SCRANTON — D.J. Rogers sprinted the title in the 200-meter dash and ran a leg of the winning 400 relay Wednesday night at Memorial Stadium to lead the Abington Heights boys to the Class 3A team title in the Robert Spagna Lackawanna Track Conference Championship meet.

Rogers won the 200 by three-quarters of a second in 22.09.

“I worked hard for this,” Rogers said. “This was my main event going into this season. I’m surprised that I ran that time that I did today, but I’m ready for districts.

“I’m ready to keep pushing. I’m ready to go to states for this.”

The Comets will be pursuing state berths when they compete in the District 2 Championships Monday and Tuesday, back at Memorial Stadium.

Rogers was also part of a strong relay effort in which the Comets had two first-place and one third-place finish. He helped the 400 relay team win in 43.64 and the 1600 team finish third in 3:27.47.

Abington Heights beat out Wallenpaupack 69-59 to finish on top of the team standings.

The relays were part of the overall strength that allowed the Comets to claim the title despite having just one first-place finish in the other 15 events.

“Our team is good in just about every event,” Rogers said. “We’re all getting PRs; records are being broken at our school.

“Winning this meet shows that we’re a really good team. We know how to work hard and work together.”

Dylan Jaramillo was also on both the 400 and 1600 relays. Hamza Mirza ran a leg for the 3200 relay team, which won in 8:29.52, and was also part of the third-place finish. William Regan and Lukas Ruane were others on the 400 team; Joseph Grad, Jack Shoemaker and Liam Peoples contributed to the 3200 win; and Joseph Pivirotto was on the 1600.

Abington Heights scored in all three throws.

Carter Plantz took second in the discus with 151-5 and was fourth in the shot put. Derek Williams claimed bronze with a javelin throw of 147-10.

Jaramillo added a fourth in the long jump.

Pivirotto, in the 400, and Timothy Fogley, in the 3200, were sixth.

John Farrell placed seventh in the 300 hurdles and Shoemaker was eighth in the 3200.

Lackawanna Trail’s Avery Ronchi and Scranton Prep’s Vincent O’Malley took gold at their strongest distances and squared off in between.

Ronchi won the 3200 in 9:47 and was second in the 1600 in 4:30.45, finishing less than a second ahead of third-place O’Malley, who won the 800 with a time of 2:04.58.

Scranton Prep also got fourth-place finishes from Austin Burke in the pole vault and Anthony De Los Santos in the discus. The 3200 relay team was fifth and Sam Ware took sixth in the javelin.

CLARKS SUMMIT — Fans of Scranton Prep and Wyoming Seminary may have experienced a feeling of deja vu when the District 2 Class 2A boys tennis championship finalists were determined.

A championship clash between Prep’s Akhilesh Velaga and Sem’s Billy Hall marked the second time in three days that the two singles standouts faced each other at the Birchwood Racquet Club.

A winner the first time around, Velaga wasn’t about to let Hall even the score with a gold medal on the line.

Velaga defeated Hall 6-1, 6-2 in the finals to win his second District 2 Class 2A singles title — his first happening back in 2022 as a freshman.

“After my freshman year, I wanted to improve but my results didn’t go that well the next two years,” Velaga said. “I kept my mind straight, worked really hard in the offseason and it feels amazing to have such a great senior season.”

Velaga’s victory made it a sweep of the two boys singles titles for the Lackawanna League. About a half hour earlier, the Class 3A district title was decided in a championship match with Abington Heights on both sides of the net.

Praneel Mallaiah, the top seed in the Class 3A tournament, won his second straight district title and his third in four years with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over his Comets teammate William Arp.

The Wyoming Valley Conference’s presence was more strongly felt in the Class 2A field, with three of the four semifinal spots occupied by WVC players.

Velaga took down Holy Redeemer’s Frank Klimovitz in his semifinal match, while Hall breezed to a win over Wyoming Area’s Luca Argenio.

This set up a rematch from just 48 hours prior, when Velaga and Hall squared off as the No. 1 singles players for their schools in the Class 2A district team final on Wednesday.

Wyoming Seminary won the team title, but it was Velaga that won the head-to-head match with Hall in straight sets, giving him a good sense of what to expect in Friday’s singles final.

“It was good experience…I didn’t know what Billy [Hall] was going to throw at me,” Velaga said in reference to Wednesday’s match. “It was nice to play him and get used to his game.”

Velaga proved even tougher to solve in the rematch, withstanding Hall’s best efforts to get back to the top of the mountain in District 2.

He’ll head to the first round of the state tournament, set for May 23.

Hall will be back in action next week in the District 2 Class 2A doubles tournament, starting Wednesday and ending Thursday.

Mallaiah wins third district title in four years

The Abington Heights dominance on the tennis courts wasn’t just limited to the team championships this year, as senior standout Mallaiah capped off an incredible District 2 career with his third District 2 Class 3A singles championship.

The only blemish on Mallaiah’s District 2 record was a semifinal loss in 2023, his sophomore season. Mallaiah righted the ship last year with a gold medal and cruised through the field this year to repeat as champ.

