Johnson peaking for Shippensburg
Gabriella Johnson got a late start to the season but, she is pretty close to top form for the Shippensburg women’s swim team after just two meets.
Johnson, a junior from Mohnton and a Governor Mifflin graduate, opened her season by competing in the Bomber Invitational on Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in Ithaca, N.Y. She captured the 200 breaststroke (2:23.77), finished second in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.06) and 14th in the 200 freestyle (1:58.94), all the times qualifying her for the PSAC Championships. She also swam legs on the 200 medley relay which finished second with a time of 1:46.13, the second best time in team history, and the 400 free relay which finished fourth in 3:58.24.
In Johnson’s first dual meet, a 111-94 victory over Edinboro on Jan. 11 in Shippensburg, she finished first in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.34), second to a teammate in the 200 free (2:00.97) and helped the 200 medley relay finish second (1:51.73).
A four-time All-PSAC selection in individual events and a four-time All-PSAC selection in relays, Johnson has her eyes set on the league championships Feb. 20-23 in York.
By the way, the reason why Johnson was late getting started with the swim team was because she was a key member of the women’s volleyball team which finished 25-8 overall, 14-4 in league play and was beaten 3-2 by Clarion in the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament on Nov. 15. She was second on the team in digs (471) and total blocks (106.0) and third in kills (317).
LEXI GLASSMIRE
(SCHUYLKILL VALLEY >> ,a Schuylkill Valley, graduate, is wrapping up her career with the West Virginia women’s swim team and was among 11 men and women honored on Senior Day on Jan. 12 in Morgantown W.Va. The Mountaineers ended the day on a happy note with a 208-92 Big 12 Conference victory over Texas Christian. Glassmire has been a steady scorer in the 50 and 100 free and the 100 butterfly individually and is a member of the 200 and 400 free and 200 and 400 medley relay teams.
“Lexi has done a nice job stepping into a leadership role with her fellow seniors,” coach Vic Riggs said. “She and the team are working hard as we wrap up January before the championship season begins.”
Glassmire, an exercise psychology major, was named to the Big 12 Academic team in her first three years with the Mountaineers.
TY BAGOLY (EXETER) >> The sophomore is having a solid season with the Clarion wrestling team. He has an 11-7 overall record and a 2-3 dual meet mark at 184 pounds for the 3-4 Golden Eagles. He has four falls, two major decisions and a technical fall. He posted a 7-1 decision to help Clarion turn back LIU Post 39-7 on Jan. 9 in Clarion. Bagoly competed in open competition last year as a true freshman and was 17-9 helped by posting a 5-0 mark to win the title at the Clarion Open to begin is college career.
MICHAEL COVACH (GOVERNOR MIFFLIN) >> The 5-foot11, 190-pound senior forward has seven goals and 17 assists with a game-winner for the Plymouth State men’s hockey team, the Panthers 8-4-3 overall and 5-2-2 in the New England Hockey Conference after a 3-3 tie with UMassDartmouth in a league game on Jan. 12 in Plymouth, N.H. Covach had an assist on the second goal. He currently stands fifth in Division III in assists and sixth in assists per game (1.13). In 50 career games, he’s scored 17 goals with 24 assists and two game-winners.
JEN ECK (EXETER) >> The 5-foot-7 senior guard is the super sub on the Lebanon Valley women’s basketball team. She has played in 15 games with one start and is averaging 5.7 points and 4.4 rebounds with 29 assists and 19 steals. She had a season-high 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals in a 72-69 loss to Misericordia on Dec 19 in Annville and had seven points, four rebounds and two assists in a 68-56 triumph over Alvernia on Jan. 12 in Reading as the Dutchwomen moved to 9-7 on the season.
LUKE MYERS (GOVERNOR MIFFLIN) >> The Colgate junior finished ninth in the 1,000 meter dash at the annual Great Dane Invitational on Jan. 12 at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, N.Y. His time was a personal best 2:32.48. Myers opened the indoor season by helping the 4x800 relay finish second (8:11.14) at the Greg Page Relays on Dec. 1 in Ithaca, N.Y. He followed that up by finishing second in the 800 meter run (1:58.88) at the Pioneer Winter Classic on Dec. 8 in Utica, N.Y.
