Alvernia’s Gilbert wins MAC golf title
Alvernia sophomore & Boyertown alum wins conference tournament by 18 shots
EMILY GILBERT (BOYERTOWN) >> The Middle Atlantic Conference championship was hers to win and Emily Gilbert didn’t disappoint.
The Alvernia sophomore not only won the title, but she did it in record fashion. The right-hander from Gilbertsville (Boyertown Area) shot a tournament-record low 6-over 77 on April 22 and followed that up with an 84 on April 23 for a 161 total over the Hershey Country Club course in Hershey.
Entering the championship, Gilbert was named MAC Golfer of the Week three times that stamped her as the odds-on favorite to walk away with the title. She made it four straight Player of the Week honors after the title match. Of course, she earned the league’s Player of the Year award as well. Gilbert was MAC Rookie of the Year after finishing fourth in the championship as a freshman, also at Hershey.
“Emily ran the table entering the championship,” coach Tom O’Connell said. “She has a strong
“Emily ran the table entering the championship. She has a strong history at Hershey East where she had some big junior matches prior to college. She’s very comfortable there and last weekend put it on autopilot.”
– Alvernia golf coach Tom O’Connell on the championship performance of sophomore Emily Gilbert
history at Hershey East where she had some big junior matches prior to college. She’s very comfortable there and last weekend put it on autopilot.”
Gilbert led by 10 after the first round, the front nine played through rain and cold, and ended up 18 strokes ahead of the runner-up.
“Emily opened the tournament with a birdie and par and never looked back,” O’Connell said. “She kept the ball in play and in good position to score the entire time.”
XAVIER SMITH (DANIEL BOONE) >> The Penn State junior ran wild at the prestigious Virginia Challenge on April 21-22 in Charlottesville, Va. Smith captured the 100 meter dash in 10.38, finished second in the 200 meter dash in 21.11 and ran a leg on the 4x1 relay that finished first in 39.49. The 100 meter time is a personal record and ranks fifth on the Big Ten Conference leaderboard. His 200 time stands 14th in the Big Ten and the relay time is third on the list. Smith finished first in the 100 and helped the 4x1 finish first while being sixth in the 200 at the PAC-12 vs. Big Ten meet March 24-25 in Tempe, Ariz.
ELIJAH SHALAWAY (BOYERTOWN) >> The Wake Forest freshman finished ninth in the javelin throw at the Virginia Challenge on April 21-22 in Charlottesville, Va. He had a toss of 188 feet, 7 inches. On April 14, Shalaway hit his personal best to finish fourth in the Charlotte Invitational in Charlotte, N.C. with a 193 foot, 4 inch effort. That ranks sixth on the Atlantic Coast Conference performance list. He opened the season by finishing 12th in the javelin at the Raleigh Relays March 24-25 with a 186 foot, 10 inch effort.
JILL WESTON (OWEN J. ROBERTS) >> The Kentucky junior finished third in the mile and seventh in the 1,500 meter run at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Track Classic on April 21-22 in Columbus, OH. She posted a time of 5:03.62 in the mile and 4:29.01 in the 1,500. Weston hit a personal best time in the 1,500 when she finished third in 4:27.15 at the Texas Invitational on April 15 in Austin. She opened the outdoor season by running a leg on the Wildcats’ distance medley relay which finished fourth at the Florida Relays with a time of 11:37.79.
RILEY MICHAELS (POTTSGROVE) >> The junior has a job to do for the Cabrini men’s lacrosse team and he’s doing it in fine style. Michaels leads the team in ground balls with 56, but more importantly, he’s won 109 of 171 face-offs for a lofty .637 percentage. He was 15-for19 on face-offs and chipped in with a goal and an assist as the Cavaliers defeated Marywood 16-6 on April 18 in Radnor. Cabrini finished the regular season 13-3 overall and 7-0 in the Colonial States Athletic Conference after an 18-3 league victory over Gwynedd Mercy last Wednesday.
ANGELO KELLY (SPRINGFORD) >> The senior outfielder is hitting .372 (42for-113) for the Eastern baseball team, the Eagles 11-18 overall and 6-9 in MAC Freedom play after a non-league 8-3 victory over Cabrini last Wednesday night. Leadoff man Kelly had two hits and scored two runs in that game. He has seven doubles, a triple, 17 RBIs and 28 runs scored and had four hits in a 15-13 loss to DeSales on April 13 and he was 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI in a 8-6 loss to Misericordia on April 23. He’s made one error on 51 chances (.980) in the field.
ANDREW SCHULER (PERKIOMEN VALLEY) >> The senior right-hander is 4-4 pitching for the DeSales baseball team. He’s made 10 starts and has four complete games. In 58.2 innings, he has a 4.76 earned run average giving up 64 hits and 37 runs, 31 earned, with 17 walks and a team-high 49 strikeouts. Schuler pitched a complete game seven inning 2-1 victory over Wilkes on March 25, giving up four hits, an unearned run with two walks and six strikeouts. On April 15, he had another seven inning complete game in a 3-1 victory over Eastern. He had a three-hitter and gave up an earned run with four walks and a season-high nine strikeouts.
COLE LUZINS (PHOENIXVILLE) >> The junior shortstop is hitting .321 for the Susquehanna baseball team, the River Hawks 2012 overall and 11-4 in the Landmark Conference after dropping an 8-6 nonleague game to Albright on
April 26 in Reading. Luzins, who bats second, has five doubles, two home runs, 15 RBIs and 20 runs scored. He’s also 4-for-5 in stolen bases. In the field, he’s made 12 errors on 101 chances (.881). He also pitches and has a 6-1 record in his three seasons with the team but has worked in just one game this season.
JASON WICHERT (METHACTON) >> The senior continues to be unbeaten at No. 5 singles for the Grove City men’s tennis team. He’s 11-0 after a 6-1, 7-6 victory in a 7-2 non-league loss to Franciscan on April 26 in Grove City. He lost his No. 3 doubles match and is currently 8-3. On April 25, he took his singles match 6-4, 6-0 and his doubles match 8-3 as the Wolverines dropped a 6-3 non-league match to Allegheny. Grove City finished 9-9 overall and 8-0 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference during the regular season.
MADDIE SAGER (OWEN J. ROBERTS) >> The Seton Hall freshman competed in her first Big East Conference women’s golf championship April 21-23 in Callawassie Island, S.C., and finished 29th with a 254 total. She had rounds of 83, 83 and 88 as the Pirates finished fifth in the team standings. Sager prepped for the tourney by being Seton Hall’s top finisher (tie for 21st) at the Georgetown Hoya Invitational on April 10-11 in Beallsville, Md. with a 229 total on rounds of 78, 75 and 76. She finished second at the Jack Rabbit Invitational March 10-11 in Las Vegas with a 221 total aided by a 2-under-par 70 in the final round.
EMILY HARRIS (METHACTON) >> The junior is hitting .300 for the University of Sciences softball team, which is 5-29 overall and 4-18 in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference after dropping a league doubleheader to Chestnut Hill on April 23. She has 21 hits in 70 at-bats with a double, triple, four RBIs and a run scored. The 5-foot-5 Harris spends time between catching and playing the outfield for the Devils and has made two errors on 81 chances (.981).