Mallaiah didn’t drop a single game in two early-round wins on Thursday, and began Friday’s competition the same way with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Crestwood’s Tommy Biscotti in the semifinals.

Like Velaga and Hall in the Class 2A final, this was Mallaiah’s second match against Biscotti of the week after the two faced off in the Class 3A team finals on Wednesday.

It was much of the same on Friday, Mallaiah looking near-invincible to pick up the win.

Not long after winning his own semifinal match, Mallaiah got to watch as his Abington Heights teammate Arp punched his ticket to the finals.

Arp, a district semifinalist as a freshman last year, defeated Wyoming Valley West’s Gadgidas Reisinger in straight sets to make it a Comet versus Comet showdown in the finals.

“Will’s a great player and a great teammate, as well,” Mallaiah said. “It was nice to have an all-Abington final for the first time.”

Mallaiah and Arp will be back competing on the same side of the net on Tuesday, when Abington Heights takes on Unionville from District 1 in the first round of the PIAA Class 3A team state tournament.

Mallaiah’s run in the singles state tournament will begin on May 23.

District 2 Class 2A Boys Tennis Championships

Semifinals — Akhilesh Velaga (SP) def. Frank Klimovitz (HR) 6-0, 6-3; Billy Hall (SEM) def. Luca Argenio (WA) 6-0, 6-0. Finals — Akhilesh Velaga def. Billy Hall 6-1, 6-2.

Class 3A Boys Tennis Championships

Semifinals — Praneel Mallaiah (AH) def. Tommy Biscotti (CRE) 6-0, 6-0; William Arp (AH) def. Gadgidas Reisinger (WVW) 6-1, 6-0. Finals — Praneel Mallaiah def. William Arp 6-1, 6-2.

SCOTT TWP. — The Abington Heights Unified track and field team is headed to Shippensburg University to compete in the state championships.

Danny Dolcetti led the way Wednesday at Lakeland when Abington Heights posted the highest score in the seven-team field to claim the Northeast/Pocono Unified Champion Schools Regional Championship.

Dolcetti joined Isaiah Sorge from East Stroudsburg North as the only people to win their individual track and individual field events as well as being part of a winning relay.

Sorge led East Stroudsburg North to second place.

The two teams advance to compete in the UCS State Championships that are held along with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University May 23-24.

Abington Heights scored 74 points to finish first, five ahead of East Stroudsburg North. Wallenpaupack was third with 67, followed by Wyoming Valley West with 54, Hazleton Area 53, East Stroudsburg South 51 and Mid Valley 39.

UCS is a Special Olympics program in which proportional numbers of athletes with and without intellectual disabilities compete as teammates. Sports, club activities and whole school engagements are all part of the UCS program, which is designed to promote social inclusion.

In UCS track and field, each participant can be part of one of the three track events (100, 400 and 800 meters), one of the field events (long jump, mini javelin, shot put) and in one relay (4x100 and 4x400). The 4x400 is not contested in the regional and state events.

Multiple divisions are created in each event, according to previous performances, grouping competitors together in co-ed competition at each track meet.

The thriving Abington Heights UCS program includes two competitive bocce teams in the winter and the maximum 40-person roster in track and field in the spring.

For the state championships in Shippensburg, each school selects a 12-person lineup while trying to earn one of the nine team state berths available through regional competition. Those 12, plus two state alternates, made up the 14 team members that earned the state spot through their performances at Lakeland.

Dolcetti finished first in the 400-meter run in Division 5, in the long jump in Division 7 and as part of the 400 relay in Division 1.

Matthew Tokash and Luthor Trask each won an individual event along with joining Dolcetti and Tanner Shane for the relay win.

Lindsey Bartell, Michael Shuey and Tokash won their divisions in the 100-meter dash.

Trask won in the 400.

Danil Dempsey won in the 800, Elizabeth Stanley in the mini javelin and Liam Fick in the shot put.

Vanessa Badalamente, Hilde Temblador, Aidan Fick and Ryan Finnerty are also part of the team that will be competing in Shippensburg. Stanley and Adam Gomaa are the alternates.

Debbie Musgrave is in her first season as head coach of the Abington Heights track and field team after also completing her first season as bocce coach.

Abington Heights swept doubles in both the semifinals and final Wednesday at Birchwood Racquet Club to run its streak of consecutive District 2 Class 3A boys tennis team championships to an even dozen.

The 12th straight title was the result of 3-0 wins over Wyoming Valley West, then Crestwood Wednesday after beating visiting Wallenpaupack 4-0 in Friday’s quarterfinals.

Abington Heights won 56 of 57 completed games in the semifinal and 46 of 51 in the final. Each team match essentially turned into a race to which Comets would finish off their opponents first.

Brady Comstock-Liam Farrell won 6-0, 6-0 in both their No. 1 doubles matches. Mike Klamp-Robby Lucas won 6-0, 6-0 in the semifinals and 6-1, 6-1 in the final.

Domenic Peters, at No. 3, provided the other point against Wyoming Valley West and Praneel Mallaiah, at No. 1, had the singles point against Crestwood.

