Moravian pole vaulter Hailey Kester earned Division III All-American status Thursday at the NCAA championships at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Roger Harring Stadium.

The Salisbury High School graduate (at left) cleared a personal-best 12 feet, 3.5 inches to finish sixth in the event.

The Greyhounds sophomore, making her first NCAA appearance, cleared the height on her third and final attempt.

Kester, seeded 13th, needed all three attempts to clear the opening height of 11-4.

She advanced at the next height after two attempts and just one try on the next (12-1.5).

 

 

As long as the thunderstorms stay away, the District 11 baseball tournament will be down to its final four in all four classifications after today.

Here's my best guess at who will still be playing Friday in the three biggest classifications. 

Class 4A

Whitehall over Freedom: The Zephyrs may be the most complete team in the 4A bracket. They will benefit from their time off.

Emmaus over Stroudsburg: Stroudsburg should be smarting after missing out on a third straight Mountain Valley Conference title last week. The Mounties won't make it easy, but the Green Hornets will survive.

Pocono Mountain East over Pleasant Valley: Pocono Mountain East played like the MVC favorite it was billed as before this season when it won the league title last week. It will take out the Bears again today.

Parkland over Liberty: Parkland has had more consistent pitching, and that will be the difference in this rematch of an LVC semifinal.

Class 3A

Lehighton over Northwestern: Northwestern beat the Indians 5-4 when the teams played during the regular season, but Lehighton will turn the tables this time.

Southern Lehigh over Blue Mountain: Just a hunch, but I'm looking for the Spartans to rebound from losing to Salisbury in the Colonial League final.

Class 2A

Pine Grove over Catasauqua: Catasauqua has struggled with consistency this season, making me lean toward the Cardinals.

North Schuylkill over Minersville: I'll take the higher-seeded team since I haven't had a chance to watch either team this season.

Notre Dame-GP over Pen Argyl: The Crusaders have been the better team this season, and I'm counting on that to continue.

Easton High School is hosting a track & field camp for boys and girls ages 7 to 17, from July 15-19 with a very special guest.

Four-time Olympian Joetta Clark Diggs (1988, 1992, 1996, 2000), a New Jersey native, will conduct the event along with other technique specialists.

Specific training includes distance running, conditioning and track & field events, with Olympian and certified coaches in speed and agility, long, high and triple jumps, sprints/hurdles, middle distanced and distance.

The camp runs from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day. Non-refundable Registration is required. Cost is $75. There is limited space. For an application, visit www.joettasportsandbeyond.com, or call (484) 851-3148. Applications should be received by July 8. Make checks payable to Joetta Sports & Beyond, P.O. Box 6262, Hillsborough, N.J. 08844.

Email questions to Joettaevents@yahoo.com.

There will be free snacks, fruit, drinks, T-shirts and gifts.

 

Easton High graduate David Hightower recently took home two gold medals to help the Rider men’s track and field team win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference outdoor track and field championship.

The senior won the 110 hurdlers in an IC4A qualifying time and established a new meet record with a time of 14.24. He also ran a leg on the victorious 400 relay team, which finished in 42.08. And the Easton resident was fourth in the 200, running a 22.48.

The Rider men finished with 242 points, knocking off defending champs Manhattan (185 points).

 

Three local products are among the 10 Kutztown University men's and women's track and field athletes named to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Atlantic Region team.

For the men, junior steeplechaser Zach Fleming (Northern Lehigh grad), junior pole vaulter Lanny Buck (Palmerton grad), senior hurdler Kori Meshaw and senior thrower Michael Stramara earned all-region accolades from the coaches association.
 
For the women, junior thrower Rosie Farrell (Freedom grad), senior runner Stephanie Borland, senior thrower April Doyle, freshman jumper Katie Catania, junior jumper Rachel Eshleman and freshman pole vaulter Emma Sullivan also earned all-region honors.
 
Of the 10 all-region candidates, five will be competing at the NCAA National Championships this week.
 
Meshaw repeats as an all-region performer after achieving All-America status last season in the 400m hurdles. The senior is a three-time conference champion in the 400m hurdles and was named the Men's Track Most Valuable Player for his performance at this year's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Outdoor Championships. He won the race in 51.89 seconds in a career-best time and the ninth fastest time in Division II this season to improve his second place mark on Kutztown's all-time list.
 
