College notebook: Hess, Judy put names in Gannon record book
Gannon University’s baseball program made it to the NCAA Division II tournament for only the second time in the program’s history and two local players, first baseman Ian Hess and pitcher Deven Judy, had much to do with the Golden Knights’ success.
Hess, a junior from Canonsburg and Canon-McMillan graduate, was named first team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Judy, a right-handeed pitcher from Belle Vernon, was a second team selection.
Hess led Gannon in most offensive categories and set Gannon’s career record for home runs. He batted .307 with nine doubles,11 home runs, 41 RBI and 38 runs and was successful in all 10 of his stolen-base attempts.
For his career, Hess has a school-record 29 home runs, 107 RBI (fifth in Gannon history) and a 304 batting average in 128 games.
Hess is a two-time All-PSAC West selection.
Judy is a three-time All-PSAC West honoree. The righthander had a 6-2 record with a 4.48 ERA. In 60 1/3 innings, he struck out 66 and walked only 18. He threw a three-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts against Clarion and had 12 strikeouts against Mercyhurst.
Judy set the career record for wins when he won his 21st game in a contest against Pitt-Johnstown. He also holds school records for innings pitched (256.2), strikeouts (308), and shutouts (6), and is second in games started (41) and fifth in complete games (14) and appearances (51).
In track & field
Waynesburg graduate Daniel Layton, a junior at William & Mary, finished first in the decathon with 6,065 points in the Colonial Athletic Association Championships.
Layton finished first in the 400, 1,500, 110 high hurdles, shot put and pole vault. He was second in the 100, discus and javelin, placed third in the long jump and finished fourth in the high jump.
Kent State’s Scott Benco, who was a teammate of Layton’s at Waynesburg, finished second in the javelin at the Mid-American Conference Championships. A junior, Benco had a top throw of 214-6.
Wheeling senior Brian Vandusen won the long jump at the Mountain East Conference Championships.
Vandusen, a senior from Monongahela and a Ringgold graduate, won the event with a distance of 24-0. Vandusen also won the MEC indoor long jump championship.
West Virginia Wesleyan senior Kennedy Kuhns successfully defended her javelin title at the Mountain East Conference Championships held at Glenville State.
The Beth-Center graduate’s top throw was 125-0¾, more than 6½ feet farther than the second-place finisher.
Kuhns entered the conference meet with a top throw of 122-4.
Kuhns hit her winning throw on the first attempt of the finals.
In softball
Local players helped Waynesburg to its first Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship in 29 years and a berth in the NCAA Division III tournament.
The Yellow Jackets’ roster featured five local players who held key roles, including Ella Brookman, a Chartiers-Houston graduate, who led Waynesburg in hitting.
Brookman, a sophomore pitcher and designated hitter, had a .402 batting average that included 15 doubles, five triples and two home runs. Her 42 RBI were the team-high and she shared the team lead with 36 runs. As a pitcher, Brookman had a 6-4 record.
Brin Hunter, a junior catcher from West Alexander and a McGuffey graduate, had a .380 batting average and 10 doubles. She matched Brookman with 36 runs and also stole seven bases without being thrown out.
Sydney Senay, a sophomore third baseman from Canon-McMillan, batted .317 with a team-leading 17 doubles and three home runs. She drove in 29 runs.
Senay was the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week for April 25-May 1 when she went 4-for-4 at the plate with seven RBI and three runs in Waynesburg’s sweep of Franciscan.
Lauren Lober, a junior second baseman and Chartiers-Houston graduate, had a strong .357 batting average despite playing in only 28 games. Lober had a .413 on-base percentage.
Jessica Rothka, a freshman shortstop from Eighty Four and a Bentworth graduate, played in 20 games and batted .235 with two doubles.
Senay was named first-team All-PAC while Hunter and Brookman were second-team selections.
Trinity graduate Marlaina Bozek finished her sophomore season at George Mason and helped the Patriots to a 12-12 record in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Bozek, an infielder, started each of George Mason’s 50 games and was second in the team in hitting, batting. 377 with eight doubles and a triple. Her 25 walks were tops on the team and gave her a team-best .485 on-base percentage, which set the school record and led the Atlantic 10. Bozek scored 25 runs, which ranked second on the team.
She was named to the All-Atlantic 10 second team and NFCA Mid-Atlantic Region second team.
Bozek was the Patriot of the Week when she went 6-for-8 with three runs and two RBI in a series against Saint Louis.
Pitt-Johnstown outfielder Taylor Mendicino was named second team All-PSAC West Division.
Mendicino, a senior outfielder from Monongahela and a Ringgold graduate, batted .331 with nine doubles, four home runs and 17 RBI. She was second on the team with 22 runs.
In golf
Westminster senior Michael Bell, a Peters Township graduate, earned NCAA Division III PING All-Region 3 honors from the Golf Coaches Association of America.
Bell helped the Titans win their back-to-back Presidents’ Athletic Conference championships and advance to the NCAA Division III Championships for the second-straight year.
Bell was the runner-up this year at the PAC Championships with a three-day score of 220 (70-75-75). He was the medalist at the Grove City-McBride-Behringer-Allen Invitational, shooting a 2-over 72.
Westminster sophomore Morgan Byers, a Venetia native and Peters Township graduate, was the medalist at the Grove City Invitational, shooting 85. It was the final regular-season contest for the Titans.
“I went in hoping to make as many pars as possible, knowing if I could do that I would have lots of success,” Byers said following her second career medalist honor. “I had a good run of pars on the back nine after struggling on the front so that really helped my round.”
Byers helped Westminster win the PAC team championship and earn a berth in the NCAA Division III tournament as she placed sixth overall with three consecutive rounds of 88.