Local Sports

Nick Dunn finished his second year of pro baseball with the kind of flourish that could keep a guy bubbling with anticipation all winter.

Madison VanKirk wasn't sure what to expect when she showed up for preseason women's soccer practice last year at Cedar Crest College.

DANVILLE — While it has taken nearly three months for the professionals to figure out how to get back to baseball, at least one group of Valley players got that chance on Monday night.

Susquehanna men’s lacrosse coach Stewart Moan knew he needed another player to take faceoffs when preseason practice started three years ago.

There was high school swimming in District 4 prior to 1995, of course, but it didn’t command near the statewide respect it currently enjoys until Stef Williams arrived.

When Ryan Bucher and Charlie Hayes left for college last fall, they didn’t have far to travel.

Brooke Weaver was looking forward to having an in-person tryout for the Susquehanna cheerleading team this spring.

In a normal year, Nate Sestina would find out where his professional basketball future lies in the near future.

In the midst of Selinsgrove baseball’s raucous state championship celebration, Blaise Zeiders was taken by the scene in the stands at Penn State.

When Brent Beiler considered the possible impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the high school baseball season in early March, he repeatedly circled back to the same thought.

Recent Lewisburg graduates Kameron Schreffler and Chloe Michaels missed their senior track seasons due to the coronavirus pandemic, but both said they were thankful that their careers weren't over.

SELINSGROVE — Racing returned to Selinsgrove Speedway on Saturday night, and the delayed season opener was a success, according to track General Manager Steve Inch.

If Midd-West senior Carter Knepp doesn’t play competitive soccer again, he went out with a bang.

When Milton senior Leah Bergey lined up for the 60-meter hurdles final at the Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association indoor meet, she didn’t know it would mark the end of her career with the Black Panthers.

During Kaia Bonshock’s senior year at Shamokin High School after she’d decided to play softball at Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Maryland, she was looking on Instagram and noticed a future opponent — Mifflinburg junior Vanessa Martin — might be joining her at the Division I school.

Collin Hummel has found that balance is key for him to succeed both academically and athletically at Bloomsburg University.

When Geneva College sent its students home due to the coronavirus pandemic, members of the men’s soccer team — including sophomore Cole Sauer and junior Alex Yoder — were armed with at-home workouts.

When Cade Dressler decided to pursue a future in baseball, he also became his own PR firm.

The Danville School District has canceled its special meeting to open the boys basketball coaching position. The meeting was scheduled for tonight, but an alert sent out by the district this morning said technical difficulties forced the cancellation.

Mifflinburg coach Ron Hernandez has a sense of the player he’ll see whenever he taps a freshman to play varsity softball. A long list of Wildcats began stellar careers with the first game of their freshman season.

Devaughn Johns was one of the best men’s soccer players in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference for Geneva College last fall, but he’s hoping to make his impact felt in a different way for the Golden Tornadoes next season.

Mason Novobilski’s freshman season with the Lycoming men’s soccer team was plagued by injuries.

Nicci Piccioni brought a field hockey resume as long as her stick to Juniata College as the newcomer in a five-goalie pecking order.

Kylie Robatin posted a short video of herself doing a handstand on Instagram.

Nicci Piccioni brought a field hockey resume as long as her stick to Juniata College as the newcomer in a five-goalie pecking order.

Catcher

Megan Zimmerman dominated at the start of her sophomore season with Messiah women’s basketball last November.

Both Cole Sauer and Geneva College men’s soccer coach Gary Dunda saw a big difference in Sauer’s play from his freshman to sophomore seasons for the Golden Tornadoes.

Taylor Parker, Warrior Run

The Messiah College men’s soccer team has won more NCAA championships than any other men’s soccer program.

Alex Pechin is trying to stay busy while he waits to find out where he'll next play football.

Adam Cole never envisioned himself being focused on shutting down opposing forwards rather than trying to create goals for the Messiah men’s soccer team.

Hadley Wiktor had a feeling her senior field hockey season at Kutztown University could be a special one.

I would wager it took less time to choose The Daily Item girls basketball team of the decade than it took you to read this sentence.

Bucknell sophomore Marly Walls scored a career-high 13 points in the first half of a Jan. 11 game at Holy Cross.

When Bucknell senior Ellie Mack put her name into the graduate transfer portal shortly after the season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, she was hoping someone would want her to play for them next year.

Bucknell softball coach Joey Lye doesn’t have to dig far for an anecdote whenever she needs to inspire her players.

Shikellamy all-state third baseman Kayleigh Lenner and Warrior Run all-state pitcher Madi Waltman had big expectations for their senior seasons.

The list of sports lost to the COVID-19 pandemic got longer on Monday.

If someone happened across a recent DeSales University men’s tennis match and at first thought they were watching Mifflinburg play, that mistake could easily be forgiven.

After a whirlwind first season as a professional basketball player during which Stephen Brown played for teams in three different countries, the Bucknell graduate was happy to spend his second year in one place. 

When a single was all that kept Alex Robenolt from hitting for the cycle in an early March game, he joked that he “couldn’t get the easiest part” of baseball’s rare feat.

For the first several years of her gymnastics career, Kiley Robatin was not fond of the balance beam — to put it lightly.

Since he was hired in January, new Danville coach Mike Brennan started to make plans for his football squad.

Frustrated by a close loss, Bryce Butler entered a Susquehanna assistant coach’s office the following day, and offered his thoughts on a testy situation.