JULIA BOOKWALTER (DANIEL BOONE) >> The 5-foot10 sophomore has started all 11 games for the Penn State Berks women’s basketball team, the Nittany Lions 4-7 overall and 3-3 in North Eastern Athletic Conference play after a 69-55 league victory over Wells on Jan. 13 in Reading. Bookwalter had eight points and six rebounds in the game. On the season, she’s averaging 3.5 points and 3.5 rebounds a game with 11 assists, five steals and six blocked shots.
AUSTIN CORY (KUTZTOWN)
>> The Kutztown senior ran the leadoff leg on the 4x400 relay which finished first at the Golden Bear Invitational on Jan. 12 in Kutztown. The time, 3:28.97, was 4.5 seconds ahead of runner-up East Stroudsburg. Cory also finished 10th in the 55 meter hurdles with a time of 9.07. He opened the season by finishing 19th in the 60 meter hurdles in a time of 9.03 at Lehigh’s Fast Times Before Finals meet on Dec. 7-8 in Bethlehem. His time was a PSAC qualifier.
NOAH LASSANDRO (SCHUYLKILL VALLEY) >> The 6-foot-10, 200-pound middle blocker is starting as a red-shirt freshman for the Concordia (Calif.) men’s volleyball team, the Eagles starting 0-6 after losing three matches Jan. 10-12 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Lassandro has played in all six matches and 20 sets and has 18 kills, 11 total blocks, four digs and four service aces. He had six kills, two total blocks and two digs in a 3-2 loss to New Jersey Tech on the final day of the Hawaii trip.
LAUREN LISTER (FLEETWOOD) >> The 5-foot-8 sophomore guard had 23 points and six rebounds to lead the Millersville women’s basketball team to a 55-47 victory over Mansfield on Jan. 12 and 24 points and five steals in an 89-76 victory over Shippensburg on Jan. 9, both games in Millersville and both games PSAC East contests. Lister leads the Marauders, who are 6-9 overall and 3-5 in league play, with a 21.4 average. She’s scored in double figures in all 15 games. She’s also averaging 3.7 rebounds a game with 36 assists and a team-high 27 steals.
DAWSON MOHL (SCHUYLKILL
VALLEY) >> The freshman captured the 1,000 freestyle and finished third in the 500 freestyle to help the Shippensburg men’s swim team turn back Edinboro 112-75 on Jan. 11 in Shippensburg. Mohl’s time in the 1,000 (10:13.21) was a personal best and a PSAC qualifier. His time in the 500 (5:00.72) also made the league’s qualifying list. He also swam a leg on the 200 freestyle relay which finished second behind another Raiders’ unit with a time of 1:32.78.
VENUS CABRERA (BERKS
CATHOLIC) >> The junior was named a Colonial States Athletic Conference honorable mention on Jan. 7 for her play with the 4-11 Cedar Crest women’s basketball team. She played in 99 minutes in three games as the Falcons went 1-2 the previous week. She had 11 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, but it was her defense that earned her the honor. She held the leading scorer in all three games under their season average. Cabrera is averaging 3.3 points and 4.6 rebounds. She leads the team in assists with 35.
NICK VILLAREAL (BERKS
CATHOLIC) >> The 5-foot10 freshman is competing in the shot put and weight throw for the McDaniel men’s indoor track team. He opened the season by finishing 21st in the shot put with a toss of 34 feet, 11 ½ inches at the Diplomat Open on Dec. 1 in Lancaster. He was the 7th freshman finisher. In the Coach I Open on Jan. 12, also in Lancaster, he finished 10th in the shot put (34 feet, 3 ½ inches) and 10th in the weight throw (20 feet, 2 ½ inches). He was the fourth freshman finisher in both events.
JAKOB CAMPBELL (BOYERTOWN) >> The sophomore scored an 8-3 decision at 125 pounds, but the Bucknell wrestling team dropped a 34-12 decision to Lehigh in an Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association match on Jan. 11 in Lewisburg. That lifted his record to 10-4 overall and 4-0 in dual matches with a fall and three major decisions. His twin brother, David, competes at 133 pounds for the Bison and is 2-8 overall and 0-4 in dual matches. Bucknell is 2-5 overall stands 0-2 in EIWA action, having opened the league season with a 26-9 loss to Navy on Jan. 5, also in Lewisburg.