“We are thrilled to celebrate an amazing group of student-athletes who are going off to great places,” said EA Athletic Director Todd Fairlie. “This is an amazing class that has had a lot of success, and we are confident that they will continue to do great things.”

The 44 student-athletes include:

• Alex Barrist, baseball, Lafayette College
• Chase Bearley, swimming, Lehigh University.
• Joe Bogle, lacrosse, Villanova University.
• Peyton Davis, gymnastics, University of Michigan.
• Kiley Gallagher, field Hockey, Lafayette College.
• Jack Guido, lacrosse, Mercer University.
• Taylor Hammond, water polo, Virginia Military Institute.
• Kamora Helton, tennis, Providence College.
• Jack Hurda, baseball, University of Maryland.
• Dylan Jaszcz, lacrosse, Penn State University.
• Natalie Magnotta, soccer, Penn State University.
• Lainey McGonagle, lacrosse, University of Pittsburgh.
• Grace McHugh, lacrosse, Syracuse University.
• Paige McMeekin, field hockey, Bucknell University.
• Lucas Montayne, lacrosse, Marquette University.
• Jenna Morley, lacrosse, University of Colorado.
• Hannah Neilly, swimming, Holy Cross University.
• Bella Notaro, field hockey, Bucknell University.
• Sydney Richter, lacrosse, Georgetown University.
• Hunter Stetson, golf, North Carolina State.
• Michael Woolery, track and field, Penn State University.
• Isabel Andrews, field hockey, Dartmouth College.
• Tyler Beaulieu, baseball, Cornell University.
• Bella Bin, squash, Brown University.
• Rick Chen, squash, Yale University.
• Avery Elliott, track & field, University of Pennsylvania.
• Saige Forbes, track & field, Harvard University.
• Shaw Huston, field hockey, Hamilton College.
• Zeke Kane, football, Amherst College.
• AJ Koukou, football, Villanova University.
• Grace Murphy, rowing, Yale University.
• Ryan Sewell, soccer, Hobart College.
• Calvin Szoradi, football, Middlebury College.
• I’jaaz Abdul-Malik, football, Monmouth University.
• Michael Cadden, football, Bucknell University.
• Eric Demyun, football, F & M University.
• Conor Gaul, football, Carnegie Mellon University.
• Gabe Ketchum, football, Washington & Lee University.
• John Malone, lacrosse, Vassar College.
• Ronak Nagar, squash, Bowdoin College.
• Chris Purnell, football, Lock Haven University.
• Na’rome Rayborn, football, F & M University.
• Winston Tang, squash, U.S. Naval Academy.
• Kevin McCarthy, basketball, U.S. Military Academy

In the championship final, senior Tague Davis struck out six batters in four innings and allowed just one earned run. Andrew Pellicciotta dominated on offense, reaching base in all five of his at-bats including a home run and four RBIs. Sophomore Brady Abate scored two runs and was on base in all four of his plate appearances.

The celebration began with a prayer from Rev. William Gabriel, O.S.A. who spoke of the moment right before the championship final when senior leaders got in touch with him to have a Mass before the game. The players joined together to pray, connect, and thank God for each other.

At the celebration, Hilliard said, “When I think about this group, one word comes to mind: ‘special.’ Not just the talent and the performances on the field this year, but the kind of human beings they are off the field. They embody everything that this school stands for. Their selflessness and the way they get along and care about each other and the school, they are the perfect embodiment of what Malvern Prep is all about.”

The team will go down as one of the best in the history of Malvern Prep, finishing with a 34-3 record, setting a record for the most wins in a season. Nine players have been named All-Inter-Ac, the most by one school for one Inter-Ac team ever.

Season highlights included Davis and DJ Peterson eclipsing the 100 career strikeout mark for their careers. Seven Malvern starters hit .330 or better, led by Jonathan Holt’s .412 batting average. Pellicciotta led the team in hits (34), Davis led the team in RBIs (37) and Chase Ecker led the team with 29 stolen bases. Jack Ploszay led the pitching staff with a 0.72 ERA with Will Oschell, Davis, Peterson and Jack Herbein all had ERAs under 1.50.

Malvern Prep athletic director Jim Stewart Jr. said, “Being able to celebrate back-to-back state championships is truly remarkable. This win demonstrates the commitment of the players and coaching staff – we are so proud of all the team has accomplished this season.”

Yi won his first round match against Ephrata’s Zach Keiper, 6-1, 6-2; then defeated District 2 champion Praneel Malliah of Abington Heights, 6-0, 6-0; then beat Adam Memije of Gateway, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2 in the state semifinals; then lost to District 6 champion David Lindsay, 2-6, 0-6, in the championship finals. Lindsay also won the PIAA 3A state singles championship as a sophomore.

