WYOMING VALLEY
FREE
SPORT SHOT! March, 2014
Vol. 1 Issue 2
For the athlete in all of us
CLUB FIELD HOCKEY Competition continues at the Wyoming Valley Sports Dome. Pages 14-16
BOYS BASKETBALL PIAA District 2 playoffs; Dallas Area vs. Holy Redeemer. Pages 8-9
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Wyoming Valley Conference girls; Hanover Area vs. Lake-Lehman. Pages 6-8
WINTER WEATHER? GAME ON PIAA D2 wrestling championships, pages 3-4. Time Out with WVW Coach Tribendis, page 19.
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Editor’s Note:
Winter gets tough, but fun keeps spinning on Work is a lot easier when it’s fun. That was apparent at the Spin4Life event at Candy’s Place on Feb. 22. Participants signed up for a 45-minute session on stationary bikes and by event day most sessions were filled for the 13th annual event. It was my fourth time at a Spin4Life and this was certainly the most fun. That’s because the majority of the other participants in Saturday’s session were fellow cyclists who ride outdoors on area roads from April to October. The riders are diverse but exuberant. Exuberance is helpful when you willingly elect to ride a bike for 20 or 30 or miles. The spirit of those riders was evident at the Spin4Life. As instructor Jenelle O’Brien called out directions participants responded playfully that we were just getting warmed up.
It was a good spin, though just the middle of the day for Paul Zbiek, the King’s College professor who has dedicated himself to riding at the Spin4Life for 35 hours to honor his late step son Brandon Case, who died of Hodgkin’s disease and leukemia in 1999. Registration proceeds from the event benefit Candy’s Place and the Brandon J. Case Memorial Fund. Zbiek adds an hour each year to his Spin4Life for each year Case would have been alive. Zbiek leads by example. And good spirit made effort a lot of fun. - Joe Butkiewicz
Run season warm-up
Wilkes University student Sam Miller runs a leg in the10th annual Relay for Heat to raise funds to help the Commission for Economic Opportunity assist local families in need with heating costs. The Wilkes University Running Club will hosted the event on Sunday, Feb. 23 in Kirby Park in Wilkes-Barre. The relay began at 6 a.m. and lasts until the participants, each running a four-mile leg of the relay, covered 100 miles. The outdoor recreational running season begins in earnest this month. Check the calendar on this page for upcoming runs.
Nicknames
Every Wyoming Valley area high school has a nickname. See if you can find find them amid the puzzle below.
PO Box 1778 Kingston PA 18704 wyomingvalleysportshot.@gmail.com or 570.814.4837 Our mission: Photographs that capture the spirit of high school and recreational athletes in the Wyoming Valley. Check out all the photographs at wyomingvalleysportshot.com. The schedule: The print edition of Wyoming Valley Sport Shot is published on the first Wednesday of each month. Free copies are distributed at 100 locations in the Wyoming Valley. Wyomingvalleysportshot.com is updated throughout the month.
Winter’s End Run, 4.5 miles. Penn State Wilkes-Barre, Lehman. 11 a.m. start, Sunday, March 23. Non-refundable fee of $10 for Wyoming Valley Striders members; $12 for others if paid by March 8. 415 for everyone after. Wear Red Run 2014, 5K run to promote awareness of heart disease. 10 a.m., March 23. Northampton Street Portal, South River Street, Wilkes-Barre. Participants are encouraged to wear red. $12. Entry forms at neparunner. com. For more information, email Elizabeth.cook@wilkes.edu.
Wilkes-Barre Arena Climb, stair climb. Saturday, April 5, 2014. Mohegan Sun Arena, 255 Highland Park Blvd., Wilkes-Barre Township. Registration starts at noon and the climb begins at 1 p.m. $25 registration fee, each participant is required to raise an additional $100 for the fight against lung disease. Call 570.823.2212 or email dreifler@ lunginfo.org.
Your stuff: Bring it on. We welcome your photos, news and ideas submitted for publication. Send submissions of photos and information to wyomingvalleysportshot@gmail.com. Submitted copy and printed photographs delivered to Wyoming Valley Sport Shot will not be returned. Photos reproduce best if saved in jpg format at 300 dpi and submitted by email.
Submitted copy must include a contact name and phone number.
The Renal Race 3, 5k run, 1 mile walk, Sunday, March 16. Proceeds benefit families and research of kidney cancer. Registration begins at 7 a.m. in Genetti’s Best Western Grand Ballroom, Wilkes-Barre. Race starts on Public Square, Wilkes-Barre. $20 for pre-registration, $25 day of race. For information contact TheRenalracepa@gmail.com.
