By Loren Crispell
Assistant Director of Athletics, State College Area School District
The school year is upon us, and with that the start of 10 different varsity seasons on the State High campus. Add another 12 teams competing at the junior varsity, freshman or middle school level, and you’ve got 22 different teams of student-athletes competing within the State College Area School District this fall.
That’s an exciting number, especially since it represents more than 500 student-athletes within our district wearing the maroon and gray this fall. One of our stated goals within the Athletic Department is to create opportunities for student-athletes who seek them, and the numbers suggest that things are pointed in a great direction.
State College interscholastic teams have long carried with them a great amount of success at the district, regional and state level, and the hopes for 2018 are no different. Many of our teams have begun their 2018 schedules, and as we head into the start of the season next week for the remainder of our teams, here’s a quick look at our varsity squads and some of what you can look forward to in 2018.
Boys Golf
The Little Lions boys golf team has begun their season with a few competitions under their belt already, battling the likes of Susquehanna Township and Altoona before the school year began. Led by Head Coach Greg Wilson, and returners Ryan Battista and Tyler Nordblom, the team is looking to bring the district title back to State College for the first time in three years, and according to Wilson, the biggest key will be consistency at the right time of the year.
The team takes on Hershey on the road on Thursday, and then returns home to host an invitational on Tuesday at Mountain View golf course.
Girls Tennis
The girls tennis team is already a third of the way through its regular season schedule, and has been red-hot to begin the 2018 campaign.
Riding the leadership of No. 1 singles player and senior Kelly Vanden, and a sophomore in No. 2 singles player Catelyn Janac, the Little Lions are 5-0 after a win over Central Dauphin East on Wednesday. As Vanden said at Media Day on Aug. 8, the short preseason afforded to the team forced them to get to know and trust each other quickly, and one of the goals this year is to embrace the talents of both veterans and newcomers.
The Little Lions return to the courts on Friday when they host Mechanicsburg at 4:30 p.m. at the State High Tennis Center.
Boys Soccer
There was likely no team that gave off more “positive vibes” than the varsity boys soccer team in 2017. Propelled by a confident, loose approach, and a season opener that saw them play defending state champion Lower Dauphin (ranked No. 3 in the country at the time) to a scoreless draw, the Little Lions started their season with a 10 match unbeaten streak. They rode the hot start all the way to a Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division championship, the first in program history.
In 2018, they’ll look to continue that success, and according to goalkeeper Mihaly Sogor, last year’s success instilled the confidence that not only does the program belong in big games, but also has what it takes to emerge victorious. The team opens the regular season at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday at Wilson High School.
Girls Volleyball
Few teams can boast the type of sustained success at State High that the girls volleyball program can, and hopes are as high as ever heading into 2018. After graduating just one senior from a team that reached the sweet sixteen of the PIAA championships in 2017, the Little Lions are looking to “smash the standard”, which is the slogan that adorns the back of their practice shirts.
Coming off seven straight District 6 championships, the team brings six seniors back, led by IUP commit Leah Henderson, East Stroudsburg commit Jess Irwin and a do-it-all veteran in Katie Finlan. Head Coach Chad Weight has led an intense preseason, and the regular season gets underway at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday vs. Red Land High School in the High School North Gym.
Girls Cross Country
One of the teams that CAN rival the volleyball team for sustained success is the girls cross country program, which collected quite a bit of hardware in 2017: a District 6 championship, a Mid-Penn Conference championship and a fifth-place finish at the PIAA championships.
After graduating several key contributors from the 2017 team, there is great confidence in the talent that returns, and according to Emma Simon, “Summer workouts have allowed the team to develop the kind of chemistry and toughness that championshp teams possess.” After battling the withering heat and temperatures in Centre County over recent days and weeks, the team opens the regular season at 9 a.m. on Saturday with a race in Reedsville.
Field Hockey
The State College field hockey team embodied the old adage of building to become the best team they could be by the end of the year, toppling Mifflin County to win the 2017 D-6 title, and avenging two regular season losses in the process.
Second-year Head Coach Beth Mink returns quite a bit of talent and experience, including goalkeeper and Bates College commit Grace Biddle, and seniors Ava Whitlark, Alyssa Dunlap, and top goal-scorer Kelsey Love. Add in multi-sport athletes and lacrosse standouts Sally Stahl and Maddie Tambroni, and the Little Lions are poised to defend the district crown again in 2018. The regular season gets underway at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, when State College hosts WPIAL power North Allegheny at Memorial Field.
Girls Golf
The girls golf program continues to grow and develop under Head Coach Ken Miller, and after investing significant time and training at the Penn State golf courses during the offseason, Miller appears to have a young team that can match confidence, enthusiasm and talent in their hunt for a district championship.
The program made good use of advanced technology and training tools at Penn State through the Professional Golf Management program, and return to the course on Friday when they travel to Red Land for a Mid-Penn Conference match.
Boys Cross Country
The boys cross country team continues to be a model of consistency under Head Coach Dave Felice, bringing home the District 6 crown and posting a second place finish at the Mid-Penn conference championship in 2017.
A young and hungry group led by senior Zach Nussbaum looks to maintain a hold on the D-6 title, claim the Mid-Penn championship for their own, and to crack the leaderboard at the state championships. The team opens the regular season on Saturday morning at a race in Reedsville, starting at 9 a.m.
Girls Soccer
The girls soccer team has maintained a hold on the District 6 championship that few have ever seen, winning its 10th consecutive championship in 2017. The team fell in the state playoffs to eventual state champion Norwin, but returns significant experience and talent in 2018.
Under second-year Head Coach Doug Bates, the Little Lions return defensive stalwart Jessica Lingenfelter along with veterans Emma Kerber and Ellen Lee, and bring back their starting goalkeeper in Kristen Lenze. Also joining the squad in 2018 is Virginia Tech commit Makenzie Graham, who missed 2017 and who adds some additional scoring punch.
The team has their sights set on defending their D6 crown, and making a deeper run in the PIAA championships. The Little Lions open their season at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at Mount Lebanon.
Football
After a 35-12 win over Mifflin County on Friday night, the Little Lions are focused on the second game on their schedule, heading to New Jersey on Friday to battle St. Augustine’s Prep. Head Coach Matt Lintal, in his fifth season at the helm, boasts the luxury of a bevy of offensive weapons, including Mid-Penn All-Conference selections in quarterback Tommy Friberg, wideout/cornerback Keaton Ellis, running back Isaiah Edwards, tight end Jeremy Bullock, and all-around “weapon” Cohen Russell. Add in an athletic defense that is led by All-Conference selections in linebacker Tyson Brennan and defensive tackle Titus Thompson, and the Little Lions have high hopes for 2018.
A 10-3 season in 2017 landed them in the state playoffs, before falling to eventual state champion Pine-Richland. After two straight weeks on the road, the Little Lions will return home on Sept. 14 when they host Carlisle for their annual Kindergarten Night at Memorial Field.
Our student-athletes continue to make us proud in the classroom, in the community, and in competition. As we continue to embrace the slogan of “Better Together” in 2018-19, we hope the community will continue to support these great coaches and student-athletes in their competitions and their pursuits of excellence. We’ll be back each Thursday with updates on our teams, their efforts in the classroom and their work in the community.
Until then, Hail Maroon and Gray!
