Becahi 3200 sets relay record

By KATIE MCDONALD
kmcdonald@tnonline.com
Becahi’s boys 3200 relay team ran for a record and broke it last week, qualifying for the PIAA State Track and Field Championships, which is scheduled for this weekend at Shippensburg University.
Jake Hungarter, Rob Leeson, Collin Roszyk and Jon Merwine gathered with their coach, Ralph Yeager, for a prayer and some last minute advice prior to the Class 2A District 11 race last Wednesday at J. Birney Crum Stadium.
“Coach Yeager told us to run for the record,” said Merwine, the anchor. “We had the lead from the gun. Jake never got passed. Rob widened the lead, Collin widened the lead, and I won by 200 meters.”
Although the Hawks had just won district gold, there was still uncertainty about the record, set by Tamaqua in 2001 with a time of 8:07.69.
“I knew I needed 1:57 to break the record. I kept looking at the clock, and by the time I put my head up when I finished, I saw 8:08,” Merwine said.
In reality, Merwine finished at 8:07.09. In addition, officials at the meet had originally thought the record was 7:52 because they were looking at Class 3A stats.
“When we found out, everyone went wild,” said Merwine.
The Becahi senior also won district gold in the 1600 (4:31.67) and the 800 (1:59.51).
In the 1600, Merwine planned to stay with another runner who had a comparable time, but that runner fell behind.
“Another kid had 100 meters on me, so I sprinted the last lap, bolted as fast as I could, and passed him. It was definitely a fun race,” he said.
By the time the 800 was about to begin, Merwine was not only exhausted, but had the added stress of knowing he would be competing against his teammate, Hungarter, a junior.
“I was scared because Jake usually goes out like an animal, and he did. I was in sixth place in the second lap, but I moved up and just kicked,” said Merwine. “We never ran against each other in any other races. I kept thinking, I’m a senior, this is my last district meet, I’ve got to win this race.”
Hungarter placed second, and also qualified for the state meet.
Other state qualifiers for the Hawks were Kelly Brown (shot put), Alyssa Cardillo (long jump), Sarah Peppe (pole vault), Annie Aaroe (800), Sarah Braun (1600), Rachel Balogh, Cait Moroney, Aaroe, and Cardillo (1600 relay), and Aaroe, Braun, Balogh, and Jenny Schadt (3200 relay).

Hawks advance, but fall in finals

By PETER CAR
pcar@tnonline.com
Bethlehem Catholic coach Mike Zile knew that if his team didn’t qualify for the Lehigh Valley Conference playoffs, that his Hawks would have a long layoff in between the end of the regular season and state play.
Becahi doesn’t have the luxury of being in District 11’s 3A bracket.
Being a 2A school gives Becahi nobody to compete against in district volleyball, so Monday night’s five-game (17-25, 25-20, 21-25, 27-25 and 15-13) win over Whitehall in the LVC semifinals solidified at least one more meaningful game for the Hawks.
Becahi (14-3) will take on top-seeded Parkland (15-1) tonight at 6 p.m. in the LVC championship at Liberty’s Memorial Gymnasium.
The Trojans dispatched Emmaus (11-4) in a three game sweep (25-21, 25-13 and 25-22) during Monday’s first round of action.
Unfortunately for the Hawks, they fell to Parkland in the finals Wednesday night, after Press deadlines.
“We played them tough in that contest,” said Zile about their April 27th encounter with Parkland, which the Trojans snuck by with consecutive two point wins in the first two games that evening. “We just need the same type of enthusiasm and desire that we had against Whitehall to have a chance.”
Becahi’s desire came out in game four Monday with the game tied at 24. The Hawks took three out of the next four points for a 27-25 win, which laid the ground work for a commanding 15-13 win in the decisive fifth game.
“We looked a little slow in the beginning, but as the game went on, we got better and sharper,” Zile said. “I think we adjusted to what they were doing in the end, but winning that fourth game was big.”
Parkland never seemed rattled in their three-game series with Emmaus.
The Trojans opened up decisive leads in the first and second games at the seven-point mark. With Emmaus trailing 7-6 in both games, Parkland would storm ahead to a 14-8 lead in game one and open up a 20-9 lead in the second game before.
Those runs helped solidify coasting wins before they mustered out a three-point victory in the final contest.
“A lot of times, it takes us awhile to get into a rhythm,” Trumbauer said. “I told our guys in the huddle before hand to start slow and usually around that point of the game, we start to take over.”
With the Trojans winning the LVC title last year, their hopes of repeating are expected, but Trumbauer also wants this new group of players to taste postseason success.
“This isn’t the same team from last year and we have a lot of new kids,” he said. “It’s nice to repeat, but I want this group to get it. Becahi is going to play us tough and that’s what we expect at this point of the season.”
District pool play begins Thursday at Liberty and continues next Monday.
The district semifinals will take place next Wednesday with finals to follow on Thursday.

Sawyer no-hits Northampton

Jimmy Sawyer’s only varsity start on the mound for Liberty this season came against Dieruff on April 28. He threw a one-hit, seven strikeout performance en route to a predictable 13-3 win over the Huskies.

But Sawyer showed himself up on the mound last Wednesday against Northampton during a 10-0, no-hit performance. Not a bad two-start performance for someone who was a regular in Liberty’s relief efforts.

“I never really liked coming in for relief,” said Sawyer. “At the beginning of the year, people talked about how we really don’t have any arms past Colin [Gotzon], but I hope that I’ve changed some people’s minds.”

Sawyer, who didn’t even realize he was in the no-hit zone through four innings, needed to be reminded in the fourth inning last week.

With the game at a 9-0 cushion in the bottom of the fifth, Sawyer needed an extra run in the inning to solidify the 10-run rule and avoid a possible sixth and seventh innings.
That’s when Tyler Brong belted a triple to bring home Tom Haller from first to give Liberty the win and Sawyer a no-hitter.

“It was a great feeling,” said Sawyer of his first varsity baseball no-hitter. “I’ve thrown a no-hitter in junior legion before, but this one definitely means more.”
Amidst Sawyer’s week of revelations, he got another first on Monday, a 5-1 loss to Nazareth, to give him his first defeat of the year.

The loss puts Liberty at (12-4, 9-3) on the year, with Easton (14-4, 9-3) right on the ‘Canes heels for the division title with two games left.

Liberty played Easton yesterday, with the winner likely earning the division crown towards the LVC playoffs. Either way, both teams are likely to get into the LVC playoffs, as the division runner-up would grab the wild-card spot.
Freedom (9-9, 4-8) needs one win in their final two contests (against Bethlehem Catholic and Liberty) to solidify a spot in districts. The Pates and Hurricanes go at it Thursday at Freedom.

Meanwhile, Bethlehem Catholic (12-6, 6-6) closes out the year with Freedom and Easton before they tune-up for districts next week.