THE SPORTS REPORTS: TOWANDA'S BENNETT TOPS LIST AS ALL-REGION 'GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE SPRING' (2022-07-03)
The Sports ReportsTwo PIAA track & field medals, including her second in as many years, resulted in Towanda senior
Porschia Bennett being named
The Sports Reports’ 2022 “
Girls Athlete of the Spring.”
Bennett
repeated as the Pa. state champion in the high jump, while also setting
a new district record in the event at 5-feet, 8-inches.
She also
helped her 4x400 team to a state medal, and a new school record —
putting her name on two records for Towanda track and field.
During the regular season, she won every high jump competition, and consistently earned points in other events.
The 2022 All-Region “Girls Athletes of the Spring:
Porschia Bennett, track & field, Towanda: See above.
Emma Coolidge, softball / track & field, Wellsboro — senior: A rare two-sport spring athlete, Coolidge excelled on the softball diamond, and in throwing events for the track team.
Coolidge
hit .510 for the Lady Hornets, with an on-base-percentage of .579, 25
hits .. including five home runs and three doubles .. and a .878
slugging percentage. The versatile senior played multiple positions in
the field for Wellsboro, and added 21 runs scored, 18 RBI and only three
strikeouts on the season.
For the track team, Coolidge had a
29-10 heave to win the NTL title in the shot put,, and her PR of 114-02
in the javelin left her in seconnd place at NTL Championships. She
finished 10th in the javelin at Districts.
Atalyia Rijo, softball, Corning — senior:
Rijo capped her fantastic career by being named the Gatorade New York
Softball Player of the Year and she was the all-STSR softball player of
the year.
Rijo, an outstanding defensive shortstop, hit .585
with seven home runs. She led the area with 43 runs this year and stole
10 bases. Rijo was tied for the area lead with 20 extra base hits, eight
doubles, five triples and the seven home runs. She had a .675 on-base
and a 1.185 slugging percentage.
Rijo is among the top recruits in the nation and has committed to play in the SEC at Arkansas.
Lucia Chen, golf, Corning — senior: Chen had a top 20 finish in the New York State Golf Championships this spring.
Chen
shot a three-under par 68 at the sectional tournament to win a Section
IV title, and posted two straight sub-par rounds prior to sectionals as
well.
Caydence Macik, softball, Athens — senior: A
strong-armed shortstop who batted lead-off for the majority of the
season, Macik hit .578 (37 hits in 64 ABs) with 37 runs scored, eight
doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 24 RBI, and nine stolen bases.
She walked 13 times, and had a .649 on-base percentage, a 1.078 slugging percentage, and a 1,727 OPS.
Hannah Walker, track & field, Athens — senior: Walker
finished second in the 300-meter hurdles at the District 4 Track &
Field Championships, while finishing fourth in the 200-meter dash, and
sixth in the 100-meter hurdles.
On her way to Districts, Walker
won both the 100- and 300-meter hurdles at the NTL Championships. She
placed fourth in the 200-meter dash, and was on the second-place
1,600-meter relay.
Lauren Gilbert, softball, Owego — senior:
Gilbert was 11-0 with a 1.85 ERA, striking out 134 in 102 1/3 innings.
At the plate, Gilbert also hit .485 for the season with six homers, two
triples, six doubles, and 27 RBI.
The senior led the Indians to
the Section IV Class B championship game, posting a 0.83 ERA in
sectional play, allowing just two earned runs while striking out 21
batters. At the plate, Gilbert hit .333 (3-for-9) and accounted for
seven of Owego’s 11 postseason runs.
Mackenzi Tice, softball, North Penn-Liberty — sophomore: Tice was integral in NPL’s turnaround, from both the pitcher’s circle and at the plate.
Tice
hit.453 with 34 hits, including four doubles and one triple, 13 RBI,
and 31 runs scored. She had a .518 on-base percentage. ... In the
pitcher's circle, Tice posted a 7-3 record and a 2.00 ERA with 102
strikeouts.
Ashley Woodring, softball, Cowanesque Valley — freshman:
Woodring burst onto the NTL softball scene quickly in her inaugural
season, racking up hits (36) and batting .578, while getting on base at a
.670-clip. She equaled her 18 singles on the year with 18 extra-base
hits (nine doubles, three triples, and six home runs) to compile a 1.078
slugging percentage. She also had 36 runs scored, 21 RBI and just four
strikeouts.
Sarah Lawson, track & field, Corning — sophomore: Lawson
was undefeated in the 3000 meters in the STAC West. She was a state
medalist in the 3000, taking sixth in D1 states and seventh in the
Federation race with a time of 9:56.99 this year.
Lawson was also
part of the 4x800 relay team that qualified for states. She didn’t run
the race at states, after running the 3000 the day before, but she was
part of the team’s journey to states.
Ellie DeRosa, softball, Corning — senior:
DeRosa hit .551 and had a .610 on-base percentage. She had five
doubles, six triples, nine home runs, 40 RBI, and 40 runs scored. She is
committed to Division I George Mason.
Rhianna Lawrence, softball, S-VE — senior: Lawrence
posted a 16-5 record with a 0.24 ERA, and pitched S-VE tot he Section
IV, Class C title game, where it lost to eventual state champ Greene..
She struck out 169 in 116 innings in the circle. At the plate, she hit
.368.
Maren Lutz, tennis, Edison — senior: Lutz headlined
the all-STSR boys’ and girls’ tennis all-star teams, earning player of
the year honors among all the best boys and girls tennis players in the
area.
Lutz had a dominant regular season, going 9-3 in singles
while playing in a co-ed league. She then teamed with Abe Johnson to win
the Section 4, Class C-D Doubles Championship.