Radnor High School | Archive | May, 2016

WEST GOSHEN >> There wasn’t a concern from coach Brooke Fritz about her team’s focus heading into the District One championship game Thursday night at West Chester East High School.

While they were the No. 9 seed in the tournament, the Raiders were the heavy favorites against sixth-seeded Owen J. Roberts. The truth is that two of the three strongest remaining teams in the district tournament were busy competing in playback games Thursday (Garnet Valley and Conestoga) for state tournament seeding.

The third team, Radnor, handled a feisty Owen J. Roberts squad, 12-8, to capture the program’s first district title since 2012.

There was no looking past OJR, Fritz said. Not when the Raiders feel as though they were fortunate to be in the title game in the first place.

“If it weren’t the championship, there could have been a letdown. But they were so fired up,” Fritz said. “They don’t really feel like they should be here, they are overachieving and they know it. If it weren’t the championship, I would have absolutely had that fear, but because there was so much on the line and they can now say they are No. 1 in the area, there was no letting down.”

Radnor will play the District Three third-place team in the opening round of the PIAA tournament next Wednesday. The Raiders have come a long way to earn top billing out of District One, overcoming a 5-5 start and losses to Garnet Valley, Conestoga and Haverford in the regular season. But they are hitting their stride in the postseason, knocking off Conestoga and Garnet Valley in the quarterfinal and semifinal along the way.

Celebrating with the District One trophy was validation for Fritz and her players.“I think it’s awesome that this crew did it this year,” Fritz said. “Everyone kept saying that it was a rebuilding year, so it’s extra special to these guys to win it because they never accepted that title of it being a rebuilding year. “They kind of had the mindset of, oh, well we’re going to go out and play and we’re going to go out and beat whoever it is we’re playing. That’s what is so great about them, they just sort of have this workhorse attitude, almost like, ‘What’s next, coach? Where do we go and what do we do?’

“I’m really happy for the seniors. We got all of the seniors in (the game) and they’re a really tight group and a great group of kids.”

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EAST WHITELAND >> The Radnor baseball banquet started without the team Thursday night.Crazy as that sounds, you need to hear their excuse.

The Raiders had barely completed an epic 11-9 upset of defending District One Class AAA champion Holy Ghost Prep at Great Valley High, the game ending just eight minutes before the banquet began.

The storybook script took 3 hours, 19 minutes and matched Raiders pitcher Andrew Austen, who plays without part of an arm, with Ghost’s Nolan Jones, the coveted infielder-pitcher an army of Major League Baseball scouts checked in on because one of their employers is going to draft him in the first round. All you needed was Danny Glover waving his arms to wake up those Angels In the Outfield.

“We are a Disney-ish team,” Raiders coach Mark Jordan said. “The teams that play us are like, ‘how the heck did they beat us?’ And here we are in the finals. We’ve never been in the district finals before. This is the first time. It’s uncharted ground for us.”

The Raiders (12-10) played like they enjoyed every pitch, every swing, every playful “DNP” taunt from the dugout of Jones, who they thought would begin the game on the mound but instead pitched in relief.

Peyton Birch took the ball first for the top-seeded Firebirds (14-6), and after giving up two runs in the first inning, had a 3-2 lead entering the third.

That’s when the Raiders went to work, massing walks and aggressive base running until catcher Pat Scheri looped a two-run single into left, keying a four-run burst and a 6-3 lead.

Meanwhile Austen was pitching Jones carefully, walking him three times but nearly picking him off twice. The left-handed Austen was too quick for the first base ump on one play. On another occasion the first baseman didn’t hold on after making the tag.

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Radnor’s Pat McDermott is pumped up after the final out of the Raiders’ 11-9 upset of top-seeded Holy Ghost Prep in the District One Class AAA semifinal Thursday. (Digital First Media/Robert J. Gurecki)

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Several Main Line crew clubs – Radnor, Agnes Irwin, Haverford School and Lower Merion – made their mark at the SRAA (Scholastic Rowing Association of America) Nationals competition held May 27-28 in Nashport, Ohio.

