SportsZone for April 12, 2024

For the first time this spring, all eight of the Penn Charter varsity squads were in action over the past week. Let’s take a look at where things stand as we get set to head into the thick of league schedules: 

This SportsZone report covers Penn Charter athletic events played between April 4-10. Visit the Penn Charter Athletics webpage for the most up-to-date game schedules and scores.
 

CREW

After a three-week layoff, the Penn Charter crew team returned to the Schuylkill River on April 7 for the 3rd Flick of the Horvat Regatta. The Quakers raced eight boats in the event, with the Girls JV 2x and Boys JV 2x teams winning their respective races. The team also claimed three third-place finishes, as well as one in fourth place and two in fifth place. 

3rd Flick Results:

Girls Novice 4x Flight 2: 3rd place, 6:14.81
Girls JV 2x Flight 3: 1st place, 5:40.65
Girls JV 4x Flight 1: 3rd place, 5:15.45
Girls Varsity 2x Flight 1: 3rd place, 5:45.33
Girls Varsity 2x Flight 2: 4th place, 5:45.25
Boys JV 2x Flight 3: 1st place, 5:13.21
Boys JV 4x Flight 2: 5th place, 5:00.61
Boys Varsity 4x Flight 1: 5th place, 4:45.12

“We had some lineups racing and rowing for the first time ever, as well as some established boats,” head coach Katherine Farrell York said. “Across the board, there was a general sense of let’s remember or learn why racing is fun. Rowers were proactive and tuned in and were able to articulate to coaches when things didn’t look or feel right. There is little that brings me more joy as a coach than when an athlete takes responsibility for their seat and takes action to be sure things are right.” 

“I’m a very proud and happy coach today. Shout out to Girls and Boys JV 2x for winning their races!”

The Quakers will be back on the water on April 4 for the 4th Flick (of five) of the Horvat Regatta. 

BOYS TRACK & FIELD

Penn Charter kicked off its 2024 season by competing in the North Penn Open on April 6. The 4x800 relay team of TJ Zwall, Matt Dunn, Peyton Burnett and Nate Johnson claimed victory in 8:23.40. 

Zwall and Johnson also found success in the 3200-meter run, with Zwall placing third in 9:28.51 and Johnson four spots behind him, finishing in 9:39.68. Other highlights of the event included Eddie Kennedy placing second in the 300-meter hurdles (40.48), Michael Gambone taking sixth in shot put (43 feet, 7 inches) and Zahir Kalam Id-Din finishing 11th in the 200-meter dash (23.54).

On April 10, the Quakers participated in their first Inter-Ac tri-meet of the season at Malvern Prep, taking on the Friars and SCH Academy. PC defeated the Blue Devils 84-55 while falling to Malvern 84.5-64.5. 

In the running events, Zwall (11:44.75) and Johnson (11:44.76) placed first and second, respectively, in the 3200; Dunn was first in the 1600 (4:45.96), with Ben Berger placing second (4:57.80); Burnett won the 800 (2:11.17) and Andrew Marrone took second (2:14.07); Noah Amankulor ran to third-place finishes in both the 100 (11.58) and 200 (23.65); Kennedy placed second in the 110 hurdles (16.02), while Oliver Jackson finished third in the 300 hurdles (45.60). 

In field events, Chima Auguste (5 feet, 8 inches) and Myles Jacobs (5 feet, 6 inches) placed second and third, respectively, in the high jump, and Jacobs also picked up a third-place finish in the triple jump (36 feet, 5.25 inches). Gambone jumped three spots from the North Penn Open to place third in shot put (45 feet, 6 inches). 

Next up for the Quakers is the Fords Track Classic at Haverford High School on April 12.


GIRLS TRACK & FIELD

The girls track & field program also competed in the North Penn Open on April 6. Michaela Poland had a solid start to her outdoor campaign, placing second in the 400-meter dash (1:01.03) and third in the high jump (4 feet, 10 inches). The 4x100 relay team of Cassidy McCusker, Lucy Sokoloff, Logan Lloyd and Poland ran to a fourth-place finish in 50.71, and Mariah Mays nabbed fifth place in the shot put (31 feet, 6.5 inches) and eighth place in the javelin (91 feet, 3 inches).

