LANCASTER - Some L-L League notables for you as the sun makes an appearance and starts warming things up a bit ...
DALLAS WINNERS: A pair of L-L League runners earned victories last Saturday in the 12th Bruce Dallas Invitational at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg. In fact, Manheim Township's Meredith Newman won two events, taking the 400 meters in 58.84 and capturing the 800 in 2:19.84 to snag a pair of golds. Meanwhile, Penn Manor distance specialist Greta Lindsley - the three-time reigning L-L League cross country champ - hit the line first in the 1,600 in 5:03.81. Newman helped Manheim Township finish sixth in the team standings with 29 points, while Lindsley helped Penn Manor finish 20th with 10 points.
CLICK HERE FOR BRUCE DALLAS INVITATIONAL GIRLS' RESULTS
PODCAST: GRETA LINDSLEY INTERVIEW
The best individual finish by an L-L League boys' competitor was Warwick's Mike Urban, who was third in the 1,600 in 4:32.06. The Warriors finished 16th with 10 team points.
CLICK HERE FOR BRUCE DALLAS INVITATIONAL BOYS' RESULTS
The 25th annual Pan-Am Invitational is set for Saturday at 8:30 a.m. at Central Dauphin's Landis Field.
PENN RELAYS ON DECK: Should have the full entrant list for the Penn Relays in the next day or so. Several L-L League athletes should be making the trip to the University of Pennsylvania later this month for the prestigious meet, including javelin throwers Cole Proffitt (Manheim Central), Jhett Janis (Cocalico) and Spencer Moser (Cocalico) and shot-putter Emily Stauffer (Cocalico). I'll post the full entrant list when it pops up. Sit tight.
VIDEO: COLE PROFFITT THIRD IN PIAA MEET LAST SPRING
VIDEO: SPENCER MOSER INTERVIEW
VIDEO: EMILY STAUFFER INTERVIEW
SHIFFER OUT AT MILLERSVILLE: Jim Shiffer can't seem to catch a break. The Conestoga Valley grad and one-time head football coach at Mansfield University and Gene Carpenter's former associate head coach at Millersville University, was let go by the Marauders last Friday after Greg Breitbach was named the program's new head coach.
BREITBACH TAKES OVER AT MILLERSVILLE
Shiffer, the offensive line coach, and Dave Keeny, the wideouts coach, were let go, I was told, because their contracts were up, and MU wasn't going to bring back anyone with an expiring contract so Breitbach could start hand-picking his staff.
Shiffer's and Keeny's names are already off MU's official roster.
Shiffer was a loyal soldier for MU. He's a tireless worker and he's a football geek, ran a linemen camp in the summer, and he recruited a big chunk of L-L League players over the years. In fact, I was told Donegal senior RB/LB Dylan Maxwell, a 1,000-yard rusher and key cog for the Indians' 9-2 team last fall, picked MU because of Shiffer and his ties to Carpenter and the Marauders' glory days.
PODCAST: DYLAN MAXWELL INTERVIEW
And right now, with the lack of scholarships and not much success in the win-loss column, you'd think MU would take as many walk-on local kids as possible. I'll be curious to see if Maxwell keeps his commitment to MU; he also considered East Stroudsburg, another Division II PSAC program.
FROM LANCASTERONLINE: WHAT CHALLENGES AWAIT BREITBACH
Shiffer's been passed over several times now when MU's head-coaching job has opened since Carpenter passed away. He's also been passed over for any number of local high school jobs, including openings at Hempfield and Penn Manor, among others.
That Jim Shiffer is no longer employeed by MU, where he's shed buckets of blood, sweat and tears for the program and, more importantly, for the kids, is a real shame. Anyone with a football opening would be wise to give him a call.
BUCKSKIN BOOSTER GOLF TOURNEY ON TAP: The Conestoga Valley Buckskin Booster Golf Tournament is set for Saturday, May 18 at Overlook Golf Course with a 7:30 a.m. shot-gun start. There were 80 golfers and 30 sponsors last year and registration for players and sponsors is now open. For more information - and for info about CV's Sound Mind, Sound Body, Sound Future campaign to raise $3.4 million for stadium upgrades - contact Bucks' athletic director Zac Kraft at 717-397-5231 (x2303).
COACHING VACANCY: Still tracking one L-L League basketball coaching vacancy - Columbia is still searching for a boys' basketball coach after Mark Wisler stepped down at the end of the past season. I've heard three names, but can't confirm if they had interviews or are even being considered. Will keep you updated. Just one L-L League basketball coaching position was open - and has since been filled - so far this off-season:
PEQUEA VALLEY BOYS SET TO HIRE JIM SHIPPER
Haven't heard of any other L-L League basketball coaches - boys or girls - stepping down.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: The season's first L-L League baseball stat pack.