Radnor Crew Club sent five boats to the SRAA Nationals – the Radnor Women’s Freshman 8, Women’s Lightweight 4, Women’s Second V8+, Women’s Varsity 8 and the Men’s Lightweight 8+ all qualified for the annual scholastic championship regatta.

The Radnor Men’s Lightweight 8+ (Noah Morris, Aidan Donnelly, Stephen Ching, Drew Addis, Bobby Subak, Ryan Borowski, Willem McGee, Pranav Gaddameedi and coxswain Zach Pepper) finished a strong second in their time trial heat with a time of 4:41.39, earning them a spot in the Grand Final.  Shaving over seven seconds off their time, they earned a bronze medal in the Grand Final with a time of 4:34.28.  This is the first time a Radnor Men’s 8 boat has medaled at the SRAA National competition.

The Women’s Freshman 8+ (Katherine Bragdon, Abby Frishman, Olivia Zenouzi, Maddie Rubenstein, Caitlin Dressel, Amanda Vitt, Jenna Spray, Jaimee Getty and coxswain Jess Weitzmann), finished second in their heat in time trials allowing them to move to semi-finals.  They took second place in semis with a time of 5:31.26, earning them a spot in the Grand Final where they finished fifth overall with a time of 5:33.07.

The Women’s Lightweight 4+ (Ellisen Ching, Ainsley Macrone, Julia Wi, Amanda Magen and coxswain Courtney Zajac) finished fourth in their heat in time trials with a time of 6:18.03.  This earned them a spot in the semi-finals where they took fourth in their heat with a time of 6:02.67, shaving over 15 seconds off of their prelim time.

The Women’s Varsity 8+ (Olivia Chase, Olivia Robinson, Caroline Ressler, Nicole Vitt, Anna Duffy, Yunyun Gu, Jill Hughes, Sam Talucci and coxswain Cassidy Lorenz) finished fourth place in their heat in time trials with a time of 5:19.16 and did not advance.

The Women’s Varsity Second 8+ rowed by Katie Dolan, Liz Dustin, Josie Larkin, Kate McCulloch, Katie Gerber, Zoe Landry, Rebecca Modell, Gillian Sullivan and coxswain Julia Lunger, finished second in their heat in time trials, earning them a spot in the semi-finals.  In semis, they finished fifth in their heat with a time of 5:35.10.

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Radnor Lightweight 8+ with Bronze medals at SRAA Nationals (from left to right: Coxswain Zach Pepper, Pranav Gaddameedi, Willem McGee, Ryan Borowski, Bobby Subak, Drew Addis, Stephen Ching, Aidan Donnelly, Noah Morris and Coach Samantha Foster.

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The junior goalie was a standout in the PIAA District One Girls Lacrosse Tournament, helping the No. 9 seed Red Raiders knock off the Nos. 1, 3, 6 and 8 seeds and leading the defense according to Radnor head coach Brooke Fritz. Her save percentage was .550 in the five district playoff games, and she caused five turnovers and scooped up eight ground balls. She also received All-Central League recognition for her fine goalie play this season.

Fun facts – Alexa Solomon

Favorite book: A Fine Balance.

Favorite author: F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Favorite TV show: The O.C.

Favorite movie: The Blind Side.

Favorite athlete: Devon Willis (one of the world’s best goalies and the first female player in MLL history)

Favorite pre-game pump-up song: Drake’s Views album.

Favorite team: Philadelphia Eagles.

Favorite place to visit: California.

Favorite pre-game meal: Wawa hoagie, Kind Bar.

Favorite color: Light blue.

Person I most admire: “There are two people I admire. The first is Katie Sampson. I have been going to the Katie Samson festival for years, and have even played a few times in it. Her story is very motivational and inspires me everyday to play the game I love. She is a great example of perseverance and dedication that has led to the festival’s success and her ongoing legacy. Another person I admire is my grandfather, Buddy.  He has not only been the team’s good luck charm this season (we have won every game he has attended this season – especially playoff games), but is also the smartest and kindest man I know, and I just hope I can be as successful and compassionate as he is.”

Born: Sept. 30, 1998 in Providence, RI.

Family members: Karen (mom), Dave (dad), Jud (brother), Josie (sister), and Jet (dog).