The Quakers also participated in their first Inter-Ac tri-meet of the season on April 10 at Episcopal Academy against EA and Germantown Academy. PC prevailed over both opponents, beating GA 85-55 and Episcopal 72-65.

Penn Charter produced a plethora of top-three finishes at the event. Alli DeLisi won the 400 in 57.42 and finished second in the 200 (25.64), with Alex Jaffe third in the 400 (1:04.05) and Poland finishing third in the 200 (25.92). Poland and Kaylinn Bethea ran equal third-place 100-meter dashes in 13.30. Jackie Plastaras finished second in the 3200 (13:43.42), with Grace Neuwirth right behind her in third (13:48.70). Neuwirth also nabbed a third-place finish in the 1600 (5:47.70). Sokoloff (19.73) and Zsuzsi Pollock (19.94) claimed the top two spots in the 100 hurdles, while Sokoloff also got second place in the 300 hurdles (51.13). 

In field events, Poland placed second in the high jump at 5 feet, while Bethea picked up a third-place finish in the long jump (16 feet, 2.25 inches). Louella Whitaker was third in the pole vault (7 feet, 6 inches), and Mays secured a pair of second-place finishes in both the discus (92 feet, 10 inches) and the shot put (32 feet, 7 inches).

Like the boys team, the PC girls will also compete in the Fords Track Classic at Haverford High School on April 12. 


GIRLS LACROSSE

After a 1-5 start to their season, the Quakers rebounded over the past week, winning three straight games. The team has hit its stride at the perfect time, with the Inter-Ac schedule now in full swing. 

On April 9, PC dominated SCH Academy en route to a 14-2 victory. Aditi Foster continued her stellar scoring season with four goals, while Grace Walter added three scores and Molly Dougherty and Ana Buckley each found the back of the net twice. Maeve Magarity had a strong game between the posts with seven saves.

“We’re playing fast, shooting hard, moving off the ball and hitting our fast breaks,” head coach Colleen Kelly said. “Our defense played phenomenal all game, as did Maeve. She’s really stepped up the last couple games as she gets more comfortable. She’s more active, and she plays better when she’s moving around. She’s starting to get a feel for it out there.”

The Quakers picked up a 15-8 non-league win on April 6 against Downingtown East, jumping out to a 6-2 lead after one quarter and never looking back. Harbor Campbell led the attack with five goals, while Foster tallied four scores and Walter netted two of her own. 

The day before, PC played Agnes Irwin for the first time since last spring when the Owls ended the Quakers’ season with an overtime win in the PAISAA championship game. This time around Penn Charter came out on top with a 10-6 triumph, as Foster scored four goals and Cate Wall added two. Buckley, Dougherty, Campbell and Nora Maione also scored for the Quakers (5-5, 3-1). 

“They’re extremely talented, a very good team that is nationally ranked and one of the top teams in the area,” Kelly said of Agnes Irwin. “We were able to win 50-50 balls and dominate ground balls and draw controls. We focused on the little things, and it was a very fun game for us to come out on top.”

PC will match up against GA on  April 13 for a 10 a.m. 


BOYS LACROSSE

The Quakers picked up a pair of non-league victories last week, delivering head coach Conor Resch his first win at PC with a 9-7 triumph over Saint Augustine Prep (NJ) on April 4. Gavin Michener led the way with three goals, while Lucas Weinstein chipped in two. Casey Felter, Ben Zabierek, Zack Curtin and Dom Comatile also scored for PC, with James Joel winning 12 of his 20 face-offs. Goalie Charlie Kraus made 10 saves in the cage.

“We put together a whole game for the first time,” Resch said. “It wasn’t perfect, but I challenged the guys to have four good quarters. We were playing our game every quarter. I was super proud of the boys and their ability to put that kind of performance together. Now we just need to do it more consistently.”

The Quakers followed it up with another victory two days later over Parkland, a 17-11 decision that featured a six-goal second quarter followed by seven more in the third period. Michener had five goals and two assists, while Felter added three goals and six assists and Curtin tallied three goals. Weinstein chipped in two goals, and Kraus had another strong game with 12 saves and an assist. 