William Arp had leads of 6-0, 5-0 and 6-0, 5-1 when his matches were halted. Similarly, Mallaiah was ahead 6-0, 3-1 against Wyoming Valley West and Peters was in front 6-0, 5-2 against Crestwood when their matches were stopped because the team victories in those matches were clinched.

The Comets improved to 15-0 on the season and will take perfect record into the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament.

Class 2A

Wyoming Seminary defeated Scranton Prep 3-2 for the title Wednesday.

The Cavaliers opened the tournament May 1 with a 5-0 victory over Tunkhannock. They defeated MMI Prep 3-1 in Wednesday’s semifinal before losing to the unbeaten Wyoming Valley Conference champion Blue Knights.

Scranton Prep’s Akhilesh Velega and Matthew Cohen won at first and third singles in both Wednesday matches.

The month of May is the gateway to summer. The days get longer, the colors and sun are bright. The flowers are blooming and summer will soon be here.

Dalton Community Library would like to thank everyone who donated books, provided baked goods, or helped with prep and clean-up for our Book and Bake Sale recently. A special thank you to the local businesses: Beta Bread, Los Amigos, Bailey’s and McGraths that donated items for our sale. It is through the generosity and the support of this community that we present additional special programs for our children and continually add new items to our library.

The six-week Kids’ Time and Teen programs were well attended this spring. The LCLS Summer Reading Challenge, “Color Our World” is right around the corner, and will be held June 30 through Aug. 8, for all ages. Please watch for more info on the LCLS in County or Dalton Facebook as the challenge draws near. You may also call the library at 570-563-2014 with any questions.

Our flower fundraiser in conjunction with Beichler Greenhouse was well received, and we thank everyone who participated.

Saturday Spotlight, our monthly book discussion group will meet from 10:30 a.m. to noon May 31. The reading selection this month is “Northanger Abbey” by Jane Austen.

Dalton Community Library hosts a weekly Bridge group from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays. Please feel free to join us. Experienced and new players are always welcome.

We hope everyone has a wonderful month!

CLARKS SUMMIT — Rose Brutico Fazio has owned Abbiocco for almost nine years and now ownership is shifting to Andrea Araujo, but don’t worry — the food, values and atmosphere of the restaurant will continue on.

Fear not, restaurant regulars and curious locals, the beloved Italian lunch and dinner spot will continue to uphold the same homemade recipes and thoughtful service the restaurant has become known for.

“The recipes are really important to Rose and her family,” recognized Andrea.

Andrea Araujo has worked there for three years. She started as a waitress and within about six months her role began to grow. She just loved being at Abbiocco, so, in the morning she would serve, and, in the evenings, she would head to the kitchen.

“She sees things the way I see them, so I don’t have to worry about anything changing because that was important — I didn’t want anything to change and I’d have to say, knowing things wouldn’t change made it easier for me,” said Rose.

Rose is just ready to take the back seat and let someone else drive, so she can enjoy a little more flexibility in her life. She can still be seen at the restaurant and she handpicked Andrea to not only take the reins, but continue the legacy she built for the Clarks Summit restaurant.

“She has a lot of the same goals as I do,” said Rose. “Our work ethics are very similar, plus she’s got a background in training which I think made her even a better person than me. I just kind of jumped in and did it on a wing and a prayer! She at least could take over and be even more qualified than I was when I started.”

The change began naturally as the two realized how well they work together. Andrea began managing the kitchen while Rose was able to be the face of the restaurant in the front of the house. They’ve already been making each other’s lives easier and upholding the ethos of the restaurant.

The transition officially began in February and is an ongoing process as Andrea Araujo settles into her new role as restaurant owner. One of the most important things to both Andrea and Rose is keeping everything the same for their loyal customers, who helped them get through difficult times during COVID. Because of them, they’ve thrived on!

Abbiocco always had a focus on homemade dishes and will continue to keep up those same values. Rose will also continue to be a part of the restaurant, just not there every day from open to close, but she’ll still be making sauces, doing prep, and taking stress off Andrea.

“Yeah, I’m not done,” said Rose. “I’m still here pretty much every day, just not at the capacity that I was before, and not in charge of anything really. I’m here to help Andrea wherever she needs me.”

Rose will continue helping through the transition and assuring customers that the restaurant will stay just about the same as Andrea carries on the torch of the Abbiocco legacy.

It’s still all homemade, it’s still BYOB. They’ve brought back their 11 a.m. lunch opening and Andrea is also focusing on offering more private parties and catering, something they got out of the swing of during the trying times for restaurants during the pandemic.

“The things that she’s kind of changing are not really — she’s bringing it back and bringing it back better,” said Rose.

Both Rose and Andrea share a love for dogs and will continue to ensure pups are welcome on the outdoor patio along with the K-9 menu, something that has set the place apart and keeps owners coming back for more.

“She likes dogs as much as I do,” said Rose. “That was a thing for me too — to pass this on to somebody who didn’t get as excited when the dogs came as I did, would have never worked.”

Outdoor patio season is here, the dogs are coming in again, and they both can’t wait to see them all out on the patio again!

