Marc Anthony Minichello made history in 2018 and, in doing so, he led the way during a year when success for Greater Pittston scholastic athletes often stretched well beyond the Wyoming Valley and deep into the ranks of the state’s best.
Minichello simply was the best in his event.
The Wyoming Area multi-sport athlete wrapped up his high school career by becoming the school’s first track and field state champion when he threw the javelin 198 feet at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Championships in Shippensburg in May to claim the Class 3A gold medal.
Minichello, now a member of the University of Pennsylvania track and field team, got a preview of his college career by finishing second in the javelin in the high school division at the prestigious Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
A career-best of 204-1 left Minichello ranked 14th nationally among high school javelin throwers.
Another University of Pennsylvania track and field athlete was not far behind Minichello.
Pittston Area’s Abby Norwillo, who is already tied for the third-best pole vault in Penn history with a quick start to her college indoor career, finished second in the state in that event for the second straight year.
It took a state record performance from a rival to keep Norwillo from joining Minichello as state champion.
Minichello and Norwillo led the individual efforts, but the team accomplishments were also plentiful.
The Pittston Area softball and Wyoming Area girls soccer teams combined winning District 2 championships with state tournament victories to advance to the quarterfinals before losing.
Pittston Area had lost to Abington Heights in the 2016 and 2017 district finals, but was ready for the rematch to decide the Class 5A championship.
The Lady Patriots scored eight times in the first two innings, setting off a game-long celebration in what turned into a 13-2 romp at the University of Scranton.
After making school history by winning what was technically the District 2-11 Class 5A Subregional, the Lady Patriots kept hitting in their state tournament debut, pounding West Chester Henderson, 10-2.
The run came to an end in the state quarterfinals with a 1-0 loss to Solanco at Patriots Park in Allentown.
The Wyoming Area girls soccer team also took down a nemesis to win its district championship.
The Lady Warriors ended Lake-Lehman’s two-year District 2 Class 2A title run by beating the top seeds and Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 champions, 1-0, on their home field.
Aleah Kranson scored the game’s only goal and Lauren Kelly made seven saves.
Like the Pittston Area softball team, the district title was the first for the Wyoming Area girls soccer program.
To get to the title game, the Lady Warriors first needed Tierney Porfirio’s overtime goal to beat Holy Redeemer, 4-3, in the semifinals of the highly competitive bracket.
The district tournament prepared Wyoming Area for state play where it also made a successful debut, using Kelly’s 12 second-half saves to hold off Midd-West, 2-1.
It was a banner fall at Wyoming Area.
The girls soccer team was not alone in advancing to the state quarterfinals.
Wyoming Area’s field hockey team also made it state tournament debut and also won in the first round.
Kayla Kiwak had a hat trick and an assist in a 5-1 romp over Mifflinburg in the state opener.
The Lady Warriors had finished second to eventual state champion Wyoming Seminary in both the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 race and the District 2 Class A tournament. Penn State-bound Aubrey Mytych from Wyoming was the center midfielder for the state champions.
Mytych was among the Greater Pittston athletes finding success at private schools within District 2.
Ivan Balavage from Avoca finished his career as Scranton Prep’s all-time leader in wrestling victories and only state medalist ever in the sport. He claimed his second state medal with a fourth-place finish.
Peyton McNulty from Pittston Township helped Scranton Prep finish ninth in the state in Class 2A girls swimming by earning three medals – two on relays and one by finishing fourth in the 100-yard backstroke.
Wyoming Area’s football team enjoyed a perfect – and frequently dominant – regular season. The Warriors added a playoff win to reach 11-0 before being upset by Lakeland in the District 2 Class 3A semifinals on the same November day that the school’s girls soccer and field hockey runs came to an end.
The Warriors won the WVC Class 3A/A Division title.
Pittston Area went undefeated in boys track and field to win the WVC Division 1 championship.
Wyoming Area won the WVC Division 2 boys lacrosse championship and Pittston Area finished on top of WVC Division 1 boys tennis.
Minichello and Norwillo were joined as District 2 track and field gold medalists by Pittston Area shot putter Philip Cocco and Wyoming Area girls high jumper Shelby Stackhouse.
Corey Mruk, one of the leaders of Wyoming Area’s perfect football regular season, joined teammate Justin Joseph in winning District 2 Class 2A wrestling gold medals.
Success for Greater Pittston athletes extended beyond high school.
Pittston Area graduate Katrina Mikitish played every second of the final eight games of her college career, which culminated in a trip to the NCAA Division II field hockey Final Four with Pace University.
Professional golfer Brandon Matthews, another Pittston Area graduate and a former state high school champ, did not yet realize his goal of making the PGA Tour, but, at 24 years old, he maintained his status of being one step away.
Matthews finished 82nd of the Web.com Tour money list and returned to qualifying school where he again secured guaranteed spots in the tour’s early-season events for 2019. He finished second on the tour in average driving distance.