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Radnor’s goalie, Alexa Solomon.

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RADNOR >> Radnor advanced in the District One Class AAA softball tournament Wednesday with a 13-3 decision over Chichester that was a lot tougher than the numbers would suggest.

It sure was for winning pitcher Brooke Nicander. She felt like applying the post-game Rita’s Water ice to her right knee or shin, which were banged up early in a game that went from close in the fifth inning to done with one out and the Raiders batting in the sixth inning due to the 10-run rule.

For a video on the game, click here: http://www.tout.com/m/sso4kn

“She took a beating today,” Raiders coach John Schaefer said. “She had that awkward play at second, banging her knee. Then the next inning one of their players ripped the ball up the middle and it hit her shin. She battled the whole game. She threw strikes and really delivered a good game for us. She got better as the game went on.”

Nicander scattered five hits and three walks to collect the win for the Raiders (11-10), who hit the road to take on defending District One AAA champion Villa Maria Friday.

Nicander’s grit after jarring the knee as a base-runner in the second inning seemed to inspire her teammates, who were facing Chichester in the district playoffs for the fourth straight year. The Raiders scrapped for three runs after the pitcher’s mishap to grab a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

“I was going to go for a slide but instead I collided with a girl and I hurt my knee,” Nicander said. “I don’t know what happened with it but it definitely hurt. I stretched it out, shook it off and played through it. It’s fine. I think everyone was more motivated. It took us a while to adjust but once we got our bats going, there was no stopping us.”

Chichester (9-6) did not go quietly. In the top of the third inning co-captain Alex Maher drove in a run and scored on Monigo Karnley’s smash off Nicander’s leg. Just like that it was 3-2.

After a scoreless fourth inning, the turning point came when Chi had runners at second and third with slugger Nicole O’Donnell at the plate. Nicander pitched around O’Donnell, walking her to load the bases. She then got Hayley Coale to fly to center for the third out.

“That was big,” Schaefer said. “We had just scored three, they scored two and it looked like they were going to get at least three. So that was a big inning to get out of with the lead.”

In the bottom of the fifth, the Raiders erupted for five runs off Makayla Donovan to put their opponent in the rear-view mirror. Grace Moore’s two-run single was the big blow.

Chi loaded the bases in the sixth inning with one out but Nicander allowed just one run, Alyssa McFarland pushing it home with a fielder’s choice. Chi is 2-2 versus Radnor in their last four district meetings.

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Radnor pictcher Brooke Nicander delivers against Chichester. (ANNE NEBORAK — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA)

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DOWNINGTOWN >> There wasn’t a lot more that Alexa Solomon could have done to ensure Radnor’s spot in the District One championship. In Tuesday’s semifinal showdown with Garnet Valley at Downingtown West High School, the junior goalie made the biggest saves of her life.
“I was definitely nervous, very anxious,” Solomon said. “Especially after they got that free position, I was a little bit nervous.”

Garnet Valley freshman Reagan Nealon, who beat Solomon earlier in the second half, lined up to take the free-position shot with two minutes to play. With the Raiders clinging to a one-goal lead, Solomon denied Nealon. GV’s Riley Delaney picked up the rebound and fired a missile in Solomon’s direction. Solomon denied Delaney, too.
Two gigantic saves in a row. Solomon had one more stop in her as she thwarted a Madi O’Brien shot in the waning moments. Ninth-seeded Radnor secured possession and ran out the clock on a 7-6 victory over No. 4 Garnet Valley. Due in part to Solomon’s stellar goalkeeping late in regulation, Radnor advanced to the District One final to face sixth-seeded Owen J. Roberts Thursday at West Chester East High.

The Raiders gave themselves plenty of time to enjoy this one. “I just really wanted to win. I wanted to do whatever it would take to get us the win,” Solomon said. “Garnet is one of our really big rivals, so it always feels good to beat them.”
Katie Quinn was the hero on attack for the Raiders. The George Washington-bound senior scored off a free-position shot with 3:42 left to give the Raiders the 7-6 lead they would not relinquish. That was a pretty sweet moment for Quinn.

