougars 14-1 overall and 4-0 in MAC Freedom play after a 77-62 league victory over Stevens Tech last Saturday. Barth, who was named the league’s Player of the Week on Jan. 13, had a standout game with 16 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocked shots. It was her seventh double-double of the season. She also has 35 assists, 18 steals and 16 blocked shots.