The two-game win streak ended with a 9-4 loss to defending league champion Haverford School on April 9, Penn Charter’s first Inter-Ac game of the season. Michener, Felter, Curtin and Zabierek all scored goals, and Kraus had a spectacular game with 21 saves.

“We held strong in the first half,” Resch said. “We stood toe-to-toe with their face-off guy, got stops on defense, cleared effectively and had good looks on offense. I think it was good for us to play at that level with that opponent, even if we didn’t get the win. Couldn’t be more proud about how our guys played.”

The Quakers (2-7, 0-1) will look to keep improving on April 12 with a 7 p.m. game at Episcopal Academy.


BASEBALL

The Quakers dropped their league opener at home to Haverford School on April 9, a 7-2 defeat. Tazio Perkins and Joey DiBenedetto knocked in runs at the plate, but starting pitcher Will Vieira had some trouble keeping the Fords in check in his 4 ⅔ innings of work. 

“It was a pitching matchup I thought was favorable for us, but their starter was electric for them right away,” head coach Justin Hanley said. “To win in this league you have to be able to manufacture runs. The margin for error is much slimmer, so we’ve got to clean things up defensively. It was a good test for our younger guys.”

Penn Charter split a pair of non-league games to Philadelphia Catholic League opponents prior to Haverford, knocking off Bonner-Prendergast 7-2 on April 6 and falling 5-3 to Archbishop Carroll on April 4. Against Bonner, pitcher Cole Stocks had another stellar start, nearly going the distance with 6 ⅔ innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out seven. 

  “Cole has been phenomenal, Hanley said. “He kept them off balance with a side of finesse. Each start he impresses us more, and he’s earning more innings.”

The bottom of the PC lineup also came up big against the Friars, with six through nine hitters DiBenedetto, Joey Langham, Mason Avrigian and Munir German combining to go 5-for-11 with a double, stolen base, five RBIs and two runs scored. 

“Bonner’s pitching staff neutralized our top four guys, and I told the team that’s what good teams do,” Hanley said. “It pleased me that the big boppers were pitched around and the bottom of the order picked up the slack. That needs to translate to our league games.”

The Quakers (5-4, 0-1) will look to pick up their first league win of the season on April 12 at Episcopal Academy for a 4 p.m. start.


SOFTBALL

The Quakers split a pair of non-league games last week, falling 4-0 to Hun School on April 6 before rebounding with an 11-0 shutout of Hill School on April 9.

Penn Charter was stymied by Hun’s starting pitcher who is committed to Villanova University, failing to manage a hit in seven innings. On the plus side, PC starting pitcher Ryan Hatty threw a solid game, allowing two earned runs on seven hits in six innings while striking out six and walking two. 

The PC bats came alive against Hill, with Arielle Willis hitting her first home run while knocking in two runs, scoring twice and stealing a base out of the nine hole. Hatty went 2-for-2 at the plate while pitching five shutout innings of one-hit ball, striking out 10 and walking only one. Other Quakers to contribute offensively included Lauren Gedraitis (two runs, two stolen bases) and Jordan Simon (double, two runs, stolen base). Maddy Wray, Macie Bergmann and Ellie McKernan all knocked in runs.

“The best breakout story was Arielle Willis’ first home run of the season,” Warren said. “She’s typically not somebody we look for to hit homers, but she’s someone we know can contribute in all facets of the game. She’s been really awesome heading into league play and the heart of our season. We were definitely happy to get back into the win column, and now we’re going to play our Inter-Ac opponents hard with the same intensity and energy.”

After a 7-2 loss to EA on April 11, the Quakers (3-6, 0-2) will next be in action on April 13 at Germantown Academy for an 11 a.m. first pitch. 


BOYS TENNIS

The Quakers picked up their first win of the season on April 11, a 3-1 non-league decision at Saint Joseph’s Prep.

The victory improved Penn Charter to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in league play following a pair of Inter-Ac losses to Episcopal Academy and Haverford School.

PC dropped a 6-1 decision to the Churchmen on April 9, preceded by a 6-1 loss against the Fords on April 5. Penn Charter will look to break into the Inter-Ac win column on April 16 when the team welcomes Malvern Prep to campus for a 4 p.m. match. 

Written by: Ed Morrone OPC '04

Photos by: Zamani Feelings