Contributed Photo – Collin Webb

Barker High senior Collin Webb has earned the Niagara-Orleans League’s Male Swimmer of the Year award.

Webb currently holds five Barker school records, two individual events (50 Free and 100 Free) and as being a member of all three relays (200 Medley, 200 Free and 400 Free).

He went undefeated this season in the 50 Free, 100 Free and 100 Backstroke recording a total of 26 individual first place finishes.

He is a four-time N-O All-League meet champion in the 50 Free, a three-time champion in the 100 Free and a member of the winning 200 Medley and 200 Free Relays.

Webb is also a two-time champion at the Section VI Class C meet in both the 50 Free and 100 Free. A member of the winning 200 Medley and 200 Free Relays, he also earned the Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet award for the second year in a row.

At the Section VI championships he placed sixth in the 100 Free and seventh in the 50 Free.

“Collin has worked hard to achieve success in the pool. He pushes himself in practice, even in strokes that he doesn’t always compete in. This season he overcame an injury that hindered his preseason and in season training,” said Barker Coach Mike Gendrue. “As captain Collin led by example and was essential in focusing the team on capturing the league title.  The team eventually earned co-league champs.  The first championship in 30 years. ”

“What sets Collin apart is his unassuming nature,” added Gendrue.  “Talking with Collin you would never know that he is a top swimmer and arguably the best athlete at Barker.  He is encouraging to his teammates and those on other teams as well.  Collin is an honors student in the classroom.  He plans on attending the University at Rochester to study Biochemistry and eventually enter the medical field.  Coach Bill Wilson and I have enjoyed coaching Collin because he is hardworking, respectful and easy going.”

Contributed Photo – Members of Medina’s Unified bowling team which captured top honors at Monday’s sectional tournament, include Tom and Joe Biacelli (in front), Ian Joseph, William Brazwell, Lydia Battaglia, Steven Secore, Ian Wagner, Jackson Tuohey, Morgan Allis, Alex Allis, Jessica Granchelli, Elissa Blount, Enzo Guilanni, Emma Carson, Gracie Cogovan and Morgan Crossett. 

Medina’s Unified bowling team capped off an outstanding inaugural season by taking first place honors at the Section VI Tournament held Monday at Brad Angelo Lanes (formerly South Transit Lanes).

Completing an undefeated season, Medina scored wins against each of their five opponents which included Akron, Newfane, Sweet Home, Clarence and Niagara Falls to claim the sectional plaque.

Medina took command from the outset jumping out to a 100 pin lead after the first game.

Competing for Medina were Jackson Tuohey, Enzo Guilanni, Tom and Joe Biacelli, Emma Carson, Steven Secore, Ian Joseph, William Brazwell, Alex Allis, Morgan Allis, Elissa Blount, Gracie Cogovan, Morgan Crossett. Lydia Battaglia, Jessica Granchelli and Ian Wagner.

“They just did great,” said Coach Rob Dennis. “They definitely put the effort into it this season. We bowled a total of 780 games since we started so they really worked on their game. And we were able to get each of them their own ball which really helped their confidence and their performance. It was a great first season. The teamwork was great. The kids all really worked well together and really came together as a group.”

Continuing to roll, front-running Sacred Heart defeated JR Wilson 45-25 Monday to maintain a big 41 point lead atop the Medina Euchre League standings.

Runner-up Legion downed Vets Club 40-30 in the other match.

Sacred Heart is now 766-634 on the season while Legion is 725-675, JR Wilson 667-733 and Vets Club 642-758.

League competition continues on March 5 with JR Wilson at Legion and Vets Club at Sacred Heart.

Medina-Lyndonville United earned its first EPIC Center Indoor Soccer League win of the young season by rolling past the South Buffalo Soccer Club 7-0 over the weekend.

United got off to a fast start scoring 5 goals in the first half including two by Sam Kingsbury and one each by Cole Seefeldt, Wyatt Zelazny and Zaric Boyce.

Boyce and Zelazny both also found the net in the second half as United improves to 1-2.