Conestoga freshman Ethan Sun, the District 1 3A singles runnerup, faced Lindsay in the first round of the state singles tourney and lost, 1-6, 3-6.

The Conestoga duo of junior Rohan Rao and senior Voyan Markovic, the District 1 3A doubles champion, finished second at the PIAA 3A doubles tournament May 24-25, also at Hershey.

In the first round, Rao/Markovic defeated Zach Schrader and Dylan Dunkelberger of Reading, 6-2, 6-4. In the quarterfinals, the Conestoga duo beat Jacob Horn and Ian Opitz of Dallastown, 6-4, 6-0; and in the semifinals, Rao and Markovic defeated District 11 champion Luke Aplleman and Roman Farhad, 6-4, 6-4. In the championship finals, the Conestoga duo lost to District 3 champion (and defending PIAA 3A doubles state champion) Aidan Mahaffey and Tyler Mahaffey, 2-6, 1-6.

Radnor’s Antonio Fidelibus and Graham Bernabeo, the District 1 3A fifth-place finisher, lost in the opening round of the PIAA 3A doubles tournament to Appleman and Farhad, 6-7 (2), 1-6.

Track & Field

A solid number of Main Line athletes won medals at the PIAA 3A Track & Field Championships May 24-25 at Shippensburg University.

For Harriton, Ade Lloyd finished second in the boys 400 meter run (46.58) and placed fourth in the boys 200 meter dash (22.00); while Milan Ramey placed seventh in the girls 200 meter dash (25.17) and eighth in the girls 100 meter dash (12.28).

Haverford High School finished fourth in the girls team competition, led by Olivia Cieslak, who finished first in the girls 800 meter run (2:07.60), placed second in the 1600 meter run (4:45.35) and anchored the second-place 4×400 relay of Colette Wagner, Alyssa Bloxton, Ava Cavanugh and Cieslak (3:51.60). Cavanaugh was seventh in the girls 400 meter run (56.92) and Abigail DeFriscio was eighth in girls’ discus (116-8). Jaelyn Galloway placed eighth in the boys’ 200 meter dash (22.58).

For Lower Merion, Nichlas Mazzeo finished eighth in the boys 3200 meter run (9:04.00)

The Conestoga girls 4×100 relay, seeded sixth in the finals, placed fourth, matching its PR of 48.13 with a quartet of Tory Gauthier, Fure Abhulimen, Angelina Pierce and Lila Ziegler.

Radnor’s Joseph Garzio finished sixth in the boys 800 meter run (1:53.37), and Noah Wampole fifth in boys’ high jump (6-5)

Villa Maria Academy’s Maddy Kelley tied for second in girls’ pole vault (12-6)

In the PIAA 2A Track & Field Championships, also at Shippensburg May 24-25, Archbishop Carroll’s Gabriel Coffey won the boys 800 meter run (1:52.38). Carroll also placed fourth in the boys 4×400 relay (3:24.50) with a quartet of Ryan Martin, Lowell Kamanousa, Himien Jones and Coffey.

Lower Merion, who won consecutive state team titles in 2021-22, was the No. 1 seed at the top of the 3A bracket and won 13 straight matches to get to the finals. Conestoga was the second seed out of District I. Conestoga also won 13 straight matches to get to the finals.

This championship match lasted nearly two hours. In the end, Conestoga took the final match on the
court, first doubles, as the Pioneer duo of senior Basil Lubiniecki and Francis Qin defeated LM juniors Hayden Masotti and Noah Sicouri, 6-4, 7-6 (3).

The Pioneers also won third singles and second doubles. At third singles, Conestoga senior Voyin Markovic rallied to defeat Lower Merion junior Charlie Bittinger, 6-1, 7-5. At second doubles, Conestoga junior Raphie Lubiniecki and senior Derek Qin defeated LM’s Devon Christini and Nathaniel Gao, 6-4, 6-3.

Lower Merion’s Brian Yi won first singles, 6-0, 6-1; and at second singles, LM’s Nathan Dolgushev came back to win, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

In the PIAA 3A state quarterfinals May 17, Conestoga defeated Manheim Township, 5-0, and in the semifinals May 18 the Pioneers defeated District 7 champion North Allegheny, 3-0, with third singles (Markovic), first singles (Basil Lubiniecki/Francis Qin) and second singles (Raphie Lubiniecki/Derek Qin) all winning in straight sets.

Lower Merion defeated Downingtown East, 4-0, in the state semifinals to advance to the state championship final.

This marks the first time in more than a decade that a squad has won four straight District 1 3A boys tennis team championships.