7th Annual Susquehanna Warrior Trail 5K Race/Fun Walk, Saturday April 5 at 10:15 a.m. Shickshinny. Registration from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the registration pavilion located at Oak and North Canal streets. $17 if paid by March 22; $20 thereafter. Checks payable to S.W.T.C., PO Box 54, Shickshinny, PA 18655. For info call 570.542.7946
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And…. Any opinions expressed by writers and contributors are not necessarily those of this publication. We reserve the right to edit all content for clarity, relevance and length and the right to reject submissions.
Anthracite Curling Club Open House Saturday, March 8, from 3-7 p.m. $10. Toyota SportsPlex, Coal Street in Wilkes-Barre. More information at anthracitecurling.com
Don’t tell me to slow down, 5K race, proceeds will benefit the National Stuttering Association. Sunday, March 30. Misericordia University, 100 Lake St., Dallas. $15 for students, $20 for adults until March 18; $25 on race day. To pre-register email stutteringsupport@ misericordia.edu;.
Editor/Publisher: Joe Butkiewicz
Our team: Wyoming Valley Sport Shot is a property of NEPA Niche Media LLC, locally owned and handmade in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Contributing photographers this issue include Jason Reidmiller, Eric Seidle, Alex Seeley. and Steve Shoemaker.
Calendar
The Run for the Leprechaun 1 Mile Race and Relay. Sunday, March 16. Open mile begins at 9:45 a.m.; beer mile begins at 10:30 a.m.; relay begins at 11 a.m. Beer mile runners must be 21 years or older. Starting and finishing at the corner of Slocum and Church streets in Swoyersville. See neparunner.com for entry information.
Wyoming Valley Sport Shot
Game time: Advertising deadline: 10 days prior to publication. Content submission deadline: Seven days prior to publication.
March, 2014
COMETS CRUSADERS GRENADIERS HAWKS KNIGHTS
On the cover
KNIGHTS MOHAWKS MOUNTAINEERS PATRIOTS RANGERS
SPARTANS TROJANS WARRIORS
Luciene Knight carries the ball for the Wyoming Valley Soccer Club ‘00 Boys team during competition for the EPYSA Indoor State Cup. Photo by Steve Shoemaker
1st Annual NEPA High School Football Combine for ages 11 to 18. Odyssey Fitness Center, 401 Coal Street, Wilkes-Barre. April 12. 570.829.2661 to register. Whitewater Cup Classic Soccer Tournaments 2014, May 24-25 August 30-31, October11-12, Games are held at fields throughout Luzerne County. Contact Ken Powley, Whitewater Cup Classic PO Box 75 Mountain Top, PA 18707
March, 2014
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PIAA District 2 wrestling - feb. 22 The PIAA District 2 wrestling championships were held Feb. 21 and 22 at the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre. Lake-Lehman won the team title in Class AA. Wyoming Valley West won the team title in Class AAA.
Photos by Eric Seidle 113 lbs - Rodney Driscoll of Lake-Lehman vs.wrestles with Ronald Mrsich from Western Wayne
106 lbs - Jeffery Bennett, Hanover Area, left, competes with Jacob OBrien from Montrose
113 lbs - Rodney Driscoll of Lake-Lehman wrestles against Ronald Mrsich from Western Wayne
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March, 2014
District 2 Wrestling
160 lbs - Johntae Nelson of Meyers wrestles against Anthony Eck, Hanover Area.
152 lbs - Zachary Briggs of Wyoming Area faced Thomas Williams of Lake-Lehman
170 lbs - Thomas Fricke, left, wrestling for Lackawanna Trail, faces Derek Dragon from Lake-Lehman
182 lbs - Chris Duncan Delaware Valley faces Steve Longazel wrestling for Hazleton Area.
March, 2014
Your shots
INDOOR STATE CUP WVSC 00 Girls sweep contest
The Wyoming Valley Soccer Club ‘00Girls won the Eastern PA Horizon Services Indoor Cup. The team was 4-0 in bracket games and won the final, 4-2. Pictured in the first row, left to right: Kaitlyn Patla, Aleah Kranson, Isidra Reitsma, Grace Mimnaugh, Nicole Mayers. In the back row: Coach Chris Scharff, Luchia Carabetta, Lexi Concklin, Emma Grimes, Emily Mathews and Coach Javier Rodriguez.
