Lower Merion’s Raheem Hall is Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week

Posted on 21 March 2013 by bcookpa.

all, a senior point guard, is noted for his fine all-around play and one of the chief reasons the Aces have advanced to the PIAA Class AAAA state finals, and Hall’s scoring and rebounding have improved in the post-season. For the season, he’s averaging 10.6 ppg (12.0 in the post-season), 4.1 rpg (5.1 in the post-season) and a team-leading 3.7 apg.

Main Line Media News (MLMN): One of the jobs of a point guard is to get everyone on the court involved – for you, does that mean getting the ball to the Ace who has the hot hand?

Raheem Hall: If someone has a mismatch or is feeling it, we try to get them the ball, possibly on consecutive possessions. If someone is really shooting the ball well from three point [territory], we all have to be aware of that, and feed it to them in their spots. Or, if Yohanny [Dalembert] is having a great day at the post – he’s strong in the paint, particularly against Central League teams – we have to get it to him

MLMN: As the Aces’ senior point guard, if one of your teammates is having an off-night offensively, how do you handle this?

Hall: I try to continue to motivate them, tell them not to give up on the other end of the court, and to keep looking for your shot – and to rely on other people on the team, because we all try to contribute offensively. If someone is having an off night, we always have someone who can step right up.

MLMN: Good defense has been a trademark of the Aces for many years. What do you think is the biggest key to playing good defense?

Hall: You’ve got to play help defense – we have help defense concepts even in our zone defenses – and be able to see what the other team’s players are doing [on offense] when they’re off the ball. You have to be aware of all of the other team’s players on the court – what they can do [offensively], not just the guy you’re playing.

MLMN: What aspect of your game are you working on the most?

Hall: My mid-range shot and my ball handling.

MLMN: Have you tried to pattern your game after any particular player?

Hall: I try to watch tapes of Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson, who were all-around players. Oscar Robertson was the all-time favorite player of my grandfather, Theodore Byrd, who played basketball for Conestoga High School. He had so many tapes of [Robertson], which I used to watch all the time growing up, and I still do – my grandfather comes to all of my games.

MLMN: Who is your favorite player?

Hall: Derrick Rose – he’s explosive, aggressive and he tried to do so much. My favorite [uninjured] player is [point guard] Chris Paul – he sees the floor so well, his handles are tremendous and he shoots [well].

MLMN: What’s your favorite book?

Hall: Autobiography of Malcolm X.

MLMN: What’s your favorite movie?

Hall: He Got Game.

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Lower Merion diver Carolyn Howard earns bronze medal at PIAA state championships

Posted on 18 March 2013 by bcookpa.

Lower Merion High School diver Carolyn Howard earned a three-place bronze medal at the PIAA state diving championships March 15.

Howard finished with a score of 438.50, behind first-place finisher Marie Lohman of Chartiers Valley (446.20) and second-place finisher Marie Yacopino of North Penn (443.35).

Although the Lower Merion diving season is over, Howard will continue diving, preparing for Junior Olympic Nationals

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Lower Merion vs Harrisburg

Posted on 18 March 2013 by bcookpa.

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Congrats to Lady Aces alum, Jesse Porter 12′, on her Rookie of the Year award for her successful year at Gettysburg!

Posted on 27 February 2013 by bcookpa.

Three members of Gettysburg College’s women’s basketball team and another player
from McDaniel College have been named to the All-Centennial Conference team,
announced Tuesday.

In addition, Gettysburg head coach Mike Kirkpatrick was tabbed as Coach of
the Year by the conference’s other head coaches.

Gettysburg junior Caroline Murphy was named to the first team.

Fellow junior Alyssa Isler joined freshman Jessica Porter, named the league’s
Rookie of the Year, were named to the second team. They are joined there by
McDaniel senior Rachael Rybak.

All three Bullets picked up postseason accolades for the first time, but
Kirkpatrick was named Coach of the Year for the second time.

In his 24th season at the helm, he has guided

Gettysburg to a 21-6 record, including 16-4
in conference play. The Bullets finished as the top seed for the postseason
tournament for the first time in school history and captured their first
conference title last weekend.

Kirkpatrick was also named Coach of the Year following the 2009-10 season
when his squad finished 24-5 overall and 17-3 in conference play.