Strong defensive play by Jack Whipple, Mason Moreland and Will Roush helped to preserve the shutout for Aidan Owczarczak.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Brendan Luthart and Maddie Williams and their Mustangs teammates will be competing in the semifinal round of the Section VI Class B1 playoffs this week..

Both the Medina boys and girls basketball teams have advanced to this week’s Section VI Class B1 semifinals.

The No. 3 seeded Medina boys squad will take on No 2 Olean at 8:15 p.m. Wednesday at Buffalo State College. The victor will face the winner of Tuesday’s No. 4 Newfane vs. No. 1 Lackawanna contest in the championship game on Saturday at Buffalo St.

The No. 10 Medina girls team will face No. 11 Dunkirk at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Kenmore West High School. The victor will meet the winner of the No. 5 Fredonia vs. No. 1 Newfane game on Sunday at Buffalo St.

The Medina boys will be looking to end a long semifinal round victory drought against an Olean Huskies squad that is 20-1 on the season. The Mustangs are 0-13 in the semis, including the last three years in a row, since last reaching the finals in 1977.

Both teams had close calls in the quarterfinals as Medina trimmed No. 6 Dunkirk 67-60 and Olean edged No. 7 City Honors 62-54.

The teams have met twice in the semifinals previously with Olean emerging victorious by scores of 75-35 in 2007 and 57-40 in 2009.

The Mustangs have been led offensively this season by senior Jalin Cooper who has scored 450 points (21.4 average) and grabbed off 200 rebounds and junior Izaiah Rhim who has tallied 229 points (10.9 ave.)

The Huskies offense has been keyed by a quartet of juniors  led by Mike Schmidt who has scored 307 points (16.1 ave.) as Brian Ramarge is averaging 11 and Alex Weakfall and Matt Droney 9 each.

This marks the second year in a row that the Medina girls have reached the semifinals. Last year the Mustangs defeated Oracle 41-31 to reach the Class B2 finals where they lost to Niagara-Orleans League foe Wilson 60-33. It was the Mustangs first appearance in the finals since 1998.

Medina, which has won six of its last seven games after a dismal 2-13 start to the season, has been sparked offensively by the trio of juniors Je’ne Brown who has scored 255 points (13.4 ave.) and grabbed off 193 rebounds, and Maddie Williams who has 165 points (8.2 ave.) and 161 rebounds along with sophomore Camri King who has 223 points (11.1 ave.) and 171 rebounds.

Dunkirk, which brings a 10-12 record into the semis, has been led by the sophomore trio of Jessica Beehler, Kymilondjie Nance and Olivia Smith who are each averaging around 10 points.

In the quarterfinals Medina romped past No. 2 I-Prep 63-37 and Dunkirk trimmed No. 3 City Honors 67-63.

Contributed Photo – Chanyce Powell

Albion High graduate and SUNY Brockport freshman Chanyce Powell captured top honors in the triple jump at the SUNYAC championships held this weekend at Brockport.

Powell claimed the triple jump title with a leap of 37-11 1/4. She also placed fourth in the long jump.

Another Albion grad, Marquise Riddick, who is a senior at Brockport, placed third in the long jump.

Powell is majoring in Exercise Physiology and Riddick in Kinesiology/ Sports Science/Physical Education.

Brockport next competes in the NCAA regionals at Ithaca College next weekend.

Baseball
Medina High graduate Jason Hellwig won his first start of the season as a starting pitcher for the SUNY Brockport baseball team this past week.

Hellwig struck out 7 scattered 4 hits and walked 1 over five innings in Brockport’s 16-2 victory over Alfred State.

Hellwig is a junior majoring in Sports Management.

No. 5 seed Monroe County upset the No. 2 seeded Tri County Midget Hockey team 5-4 Saturday in the second round of the playoffs.

Monroe County jumped out to leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the opening period but both times Tri County quickly rallied to tie on goals first by Victor Benjovski and then by James Hapeman.

Monroe County built its advantage to 4-2 in the second period but again Tri County rallied back to tie at 4-4 on a pair of goals by Patrick Ricker, the first late in the second period and the second midway through the third.

However, the last goal and the win belonged to Monroe County which netted the game winner with five minutes to go.