Andrea’s goal is to continue the success that Rose started. She doesn’t foresee changing the restaurant or the recipes, just ensuring that the love lives on for their faithful customers. “That’s one of my favorite parts of doing all this — creating our specials, coming up with new ideas for the week. and what customers would like to see.”

Rose added, “Plus, as she started helping me with the kitchen, she’s been doing almost everything anyway alongside of me. So, nothing will change because it hasn’t changed since she’s been here.”

Here, Andrea Araujo says she enjoys coming to work and enjoys getting to do what she loves in a place she cares so much about.

Abbiocco also still sells their homemade sauces, dressings, and soups in addition to their delicious menu of homemade creations. Some of their most popular dishes are Chicken Abbiocco, Gnocchi, Risotto, anything in their Vodka Sauce, and you can continue to come into Abbiocco for those same delish dishes.

“I really didn’t want to stop being here. I’m getting older, I’ve been doing it a long time. I just wanted some time for me. This way, I can step back but still be involved,” said Rose. “Really nothing’s going to change except the fact that she’s in charge and I’m not.”

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! It’s important to Andrea to keep all that good stuff going and keep the restaurant pushing forward. People have continued coming back to the restaurant they’ve known, and she doesn’t plan on disappointing them.

CLARKS SUMMIT — Toscano Italian and Mediterranean Deli, located near Gerrity’s in the Summit Square plaza, gives a new look to old-world style foods. It provides healthy cooking with a clean atmosphere. When you walk in, you see the southern European eats displayed under a clean glass shield that it kept clean every day.

Everything at Toscano is made in-house. Owner Jason Tayoun gets to work with his family making Italian sandwiches. Their Italian hoagie, which can be served baked, is one of the most popular dishes. They are creative with their ingredients for their sandwiches. One of them called the Luca Brasi is made with a chicken cutlet smothered in vodka sauce topped with long hots and fontina cheese. The homemade roast beef sandwiches are made medium rare with the option of spicy deli mustard or yellow cheddar with red onion and horseradish mayo.

“We wanted to do something different to the area,” said Tayoun.

Tayoun’s son, Antonio, created a sandwich named after him that was inspired by videos that he watches. The Antonio features grilled chicken cutlet, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, arugula, and sun-dried tomatoes with balsamic glaze. The sandwiches are made to the customer’s liking.

The bread used for the sandwiches is a seeded semolina bread, which is shipped fresh daily from New Jersey.

“We wanted to make sure we have a good bread, different from everybody else’s,” said Tayoun.

The Mediterranean dishes include pita wraps such as kibbeh, which is made with yogurt and cucumber slices. Mediterranean sandwiches are served on pita bread with lettuce and tomato. The shawarma is made with chicken, lettuce, tomato, and cucumbers with yogurt sauce. There is also a big variety of salads and bowls. The Dean Martin Salad comes with arugula, prosciutto, capicola, provolone, grated cheese, and balsamic olive oil glaze topped with fresh herbs.

Most of the Italian desserts are bought from New York and New Jersey but Toscano makes their own cannolis and rice pudding. Beverages include organic drinks as well as water from Italy. Toscano also does catering.

Tayoun works with his wife and three sons. His brother, Peter, and his family help him with the restaurant. Before opening Toscano, Peter at his business called Complete Lawn Care and Landscaping in Clarks Summit. Peter also owns two other businesses in the area, Northeastern Tree and City Tire & Auto.

The name of the restaurant is derived from the Italian word meaning an inhabitant of Tuscany.

“We just wanted to give it a nice Italian name,” said Tayoun.

Tayoun enjoys working with his family and his customer base.

“We have great people in the area,” he said.

The Abington Heights girls extended their Lackawanna Track Conference streaks to 18 championships and 108 meets with a season-ending 108-42 victory over Scranton April 28.

The Abington Heights boys rejoined them as LTC Division 1 champions with a 95-55 victory over the Knights in a first-place battle on the same day.

Both teams went 4-0 in the division.

Tomara Seid led the clinching win with victories in the long jump, triple jump and pole vault.

D.J. Rogers set a school record in the 200-meter dash in 22.14 and tied his 100-meter mark in 11.14 to lead the boys win.

The Lady Comets displayed their usual dominance, scoring at least 108 points in each division meet, beating those opponents by an average of 122-27 and also winning their LTC crossovers that are not part of the division standings.

Abington Heights won every division boys meet by at least 40 points and won by 60 on average.

The program also found success at invitational.

Abington Heights was second behind the Troy boys and the Dallas girls out of more than two dozen teams in the Lasagna Invitational at Wyalusing Valley.

Reese Morgan won the 800 and Seid won the long jump.

Rogers won the 200 and the Comets finished first in both the 400 and 3200 relays.

Anna Pucilowski was fifth in the 1600 and Maggie Coleman seventh in the 400 in the Jack Roddick Invitational at Shippensburg University.

The boys 400 relay team finished second in the Walter J. Godek Twilight Invitational at North Pocono.

