Pine-Richland notebook: Heavyweight wrestler among Rams signing with colleges

By: Jerin Steele
Sunday, June 4, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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Five Pine-Richland senior athletes made their college choices official during the May national signing day.

Will Albrecht (Westminster/lacrosse), Matthew Carper (United States Coast Guard/swimming), Breanna Franchak (Dickinson/cross county and track), Joey Schneck (Maryland/wrestling) and Elizabeth Shaffer (Carnegie Mellon/swimming) all participated in a signing ceremony at the school.

Between the November, February and May signing days, 31 student athletes from Pine-Richland signed to play in college.

Schneck was the lone Division I signee in May.

He was the heavyweight for Pine-Richland’s wrestling team the last four years, amassing a 109-37 record. He placed third at WPIALs and fifth at states this season.

Albrecht was a key figure in the boys lacrosse team’s attack this year, helping the Rams win a playoff game.

Carper and Shaffer both qualified for states in swimming.

Shaffer made it individually in the 100 breaststroke and was on the 200 medley relay team. Carper was on the 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams and made it in two individual events, the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke.

Franchak helped the Rams girls cross country team place 14th at states.

McLean medals

Natalie McLean capped off a successful high school career with Pine-Richland with two runner-up finishes at the PIAA meet at Shippensburg on May 27.

McLean, a Georgetown recruit, was second in the girls 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs.

The two seconds added to her PIAA cross country championship in the fall, which was the first in Pine-Richland history.

Other individual state results for the girls were: Sonja Stugart (sixth in high jump), Nadia Constantakis (eighth in pole vault) and Georgia Rottinghaus (26th in girls 100).

Emery Moye was the highest finishing boys individual with a 10th-place finish in the high jump.

Ben McLean (19th in 800), Luke Rudolph (28th in 100) and Nick Hartwick (32nd in 200) also ran at states.

The boys 400 relay team placed 10th, while the girls 400 relay team finished 20th.

Ferraro wins scholarship

Pine-Richland senior Anthony Ferraro earned a $1,000 scholarship from the Wrestlers in Business Network.

A statement on the Wrestlers in Business website says the organization is a national, nonprofit networking group for everyone who is passionate about the sport of wrestling dedicated to advancing careers, businesses, personal growth and the sport.

Ferraro (133 pounds) placed third at states this year. He is an Edinboro recruit.

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

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