Tri County finishes the season at 5-13-3 overall.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Lyndonville’s Nathan Poler puts up a shot between Mount Morris defenders Justin Martin and Jansel Martinez during the visiting Tigers sectional loss to the Blue Devils this evening.

Pulling away beginning midway through the second quarter, No. 5 seed Mount Morris went on to defeat visiting No. 13 Lyndonville 69-54 this evening in the quarterfinal round of the Section V Class D1 boys basketball playoffs.

Breaking away from a 25-25 deadlock, Mount Morris closed the second period with a key 10-2 run to regain the lead for good at 35-27. Cameron Regal led that Blue Devils uprising with 6 points.

Keeping the momentum and fast breaking at every opportunity, Mount Morris opened the third period with an 11-2 run to extend the advantage to 17 at 46-29. Josh Hart had a three and a two and  Regal 4 points to key that spurt.

Nathan Hydock puts up a shot for Lyndonville as Cameron Regal tries to block for Mount Morris.

Two layups by Dylan Cicero and one by Jansel Martinez helped the Blue Devils maintain a 16 point, 54-38, advantage at the three-quarter mark.

Lyndonville could get no closer than 14 down the stretch.

Regal finished with 18, Colin Young 15, Cicero 14 and Hart 12 to lead the Blue Devils balanced attack.

Nathan Poler scored 13 and Zach Johnson 11 to lead the way for the Tigers as Nathan Dillenbeck, Russell Stephens and Nathan Hydock 5, Matt Hess, Kane Flynn and Ricky Forder 4, Bryce Seddon 2 and Brody Brown 1.

Lyndonville did jump out to a quick 6-0 lead at the outset on baskets by Poler, Johnson and Flynn.

Mount Morris though answered back with a 10-2 run to take the lead for the first time at 10-8 as Regal tallied 6 during that run.

A layup by Hydock and a jumper by Johnson did put Lyndonville back on top at 12-10 but it proved to be the Tigers last lead.

Mount. Morris regained a 16-13 lead at the end of the opening period on a pair of threes by Cicero.

The Blue Devils built the lead to 10, 25-15, by opening the second period with a 9-2 run including a three and a two by Young and a pair of layups by Hart.

Lyndonville did battle back with a 10-0 run which included a three and a layup by Stephens, a layup by Hess and a jumper by Poler to retie the contest at 25-25 but the Tigers cculd not regain the lead.

The Blue Devils answered right back with a 10-2 run to close the period and take a 35-27 advantage at the half and quickly doubled the lead to open the second half to break the contest open for good.

Lyndonville’s Zach Johnson looks to drive by Mount Morris defender Colin Young.

Contributed Photo – Roy-Hart/Barker/Medina players are shown on the big scoreboard screen at the Key Bank Center Friday night celebrating after capturing the WNY Club Hockey Mixed Schools Division playoff championship.

The Roy-Hart/ Barker/Medina Club Hockey team continued their “Hoosiers”- type inaugural season by winning the Western New York Club Hockey League Mixed School Division playoff championship 4-1 over Jamestown/Southwestern/Maple Grove Friday night at the Key Bank Center.

Entering the game as the No. 3 seed, RBM faced a Red Raider team from the Blue Division owning a 18-1-1 record.

The only scoring in the first period was by Jamestown/SW/MG on a power play at the 4:29 mark for the 1-0 lead.

Early in the second period Roy-Hart/Barker/Medina pulled even as Dylan Krzykowski scored unassisted.  Krzykowski, who was named the MVP,  scored again in that period assisted by Luke Luckman to put Roy-Hart/Barker/Medina on top to stay.

In the very tight final period, Michael Kuchey scored with just over two minutes left in the game to ice the win for Roy-Hart/Barker/Medina.  His brother, Jason, hit an empty net as the final buzzer sounded to round out the scoring.

The victory secured the No. 1 seed for Roy-Hart/Barker/Medina in next weekend’s State Club Championship being held in Jamestown on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  There are six teams in the Mixed Division; Roy-Hart/Barker/Medina, Jamestown/SW/MG, Iroquois/Alden, Manhasset, Wantaugh/ Seaford and Rockville Centre.