Photo by Mike Wertman – Getting set to lead the Albion girls track team into the upcoming league season are these Purple Eagle veterans. In front are Hannah Grammar, Emma Mathes, Katie Rustay and Kiara Smith. In back are Malory Adams, Kirsten Struble, Chanyce Powell, Yasmeen Shabazz and Savanna Wirth.

The Niagara-Orleans League track season looks to get off to a fast start for the Albion girls squad as the Purple Eagles will host defending champion Akron on April 20.

Akron posted a 6-0 record last spring to claim the N-O crown for the third time in the last four years while Albion finished in a three-way tie for second place at 4-2 with Newfane and Wilson.

Senior Chanyce Powell, who captured first place honors in both the Long Jump and Triple Jump at the N-O All-League meet, heads Albion’s group of returning All-League meet place finishers. She went on to win both events at the Section VI championships and to place fourth in the Triple Jump and fifth in the Long Jump at the state meet.

That continent of returning All-League meet place finishers also includes seniors Hannah Wheling (5th in 400 Hurdles) and Yasmeen Shabazz (5th in Shotput) along with sophomores Kirsten Struble (4th in 400), Hannah Grammar (5th in 400) and Emma Mathes (6th in 3000).

Other key members of the Purple Eagles squad include seniors Katie Rustay (Pole Vault), Kirara Smith (Discus), Savanna Wirth (Discus) and sophomore Malory Adams (800).

Schedule
April: 20 – Akron, 4:15 p.m.; 25 – Newfane, 4:15 p.m.; 27 – Medina, 4:15 p.m..
May: 4 – at Wilson, 4:15 p.m.; 6 – at Batavia Invitational; 9 – Roy-Hart, 4:15 p.m.; 11 – at Barker, 4:15 p.m.; 13 – at Rush-Henrietta Invitational; 17 and 18 – at All-League meet at Akron, 4 p.m.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Jalin Cooper, left, and Nate Luckman

Two local players, Barker senior Nate Luckman and Medina junior Jalin Cooper, have earned spots on the All-State basketball squad.

Luckman has been named to the second team of the Class C squad and Cooper to the sixth team of the Class B squad.

A four year varsity player, Luckman surpassed the 1,000 point career scoring mark this past season as he tallied 487 points for a 22.1 per game average.  He also grabbed off 115 rebounds and had 70 assists and 50 steals.

Cooper, a three-year varsity player, tied a Medina school single season scoring record by tallying 458 points for a 20.8 average. He also pulled down 207 rebounds and had 65 steals and 58 assists.

Both players are two year first team Niagara-Orleans All-League honorees.

Dunkirk edged past visiting Albion 4-3 this afternoon in a non league softball game.

Albion scored twice in the third inning on a triple by Isabella Prest and a single by Natalie DiCureia. A triple by Haley Black sett up that opportunity.

The Purple Eagles other run came in the fourth frame on an RBI single by Sara Hillman which followed a hit by Skyler Smith.

Black, DiCureia and Smith each had a pair of hits on the day.  Smith also registered 5 strikeouts in the circle.

Kendall, Holley bow in G-R gamea

Elba shutout Kendall 6-0 and Alexander blanked Holley 19-0 in Genesee Region League games.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Barker’s Kyle MacDonald slides into second base as Elba/Byron-Bergen’s Alex Dean makes the tag. The action took place during the host Raiders win over the Bees this afternoon.

Ryan Voss delivers a pitch for the Raiders.

A big fifth inning scoring burst keyed Barker to an 8-2 victory over visiting Elba/Byron-Bergen this afternoon in a non league baseball game.

Breaking away from a 2-2 deadlock, the Raiders erupted for 4 runs in the decisive fifth frame as Chauncey McKee, Kyle MacDonald and Austin Sullivan all banged out RBI singles.

MacDonald and Sullivan both had a pair of hits on the day.

Colin Noeth and Josh Hohn both had 2 hits for the Bees.

Ryan Voss picked up the win on the mound for the Raiders scattering 6 hits and striking out 10 over six and two-thirds innings.

Barker improves to 3-1.

Rebounding from a last inning one run loss on Wednesday, Albion built up an 8-0 lead in route to defeating visiting Kenmore East 9-6 this afternoon in a non league baseball game.

In another non league contest, Lyndonville jumped out to a 6-0 lead and went on to down visiting Lima Christian 6-4.

Albion, which lost 4-3 to Roy-Hart on Wednesday,  jumped out to a quick 2-0 first inning lead on a fielders choice play off the bat of Bryce Pritchard and a passed ball. A single by Liam Ward and an error set up that opportunity.

Keeping the momentum, the Purple Eagles then erupted for 5 runs in the second inning on a two-run double by Isaiah Callicutt, RBI singles by Thomas Furmanski and Austin Dugan and an error. A single by Harrison Brown ignited that uprising.

JaQuess Harrison drove in Albion’s final two runs with a single in the fourth inning and a double in the sixth.