Murphy, of Chatham, N.J., emerged as one of the most dominant frontcourt
players in the conference this season, her first as a full-time starter. She
leads the team in scoring (13.4 points per game), rebounding (8.3 per game),
assists (2.4 per game) and free throw percentage (.861), while ranking second in
steals (42) and blocked shots (40).

The 6-foot-1 forward leads the

Centennial in free throw percentage while ranking among the top six in
scoring (fifth), rebounding (sixth) and blocked shots (fifth).

Murphy also leads the Bullets with nine double-doubles. She has reached
double-figure point totals in each of the last seven games, including 19 points
against Swarthmore in the conference championship game. Murphy was named
Centennial Conference Player of the Week twice this winter.

Isler, of New Hope, is the only Bullet to start all 27 games. She ranks third on the team in scoring at 9.6 points
per game to go with 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Isler has been the
team’s top 3-point threat with 28 such baskets and a shooting percentage of 32.2
from beyond the arc. She also ranks second on the team in free-throw points (82)
and free throw percentage (.726).

Porter, of Narberth, ranks second to Murphy in both scoring (11.8 points per
game) and rebounding (7.0 per game), while pacing the team in blocked shots with
42. Porter also ranks second on the team in 3-pointers (20).

Among newcomers in the conference, she trails only Washington, Md.’s Ashley
Espinosa in scoring. Porter has recorded double-figure scoring totals in 16
games, including six of the last seven. She was named the Most Outstanding Player of Gettysburg’s
Days Inn Tournament after netting a season-high 20 points in the title game.

Meanwhile, Rybak, a guard from Reisterstown, Md., was named to the second
team after starting 24 of the 25 McDaniel games this season. She ranked second
on the team in scoring by averaging 10.8 points per game. She reached double
figures in the team’s final seven games. She also pulled down 2.8 rebounds per
game while handing out 22 assists and nabbing 30 steals.

She shot 38.2 percent from the field while connecting on 16 3-pointers. She
hit 18 of her 26 free throw attempts.

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Lower Merion’s Ernest Pendleton commits to East Stroudsburg

Posted on 25 February 2013 by bcookpa.

Lower Merion High School senior Ernest Pendleton recently committed to play football for East Stroudsburg University.

Last fall, Pendleton gained 807 yards and scored nine touchdowns in seven games (his season was shortened due to a broken collarbone).

The Lower Merion senior, who also was recruited by Lock Haven, Mt Union, and Shepard University, is looking forward to playing close to home, where his family and friends will be able to watch a game or two. He is planning on majoring in business.

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Lower Merion diver Carolyn Howard is Main Line Athlete of the Week

Posted on 20 February 2013 by bcookpa.

Lower Merion diver Carolyn Howard is Main Line Athlete of the Week

By Bruce Adams
BAdams@mainlinemedianews.com

A sophomore, Howard finished first at the Central League Diving Invitational with a personal best score of 255.35, breaking the Lower Merion High School diving record. This season, she also broke the Penncrest High School pool record with a score of 236.00. She scored 55 points in diving for the Aces this winter, qualified for Districts for the second year in a row and qualified for States.

Main Line Media News: How do you adjust to different boards, and how important is it to get practice in at different sites?

Carolyn Howard: Adjusting to different boards is sometimes pretty difficult. I make sure I do my harder dives to get them out of the way. I feel as if it is very important to practice on different boards because the boards might be slippery or tighter then you prefer and you need to adjust.

MLMN: Have you ever felt that you hit a perfect dive? Was it in competition or just practicing?

Howard: Hitting that perfect dive feels awesome! I have hit a dive for 10s at AAU Nationals. I was super stoked. I could hear the crowd go wild and that flat hand on the water told me that I certainly hit that dive, which was a reverse dive pike off the 7m platform.

MLMN: What are your best dives, in order?

Howard: On 1m, my best dives are: reverse one and one half somersault in the tuck position and my front full twisting one and a half. On 3m, my best dives are: reverse two somersaults in the tuck position, back one and a half somersault tuck and my back one a one half somersaults with a half twist.

MLMN: What, to you, is the major difference between indoor and outdoor diving competitions?

