YATESVILLE – Pittston Area completed a regular season that shredded a struggling image and a decade-long drought in boys track and field.

On consecutive days, the Patriots beat rival Wyoming Area, then completed an undefeated season in Division 1 of the Wyoming Valley Conference by defeating Tunkhannock.

The Patriots went 7-0 for their first unbeaten season since 2007 – the last time the school won a boys track title.

“We work hard on trying to make it as much of a program as we possibly can,” said Pittston Area boys coach Jason Mills, whose team is 12-2 over the past two seasons. “That’s the key, because track’s such an individual sport, it’s hard to keep everyone together. But you know what we have? A group of three hurdlers and senior boys who have been together for years in the field.

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“We outnumbered a lot of teams in the field.”

Pittston Area 94

Wyoming Area 56

Hurdler Shane Syms led the way when Pittston Area clinched at least a tie for the title with Tuesday’s home win.

“It feels amazing,” Syms said. “To come out here with this group of guys, we come out here, work hard every day and just perform.”

Syms captured the 300-meter hurdles right after running on the 400 relay team and picked up another point for the Patriots by finishing third in the 110 hurdles.

The field performance was led by a 21-6 scoring advantage in the throwing events.

Jake Rutkowski led a sweep of the shot put and Walter Coles led a sweep of the discus while finishing second in the javelin.

Kane Burton won the 100 and 200 for Wyoming Area, which finished 1-6.

Pittston Area 83 ½

Tunkhannock 57 ½

Alex Haas, Michael Mikitish, Dom Angradi and Philip Cocco each won two events as Pittston Area used Wednesday’s road, make-up meet to complete its conference championship season.

James Cross Invitational

Wyoming Area’s Marc Anthony Minichello and Dominic DeLuca finished 1-2 in the javelin in the May 5 meet, hosted by Coughlin.

Philip Cocco won the shot put while Pittston Area teammate Jake Rutkowski placed third. Walter Coles was third behind Minichello and DeLuca in the javelin.

Pittston Area tied for sixth and Wyoming Area finished ninth out of 15 teams.

GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD

Pittston Area 118

Wyoming Area 32

Abby Norwillo broke her own school pole vault record by clearing 13 feet and also won the triple jump in Tuesday’s victory.

Nicole Zambetti won the 800- and 1600-meter runs.

Madelyn Resciniti won the shot put and discus for Wyoming Area. The Lady Warriors finished 1-6.

Pittston Area 102

Tunkhannock 48

Pittston Area used the win to finish second in WVC Division 1 at 6-1.

Abby Norwillo, Katelyn Wesp and Janelle Welk each won two events.

James Cross Invitational

Shelby Stackhouse and Madelyn Resciniti each had a first- and second-place finish May 5 to lead Wyoming Area to fourth place in the 15-team field in the event, which was hosted by Coughlin.

Stackhouse won the high jump and took second in the 100-meter hurdles. Resciniti won the shot put and finished second in the discus.

Emma Coles, in the javelin, and Ashton Ashby, in the high jump, were third for Pittston Area, which finished ninth.

Wyoming Area was third in the 3200 relay.

GIRLS LACROSSE

Crestwood 15

Wyoming Area 14

Freshman Emma Kelleher scored five goals in Friday’s WVC road loss.

Cassidy Orzel scored four goals while Tierney Porfirio added two goals and two assists.

The game decided fourth place in the league.

Wyoming Area went 7-4 and finished fifth in the 12-team league.

Wyoming Seminary 14

Wyoming Area 7

Wyoming Seminary, one of three teams to finish in a tie for first place in the WVC, won Thursday’s game.

Cassidy Orzel scored three goals to lead the Lady Warriors.

Abington Heights 11

Pittston Area 3

Bailey Jordan scored twice for Pittston Area in Thursday’s game, which concluded an 0-11 season in the WVC.

Wyoming Area 17

Coughlin 7

Wyoming Area used Wednesday’s road win to extend its winning streaks to six straight in the conference and seven straight overall, the longest in school history.

SOFTBALL

Wyoming Area 5

Lake-Lehman 4

Wyoming Area scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to pull out Friday’s non-league win.

Kristi Skok had three doubles and three RBI.

Julie Kopetchny also went 3-for-4 while driving in the other two runs.

Brianna PIzzano was 2-for-3.

Gwen Glatz retired all five batters she faced in relief to get the win. She also had a hit and scored twice.

Hazleton Area 7

Pittston Area 1

Marissa Trivelpiece had a double and home run as Hazleton Area picked up the road win in Thursday’s game between the top two teams in WVC Division 1.

Hazleton Area (11-1) has already clinched the title.

Pittston Area (7-5) is assured of second place.

Alexa McHugh had two of Pittston Area’s three hits. Kaehler Kivler had the other hit and drove in the only run.

Berwick 3

Pittston Area 2

Nina Cencetti had a single and double and Alexa McHugh homered, but Pittston Area lost on the road Tuesday in a WVC crossover game.

Pittston Area 15

Crestwood 6

Lexi Felinski went 5-for-5 with three triples, four runs and an RBI to lead a 22-hit Pittston Area attack in Monday’s WVC Division 1 home win.

Alexa McHugh went 4-for-5 with three doubles, a triple, three runs scored and four runs batted in.

Gabby Para had three hits, two runs and two RBI. Bailey Loyack singled, tripled, scored twice and drove in a run.

Mackenzie Gable and winning pitcher Nina Cencetti also had two hits.

The Lady Patriots scored 10 runs in the first three innings.

Wyoming Area 9

Coughlin 2

Kari Melberger had a double, homer and three RBI to lead the offense in Monday’s WVC crossover win at Coughlin.

Cassidy Graham pitched a six-hitter with one walk and seven strikeouts.

Jess Parente doubled twice, scored two runs and drove in two. Gwen Glatz and Julia Kopetchny also had two hits each.

Nicole Silinskie added a double.

Wyoming Area (7-4) remained within 1 ½ games of first-place Tunkhannock in Division 2.

Wyoming Area 8

Berwick 7

Wyoming Area won the May 5 WVC Division 2 game in nine innings.

The Lady Warriors forced extra innings by scoring three times in the bottom of the sixth.

Kristi Skok led the offense, going 2-for-3 with a double, two runs and three RBI.

Gwen Glatz pitched all nine innings, giving up just three earned runs while striking out 14 and walking three.

Brianna Pizzano had a single, double and two RBI. Annie Karcutskie also had a single and double.

Julia Kopetchny had two hits and Jess Parente doubled.

Tunkhannock 7

Pittston Area 2

Madisyn Antal’s two-run homer in the sixth inning accounted for all of Pittston Area’s scoring in the May 4 WVC crossover loss to visiting Tunkhannock.

BASEBALL

Nanticoke 8

Wyoming Area 1

Trahjan Krupinski had a two-run homer during the seven-run fourth inning for Nanticoke.

Matt Wright had two hits and drove in Wyoming Area’s only run. Dylan Melberger doubled and scored.

Pittston Area 7

Coughlin 1

Riley Brody had two hits and three RBI while Hunter Ralston allowed just three hits in five scoreless innings during Monday’s WVC Division 1 win.

Cole Cherkas and Dylan Spurlin each had two hits, a run and an RBI. Kevin Krawczyk scored twice.

Syms
https://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/web1_Syms.CMYK_.jpg.optimal.jpgSyms

By Paul Sokoloski

psokoloski@timesleader.

and Tom Robinson

For Sunday Dispatch

Reach the Sunday Dispatch newsroom at 570-655-1418 or by email at sd@psdispatch.com.