Two cousins with Greater Pittston ties were among the leaders of the University of Maryland women’s lacrosse team that finished as unbeaten National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I champions this spring.
Jen Giles and Taylor Hensh grew up in Maryland, but their grandparents are both from Greater Pittston and they still have extended family in the area. They are the granddaughters of George and Marie Maslousky. George is originally from Exeter and Marie is from West Wyoming.
Giles is a sophomore midfielder from Ellicott City, Md., who played at Mount Hebron in high school. Hensh is a junior attack from Woodstock, Md., who played at Marriotts Ridge.
They combined for five goals during the 16-13 national championship game victory over Boston College May 28 in Foxboro, Mass. to complete Maryland’s 23-0 season.
Giles scored two goals 29 seconds apart to complete a run of five straight by Maryland to break a halftime tie and create a 10-5 lead. She later assisted on the eventual game-winning goal.
Hensh came off the bench to score three goals, including one that built the Maryland lead to 16-11.
Giles was second in the team in assists and fourth in overall scoring with 41 goals and 32 assists.
Hensh, who made just one start, was the top scorer off the bench with 35 goals and eight assists.
Among other athletes with Greater Pittston ties who participated in college sports this spring:
BASEBALL
Pittston Area graduate Michael Schwab made eight relief appearances without a decision as a junior pitcher at Lehigh University.
Schwab posted a 5.63 ERA. He allowed 10 hits and walked five while striking out four in eight innings.
Lehigh, an NCAA Division I team, went 21-29.
Former Wyoming Area teammates Jeremy Zezza and Evan Musto found themselves in opposite dugouts on more than one occasion this season while playing NCAA Division II baseball for Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference schools.
Zezza went 2-0 with a save and a 7.04 ERA in 14 relief appearances at Bloomsburg University. The sophomore right hander gave up 23 hits and nine walks while striking out 19 in 23 innings.
Musto appeared in four games, making two starts, after making the Kutztown University team as a freshman walk-on. He went 0-for-4 and drew a walk.
WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
Madison Mimnaugh, a freshman from Pittston Area, was a middle distance runner at Bloomsburg University.
Mimnaugh helped Bloomsburg finish third at the PSAC Championships by running a leg on the fourth-place 3200-meter relay and finishing 10th in the 800 run.
With Mimnaugh in the lineup for PSACs, Bloomsburg posted its best time of the season in the event in 9:25.49. She ran the 800 in 2:18.22.
Tara Johnson, another freshman from Pittston Area, had the best time for King’s College in four events – the 800, 1500 and 5000 runs and the 3000 steeplechase.
