The spring sports season is winding down for many scholastic and collegiate athletes in the RCN viewing area. Before we shift our attention to summer activities, here’s a look at some of the outstanding team and individual accomplishments featuring schools in our coverage region.
JILLIAN PICCIUTO
While it’s not uncommon for a freshman to have a spectacular game or two when becoming adjusted to the collegiate sports level—where the action is much quicker and more physical—it is unique for a rookie athlete to make a dramatic impact with her new squad.
Moravian College freshman lacrosse player Jillian Picciuto did just that with an outstanding first-year campaign for her Greyhounds. Picciuto was honored no less than four times as the “ECAC Division III South Rookie of the Week.” During her fourth week of honors, she scored 10 goals and four assists over a two-game span.
Picciuto finished the season with a school record 64 goals, 38 assists (which is also the career record) and 102 total points. She is the first women’s lacrosse player to reach the century mark in a single season. Picciuto also had 74 draw controls, 33 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers during her freshmen year.
Moravian’s lacrosse program is going through a resurgence and is looking to once again become a major player in its conference, and Picciuto is a big reason why fans are excited about the Greyhounds program once again.
FREEDOM & CENTRAL CATHOLIC BASEBALL TEAMS
I know many Freedom and Allentown Central Catholic sports fans often feel neglected or overlooked when it comes to the local sports landscape—and, sometimes, for good reason. Despite a very competitive Eastern Pennsylvania Conference schedule, Freedom, who entered the post-season as the #1 seed in both the league and district playoff picture, didn’t seem to get the attention it deserved heading into the playoff season.
Central Catholic, meanwhile, was the #8 seed and no one gave the Vikings a chance to advance all the way to the EPC finals. Despite the pre-league playoff predictions, both the Patriots and the Vikings proved naysayers wrong by not only getting to the championship, but playing a very fundamentally sound and enjoyable title game.
BANGOR BASEBALL & SOFTBALL TEAMS
It’s been an extraordinary sports season for the Slaters. Bangor has done well at a number of different sports during this past school year, and one of its biggest achievements took place this month. Both the Bangor baseball (going a perfect 22-0) and softball teams won the Colonial League titles.
Unlike many of the “4A” schools in the region, Bangor’s athletic programs usually do not have the high participation numbers that other schools possess, and sometimes have to share athletes intra-season in order to field teams. Credit the coaches for all working together for the school’s—and the student athlete’s—greater good with this one. But to also have a high level of success in many different sports, culminating with conference championships for both a spring boys and girls team, was truly as spectacular accomplishment.
Additionally…
There also were some outstanding achievements on the track-and-field circuit this spring. We featured a number of interviews with these young men and women on our “RCN SportsTalk” show for you to check out, either On-Demand or on our podcasts (rcn.com/atvn/sports-talk).
Helping us salute the spring sports champions in the RCN viewing area include a number of athletic directors, league officials and sports chairs, who provided us with their respective “all-star” lists of outstanding individual student-athletes:
We welcome your feedback and, as always, we encourage you to send your sports news, honors and accomplishments to us via email (rcnsportstalk@rcn.com) so we can feature them here at the “SportsTalk Shop” and/or on our “RCN SportsTalk” program.
