This section was started as a way to share some of the many noteworthy items that occur on a regular basis. We get some of it out via our social media, but keeping up with every item can prove difficult. We hope you enjoy. If you have anything you think we should know, please reach out by sending an email dan@lebcosports.com or by finding us on Twitter @lebcosports1.
You can also find us at our new home on Facebook, Lebcosports.com. This is a new page. We appreciate any new likes and followers as we attempt to spread the word about all of the great things being done by our local athletes.
Jones is an All-American
It is not a secret that Ariel Jones, Cedar Crest ’17, is really good at basketball. Jones broke the PSAC career scoring record during her senior season at Shippensburg, with her 2,806 points ranking her 4thall-time in NCAA Division II. Among other records she set along the way, she set the all-time NCAA Division II record for career free throws made. Finishing 2nd in the scoring in the nation, she also led her Lady Raiders to the NCAA Tournament where they picked up a first-round win over West Viriginia State.
Over the course of the season, Jones was named the PSAC Eastern Division Athlete of the Week nine times on her way to being named the Eastern Division Player of the Year. Now, outside of the PSAC, others have taken notice and Jones has been given two national honors. Jones has been named as a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II Coaches’ First Team All-American and a Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) First Team All-American.
Aguirre Collects Five International Golds
Local Taekwondo phenom Joshua Aguirre recently traveled to Bogota, Colombia to take part in an in-person international. The 11 year old Aguirre represented himself and the United States very well, bringing home five gold medals.
New Tennis Courts Coming
The Lebanon Valley Community Tennis Association announced that it has been awarded a grant that will allow it to move forward with a court resurfacing project at Optimist Park. This will mean that the park will feature brand new tennis courts AND pickleball courts. While they are still working on final plans, this project will be one to watch.
For those unaware, the LVCTA is a 501(c) non-profit organization that is doing some great work to provide opportunities so that more people are able to learn the game of tennis. This includes providing free clinics to youth.
Softball Pitching Talent
Two local pitchers are tearing it up already in this young season. On Tuesday, ELCO’s Gabby Smith struck out 18 Annville batters to break her own single-game school record. Annville would go onto win the game in 10 innings, but it is look like Smith may be ready to terrorize opposing hitters all season long. On the other side of the county, Palmyra’s Mollie White struck out 8 on Wednesday to push her career total to 396. In the game against McDevitt, White also had a double and a home run on her way to driving in 5 runs.
Community Support Spotlight: Get Fit & Support Local Students
If you are looking for a cause to support while having an excuse to exercise, stop on out to support the Lebanon High School students by participating in the Lebanon Cedars Spring Fling 5k on April 8th. More details can be found by clicking here.
It is worth noting that we are currently looking at ways to better support efforts like this in the community. Please stay on the lookout for some type of community support feature coming in the near future.
Sunho to Continue Soccer Career
Palmyra Soccer standout Brayden Sunho recently announced that he will continue his playing career at Penn State – Harrisburg. In his senior season, during which Sunho led the Cougar offense as they qualified for the PIAA State Tournament, he was named to the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association All-State Team. Sunho was also named the 2023 Mid-Penn Keystone Boys Soccer Player of the Year.
Palmyra Youth Football Earns Promotion
After their success last season, the Palmyra Youth Football Association was bumped up from the Liberty Conference to the Federal Conference of the Capital Football Association (CFA). They will now be in the same conference as Northern Lebanon and the Lebanon Raiders. This promotion is the result of the Peewee Team winning the 2022 CFA – Liberty Championship and the Midgets finishing as runners-up. The Pony team also finished with an 8-3 record.
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