Fleming finished second with a career-best performance in the 3000m steeplechase at the conference championships for his first career all-region honor in the outdoor season. With his NCAA provisional time of 9:11.04, he moves up to second on Kutztown's Top 10 list in the event.
 
Buck is a two-time all-region performer after earning recognition in his freshman season in 2011. He finished second overall at the PSAC Championships and cleared a mark of 15-07.25 (4.76m) to earn All-PSAC recognition. His top mark this year is 16-4.75, good for third in KU history and 14th in Division II this season.
 
Farrell won her first PSAC Championship and first all-region award this season. She won the conference championships in the hammer throw with a stadium-record toss of 180-03 (54.93m). It moved her up to second all-time in Kutztown history and ranks 12th in Division II this season.

Stramara collects the first all-region honor of his career. He finished with the 38th best mark in the hammer throw this season and threw a season-best mark of 178-10 (54.51m) at Richmond's Fred Hardy Invite.
 
Eshleman is a two-time all-region selection after earning the accolade in her freshman season in 2011. She broke her own school-record at the PSAC Championships which she set earlier this season. Eshleman cleared 5-8 (1.73m) to finish first overall for her first PSAC Championship in her third year in the Maroon and Gold. Her mark is the 10th highest in Division II this season.
 
Catania won what could be the first of many PSAC Championships of her young career. Just a freshman, Catania already owns the school-record in the event of 5.93m, which rates 17th in Division II.
 
Borland brings home her first outdoor all-region honor and earned All-PSAC honors and finished second in the 1500 in 4:37.60. Borland also finished second in the finals of the 800m at the PSAC Championships with her time of 2:16.54. 
 
Doyle is now a four-time all-region selection in the outdoor shot put. She also earned all-region honors in the two events last season. She earned her eighth shot put title (four indoor, four outdoor) of her career, a mark that has never been done before by a female in PSAC history. Not only did she win the shot put, she set the stadium-record for her mark of 45-5 (13.84m) and broke her previous stadium record she set last season. Doyle followed Farrell in the hammer throw by finishing second overall in an NCAA provisional mark of 171-00 (52.15m).
 
Sullivan earned all-region honors in her freshman season after she broke the school-record in the finals of the pole vault as she earned All-PSAC honors by finishing third overall. She vaulted an NCAA Provisional mark of 12-01.25 (3.69m) to set the record by more than two inches.

East Stroudsburg University senior Matt Tholis has been named the Division II Atlantic Region Men’s Field Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCCA (U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association).

Tholis has the No. 3 mark in Division II in the javelin entering this week’s NCAA Championships, which are Thursday through Saturday at Colorado State-Pueblo.

Tholis hit his career best and school record mark of 226-5 at Lafayette on March 30, part of a season in which he won the PSAC championship at 223-10 and is pursuing his second straight All-America honor after finishing seventh in the nation last spring.

He has hit three NCAA automatic qualifying marks this year and six straight marks of at least 210-0 entering the NCAA Championships. After opening with 197-4 at Washington & Lee, he had his throw of 226-5 at Lafayette, followed by 222-1 at Millersville, 210-0 at Bucknell, 216-2 at ESU’s All-American Meet and 213-11 at the Penn Relays.

Tholis, an exercise science major, transferred to ESU from Rowan after qualifying for the NCAA Division III Championships in 2010.

 ESU alumnus Quanette (Jester) Ford also earned USTFCCCA honors as the Atlantic Region Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year. Ford, in her second year at Lincoln (Pa.), coached her women’s jumpers to 33 points at the CIAA Championships and had two CIAA champions and NCAA provisional qualifiers in Diane Lindsey (long jump) and Morgan Heath (high jump).

Jester was the PSAC champion in the triple jump in 1998 and still holds ESU records in the triple jump both indoors (37-7) and outdoors (39-5 3/4).

District 11 has its plans in place for the entirety of its baseball tournament.

Allen athletic director and District 11 baseball chairman Scott Cooperman said via email this afternoon that Friday's district semifinals are still scheduled to be played in doubleheaders at four sites. The Class 4A semifinals are at Hackett Park, Class 3A are at Parkland, Class 2A are at Limeport Stadium and Class A are at Pine Grove. One school may have a conflict if it advances past Wednesday's quarterfinals, but the doubleheader plan is staying in place for now.

