LANCASTER - Plenty going on in L-L League circles these days.
Donegal's boys' basketball team continues to plug along in the PIAA playoffs; the Indians are set to take on Imhotep Charter in a Class AAA state semifinal game on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Reading High's Geigle Complex.
One spring sport is already underway: the boys' tennis players are exchaning ground strokes in the chilly March air.
And all the other spring sports practices have started, with games and/or meets set to start on Friday.
Meanwhile, a pair of winter sports wrapped up their seasons this past weekend, when PIAA swimming and state bowling capping their respective seasons.
Read on ...
CAMERON CAPS SWIM CAREER IN STYLE: I've covered a lot of fantastic swimmers over the years. But I've never seen a swimmer pile up victories and gold medals and records like Warwick senior Emily Cameron. She was up to her old tricks in the PIAA finals this past weekend at Bucknell, winning two more individual golds to finish her prep career with (gulp) seven gold medals - plus a bronze. Oh, and three Pennsylvania records. Not too shabby. Cameron won golds in the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke, giving her three career golds in each of those events. She's also won a state gold in the 50 free - plus a bronze in the 100 free earlier in her career, giving her eight individual medals. Cameron exits Warwick holding the PIAA record in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.54), the 200 IM (1:57.74) and the 50 free (22.75). That deserves a wow. Cameron competed in the Olympic Trials last summer, and she'll take another stab at Olympic glory in three years. Her next stop is the University of Georgia, where she'll swim for the Bulldogs. Tip of the Speedo bathing cap to Cameron, who is also one of the nicest, non-ego-driven kids you'll ever meet.
ALBERT STRIKES GOLD: Cameron wasn't the only L-L League swimmer to hit the gold jackpot at Bucknell last week. Lancaster Catholic's Everett Albert hit the wall first in the Class AA boys' 200 IM finale, winning in 1:53.72. He was the No. 1 seed, according to the psych sheets, coming into the meet. Albert also finished fifth in the grueling 500 free, clocking in with a 4:39.23, to take home a pair of PIAA medals.
MORE POOL SHARKS: Four other L-L League swimmers qualified for finals in the PIAA championships at Bucknell. In Class AA boys, Northern Lebanon's Ethan Gehenio took seventh in the 100 backstroke (53.26). In Class AAA boys, Garden Spot's Andrew Schrantz finished seventh in the 100 butterfly (50.43) and eighth in the 100 backstroke (51.05). And in Class AAA girls, Hempfield's Amber McDonnell was fifth in the 200 IM (2:04.99) and Elizabethtown sprint specialist Tess Hayward finished fifth in the 50 free (23.53) and seventh in the 100 free (51.81).
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SKY HIGH FINISH FOR BARONS' BOWLER: Manheim Central senior Aerika High, last year's L-L League individual champ, capped her high school bowling career in style, finishing third in the state singles championship last Friday at Dutch Lanes. High fell to Gateway's Victoria Smith 197-181 in the state semifinals; Smith lost to Justyne Falbo from Hempfield (District 7) in the state finale. Next up for High: She'll be a key cog for the Barons' softball team, which will be out to defend its league and District 3 titles later this spring. She's a Wagner University recruit.
PODCAST: AERIKA HIGH INTERVIEW
MORE FROM THE LANES: Seven other L-L League bowlers participated in the qualifying round - Penn Manor's Liz Burkholder (10th in qualifying), Lancaster Catholic's Sara Strausbaugh (19th) and Cedar Crest's Brittany Labarre (22nd) and Rebecca Hresko (23rd) on the girls side, and Conestoga Valley's Rodney Rippy (8th; he's the reigning league champ), Garden Spot's Matt Martin (10th) and Cocalico's Dan Hassler (11th) on the boys side. The top 12 finishers in the qualifying round were honored, with the top five finishers advancing to the final round. In the boys' final, Dan Matase from Father Judge edged Burrell's Matt Schultz, 203-198.
COMETS AND CRUSADERS, OH MY: Penn Manor's girls' team and Lancaster Catholic's boys' team advanced to the final round of the state team championships on Saturday at Dutch Lanes. Penn Manor fell to Butler 2-0 in Baker games and Lancaster Catholic fell to Hempfield (District 7) 2-0 in Baker games. Hempfield (District 7) won the boys title with a 2-0 win over Greensburg Salem, while Butler won the girls' crown with a 2-1 win over Hempfield (District 7).
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FOOTBALL NOTABLE: Hearing Conestoga Valley is closing in on a choice for its next head varsity football coach. Tom Nichols stepped down back in February. Their goal was to have a name for the March schoolboard meeting. I'll keep you updated.
REINHART ON TWITTER: @JeffReinhart77