It was a busy year on the local community sports scene
2014: The Year In Review
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – After a successful decade long run, a shortage of players caused the Lyndonville Tigers to fold their semi pro football operation. Here Jason Hanna picks up yardage for Lyndonville during the Tigers final home game against the Jamestown Chiefs.
A local gridiron era came to an end over the summer as a lack of players forced the Lyndonville Tigers to disband after a decade of semipro football competition.
With only 15 to 20 players showing up for games, the Tigers disbanded after going 1-4 over the first half of their 11th season. The Tigers last win was 16-12 over the Jamestown Chiefs.
The Tigers had a very successful first 10 years winning one league and two division titles compiling a 69-29-1 regular season and a 81-41-1 overall record from 2004 to 2013. The Tigers won a New York Amateur Football League playoff title in 2006, the Northeastern Football Alliance regular season title in 2009 with a 9-1 record and a division playoff title in 2013.
Photo by Mike Wertman – The Orleans County YMCA undertook a major remodeling project.
The Orleans County YMCA undertook a major remodeling and renovation project to better serve its increasing membership.
The first floor of the Y was reconfigured with the construction of a new wall separating the new lobby, office and multi purpose room area from the gymnasium. The gym floor was also refinished and a new handicap accessible main entrance was constructed.
The Mr. Ed’s Super Bowl morning 5K race at Middleport celebrated its 25th anniversary run with several hundred runners taking part. Sergio Cruz of Barker and Abby Lang of Lockport were the individual winners.
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – The 25th annual Mr. Ed’s Super Bowl Sunday 5K race attracted hundreds of running enthusiast to Middleport in early February.
Also in the Middleport area, the Roy-Hart boys swim team captured an eighth straight Niagara-Oleans League championship with a 10-0 record. The Channel Cata have gone 79-0 over the eight year title reign.
Lyndonville native Scott Bradley had a very successful year of Ironman Triathlon competition. He earned first place honors in his age group in Ironman 70.3 competitions at Syracuse and New Hampshire and a second at Puerto Rico. He turned professional in the fall and placed 18th out of 33 male pro starters at the full Ironman competition in Cozumel, Mexico.
On the links, Lyndonville’s Patrick Hinkson repeated as Western New York PGA Junior champion and Player of the Year.
At the State Boys and Girls Amateur Championship Kendall’s Evan Gaesser placed second in the Junior Division and Medina’s Ian Wagner was fifth in the Boys Division.
At Shelridge Country Club, Alex Misiti and Melanie Green captured club championships and James Tee won the President’s Cup Tournament.
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Medina captured the Lockport Midget A’ League playoff title. Here Medina catcher Justin Morgan gets set to put the tag on Roy-Hart’s Brad Wilson.
On the youth baseball diamonds, Medina captured the Lockport Midget ‘A’ League playoff championship with an 8-6 victory over Lockport 1. Medina and Lyndonville shared the regular season title. Lockport downed Roy-Hart for the Midget B playoff title.
Sandstone defeated Actives 10-2 to win the Albion Midget League playoff championship.
The Twins edged the Yankees for the Medina baseball league playoff championship.
At Lyndonville, the Dodgers claimed the youth league diamond crown.
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – A project was started to highlight the quarry and baseball history of Albion’s Sandstone Park. A plaque is planned to be erected at the neighborhood park which for baseball dates back to the start of the Albion Midget League in 1956.
In the Medina Powder Puff Mini Division, KofC nipped Slack Insurance for the playoff title.
In the Medina Women’s Softball League, Orleans Vets nipped Dave’s 9-6 for the A Division playoff title and Hojacks downed Albion Vets for the B Division crown.
On the courts, Medina’s Kristian Snyder won a Buffalo Muny Tennis Tournament division title.
Former long-time Albion Coach Dick Diminuco took over the varsity football coaching position at Pembroke High School.
Two former long-time Medina High coaches, Bill Ossont and Scott Grimm, received the Niagara-Orleans League’s Foundation Award.
Harold Suhr of Lyndonville, who is the Commission of the Niagara Orleans Football Association, received the Western New York Contributons to Youth Football Award
