I cannot believe that we have come to the final issue of the year. It seems like only yesterday that I walked into The Free Press office and began writing about USM sports.
There are many highlights that I will fondly look back on as I remember this past school year.
Another great run by the women’s basketball team making it all the way to Wilkes-Barre, P.A. and the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Div. III Basketball Tournament was truly a special moment. Watching the emergence of freshmen Katie Frost and Rookie-of-the-Year Tiffany Jones admirably filling the incredible shoes of graduating seniors Jamie Zahm and Nikki Dominiczak was inspiring. Saying goodbye to senior co-captains Kara Crockett and Jess Libby after their incredible collegiate careers was difficult, but their smiling faces will leave a lasting impression.
I will also look back at the year of the women’s hockey team when they hosted their second-ever home playoff game at the Costello Ice Arena in only their fifth year as a varsity team. It was a joy to watch junior goaltender Karen Jamnik in her “Brodeur-like” style take over games with pure talent and heart.
It was a disappointing year for men’s hockey and basketball. Both teams did not quite have the personnel needed to make a run in their respective divisions. Still, both teams have a lot to be proud of for staying in there against many opponents that on paper should have blown USM out of the building but couldn’t get the job done.
Softball is off to one their best starts in recent years, while the baseball team struggled early on only to regain their championship form in the post-season, just when they need it most.
I am disappointed that the long-awaited new facilities at the Tower’s Baseball Field are not yet completed. However, construction is well underway and next year we will be able to enjoy watching USM baseball in a comfortable brand-new facility.
Finally, I have to say that although it was hard to fill the shoes of previous Sports Editor Peter Dugre, I can look back and enjoy what I have accomplished as a writer and editor. I learned what sports journalism was all about and had a great advisor and co-workers to help guide me in the right direction.
Having never remotely tried anything like this before, it gave me an experience that I won’t soon forget and I look forward to returning next year.