Pucilowski, the team’s only representative, won the 3200 title at the Plymouth-Whitemarsh Invitational.

The Scranton Prep boys finished 0-4 in LTC Division 1 while the girls were 1-3.

Lackawanna Trail went 2-3 in boys and 1-4 in girls in LTC Division 4.

Abington Heights followed up a perfect boys tennis regular season by shutting out Wallenpaupack 4-0 May 2 in a District 2 Class 3A team tournament quarterfinal.

The Comets went 11-0 in the Lackawanna League and 12-0 overall in the regular season.

Abington Heights beat 11 opponents by 5-0 scores.

The only opponent to earn a team point against the Cavaliers was Scranton Prep when the Cavaliers suffered their only loss 4-1 April 16.

Scranton Prep improved to 12-1 when it defeated Tunkhannock 5-0 May 1 in the District 2 Class 2A semifinal.

Abington Heights is the top seed in Class 3A.

Scranton Prep is the second seed behind Wyoming Valley Conference champion Wyoming Seminary in Class 2A.

The Cavaliers shut out all the teams they beat except Honesdale and Holy Cross, which they topped by 4-1 scores.

The Abington Heights boys volleyball title pursuit built toward the two most important matches to end the Lackawanna League season.

After sweeping their first eight league opponents, the Comets faced the two teams that wound up tying for second.

Abington Heights posted four-set victories at Western Wayne April 22 and Valley View April 29 to complete a perfect Lackawanna League season.

The Comets entered May with an 11-2 record with three non-league matches remaining prior to the postseason.

Western Wayne took the first set before Abington Heights rallied for an 18-25, 25-15, 25-15, 25-18 victory. The Comets also finished strong against Valley View for a 25-20, 24-26, 25-18, 25-14 win.

Shawn Theodore and Shane Brower are both over 100 kills for the season. Theodore leads the team in that category while Brower leads in blocks and aces.

Ryan Houtz has more than 300 assists while Chris Cummins leads in digs.

All were prominent in the come-from-behind win over Western Wayne.

Theodore had nine kills. Nolan Moore, who is third on the team in kills, and Brower had four aces each. Houtz had 25 assists while Cummins had eight digs.

The wins to wrap up the league title came immediately after the Comets had a nine-match winning streak broken in a four-set loss at Northampton.

Lackawanna Trail finished seventh out of 11 Lackawanna teams at 3-7. The Lions were 3-11 with two matches left.

Abington Heights seniors Robby Lucas and Abingtons residents Michael Hughes and Jenna Hillebrand all were recognized when Pennsylvania Sports Writers selected their all-state basketball teams.

Lucas was a third-team selection in Class 5A.

Hughes, who began his career at Abington Heights, repeated as a first-teamer despite Holy Cross moving up from Class 2A to 3A.

Hillebrand, a Scranton Prep senior, also repeated. She is again a second-teamer in Class 4A.

Lucas averaged 18.2 points while leading Abington Heights to a District 2 championship. He shot 49 percent from the floor, 43 percent on 3-pointers and 72 percent from the line on the way to finishing his career with 1,091 points.

Holy Cross went 25-5 won the Lackawanna League Division 2 title and reached the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 2A state semifinals where it lost on a buzzer-beater to eventual champion West Catholic.

While Hughes made the first team, teammate Matt Lyons made the third.

Hughes averaged 15.3 points, 4.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 steals.

Scranton Prep’s Brycen Martin made the third team in Class 4A.

Hillebrand averaged 16.3 points and set a school record with 80 made 3-pointers while helping Scranton Prep win its eighth straight Lackawanna Division 1 championship and third straight District 2 title. The Classics went 25-2 and reached the state quarterfinals where they were eliminated by eventual champion Neumann-Goretti.

Abington Heights finished in a three-way tie for second place in the six-team Northeast Region West Division of Unified Champion Schools track and field.

The Comets, who are scheduled to compete in two championship events in May, finished first in one and second in the other tri-meets for the equivalent of a 4-2 record. Lakeland finished first and Abington Heights was tied with Scranton and West Scranton in the final division standings.

Lackawanna Trail finished fifth of six teams, going the equivalent of 1-5 with a second- and two third-place finishes in tri-meets.

The Lions got their win at home in the opener, beating Carbondale while falling to Lakeland.

Abington Heights and Lackawanna Trail competed together in two meets at Scranton Memorial Stadium. The Comets finished first in a meet hosted by Scranton and second to host West Scranton a week later.

Lakeland handed Abington Heights its other loss April 30 in a tri-meet where both teams beat Carbondale. The meet was hosted by the Comets, who celebrated their Senior Day.

UCS is a Special Olympics programs that combines athletes with and without intellectual disabilities as teammates.

Keystone College swept Wilson College 12-1 and 14-2 May 2 in the second round to advance to the Final Four of the United East Conference playoffs.

The Giants then added a 10-7 victory over Hobart College May 5 in a make-up game to conclude their regular season.

Keystone went 15-1 in the United East regular season and took a 30-9 record into the semifinals, which are scheduled for May 9.