The plan for the district finals is for the Class A and Class 3A championships to be held in a Tuesday, May 28 doubleheader at Coca-Cola Park (4:30 p.m./7 p.m.). Class 2A and Class 4A are scheduled for Wednesday, May 29 (4:30 p.m./7 p.m.) at Coca-Cola Park.

The full brackets for the District 11 tournament can be found on the district website. I'll have my picks for Wednesday's quarterfinals tomorrow.

Five East Stroudsburg University athletes will pursue All-America status, including a pair of seniors who will look for their second citations in the men’s javelin, at the NCAA Division II Track & Field Championships, which begin Thursday at Colorado State-Pueblo.

Senior Matt Tholis, ranked No. 3 in the javelin and a 2012 All-American, and redshirt senior Josh Hontz, a Jim Thorpe High School graduate ranked No. 9 and the 2011 national runner-up in 2011, lead the Warriors’ five participants.

Senior Corinne Fitzgerald is making her third consecutive NCAA appearance in the 3000-meter steeplechase and two Warriors will make their first trip to the NCAAs: sophomore Travis Toth in the hammer and freshman Seth Bailey in the high jump.

The top eight finishers in each event will earn All-America honors.

ESU will have at least one athlete in action on all three days, beginning Thursday with Toth in the hammer and Fitzgerald in the prelims of the 3000m steeplechase. On Friday, Bailey competes in the high jump and Fitzgerald will hope to be included in the steeplechase final. Tholis and Hontz finish the weekend in the javelin on Saturday.

Tholis and Hontz are the 6th set of ESU teammates to qualify in the men’s javelin (also 1988, 1992, 2003, 2004, 2009) … they give ESU at least one entry in the men’s javelin for the 8th consecutive year, and 13th time in 14 years … will aim to become the 4th and 5th multiple-time All-Americans in men’s javelin, joining Ed Long (1971-72), Mike Revenis (1981-82) and Barry Krammes (2002-03) … ESU has had multiple All-Americans in the same event just once - 1992, when Lance Branyan was 4th and Al Yackenchick was 6th in the men’s javelin.

Hontz hit a provisional mark of 209-5 (9th in DII) to finish 3rd at PSAC Championships on May 11 … had previous provisional mark of 207-8 … NCAA DII runner-up as a junior in 2011 with mark of 225-4 (was school record) … NCAA qualifier as a sophomore in 2010, finishing 13th … was 2011 PSAC champion at 222-8.

It has been a brutal spring weather wise.

However, comfortable, dry conditions could be the light at the end of the tunnel for the PIAA Track & Field Championships, which are Friday and Saturday at Shippensburg University.

According to weather.com, temperatures both days will top off around 70 degrees under partly sunny skies with only a slight chance of a shower.

Below is a schedule of events for this weekend’s state meet, with a list of participating locals.

PIAA TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Seth Grove Stadium, Shippensburg University

FRIDAY

On the track

Preliminaries

3,200 RELAY, 9 a.m.