“When it’s just me out on the free-position line, I try to silence everything as much as I can, and focus on certain words that people are saying, whether it’s to shoot low or shoot high or whatever,” said Quinn, who had solo tallies in each half. “I try to make the right choices.”

Quinn unleashed a shot beyond the reach of Garnet Valley goalie Lauren Kinnee (five saves). “That felt good,” Quinn said.
Tuesday’s clash among Central League powers was a defensive struggle. Solomon received plenty of help from defenders Abby Lord, Nicole Massimino, Fallon Quinn and Allison Lanzone. Kerry Hamill came up with what appeared to be a caused turnover, prior to Nealon’s free position, but was called for shooting space instead.

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UPPER CHICHESTER >> Will Hoysgaard felt something early. Pat McDermott felt something late.

And because of what it all meant to a 4-2 Radnor baseball victory over host Chichester Tuesday, it all gave Mark Jordan a pretty good feeling in the PIAA District One Class AAA tournament.

Hoysgaard is the junior left-hander who struck out seven in 6.1 innings to help the Raiders win for the seventh time in eight games and move to within a game of a spot in the state tournament. He had a sense during warmups that his location was accurate, his velocity strong, his arm loose.

McDermott is the third baseman who knew when he connected on a seventh-inning pitch that the ball would go a long way, which it did, good for a double and an insurance RBI.

And Jordan is the manager who guided the Raiders through a rough 0-5 start to win a spot in the semifinals Thursday against No. 1-seeded Holy Ghost Prep at a neutral site.

Hoysgaard was efficient into the seventh, when he allowed a one-out walk to Jason Ribeiro and switched positions with left-fielder Andrew Austen. Austen surrendered a hit to Bobby Jones, but coaxed Pete Moseley into a game-ending double play, with McDermott making a difficult stop, stepping on third and throwing to first.

“Pretty entertaining, huh?” Jordan said, smiling.

It’s what happens when just about everything goes as planned, even on a day when Chichester enjoyed strong pitching and a late rally of its own.

Though Jordan didn’t necessarily want to go to his bullpen Tuesday, he was OK with getting Austen loose before appointing him as the Raiders’ starter for the Holy Ghost game. By then, Hoysgaard had done plenty.

“I felt really good,” said Hoysgaard, who mixed in a second-inning single of his own. “I felt good warming up and was able to locate my stuff today. So it worked out. In warmups, I feel different on days when I don’t pitch better. I was just able to locate my fastball and get it down, being able to throw my change-up and have a tail, and just be able to locate everything pretty well.”

Hoysgaard needed to be sharp, as Chichester starter Ryan Janvier would keep the Raiders scoreless through four. The right-hander finally was touched for an infield hit by Connor Wilson, an Austen single into center and an RBI dribbler toward the mound from Matt Schaefer.

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Chichester’s Pete Moseley watches a pitch go into the glove of Radnor catch Pat Scheri Tuesday. Sheri and Radnor claimed a 4-2 win in the District One Class AAA baseball tournament. (Digital First Media/Anne Neborak)

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WEST GOSHEN >> By the way the games were unfolding in the District One girls lacrosse tournament, with one surprise after another, it seemed fitting that top-seeded Conestoga would prematurely meet its fate, along with the other top-three seeds. The No. 1 Pioneers, who rolled to the Central League championship, were undefeated prior to Saturday’s district quarterfinal round matchup with ninth-seeded Radnor.
The one team that knows them best is the Raiders.
“All the kids know each other,” Radnor coach Brooke Fritz said. “There are no secrets.”
Emily Games delivered the tie-breaking tally with 13:41 left to play in regulation and Radnor held on for a 13-10 victory at West Chester East. The Raiders (15-6) meet No. 4 Garnet Valley in the semifinals Tuesday at Downingtown West. The Pioneers (18-1) play 12th-seeded Unionville in the first playback round.
“They had an undefeated season, they were the top seed and we came in as the ninth seed. Beating them as the No. 9 is great for our confidence and preparing us for the next game,” said Games, who finished with three goals and an assist. “We figured out what their strengths were. We know they’re good at rolling the crease and they’re strong at the draw. We worked a lot on that in practice (Friday) and playing really tough defense.”
The Radnor defense made a big difference in the second half. Junior Allison Lanzone was mainly responsible for quieting arguably the best player in the Central League, Conestoga’s Liz Scott, who was held scoreless.
Radnor fell behind by as many as three goals in the first half, but rallied to pull to within one at the break.
“Picking it up in the second half of the first half kind of pumped us up,” Games said. “We knew we had to gel better and work together as a team, and that kind of helped us for the second half.”