Andy Rivas hit two home runs in the 10-run eighth inning to lead the first victory over Wilson. He finished 3-for-4 with four RBI.

Rivas leads the team with a .459 batting average, 10 home runs, 51 RBI and 14 doubles.

Chase Boyle is hitting .438.

Robert Estrade has a .370 average and 29 stolen bases.

Nate Ewing has scored a team-high 50 runs while batting .364.

Ewing had three hits, including the 200^th of his career, in the second win over Wilson.

Sean Brennan leads the pitching staff, going 8-0 with a 2.73 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings over 11 starts.

Softball

Keystone ended its season on a high note.

The Giants were 4-12 in the United East and 6-21 overall, but ripped 30-win Penn State Brandywine 13-0 in five innings in the second game of a doubleheader to wrap up the season.

Sam Ratti went 4-for-4 and Isabella Benitez tossed a four-hit shutout in the finale.

Abington Heights has followed the 1-2 punch of senior Lauren Stalica and sophomore Adrianna Condrad to the top of the Lackawanna League Division 1 standings and District 2 Class 5A softball power rankings.

Going into May 6 action, the Lady Comets were 10-1 in the division and 14-2 overall.

Abington Heights avenged its only league loss April 28 when it defeated Valley View 6-5. The Cougars had won the earlier meeting 2-0.

The Lady Comets have pounded four opponents since by a total of 47-2 to run their winning streak to six games.

The Abington Heights offense has scored in double figures nine times and the pitching/defense combination has posted four shutouts.

Stalica and Condrad have helped make that happen as the team’s top two hitters and top two pitchers.

The highlight came April 14 when Stalica struck out a season-high 16 batters in a 4-0, one-hit shutout of Wallenpaupack.

The one-hitter was part of a three-game stretch in which Stalica struck out 30 while allowing just two hits in 13 innings.

Stalica leads the offense in batting average (.568), slugging percentage (1.054), on-base percentage (.692), home runs (five) and RBI (21). She is 9-2 as a pitcher with a 3.08 ERA and a 98-26, strikeout-to-walk ratio in 63 2/3 innings.

Condrad is second on the team with a .489 average, 17 RBI and six doubles. She has also been highly effective when used in the circle, going 4-0 with a 0.63 ERA and 37-6, walk-to-strikeout ratio in 22 1/3 innings.

Isabelle Wilmot and Cecelia O’Malley are batting .452 and .435.

Scranton Prep is 3-7 in the division and 4-10 overall.

Lackawanna Trail is 5-6 in Lackawanna Division 3 and 5-9 overall.

Nick Bradley has been a dominant force on the mound all season.

Now, the Abington Heights junior is beginning to do similar damage at the plate.

Bradley opened May with a 4-for-4 performance in a 10-6 victory over Scranton Prep.

Since throwing a five-inning, no-hitter against North Pocono, Bradley is on a four-game hitting streak in which he is 10-for-14 with a double, home run, six runs and four RBI.

Bradley is now hitting .451 with a team-highs of two homers, a share of the team lead with two triples and the team’s second-best run production with 18 RBI and 21 runs.

On the mound, the numbers are mind-boggling.

Bradley has worked at least five innings seven times this season, but has allowed only three hits one time and never more than that. He is 7-0 with a 0.33 earned run average with 69 strikeouts and just two runs allowed on 13 hits and two walks in 42 innings. Bradley had 16 strikeouts in seven innings and 13 in five innings in two wins over Valley View, plus two other games in double figures in strikeouts.

That two-way production is a big reason, but just one of the reasons that Abington Heights is leading the Lackawanna League Division 1 race at 10-0 and is 14-2 overall.

Reese Zalewski is 3-0 with two saves and an 0.35 ERA in 20 innings. He also leads the team with 18 stolen bases.

Thomas LaCoe is batting .490, leading the team in that category as well as with six doubles, 20 RBI and two triples.

Conner Abel chis in with a .444 average and Tate Pentasugio has scored a team-high 21 runs.

Scranton Prep is 2-9 and last in Division 1.

Lackawanna Trail is 7-4 and fourth in Lackawanna Division 3 where it handed division leader Elk Lake its only loss 6-3 May 1.

Isaac Ryon went 3-for-4 and scored twice while Tyler Jervis had two hits and two RBI in the win.

Freshman Morgan Davis scored 10 goals April 29 when Abington Heights turned a showdown at the top of Wyoming Valley Conference girls lacrosse into just its latest rout.

Abington Heights moved to the brink of its first WVC title when it handled defending champion Crestwood, the only conference team it lost to a year ago, 19-8.

Allie Rothenberger added three goals and Sadie Gilbert had three assists in the win.

Abington Heights scored 14 goals in the first half. It put consecutive goals together in less than a minute four different times, including scoring goals nine seconds apart during the second quarter.

The win over Crestwood was followed by an 11-1 victory at North Pocono May 1 to improve the team to 12-0 in the WVC and clinch no worse than a tie for first place. Only a game with 10th-place Holy Redeemer stands between the Lady Comets and a title.

Abington Heights, which is 15-0 overall, has beaten WVC opponents by a total of 183-36, an average of 15.3-3.0.