Harrison, Dugan, Ward and Furmanski each had a pair of hits on the day.

Pritchard pitched the first four and two-thirds innings allowing just 1 hit and striking out 5 as the Purple Eagles improve to 3-1.

Lyndonville 6, Lima Christian 4
A big five run first inning sparked Lyndonville to the 6-4 win over Lima Christian as the Tigers were likewise rebounding from a one run last inning loss (2-1 to Notre Dame) on Tuesday.

Eric Neace and Corey Hydock both had two-run singles and Zach Johnson an RBI single for the Tigers in the decisive opening frame. A single by Kane Flynn and a walk set up the threat.

Hydock, Johnson and Neace each finished with 2 hits as all of the Tigers starts had  at least one base rap.

Jacob Hoffee picked up the win on the mound scattering 5 hits and striking out 8 in 6 innings of work as the Tigers go to 3-1 on the young season.

Photo by Mike Wertman – Getting set to lead Barker into the upcoming Niagara-Orleans League track season are these Raider veterans. In front are Matt Pestinger, Jake Arnold and Brent Bachman. In back are Sarah Mason, Lydia Dewart and Taylor Tocco.

Bolstered by large rosters, the Barker track squads are prepping for the April 20 Niagara-Orleans League home opener against Medina.

Barker’s boys squad, which numbers 42, is led by a group of eight place finishers at last spring’s N-O All-League meet. That group includes seniors Jake Arnold (5th in 800 and 7th in High Jump), Matt Pestinger (6th in 800), Jack Hopkins (2nd in 3200 nd 5th in 1600), Brent Bachman (7th in 1600 and 3200) and Noah DiLorenzo (5th in High Jump) along with junior Adam Woodworth (7th in Pole Vault) and sophomores Dominic Clementi (3rd in 200) and Andrew Schafer (6th in 400 Hurdles).

The 36 member Lady Raiders squad likewise returns a good group of All-League meet place finishers including senior Lydia Dewart (3rd in 800), juniors Natalie Menz (7th in 100 Hurdles) and Casey A’Hearn (4th in discus), freshmen Dakota Leising (3rd in High Jump) and Katrina Clare (7th in 400) and eighth grader Madison Gancasz (5th in Pole Vault).  Other key members of the squad include señor Taylor Tocco and junior Sarah Mason.

“We’re young but our numbers are good,” said Coach Jim Jurewicz. “We’ve got a nice team.”

Last spring the girls team went 2-4 and the boys 0-5-1 in N-O action.

Schedule
April: 20 – Medina, 4:30 p.m.; 22 – at Eden Invitational; 25 – at Wilson, 4:15 p.m.; 27 – at Roy-Hart, 4:15 p.m.
May: 2 – Akron, 4:15 p.m.; 6 – at Batavia Invitational; 9 – at Newfane, 4:15 p.m.; 11 – Albion, 4:15 p.m.; 17 and 18 – at All-League meet at Akron, 4 p.m.; 25 – Steeplechase meet at Starpoint, 5 p.m.

Holley downed host Kendall this afternoon in a season opening Genesee Region League track meet. The Hawks won the boys meet 89-33 and the girls competition 71-64.

The Holley boys were led by double winners Matt Hahn (Shot-put, Discus) and Will Harrington (1600, 3200).

The Lady Hawks likewise had two double winners in Angie Weaver (Shotput, Discus) and Lindsey Allen (1500, 3000).

The Kendall girls had a trio of double winners including Lyndsay Wright (100 Hurdles, 400 Hurdles), Katie Wright (100, 200) and Lizzie Sutphen (Long Jump,Triple Jump).

Holley also swept Wheatland-Chili in the other portion of the tri-meet taking the boys competition 80-51 and the girls 93-39.

The Hawks got double win efforts from Kaleigh Neale (400, 400 hurdles) and James Skehan  (110 Hurdles, 400 hurdles).

Kendall  earned a split with W-C winning the girls meet 95-44 but losing the boys competition 83-58.

The Eagles had Damien Sprague double in the 800 and 1600.

Earning victory number one on the young season, Holley romped to a 15-5 victory over Northstar this afternoon in a non league softball game.

Anna Brasted had 4 hits, including two doubles and a triple, Madison Papaj 3 hits, including a double, and Julianna Drewry 2 hits to lead the Holley attack. They each drove in a pair of runs.

Cassie Norman struck out 11 in the circle for the Lady Hawks which put a lock on the win by erupting for 7 runs in the sixth inning.

Holley is now 1-2.

Medina evened its Niagara-Orleans League baseball record at 1-1 with a 7-0 victory over Newfane this evening at Vets Park.

Freshman Trevor Luthart sparked the Mustangs as he pitched a complete game allowing  just 1 hit and striking out 12.

After scoring solo runs in each of the first three innings, the Mustangs broke the contest open in the fourth by tallying four times highlighted by a two-run homer by Brian Fry. Brett Riemer and Alex Allis also had hits in the inning.

Newfane is now 0-3.