Howard: The difference between outdoor and indoor diving for me is visual spotting. It is harder for me to spot the water outdoors because the water is the same color as the sky. The sun sometimes will reflect on the water, making it a bit harder the see. Indoor diving is easier for me because of the different colors of the aquatic center that make it easier to visually spot my dives.

MLMN: Take us through a typical workout session, both in the pool and in the weight room. Continued…

Howard: A typical night at practice consists of a half hour of stretching and warm up/dry land (which is strength exercising), then in the pool working all of my dives on both 1m and 3m. Some nights I will just do my voluntaries, which are the easier dives, and some nights doing my optionals which are the harder dives. I practice four days a week.

MLMN: What’s the coolest place you’ve ever dove from?

Howard: The coolest place I have ever dove at is the University of Arizona in Tucson for USA Nationals. The pool is awesome!

MLMN: What colleges are among your current favorites? What do you think you would like to major in?

Howard: The colleges that I will like to look into are University of Buffalo, University of Arizona, Notre Dame and University of Miami. I don’t know exactly what I want to major in yet, but I have a fascination for hawks, bald eagles and marine life. So I might want to major in marine biology or ornithology .

MLMN: Outside of Lower Merion High School, what activities do you participate in?

Howard: I am a part of St. Matthias’ Youth Group that I meet up with every other Sunday for two hours, and I am an altar server at St. Matthias.

MLMN: Who is your favorite athlete?

Howard: My favorite Athlete is Greg Louganis because he has inspired me in so many ways that words can’t explain. I want to become the female version of him. He is just amazing. I have met him and he is one of the kindest people I know.

MLMN: What is your favorite book? Continued…

Howard: My favorite book is “The Sacrifice” by Kathleen Duble.

MLMN: What is your favorite movie, and why?

Howard: My favorite movie is “Elf” because it is hilarious and it’s the best Christmas movie I have ever seen. I love watching it with my family.

A sophomore, Howard finished first at the Central League Diving Invitational with a personal best score of 255.35, breaking the Lower Merion High School diving record. This season, she also broke the Penncrest High School pool record with a score of 236.00. She scored 55 points in diving for the Aces this winter, qualified for Districts for the second year in a row and qualified for States.

Main Line Media News: How do you adjust to different boards, and how important is it to get practice in at different sites?

Carolyn Howard: Adjusting to different boards is sometimes pretty difficult. I make sure I do my harder dives to get them out of the way. I feel as if it is very important to practice on different boards because the boards might be slippery or tighter then you prefer and you need to adjust.

MLMN: Have you ever felt that you hit a perfect dive? Was it in competition or just practicing?

Howard: Hitting that perfect dive feels awesome! I have hit a dive for 10s at AAU Nationals. I was super stoked. I could hear the crowd go wild and that flat hand on the water told me that I certainly hit that dive, which was a reverse dive pike off the 7m platform.

MLMN: What are your best dives, in order?

Howard: On 1m, my best dives are: reverse one and one half somersault in the tuck position and my front full twisting one and a half. On 3m, my best dives are: reverse two somersaults in the tuck position, back one and a half somersault tuck and my back one a one half somersaults with a half twist.

MLMN: What, to you, is the major difference between indoor and outdoor diving competitions?

Howard: The difference between outdoor and indoor diving for me is visual spotting. It is harder for me to spot the water outdoors because the water is the same color as the sky. The sun sometimes will reflect on the water, making it a bit harder the see. Indoor diving is easier for me because of the different colors of the aquatic center that make it easier to visually spot my dives.

MLMN: Take us through a typical workout session, both in the pool and in the weight room.

Howard: A typical night at practice consists of a half hour of stretching and warm up/dry land (which is strength exercising), then in the pool working all of my dives on both 1m and 3m. Some nights I will just do my voluntaries, which are the easier dives, and some nights doing my optionals which are the harder dives. I practice four days a week.

MLMN: What’s the coolest place you’ve ever dove from?

Howard: The coolest place I have ever dove at is the University of Arizona in Tucson for USA Nationals. The pool is awesome!

MLMN: What colleges are among your current favorites? What do you think you would like to major in?

Howard: The colleges that I will like to look into are University of Buffalo, University of Arizona, Notre Dame and University of Miami. I don’t know exactly what I want to major in yet, but I have a fascination for hawks, bald eagles and marine life. So I might want to major in marine biology or ornithology .