The closest any opponent came to Abington Heights all season is a pair of 12-5 games against Lake-Lehman and at Parkland in the non-league season opener.

“They just put a lot of hard work into getting prepared,” coach Becky Davis said. “They really all bought into what our goal is for the season.

“We try to put together a very high-paced defense and our offense is being dynamic out there, finding the back of the net and really doing their job. Most importantly, they’re having a good time. I’m fortunate to have a lot of young women who are dedicated.”

This season’s success continues to build upon the first district final appearance in 2023 and the first district title and state appearance last year.

“Our first goal is to win that second district championship,” coach Davis said, “but moving past that, I think we know we have the capability to move further in states this season and I think they have the confidence and are really looking forward to that opportunity.”

Davis, the coach’s daughter, leads the team with 54 goals and also has 17 assists.

Junior midfielder Allie Rothenberger, who is already committed to play National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I women’s lacrosse at La Salle College, has 48 goals and a team-high 24 assists.

Rothenberger reached 100 career goals early this season and senior attacker Sadie Gilbert arrived at that mark recently.

Gilbert is one of three seniors committed to play in college. She is headed to the University of Scranton while senior defender Leanna Waters plans to play at Lake Erie and senior goalie Sophia Santarsiero is committed to Keuka.

Juniors Rylee Yankow, a defender, and Brielle Crowell, a midfielder, are among the team’s other leaders.

“One of the nice things about this team is that in each game, we anywhere from six to seven people scoring,” coach Davis said.

The Lady Comets are positioned to be the top seed in their attempt to defend the District 2 Class 2A title.

Scranton Prep is 5-4 in the WVC and also contending for a District 2 Class 2A playoff berth with a 6-6 overall record.

The Lady Comets outscored Wallenpaupack, 138-80½, to finish first out of nine teams in the meet. Wallenpaupack beat out Abington Heights, 110-85, for the Class 3A boys title.

Lucarelli won the 100-meter dash in 13.06 seconds, the 200 in 27.36 and the long jump with 14-1¼. She also anchored the winning 400-meter relay team.

Addie Stark, who was part of the 1600 relay win, and Tayla Seid each won two individual events.

Stark won the 800 in 2:32.23 and the 1600 in 5:31.14.

Seid finished first in the triple jump with 31-10 and the pole vault with 8-6 while also placing third in the long jump.

Brooklyn Yankow and Caroline Peoples were each on both the 1600 and one other relay win.

Yankow added a second-place finish in the 400. Peoples was fifth in the 800.

Rachel Regan won the 100 meter hurdles in 17.28 and was part of the 3200 relay win along with Lucarelli, Yankow and Reese Azar. She came in third in the 200 and fourth in the 100.

Addisyn Mummert anchored the 1600 relay win and took fourth in the 400.

Fiona Grady, Julia Healey and Giada Lovecchio joined Peoples on the 3200 relay. Healey took fifth in the 1600.

The winning relay times were 53.54 in the 400, 4:23.44 in the 1600 and 10:27.54 in the 3200.

Kylie Edwards, in the high jump, and Emma Cantner, in the discus, added second-place finishes. Canter was also fourth in the shot put.

Sara Horsley was third in the triple jump; Elena Mastroianni was fourth in the 300 hurdles; Morgan Summa was fifth in the shot put and sixth in the discus; and McKenna Williams was sixth in the pole vault.

Anthony Piccotti, Jack Stopper, Adrian Azar and the 400 relay team posted wins for the Abington Heights boys.

Piccotti cleared 12-6 in the pole vault, took second in the 100 and was part of the 400 relay win with Scott Weilland, Joseph Wagner and Matt Ketrick.

Stopper won the 1600 in 5:10.63. Azar threw the discus 148-3.

Lucas Samala, Justin Lezinski and Matt Kettrick all had second-place finishes.

Samala was second in the 400, fourth in the long jump and fifth in the triple jump.

Lezinski placed second in the shot put and fourth in the discus.

Kettrick was second in the 200 and third in the 100.

The Comets were also third in the 1600 and 3200 relays.

Owen Morgan fourth in 800; Adam Piszczek fifth in pole vault and sixth in the 300 hurdles; Sawyer Wilson was fifth in the shot put; and Paul Rowlands was sixth in 400.

Lackawanna Trail finished fourth in Class 2A girls and 10^th in Class 2A boys.

Lila Ryon finished first in Class 2A girls with a javelin throw of 87-11.

Alan Edwards took second in the long jump, third in the 300 hurdles and fifth in the 100 hurdles.

The Lady Lions had two place finishes in each hurdles race. Lauren Dewey was second in the 300 and third in the 100. Dewey was also third in the long jump.

Peyton Swartzfager placed second in the 1600 and fourth in the 800.

Lackawanna Trail finished third in the 3200 relay and fifth in the 1600 relay.

Katarina Borick was fourth in the javelin, Elle Vanko was fifth in the triple jump and Kacey Higgins sixth in the 400.

Noah Perry led the Lackawanna Trail boys with a sixth-place finish in the 1600.

