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The elimination of both Bethany and Franciscan from tournament play in baseball signaled the end of the 2020-21 conference athletic season for the local PAC teams.   Bethany had an opportunity to officially reach the tournament, competing with Saint Vincent for a play-in game to be the No. 4 seed. The Bison received another strong performance from reigning PAC Pitcher of the Week Mark Lavezza, who struck out four while allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits in seven innings. The Bison actually outhit Saint Vincent (6-5) but couldn’t push a run across. Bethany left a number of runners in scoring position, including loading the bases in the top of the seventh, only to see a ground-out to second base end the threat. The Bearcats' two runs came as a result of a wild pitch and a throwing error. Franciscan earned the No. 3 seed and first faced No. 2 Grove City in the opening round. But the Barons didn’t fair much better. With the score knotted a 3-3, the Wolverines scored four runs in the seventh, tacking on two more in the eighth for the 9-3 win. After top-seed W&J hammered Saint Vincent in the opener, the Bearcats then faced the Barons in an elimination game on Friday. Saint Vincent came away with a 13-4 win. The Bearcats put way any hopes of a win early, totaling nine runs by the end of the second inning. SV followed that up by eliminating Grove City 5-3, setting up today’s championship round matchup with the top-ranked Presidents. In three previous meetings this season, W&J has outscored Saint Vincent 17-5,

Barons Fall at NCAA Championships

Franciscan’s women’s tennis team fell in its first-round matchup at the Division III NCAA tennis championships. The reigning PAC team champions faced tournament host Washington & Lee in the first round, losing 5-0. The Barons return the entire squad, save for No. 1 singles player Ana Victoria Haddad. She, along with freshman and No. 1 singles player Maria Herrera, both individually and as part of their No. 1 doubles tandem, were named first-team all-PAC. Teammates Zoey Singleton (No. 3 singles), Caroline Picard (No. 5 singles), and the No. 2 doubles team of Haley Davinsizer and Zoey Stapleton were named second team. Bethany’s Wesley Crockett and Franciscan’s Susan Schuberg were honorable mention. Brooke product Sarah Moore of Bethany was named to the all Sportsmanship Team. Westminster’s Amanda Barrett was named PAC Player and Newcomer of the Year, while her coach, Dave Hayden, took Coach of the Year honors. Franciscan junior Gary Pierre was first team on the men’s side.

Soccer Awards Handed Out

Bethany’s Modou Faye, along with Franciscan’s Sebastian Koehler and Nick Miller were named first team all-PAC in men’s soccer. The Bison’s Jahzinho O’Garro and Mikey Irvin of Franciscan earned second team honors. Irvin, a junior forward, is a graduate of Steubenville Catholic Central. The Bison also placed freshmen Rokeba Cordice and Ilays Elalama on the honorable mention list. All four of Bethany’s honorees were freshmen. Meanwhile, on the women’s side, Bethany’s Riley Meyers and Franciscan’s Juliana Rubino were named first team all-PAC. The Barons placed two on second team in Marykate Bateman and Claire Dawyot, along with Sarah Cocozza as honorable mention. Bethany sophomore Cierra Turner, a Big Red product, was named to the sportsmanship team.

Track Athletes Waiting

The NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships are scheduled to run May 27-29 in Greensboro, N.C. Teams are scrambling to squeeze in last chance meets for another shot at improving PRs and top performance list rankings. No easy feat. Franciscan distance ace Allison Bryant turned in a PR of 4:47.60 in the 1,500 this week at New Wilmington, a mark that established a new record at Franciscan. But that won’t crack the top 50 nationally. However, Bryant does own the No. 15 3,000 steeplechase mark at 11:03.88, along with the 24th best time in the 5,000 meters at 17:29.92. Bethany’s best hope for a women’s qualifying comes from Riley Meyers, who was also named all-PAC in soccer. Myers has the 13th best time in her specialty, the 400 hurdles, at 1:03.79. Meanwhile, her 100 hurdles time of 14.81 comes in at no. 31. For the men, neither Bethany nor Franciscan athletes hold any times ranked in the Top 50. Only Barons' distance ace Liam Galligan, who owns the No. 52 time in the 1,500 at 3:55.12, has cracked the Top 100.

Weekly Conference Honors

The Westminster women ran away with the PAC outdoor track and field championship trophy as the Titans 190 points as well ahead of runner-up Washington & Jefferson’s 110.75. Bethany was fifth with 65 while Franciscan came in ninth with 29. Still, the Bison and Barons both received some top-notch individual performances as both had won athlete grab two championship medals. For Bethany, those were draped around the neck of Riley Meyers. The senior from DuBois, Pa. captured both the 100-meter hurdles in 14.87 and then followed that up with a 1:04.93 clocking in her specialty, the 400 hurdles. That time in the 400 was a bit slower than her fastest posting from earlier this season, a 1:03.79 at the Grove City Invitational. That was the sixth fastest time in Division III this season and is currently the eighth best mark. The Barons’ double winner was Alison Bryant, also the team’s individual Cross Country champion from back in March. Bryant won the 5,000-meter ruin in 18:12.54 and then cruised in the 3,000-meter Steeplechase in 11:04.00. Her 17:29.92 during the 5,000 meters at the Bethany Invitational is the 17th best time nationally. On the men’s side, the Barons had two individual winners and two runners-up as Franciscan’s strong distance runners again flexed their muscles. Senior Liam Galligan, like Bryant, the reigning PAC Cross Country champion, doubled up in the 1,500 meters (4:14.50)and the 5,000 meters (15:54.70). In the 1,500, teammate Mark Borek finished in second at 4:16.50 while in the 5,000, it was fellow Baron George Kaftan on Galligan’s heals, clocking a 15:54.84. The other Barons champion came courtesy of sophomore David Capello in the 400. Capello finished in 50.55. On the men’s side, Geneva won the team championship with 157 after holding off both Grove City (139) and Westminster (128). The Barons finished fifth with 64 while Bethany was seventh at 57.

Titans, Presidents Dominate PAC Football Honors

Conference champion Westminster and runner-up Washington & Jefferson dominated the all-PAC selections, with the two snagging 15 of the 28 first-team positions. Titans’ junior linebacker Ian Barr was named the Defensive MVP while Grove City receiver Cody Gustafson was the Offensive MVP. Geneva defensive back James Clark took home Newcomer of the Year honors, with Coach of the Year going to Westminster’s Scott Benzel. Bethany sophomore defensive back was named second-team all-conference. Westminster’s Dylan Kidder earned second-team kicker honors for his efforts on special teams. Kidder is a senior from East Liverpool. A number of local products earned honorable-mention honors, including Bethany lineman Braylon Sibley, Waynesburg lineman Chase Espen (St. Clairsville), plus Bethany receivers De’Vaughn McWhorter (Wheeling Park) and Brennan Secrist (Madonna) on offense. Defensive honorable mention honorees include: Bethany defensive lineman Mohamed Elola, and Waynesburg’s Luke Menges from Union Local. Fellow former Jet Lucas Donley, also playing for Waynesburg, was named to the PAC Sportsmanship Team.

Wise Getting it Done