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Radnor’s Emily Games had 3 goals and 1 assist in the win over Conestoga.

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RADNOR >> Radnor’s baseball season was going nowhere fast when Andrew Austen volunteered to fill a gaping void.

After an 0-5 start, with a can’t-lose game against fellow strugglers Lower Merion looming April 18, coach Mark Jordan’s pitching staff needed a spark. The team was missing its best player, outfielder Connor Wilson, for whom Austen had been deputizing in center field. An injury to pitcher Charlie Connolly left the thin and youthful staff bereft of options.

Even though Austen hadn’t pitched, scholastically or in legion, since he was a sophomore, he decided to step up.

“Right away, we kind of were a little short and needed some help, and I just wanted to help wherever I could, whether that was center field or the mound,” Austen said. “So I just said to coach, ‘If you need me out there, I’m ready.’ He gave me my chance, and he’s kept giving me games.”

As the postseason dawns this week, that moment is the pivot on which Radnor’s fortunes turned. The Raiders (9-10) open the District One Class AAA tournament Tuesday at Chichester, an honor that Austen has played an outsized role in securing.

All those aspects of Radnor’s narrative arc skirt the first thing most people notice about Austen: He’s doing it all with one hand.

Austen was born with only a few inches of his right forearm, no wrist and no hand, a physical limitation that’s easily forgotten when you see Austen starting on the varsity baseball team for the last three seasons or contributing for Radnor’s soccer team.

He’s developed the ability to perform most of his daily tasks without a prosthetic, and that includes pitching. For batting, he utilizes a carbon-fiber device that slips over a cloth sleeve on his right arm and serves as the nominal “bottom hand” on his left-handed stroke. The bat handle clips into the round eyelet of a clamp, and Austen releases the entire device from his arm when he bolts from the box.

Austen is among Radnor’s leaders with a .333 average and 15 stolen bases, the All-Central second teamer who’s risen from a nine-hole hitter and defense-first outfielder to a top-of-the-order table-setter.

Pitching isn’t a new addition to Austen’s arsenal. He threw regularly as a middle-schooler, before the injury his sophomore year. This season, he’s returned with a 4-0 record and a 1.22 ERA, surrendering just five earned runs in 28.2 innings.

Austen’s motion required more work than most to perfect. As a kid, Austen met Jim Abbott, the one-handed MLB pitcher, at a book signing. Though they didn’t talk pitching, they talked about living without an appendage and what a life of adapting meant. Austen has always drawn inspiration from Abbott, most directly in choreographing a pitching motion through old highlight tapes and photos.

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This series of photos shows the unique delivery perfected by Radnor’s Andrew Austen, who is forced to pitch and field with the same hand — the only one he has. (PETE BANNAN — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA)

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The senior left fielder has been the primary power source for the Red Raiders this spring, batting .482 with 27 hits, 14 RBIs and six extra base hits as of May 16, while excelling defensively in left field. She was a second team All-Delco, All-Central League and All-Main Line softball selection last spring, and played on the Delco Carpenter Cup team. She’s been playing travel softball since seventh grade, as a catcher and outfielder. The Smith College-bound senior is a National Honor Society member and plays several instruments for Radnor’s high school bands.

Fun facts – Megan McGrath

Favorite book: The Princess Bride by William Goldman.

Favorite TV show: How to Get Away with Murder.

Favorite movie: Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Favorite pre-game pump-up song: Shatter Me by Lindsay Stirling.

Favorite team: Philadelphia Phillies.

Favorite place to visit: Washington, D.C.

Favorite pre-game meal: Bagel.

Favorite color: Purple.

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Radnor’s Megan McGrath

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