Abington Heights Invitational

A field of 21 teams participated in the Abington Heights Invitational April 26.

The host Lady Comets finished first in a runaway, 155½-59 over second-place Mid Valley. The Comets finished fourth with 63 with Riverside scoring 105 to take the title.

Abington Heights claimed both pole vault championships with Piccotti and Seid producing wins.

Lucarelli won both the 100 and 200 while Stark won the 800 and 1600.

The Lady Comets also won the 400 and 3200 relays.

Adrian Azar added a win in the boys discus.

Lackawanna Trail, led by a 300 hurdles win from Dewey, placed sixth in the girls standings with 36 points.

SCRANTON — The Abington Heights boys 4x400-meter relay team was the first from Class 3A to reach the finish line in the final race of the night, holding off Wallenpaupack in the race and the team standings to complete a title sweep in the 69th annual Jordan Relays May 1 at Memorial Stadium.

Abington Heights finished 22-hundredths of a second behind Class 2A winner Dunmore, but more than a second ahead of Wallenpaupack in 3:25.57 for the Class 3A win in the race and the overall team standings.

Wallenpaupack finished second in Class 3A team standings in both divisions. The Comets beat the Buckhorns 41-37 and the Lady Comets beat the Lady Buckhorns 44-34.

Hamza Mirza led the Comets to their victory, contributing to all three of the wins in the six-event competition. He was part of 3A first-place finishes in the Distance Medley, 4x800 and 4x400.

D.J. Rogers, Joey Pivirotto and Jack Shoemaker all were part of two wins.

Rogers also contributed to a fourth-place finish in the 4x100 and a fifth in the 1200 Sprint Medley.

Dylan Jaramillo was part of a first, fourth and fifth.

Liam Peoples and Joseph Grad each ran on the winning 4x800.

Lukas Ruane was on a fourth and a fifth, William Regan a fourth and Ryan Kearney a fifth.

Reese Morgan and Anna Pucilowski led the girls victory. They were both on wins in the 4x800 and Distance Medley and ran legs on the second-place 4x400 team.

Maggie Coleman was part of a first, second and fifth. Erin Bartell contributed to a first and second.

Calli Gilboy was another winner.

Elsianna Phillips had a second and two fifths; Bergan Price and Julia Schuster both had seconds and fifths; and Kiana Seid a fifth.

Lackawanna Trail finished sixth in Class 2A girls and 10th in Class 2A boys.

The Lady Lions were led by a fourth-place finish by Emma Thomas, Willow Ritter, Natalia Salansky and Emma Shaw in the 4x800.

Leading the University at Buffalo to a record-breaking and championship season paid off immediately for Abington Heights graduate Becky Burke.

Within days of leading Buffalo to a women’s National Invitation Tournament title and a record-setting 30^th win, Burke was named April 9 as the 10^th head coach of the University of Arizona women’s basketball team.

“Our model centers around identifying head coaches who prioritize success in coaching, recruiting and the development of high-character student-athletes,” Arizona director of athletics Desiree Reed-Francois said in announcing the hiring. “Coach Burke is a proven program builder and rising star in collegiate women’s basketball with a track record of transformational success. She is familiar with the Wildcats and the tight-knit community we have in Tucson.”

Burke coached Buffalo for three seasons. She won 19 games and reached the Mid-American Conference Championship game in her second season.

“I would like to thank President (Suresh) Garimella and Desireé for this wonderful opportunity to lead Arizona women’s basketball, a program with such rich tradition,” Burke said. “Wildcats’ fans fully understand the role that elite culture plays in building a program that wins championships. Our staff will be ready to make that a reality as we call Tucson home.”

Arizona went 10-8 in the Big 12 and 19-14 overall in the 2024-25 season.

Burke, a 2008 graduate, scored 2,162 points in her four-year career at Abington Heights. She averaged 25.7 points as a senior and was named Pennsylvania Class 4A Player of the Year by the Associated Press.

From there, Burke started in an National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I national championship game as a freshman at the University of Louisville where she went on to score more than 1,000 career points.

Burke is continuing a quick and steady rise through the coaching ranks.

After serving as director of basketball operations at California State Fullerton and assistant coach at St. Joseph’s College for one year each, Burke launched her head coaching career in Arizona.

Burke started the program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, posting a winning record in the first season and reaching the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Top 25 with a 21-6 mark in her second season.

The only head coach on the 2019 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association 30-Under-30 list, Burke was busy bringing the University of Charleston in West Virginia into NCAA Division II contention. Her team went 25-7 in Burke’s first of two seasons, making national rankings and the program’s first national tournament berth in five years.

Burke’s first stop at the NCAA Division I level was at the University of South Carolina Upstate where her team improved 14 wins in its second season to a Division I-era school record of 22 wins.

Rotary Club of the Abingtons member Noreen Thomas welcomed Jenn Basalyga, Clarks Summit Borough manager, to a recent club meeting. She is a graduate of Penn State University and has worked for the borough for 12 years, starting out as a secretary and handling sewer billing, zoning and code. She brought valuable information and advised members on various topics.