Westmoreland campus clippings: National honor for Shippenburg's Zollinger, her staff

At some places, it takes a village. At Shippensburg, it takes a few really good coaches.

Shippensburg field hockey coach Tara Zollinger (Hempfield) and her assistants were named the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division II National Coaching Staff of the Year.

The Raiders (20-0) won the NCAA championship and were ranked No. 1 in the national poll.

Zollinger has never lost a NCAA Tournament match at Shippensburg (8-0).

Women’s indoor track & field

Arizona: Sophomore Mackenna Orie (Hempfield) finished fifth in the shot put with a mark of 15.19 meters at the Corky Classic in Lubbock, Texas.

Robert Morris: Freshman Rayna Todero (Franklin Regional) placed eighth in the triple jump at the Penn State Nittany Lion Challenge. Her placing jump was 36 feet, 7 inches.

Wake Forest: Freshman Isabella Gera (Hempfield) posted her first individual title at the collegiate level, winning the shot put with a throw of 14.49 meters at the Mondo College Invitational in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Men’s swimming

Saint Vincent: Junior Chris Bush won three events — the 200-yard breaststroke (2 minutes, 24.41 seconds), the 200 individual medley (2:10.01) and the 100 breaststroke (1:04.49) as the Bearcats defeated Chatham, 150-60, for its second win over the weekend.

Junior Noah Schollaert won the 200 freestyle in 2:07.21, and the 100 butterfly in 1:00.89, while he also swam a leg of the winning 200 medley (1:46.64) and 200 freestyle (1:47.67) relays.

Senior Kris Smith won the 100 backstroke (57.86 seconds) and joined Bush on the relay.

Bush was named the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Swimmer of the Week. Freshman Robert Harrington, meantime, was named the PAC Rookie of the Week. He won the 50-yard freestyle, 100 butterfly and 1,000 in a 137-47 victory over Bethany.

Women’s swimming

Saint Vincent: Junior Lauren Connors won the 100 backstroke (1:01.44) and 100 freestyle (56.71), and also helped the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays to a victories (1:58.30, 1:44.94) as SVC (4-1) defeated Chatham, 184-89.

Junior Sara Basala also won two events and a relay, taking the 100 and 200 breaststrokes in 1:13.55 and 2:43.25, while senior Lauren Krecota took first in the 200 butterfly (2:29.95) and the 200 IM (2:31.45).

Connors was named the PAC Swimmer of the Week. Freshman teammate Sarah Alexander was tabbed PAC Rookie of the Week after she won the 200 freestyle (2:06.07) and 500 (5:31.78) and swam backstroke on the winning 200 medley relay in a 209-18 win over Bethany.

Washington & Jefferson: Sophomore Amanda Graves (Penn-Trafford) won the 100 butterfly (1:04.12) and 200 butterfly (2:30.95) in a sweep of Franciscan and Hiram. She also swam legs of winning 400 freestyle and 200 medley relays.

Bowling

Westmoreland County Community College: Freshman Chaz Lankey is a pitcher for the Wolfpack baseball team. In the bowling team’s season-opening game, all he did was throw strikes: Lankey rolled a perfect 300.

Football

Fairmont State: Freshman Ian Fasano (Mt. Pleasant) announced he is transferring. An offensive guard and defensive tackle in high school, Fasano also was a wrestler and is opening his recruiting to schools in that sport as well.

Women’s soccer

Akron: Freshman Brenna Springer (Greensburg Central Catholic) left the Zips’ program and is transferring to play closer to home at Division II Seton Hill.