Class 2A girls

Notre Dame-GP

Saucon Valley

Class 3A girls

Northwestern

Parkland

Class 3A boys

Parkland

Whitehall

GIRLS 100 HURDLES, 10:30

Class 2A

Alexa Rossi, Palisades

Carla Dutt, Wilson

Class 3A

Ramonia Benitez, Pocono Mountain West

Maria Justus, Emmaus

Alyssa Kresge, Nazareth

BOYS 110 HURDLES, 11

Class 2A

Austin Shupp, Palmerton

Austin Weiss, Northwestern

Class 3A

Tyler Horton, Bethlehem Catholic

Eric Hertzog, Tamaqua

Carter Taylor, Nazareth

Freddie Simmons, Bethlehem Catholic

100 DASH, 11:30

Class 2A girls

Mary Ramsden, Palisades

Danielle Gehman, Palisades

Class 3A girls

Jody-Ann Evans, Quakertown

Kiana Farrar, Easton

Lauren Channer, East Stroudsburg South

As-sata Hall, East Stroudsburg North

Class 2A boys

Chris Bruno, Marian Catholic

Class 3A boys

Demetrius Lanier, East Stroudsburg South

Keyautay Aulder, Stroudsburg

Shakur Lester, Dieruff

1,600 RUN, noon

Class 2A girls

Sydney Brannon, Wilson

Katie Downing, Notre Dame-GP

Class 3A girls

Marissa Sheva, Pennridge

Caitlyn Sheva, Pennridge

Haley Yost, Northwestern

Rachele Cerrone, Northwestern

Class 2A boys

Anthony Brinkley, Catasauqua

Class 3A boys

Colin Abert, Easton

John Wathen, Pleasant Valley

400 DASH, 1 p.m.

Class 2A girls

Anna Robinson, Palisades

Lindsay Bauer, Salisbury

Class 3A girls

Jess Pereira, Palmerton

Allyson Stitzer, Nazareth

Class 2A boys

Caleb Johnson, Northern Lehigh

Nico Agosti, Marian Catholic

Class 3A boys

Donovan McDonald, Stroudsburg

Collin Bergy, Southern Lehigh

400 RELAY, 2

Class 2A girls

Palisades

Wilson

Class 3A girls

Pennridge

Easton

Pocono Mountain West

Emmaus

Palmerton

Class 2A boys

Northwestern

Palmerton

Class 3A boys

East Stroudsburg South

Stroudsburg

Liberty

300 HURDLES, 3

Class 2A girls

Wilson’s Carla Dutt, Wilson

Marian Catholic’s Christy Digiandomenico

Class 3A girls

Lexi Reightler, Bethlehem Catholic

Emmy Geis, Central Catholic

Class 2A boys

Austin Shupp, Palmerton

Class 3A boys

Tyler Horton, Bethlehem Catholic

Carter Taylor, Nazareth

Colby Trauger, Pennridge

Freddie Simmons, Bethlehem Catholic

Ishmael Wright, Quakertown

Andrew McFarland, Nazareth

800 RUN, 3:30

Class 2A girls

Christina Scartelli, Notre Dame-GP

Chelsea Frantz, Tamaqua

Class 3A girls

Hanna Brosky, Emmaus

Kiana Tucker, Stroudsburg

Angela Stella, Whitehall

Class 2A boys

Anthony Brinkley, Catasauqua

Class 3A boys

Joey Logue, Pennridge

Michael Kopach, Nazareth

Jarret Palmer, Stroudsburg

200 DASH, 4

Class 2A girls

Mary Ramsden, Palisades

Lindsay Bauer, Salisbury

Class 3A girls

Jody-Ann Evans, Quakertown

Kiana Farrar, Easton

Taylor Chapman, Pennridge

Lauren Channer, East Stroudsburg South

Class 2A boys

Caleb Johnson, Northern Lehigh

Cam Richardson, Northwestern

Nico Agosti, Marian Catholic

Class 3A boys

Demetrius Lanier, East Stroudsburg South

Donovan McDonald, Stroudsburg

1,600 RELAY, 4:30

Class 2A girls

Notre Dame-GP

Palisades

Class 3A girls

Bethlehem Catholic

Stroudsburg

Class 2A boys

Marian Catholic

Palmerton

Class 3A boys

Pennridge

Nazareth

Bethlehem Catholic

In the field

CLASS 2A GIRLS POLE VAULT, 9 a.m.

Kaitlyn Toman, Salisbury

Alexa Rossi, Palisades

CLASS 2A GIRLS LONG JUMP, 9

Maria Streisel, Tamaqua

Lindsay Bauer, Salisbury

CLASS 3A GIRLS HIGH JUMP, 9

Casey Harewood, Liberty

Lauryn Solt, Palmerton

Naomi Jiminez, Pocono Mountain West

CLASS 3A GIRLS SHOT PUT, 9

Gracie Hargrove, Liberty

Gwen Remaley, Lehighton

Jocelen Ruth, Kutztown

CLASS 2A BOYS TRIPLE JUMP, 9

Dan Reichenbach, Salisbury

Jarred Sacks, Palmerton

Dan Stola, Notre Dame-GP

CLASS 2A BOYS JAVELIN, 9

Austin Bartholomew, Salisbury

Corry Quick, Marian Catholic

CLASS 3A BOYS DISCUS, 9

Bryan Pearson, Bangor

Shawn Green, Bangor

CLASS 2A GIRLS HIGH JUMP, 12:30 p.m.