Cook’s Pharmacy 777 Wyoming Ave. Kingston, PA 18704
“We’ve Always Cared” • Family owned and operated for more than 40 years. • Full service pharmacy accepting all insurance plans including • PEBTF, CVS/Caremark, BCNEPA, Geisinger, Aetna, AARP and Medicare. • We accept health savings and FSA cards. • Free prescription delivery • “One Price” generic savings program - $18.00 for 100 pills. • Weekly “Pill Box” service. Seven days a week 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.
570-288-3633
Big Brothers Big Sisters
PREP WRESTLING Sem wins championship
Stanton Lanes Wilkes-Barre March 29, 2014 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Wyoming Seminary won the National Prep Wrestling Championship beating number two Blair Academy. Blair had won the title since 1981, with Sem coming in number two for the past five years. The last time Sem won the national championship was in 1952. The tournament was held at Lehigh University on Feb. 21 and 22 with more than 120 teams competing.
For more information, call: 570-824-8756 or 1-800-955-4376 Visit our website at: www.bbbsnepa.org Big Brothers Big Sisters is a program of Catholic Social Services
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WVC GIRLS BASKETBALL - FEB. 10 Lake-Lehman earns win at home against Hanover Area, 57-36
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Emily Sutton, Lake-Lehman and Amber Grohowski, Hanover Area Danae Sutliff - Lake-Lehman Julia Eneboe, Lake-Lehman Cayle Spencer, Lake-Lehman Emily Sutton, Lake-Lehman tries to move the ball and past Marissa Kegan of Hanover Area
Photos by Eric Seidle
March, 2014
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Amber Grohowski, Hanover Area, passes away from Lake-Lehman defender Miranda Pace.
Haylee Bobos, Hanover Area comes up against the defense of Cayle Spencer, Lake-Lehman
Asdone Hooper, Hanover Area
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March, 2014
WVC boys BASKETBALL - FEB. 19
Dallas slips by Holy Redeemer, 57-56, in first round of District 2 playoffs
John Kane, Holy Redeemer
Mike Prociak, Holy Redeemer
Photos by Eric Seidle A struggle for the ball
Darius Washington, Holy Redeemer, Omar Nijmeh Dallas
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Mike Boutanos, Holy Redeemer
Jimmy Slavinski, Holy Redeemer
Chad DeBona, Dallas
Jerry Busch, Holy Redeemer, Mike Conlon Dallas
Jerry Busch, Holy Redeemer
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March, 2014
PIAA DISTRICT 2 DIVING - FEB. 22 Conference divers compete at the Wilkes-Barre CYC
Ian Ultsh, Wyoming Valley West
Katie Paige Williams, Wyoming Valley West
Katie Frank Williamsport Area High School
Photos by Alex Seeley
March, 2014
Nico Kaiser, Williamsport Area High School
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Open House March 29 admissions.misericordia.edu
AJ Blatzheim, Delaware Valley
Johnston & Johnston Law Offices
Accidents Personal Injury Workers Compensation Social Security Estate Administration
570-288-7101 250 Pierce Street Kingston, Pa 18704 Abby Schneider, Hazleton Area
Questions regarding legal matters email jjlaw1151@verizon.net www.wilkes-barre-lawyer.com
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March, 2014
2014 Blue AND GOLD GAMES - FEB. 9 Pittston Area Patriot skaters defeat Wyoming Area 9 to 0.
Photos by Steve Shoemaker Patriot Ryan Flanagan scored six of Pittston’s 9 goals. J.J. Sekelsky added two for the Patriots. Wyoming Area goalie Mark Paluski, made 29 saves.
March, 2014
Blue and Gold games
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March, 2014
CLUB FIELD HOCKEY - FEB. 18
Crusaders beat Warriors 6-5 in 10th-grade-and-under match
Photos by Steve Shoemaker The indoor field hockey season continues through the winter at the Wyoming Valley Sports Dome in PlainsTownship. On Feb. 19 the Crusaders defeated the Warriors 6 to 5 in the 10th-grade-and-under bracket. The season continues through this month with playoffs scheduled for March 25.
March, 2014
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Club FIELD HOCKEY - FEB. 18
Warriors defeat X-plosion 7-3 at Wyoming Valley Sports Dome
Photos by Steve Shoemaker
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Warriors
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March, 2014
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EPYSA INDOOR STATE CUP. - Jan. 25 Wyoming Valley Soccer Club ’00 Boys compete in Elite division The Eastern Pa.Youth Soccer Association Indoor State Cup games for U13 boys were held on Jan. 25 at the Wyoming Valley Sports Dome. in Plains Township. The Wyoming Valley Soccer Club ’00 Boys team competed in the U13 Elite Division, dividing into a Blue and Red team for the short-sided games. The Red team ended the day 1-2; Blue ended 0-3. Teams from the Lower Merion Soccer Club and the Lehigh Valley. Soccer Club won the A and B brackets in the division.