The Aces won a thriller that saw all but one match go to a third set. At third singles, LM junior Charlie Bittinger was the first to finish with a decisive 6-2, 6-2 win against Conestoga’s Voyin Markovic.

At second singles, Lower Merion sophomore Nathan Dolgushev pushed the Aces’ lead to 2-0 with a hard-fought 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 win over Conestoga’s Rohan Rao.

At second doubles, the Lower Merion duo of junior Devon Christini and sophomore Nathaniel Gao clinched the district title with a 6-3, 0-6, 6-4 win over Conestoga’s Raphael Lubiniecki and Derek Qin. The Lower Merion dup trailed 4-3 in the third set but came back to win.

At the time of stoppage, at first singles, Lower Merion’s Brian Yi, and Conestoga’s Ethan Sun were on serve, 6-3, 5-7, 1-2 and at first doubles, Lower Merion’s Hayden Massotti and Noah Sicouri were leading Conestoga’s Basil Lubiniecki and Francis Qin 6-7 (9), 6-1, 2-0.

The Aces advance to the PIAA 3A state team tournament, where they will begin play next Tuesday.

• Mackenzie Nagel (swimming – West Point)
• Jena Nowoswiat (swimming – Air Force)
• Sarah Fox (swimming – John Hopkins University)
• Marisa Francione (basketball – University of Scranton)
• Rhea Malik (squash – University of Pennsylvania)
• Carly Hutchinson (softball – Penn State Altoona)
• Ruijia Yang (softball – Wellesley College)
• Avery Day (Crew – Gonzaga University)
• Charlotte Hagerman (Crew – Rutgers University)
• Alex Lepore (field hockey – Temple University)
• Charlie Newhall (football – Navy)
• Nathan Kluge (cross country – Shippensburg University)
• Tom Darlington (rugby – South Carolina University)
• Brady Costin (soccer – University of Delaware)
• Brendan Zelikoff (soccer – Emory University)
• Clifton Hawkins (lacrosse – Long Island University)
• Greta Steege (soccer – Tufts University)
• Arielle LePage (basketball – Wellesley College)
• Charlie Culbert (soccer – Brandeis University)
• Bryn Lantz-Goldstein (crew – Georgetown University)
• Jackson Tis (crew – Rutgers University)
• Kevin Corr (crew – University of Delaware)
• Val Xu (crew – Brown University)
• Guin Reaume (crew – University of Washington)
• Benner Miller (football – Tufts University)
• Tommy Costigan (football – Sacred Heart University)
• Jake Friel (baseball – Sacred Heart University)
• Ava Lofgren (field hockey – Franklin and Marshall)
• Westin Fryberger (soccer – Dickinson College)
• Jake Wang (swimming – Yale University)
• Can Yeniay (swimming – University of Pennsylvania)
• Kole Wintersteen (soccer – Franklin and Marshall)
• Brendan Styer (basketball – Wilkes University)
• Ethan Howard (soccer – Franklin and Marshall)
• Ryan McLaughlin (crew – University of Pennsylvania)
• Michael Ruschman (crew – Georgetown University)
• Alex Barton (volleyball – Hood College)
• James Cooper (volleyball – Wesleyan University)
• Tommy Barausky (track and field – Saint Joseph’s University)
• Charles Spottiswoode (lacrosse – Clark University)
• Jack Keller (lacrosse – Chatham University)

Matt McCloskey passed away from Cystic Fibrosis this past February, and it was his heartfelt aspiration that this event would provide respite for children and adults battling cystic fibrosis (CF). Many of those who participated in the run this year did so in honor of Matt McCloskey and all those affected by cystic fibrosis.

Molly McBryan, interim executive director of Take a Breather Foundation, said, “The turnout was amazing, with over 500 runners, walkers, and kids. A huge thank you goes out to the borough of Narberth and all the volunteers who came out to help make this event so special and successful.”

The team claimed championships at both the Kit Kat Tournament and the Coconut Classic in the fall of 2023, and finished third at the YULA National Qualifying Tournament in March. The team was also awarded the ‘Spirit Award’ at the Coconut Classic tournament.

Seniors Sofia Dillon, Diana Huang, Rona Liu-zhong are the team captains and Mia Kripke is the Spirit captain. To make a donation to help fund the team’s trip to Nationals, visit https://givebutter.com/RUFnbgirls.

Dolgushev defeated Fidelibus in the third-place match, 6-3, 6-3. Rohan Rao of Conestoga defeated Garnet Valley’s Ashrith Settivari 7-5, 7-6(1) to win the fifth place matchup.

The top six finishers in the Central League singles tournament qualified for the PIAA Districts 1 3A singles tournament April 19-20.