Holly Szita, Salisbury

Mary Paige Nesfeder, Notre Dame-GP

CLASS 2A GIRLS DISCUS, 12:30

Mary Paige Nesfeder, Notre Dame-GP

CLASS 3A GIRLS LONG JUMP, 12:30

Ariana Przybylowski, Pennridge

Jordan Luciano, Easton

Kaitlyn Remely, Nazareth

Aspen Gaita, Stroudsburg

CLASS 3A GIRLS JAVELIN, 12:30

Ella Fox, Pennridge

Sarah Keer, Lehighton

Jasmine Vass, Bangor

CLASS 2A BOYS POLE VAULT, 12:30

Dylan Bonge, Salisbury

Darris Rodrigues, Palmerton

CLASS 2A BOYS SHOT PUT, 12:30

John Snyder, Palmerton

CLASS 3A BOYS TRIPLE JUMP, 12:30

David Clowney, Stroudsburg

Javante Tooley, Wilson

Jryi Davis, Bangor

SATURDAY

On the track

Semifinals

Class 2A-3A girls 100 hurdles, 10 a.m.

Class 2A-3A boys 110 hurdles, 10:15

All classes 100 dash, 10:30

All classes 200 dash, 11:30

Finals

3,200 RUN, 9 a.m.

Class 2A girls

Elizabeth Chikotas, Saucon Valley

Sydney Brannon, Wilson

Class 3A girls

Mikayla Stoudt, Parkland

Class 2A boys

Tyler Stelmack, Northwestern

Class 3A boys

Alec Lederer, Northampton

Wade White, Bangor

 

All classes 3,200 relay, 10:45

Class 2A-3A girls, 100 hurdles, noon

Class 2A-3A boys 110 hurdles, 12:10 p.m.

All classes 100 dash, 12:15

All classes 1,600 run, 12:30

All classes 400 dash, 1

All classes 400 relay, 1:15

All classes 300 hurdles, 1:30

All classes 800 run, 1:45

All classes 200 dash, 2

All classes 1,600 relay, 2:30

In the field

(all events are finals)

Event, Time

CLASS 2A GIRLS TRIPLE JUMP, 9 a.m.

Carli Swiatek, Wilson

Jessica Olewine, Northern Lehigh

CLASS 2A GIRLS JAVELIN, 9

Christine Streisel, Tamaqua

Paige Demetriades, Tamaqua

CLASS 3A GIRLS POLE VAULT, 9

Mara Blanchard, Bethlehem Catholic

Taylor Sullivan, Stroudsburg

CLASS 2A BOYS LONG JUMP, 9

Dan Reichenbach, Salisbury

Class 2A BOYS DISCUS, 9

Alex Partington, Northwestern

CLASS 3A BOYS HIGH JUMP, 9

Donovan Clay, Stroudsburg

Griffin Schwab, Nazareth

Scott Schlegel, Emmaus

Ishmael Wright, Quakertown

CLASS 3A BOYS SHOT PUT, 9

Kory DeCesaris, Northampton

Bryan Pearson, Bangor

CLASS 2A GIRLS SHOT PUT, 12:30 p.m.

Christine Streisel, Tamaqua

Amanda Solt, Tamaqua

CLASS 3A GIRLS TRIPLE JUMP, 12:30

Ramonia Benitez, Pocono Mountain West

Kelly Robertson, Parkland

CLASS 3A GIRLS DISCUS, 12:30

Jocelen Ruth, Kutztown

Oksana Wittbrodt, Parkland

Gracie Hargrove, Liberty

CLASS 2A BOYS HIGH JUMP, 12:30

Reggie Carter, Notre Dame-GP

Brad Ehret, Palmerton

CLASS 3A BOYS POLE VAULT, 12:30

Joe Fogle, Pocono Mountain East

Jack Walton, Parkland

CLASS 3A BOYS LONG JUMP, 12:30

Nolan Hay, Parkland

Alize Graham, East Stroudsburg North

Prentice Sprewell, Stroudsburg

Nick Stenderowicz, Pennridge

Javante Tooley, Wilson

Zach Dillon, East Stroudsburg North

CLASS 3A BOYS JAVELIN, 12:30

Tyler Hope, Tamaqua

Stephen Laird, Parkland