Photos by Steve Shoemaker Kenny Mincel moves to the ball while Edward Miller covers the line downfield.
Justin Timonte lines up a volley kick
Edward Miller and Greg Fisher celebrate.
Edward Miller heads the ball.
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March, 2014
Indoor Cup
Lucinene Knight and Lucas Baez
Keeper Kyle Greenwood send the ball into play
Kenney Mincel hears from the referee
Thomas Roberts
David Cortez
Joshua Bent
Antonio Maletta
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TIME OUT
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Bantam Pens team wins tourney
Frank Tribendis
By ALAN K. STOUT Wyoming Valley Sports Shot Correspondent
Frank Tribendis is the head swim coach at Wyoming Valley West High School. He has held the position for 34 years. For 10 years prior to taking the swim coach position, he coached football, wrestling and track. Tribendis, 67, is a native of Luzerne and is a graduate of West Side Central Catholic High School, where he was a member of the school’s basketball and track teams. He is also a graduate of West Chester University, where he earned a degree in health and physical education and was a member of the football and wrestling teams. He also earned a master’s degree in biomechanics from Penn State University. He and his wife of 44 years, Sharon, have two children: Tracey, 43, and Kristen, 40. They have three grandsons: Brady, 10, Casey, 8, and Griffin, 6. They live in Wilkes-Barre. When did you first realize you had an interest in swimming? “When I was in high school, I worked at Camp St. Andrew with a friend, and got to know a couple of priests up there. They got us to be lifeguards, and I got into swimming and aquatics. And at West Chester, I took a lot of aquatic classes.” When did you first start to think that swimming was something you might want to coach? “When the pool opened up here at Wyoming Valley West in 1978, Joe Evan, the athletic director at the time, and Jim Ferris, the principal, asked me to take the swimming job. Mr. Evan came down and said, “You’re already here as a swim teacher, you’re a coach, and we want you to take the job. And it was the best thing I ever did.” It didn’t take long for you to have one of the best swimming programs in the district. “I was fortunate to have a good background from West Chester. At West Chester, they not only taught us how to perform the skills, but they also taught us how to teach the skills and how to coach the skills.” A banner hanging over the pool at Wyoming Valley West lists 19 boys conference or district championships, and since you took over the girls’ program in 1991, you’ve also added quite a few championships to what had already been a quality program. How does that feel? “The coaches at West Chester always taught us that athletes win, coaches lose. I have no clue what my record is. Never worried about it. We just worry about the next meet. Paterno always said, ‘When you have your game or your meet, that’s your test.’ Our next test is the next meet. We have a whole bunch of drills and things we have to do to improve for the next meet. That’s the way we’ve always focused. That’s the way we’ve always approached it.” Favorite sports team? “Any place Lombardi coached. He got people to do things the way I like to get people to do things. And it’s the same with Paterno. Even though everything happened at the end, I would have loved to have spent a couple of days with Joe Paterno, just to see how he interacted with people and what he saw.”
The Wilkes-Barre Jr Penguins Bantam B Hockey Team, won the championship at the Hershey Thanksgiving Tournament, Dec. 1, in Hershey, Pa. The team was 6-0, beating out seven other teams to win the championship. Members of the team include, kneeling, left to right: Kiana Price; Harveys Lake, Corey Pezak, Archbald; Sal Gurnari, Ashley; Alex Hawk, Wyoming. Second row, standing: Head Coach Don Tweedy; Harrison Kayton, Kingston; Shane Mizok, Scott Township; CJ Rome, Exeter; Brendan Jesse, Dallas; Kevin Frisbie, Mountain Top; Jimmy Dravage, Kingston; David Williams, Stroudsburg,; Assistant Coach, Bernie Gurnari. Absent from photo is Brian Sekelsky; Pittston.
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All-time favorite professional athlete? “Johnny Unitas.” Favorite food? “Steak. Medium rare.” You’re often at the pool at 5:15 a.m. and are often still there until well into the evening. What, after 34 years, makes you to stick with it? “I enjoy getting kids to do things they never thought they were capable of doing. I have a girl on the team that didn’t think she could swim. I have a girl that started the season at one minute and 40 seconds for a 50-yard swim. She’s now at 39 seconds. We have multiple kids that do that. There’s so many kids that did great things.”
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Parting thought “You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” – Michael Jordan
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March, 2014