2020 from A to Z
The year 2020 was one many people would just as soon forget.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the last 10 months have been filled with lockdowns, uncertainty and sometimes hopelessness.
Despite all that, there were plenty of memorable performances from Berks high school athletes.
Although many of us are ready to move forward to what we hope can only be better days, let’s take one last look back at what happened in 2020 from A to Z.
Bis for Ben Gerhard. The Gov. Mifflin junior took down one of Berks County’s longeststanding swimming records when he finished the 500 freestyle in 4:30.25 to win the District 3 Class 3A gold medal. The time eclipsed the mark set by Wilson’s Tom Houck, now the Bulldogs girls swim coach, in 1994. Daniel Boone’s Chris Guiliano also set Berks records in the 50, 100 and 200 free, winning the PIAA Class 3A gold medal in 1:35.81.
Cis for coronavirus or COVID-19. Either way, it dominated the headlines as hundreds of thousands died from the virus while sports and nearly every other aspect of our lives were disrupted. The PIAA basketball playoffs were cut short, the state Class 2A swimming championships were canceled, the entire high school spring sports season was wiped out and the fall and winter sports seasons were delayed. Local pro and college sports have remained shut down for the most part.
Dis for Doyle, Abby. The Wyomissing senior scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Wilson to lift the Spartans to the BCIAA girls soccer championship. Doyle, the Berks Player of the Year, received All-State recognition and was one of five Spartans voted to the All-Berks team from a squad that outscored its opponents 102-17 and captured the District 3 Class 2A title.
Eis for Emmas, Steckiel and Perkins. Emma Steckiel closed out her swimming career at Gov. Mifflin by winning the PIAA Class 3A 50-free gold medal in a county-record 22.88 seconds. Emma Perkins started her tennis career at Conrad Weiser by defeating teammate and three-time Berks champion Alex Pancu for the county title, then teaming with Pancu to win Berks, District 3 Class 2A and PIAA championships in doubles.
Fis for finally. The Kutztown football team defeated Shenandoah Valley 36-0 in their season finale to end a 35-game losing streak. Kutztown had not won a game since 2016, when it defeated Fleetwood 21-20 in its season finale.
Gis for Gov. Mifflin girls basketball. Led by All-Berks junior Stella Mollica and county Coach of the Year Mike Clark, the Mustangs won their second straight Berks championship and fourth in the last six years.
HAis for Anthony Myers. The late Berks Catholic football star had his No. 17 retired by the school following his death on Dec. 4, 2019, after a courageous battle with brain cancer.
is for Hamburg, wrestling and baseball. The Hawks won their first Berks team championship and second straight District 3 Class 2A dual meet championship, qualifying four wrestlers for the state tournament. The baseball team had its promising high
school season canceled before capturing the SchuylkillBerks Independent League championship after the American Legion had canceled its 2020 baseball season.
I is for individual medley. Muhlenberg senior Cameron Gring won her second PIAA Class 3A swimming gold medal when she swam a dead heat with North Allegheny’s Torie Buerger in the 200 IM in a Berks-record 1:59.50. Gring, who was voted the Reading Eagle Female Athlete of the Year, also won gold in the 100 backstroke in 2018. Muhlenberg freshman Sydney Gring, Cameron’s younger sister, who earlier in the season set a Berks record of 55.01 in the 100 butterfly, earned a PIAA silver medal in the event.
is for Unruh, Robbie. The Exeter senior was the Berks Wrestler of the Year after winning a District 3 Class 3A title and finishing third at the PIAA Championships at 285 pounds. He finished the season 47-3 with 27 falls and defeated Conrad Weiser’s Adam Kase five times, including in all-Berks District 3 championship bout and in the PIAA consolation semifinals. Kase placed fifth at the state tournament. Brandywine Heights junior Noah Frack placed fifth at 126 to earn his second Class 2A state medal.