MLMN: Outside of Lower Merion High School, what activities do you participate in?

Howard: I am a part of St. Matthias’ Youth Group that I meet up with every other Sunday for two hours, and I am an altar server at St. Matthias.

MLMN: Who is your favorite athlete?

Howard: My favorite Athlete is Greg Louganis because he has inspired me in so many ways that words can’t explain. I want to become the female version of him. He is just amazing. I have met him and he is one of the kindest people I know.

MLMN: What is your favorite book?

Howard: My favorite book is “The Sacrifice” by Kathleen Duble.

MLMN: What is your favorite movie, and why?

Howard: My favorite movie is “Elf” because it is hilarious and it’s the best Christmas movie I have ever seen. I love watching it with my family.

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Lower Merion wrestler Eli Zimmer is Main Line Athlete of the Week (with video)

Posted on 14 February 2013 by bcookpa.

Lower Merion wrestler Eli Zimmer is Main Line Athlete of the Week (with video)

Published: Thursday, January 03, 2013

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By Bruce Adams
BAdams@mainlinemedianews.com

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A senior, Zimmer has compiled a 12-1 record on the wrestling mat this winter with six pins. He became the first Lower Merion wrestler ever to finish first at the Cumberland Valley Kickoff Tournament, and captured his second straight Radnor Holiday Tournament as well. As of Jan. 1, he has amassed a 79-34 (with 39 pins) in his Lower Merion career.

Main Line Media News (MLMN): Tell us a little about the competition you faced at the Cumberland Valley Kickoff Tournament.

Eli Zimmer: The wrestlers at Cumberland Valley were definitely top notch competitors – that area [of wrestling] is just another level. You don’t get any easy matches – all blue collar, tough kids.

MLMN: As a sophomore and junior, you mainly competed in the 189-195-pound brackets. Does moving up to the 220-pound bracket, as you have this season, present any special challenges?

Zimmer: I would definitely say it adds some challenges but they’re good challenges. The opponents are much bigger and stronger, while still being agile, tough wrestlers.

MLMN: What do you consider the strongest aspects of your wrestling?

Zimmer: Speed and agility – wrestling with such big people, I’ve found if I can keep pushing myself to get quicker, that in almost all my matches I can use that to my advantage.

MLMN: What has been the most important thing you have learned on the mat so far this season?

Zimmer: The mental side of the sport – my attitude before a match, what I’m thinking during my matches, my reaction to what’s going on in my match and after it – how I deal with the outcome and move on, win or lose. I’ve always had troubles with that early in my career.

MLMN: What have you been working on most recently?

Zimmer: Focusing on conditioning, which has hindered me in the past – putting in extra work so I can finish a match with the same energy I start it with.

MLMN: Your older brother Zeke wrestled four years for the Aces and played football, just like you. He and Lower Merion head coach Jim Perri have been your two biggest mentors. What did they teach you?

Zimmer: Zeke, who is now wrestling for Elizabethtown College, always pushed me to my breaking point to be the best wrestler I can be, always beating me up to toughen me up mentally and physically. Coach Perri has taught me how to mentally prepare for every single match – to focus and control what you can control, which is wrestling hardnose nonstop for a full match, and whatever the outcome of the match is, walk off with your head held high, knowing that you put your heart and soul into the match and left it on the mat, no regrets.

MLMN: What colleges are you looking at? What would you like to major in?

Zimmer: My No. 1 [choice] is Penn State University, I think I would like to major in secondary education or athletic training. I’m definitely interested in being a teacher and coach (hopefully for Lower Merion someday) or to be an athletic trainer.

MLMN: What are your favorite books? Favorite author?

Zimmer: My favorite books have been the Hunger Games Trilogy. My favorite author is Susan Collins.

MLMN: Do you have a favorite pump-up song you play on your iPod before each match?

Zimmer: Before matches I like to listen to Mumford and Sons. It gets me in a zone I can’t describe, it doesn’t pump me up, but it puts me in the perfect mental zone to wrestle.

MLMN: What is your favorite food?

Zimmer: An order of wings and a cheesesteak from Real Pizza in Narberth; unfortunately, I can only partake of this out of [wrestling] season.

(To be selected for Main Line Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by his or her coach.)