Spring-Ford grad Newhart a key cog for La Salle
Spring-Ford grad Newhart a key cog for La Salle women’s soccer
La Salle women’s soccer coach Paul Royal wasn’t surprised when red-shirt senior Taylor Newhart developed into one of the top defensive midfielders in the Atlantic-10 Conference.
“Steve Frey, one of my longtime fellow coaches, told me about what an extraordinary person and athlete Taylor was in high school,” the coach said. “He was spot on because once we got a chance to coach her, we quickly realized how incredibly lucky we were having her become an integral part of our program.”
Newhart, from Royersford and a Spring-Ford graduate, has keyed the 7-2 Explorers defense limiting nine foes to just five goals with five shutouts after a 1-0 victory over St. Joseph’s last Sunday in Philadelphia. In 2019, she was named to the United States Soccer Association All-East Region second team. She has played in 68 games in her career with 64 starts.
“Taylor is one of the fiercest and tenacious players I have ever had the privilege to coach,” Royal said. “Her ability to connect and influence her teammate both on and off the field is something we will truly miss when she finishes her career at La Salle.”
The coach called Newhart “one of the greatest teammates and de
fenders” in the history of the program.
“It has been a dream to coach her these last five years and we are all so proud of the legacy she will leave behind to inspire our future Explorers,” Royal said.
MITCHELL PEERS (BOYERTOWN) >>
The junior outfielder was named National College Baseball Writers Association Atlantic Region Hitter of the Week and PSAC East Player of the Week on April 5 after a big effort for the Kutztown baseball team from March 30 to April 3. Peers helped the Golden Bears post a 3-2 record with 10 hits, including two home runs and three doubles, with six runs scored and 12 runs batted in. Kutztown is 14-12 overall and 8-12 in PSAC East play after dropping three of four games to Shippensburg last weekend. The team’s only victory (7-0 last Friday) saw freshman righthander Zach Male (SpringFord) give up four hits and one walk with four strikeouts in seven innings to lift his record to 4-1 on the season.
PAT O’NEILL (METHACTON) >>
The senior infielder has started all 16 games for the Villanova baseball team, the Wildcats 12-4 overall and 0-2 in the Big East Conference after dropping a 9-0 league decision to Creighton last Saturday in Omaha, Neb. O’Neill had a double in the game, one of just three hits that the team compiled.
On the season, he’s hitting .327 (18-for-55) with four doubles, a triple, eight runs scored and seven runs batted in. In the field, he has made just one error on 65 chances (.985) with 11 double plays.
LIAM CONWAY (OWEN J. ROBERTS) >>
The junior is the top distance runner on the Stanford men’s track team. He finished ninth in the 1,500-meter run at the Stanford Invitational on April 3 in Palo Alto, Calif with a personal best time of 3:50.32. Conway also had a personal best time when he finished 10th in the 800-meter run at the Hornet Invitational on March 20 in Sacramento, Calif covering the distance in 2:00.7. He is also one of the top performers on the Cardinal cross country team.
KRISTI KADA (BOYERTOWN) >>
The sophomore attack was named PSAC Western Division Athlete of the Week last Monday after a big performance for the Seton Hill women’s lacrosse team the previous week. Kada had four goals and two assists in an 18-7 victory over Lock Haven on March 31 and five goals in an 18-6 triumph over Gannon on April 3. She had 12 caused turnovers, 11 draw controls and five ground balls in the two games. Kada has scored 26 goals with six assists for the 6-0 Griffins.
ABBY WILD (PERKIOMEN VALLEY) >>
The junior is pitching and playing the outfielder for the Bloomsburg softball team, the Huskies 7-15 after splitting a PSAC doubleheader with East Stroudsburg on April 4. Wild had a triple, single, run scored and an RBI in 3-2 victory in the first game and was charged with the loss in a 4-3 loss in the second. She worked four innings and gave up six hits and three runs, one earned, with two walks and two strikeouts. Wild is hitting .308 (16-for52 and has a 4-6 pitching record. In 52 innings, she has 51 strikeouts.
ASHLEY DELLA GUARDIA (SPRING-FORD) >>
The freshman is hitting .364 for the Maryland-Baltimore County softball team, the Retrievers 12-6 after splitting an America East Conference doubleheader with Binghamton last Saturday in Baltimore. She has 16 hits in 44 at-bats with six doubles, a triple, 10 runs scored and a team-high 14 runs batted in. Sophomore Meghan Dempsey of Collegeville (The Hill School) is hitting .310 (9-for-29) with a double, triple, four runs scored and two runs batted in.
ANDREW FISHER (OWEN J. ROBERTS) >>
The senior outfielder is leading the Elizabethtown baseball team in hitting, the Blue Jays 5-5 all in Landmark Conference games after dropping a doubleheader to Susquehanna on April 5. Four weekend games were postponed. Fisher has a .452 average (14-for-31) with a double, nine runs scored and seven runs batted in. He was 5-for-8 with two runs scored and three runs batted in the two games against Susquehanna. In the field, Fisher has handled 10 chances without an error.
BILLY COLEMAN (BOYERTOWN) >>
The freshman is sharing catching duties with the Alvernia baseball team, the Golden Wolves 118-1 overall and 7-6-1 in MAC Commonwealth play after topping Hood 9-0 and 8-0 in a league doubleheader last Wednesday in Reading. Coleman has played in 13 games with 12 starts and is hitting .389 (14-for-36) with two doubles, a triple, six runs scored and six runs batted in. Freshman righthander Jack Cossa (Pope John Paul II) has seen action in three games in relief but has no record.
ELAINA LEE (OWEN J. ROBERTS) >>
The 5-foot-2 sophomore is competing at No. 4 or No. 5 singles and No. 2 or No. 3 doubles for the West Chester women’s tennis team which is 4-2 after dropping a 5-2 PSAC decision to Mercyhurst last Saturday in West Chester. Lee and her partner captured the No. 2 doubles 7-5 but she came up short in her No. 4 singles match 7-6, 6-3. On the season Lee is 6-2 in her singles matches and 6-1 in her doubles matches.
RYLAN DARRENKAMP (DANIEL BOONE) >>
The sophomore attack is part of the high-scoring Westminster College men’s lacrosse team, the Titans 5-1 after a 29-9 victory over Franciscan on March 27. Darrenkamp had four goals and seven ground balls in the game. He has eight goals on the season along with eight ground balls and a caused turnover. Westminster, which saw its Presidents’ Athletic Conference game against Washington & Jefferson canceled last Sunday, has outscored foes 102-61.