V is for volleyball, Wilson. The Bulldogs under coach Denny Werner captured their first Berks championship, emerging from a tight three-team race with Exeter and Twin Valley in Berks I. Led by freshman KasJ is for Jeff “The Thrower” Kline. The Fleetwood sesidy Means, the Berks Player of the Year and an Allnior won the gold medal in the Pennsylvania Track State selection, the Bulldogs were the District 3 Class and Field Coaches Association state indoor meet with 4A runners-up. the longest shot put heave in Berks history, 64 feet, 7.5
W inches. But the indoor throw was not recognized as a is for Wyomissing football. The Spartans, becounty record and Kline was denied a chance to pursue hind coach Bob Wolfrum, dominated their way the mark when the spring track and field season was to their second straight District 3 Class 3A championcanceled. ship and into the PIAA championship game. Wyomiss
ing, which had seven players receive All-State recogniK is for Kayla Maletto. The Wilson freshman shot a tion from the Pennsylvania Football Writers, finished 64 at Manor Golf Course — a course record for a 9-1, outscoring its opponents 425-46 before a 35-21 loss female — in a September league match, then helped to Central Valley in the state championship game. the Bulldogs win Berks and District 3 Class 3A team titles. Maletto also won the BCIAA girls championship. Brandywine’s Elijah Ruppert won the boys county title. L is for Lynx. The Oley Valley boys soccer team, led by Berks Player of the Year Chase Reifsnyder, captured its second straight county championship and the District 3 Class 2A title, its first district championship in 27 years.
Mis for Mitchell, Stevie and Brett. Junior Stevie Mitchell led Wilson to its first District 3 Class 6A championship and later committed to continue his basketball career at Marquette. Mitchell, the Berks Player of the Year, averaged a Berks-best 22.3 points per game and had the 28-1 Bulldogs in contention to win a state championship before the playoffs were terminated. Kutztown senior Mitchell Brett captured his third straight District 3 Class 1A boys cross country championship.
Nis for Nesby, Tyrone. The coach led Muhlenberg to the District 3 Class 5A boys basketball championship for its first district championship. The Muhls were 23-6 and had won two state playoff games before the rest of the tournament was canceled. Nesby also led peaceful protests throughout Berks in a battle for social justice.
O is for overtime. It took four overtimes for Hamburg to defeat Fleetwood 55-49 in the longest football game in Berks history. Two overtimes weren’t enough to decide the winner of the Berks field hockey semifinal game between Berks Catholic and Oley Valley. Berks Catholic won in a shootout to end the Lynx’s four-year
reign as county champion.
P is for Peyton McDaniel. The Twin Valley senior became the sixth player in Berks history to score 2,000 points in her career. McDaniel led the county in scoring with 23 points per game and helped the Raiders advance to their first District 3 championship game. She was voted to the Class 5A All-State first team.
Q is for quiet. With crowd sizes limited both indoors and out, football games and other sports events had an eerie silence.
R is for Reading High. The Red Knights advanced to the District 3 Class 6A boys basketball championship game and won two games in the PIAA Tournament before it was canceled. In the fall, Reading High was the only Berks school sidelined when its school board voted not to allow students to participate in extracurricular activities.
Sis for Singleton, Nick. The Gov. Mifflin junior led Berks County in rushing for a third straight season and helped a talented Mustangs team win its first District 3 Class 5A championship. The highly recruited Singleton rushed for 1,303 yards and scored 24 touchdowns in eight games. He was one of four Gov. Mifflin football players to earn All-State honors from the Pennsylvania Football Writers following a season in which the Mustangs went 7-1, reached the PIAA semifinals and outscored their opponents 436-117.
T is for Twin Valley field hockey. Behind Berks Player of the Year Natali Foster, the Raiders captured their first county field hockey championship since 2015. Foster, one of three Raiders voted to the All-State first team, scored 30 goals and led Berks with 28 assists and 88 points.
UXis for XC, aka cross country. Twin Valley senior Noah Taylor and Wilson junior Caryn Rippey won Berks individual titles and led their teams to Berks Conference titles. Rippey was the Class 3A runner-up at the District 3 and PIAA meets and was voted to the girls All-State first team.
Y is for youth and club sports. While high school sports across the state were shut down from the middle of March through the summer, athletes were able to return to competition with their club teams. Z is for Zoom meetings. When high school players were unable to connect with their coaches and teammates in person, they turned to their computers to stay in touch virtually until practices were allowed to start.