Pennsylvania College of Technology archers take to the biggest stage this coming week in the USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals, and for the second year in a row, the women’s softball team is headed to the NCAA Division III Regionals.
Archers will compete Thursday through Sunday at the Hope Sports Complex in Lansing, Michigan, and the softball team awaits the outcome of Monday’s 11 a.m. selection show on the ncaa.com website when the 64-team field, regional sites and first-round opponents in the double elimination tournaments on Thursday through Saturday will be announced.
Archery
“They looked very strong,” Penn College archery coach Dustin Bartron said after the Wildcats’ showing at the Eastern Region Outdoor Championships on April 26-27 produced two team golds, an individual silver and two individual bronze medalists.
Also, three archers — Brady Buriak of Herndon, Casey Keiter of Dornsife and Josiah Hinojos of Groton, Connecticut — were awarded All-East honors.
Taking gold was the men’s compound team of Buriak, Emery Gunsallus of Mill Hall and Colby Dell of Great Neck, New York, and the men’s fixed pins team of Keiter, Hinojos and Wyatt Steigerwalt of New Ringgold.
Gunsallus claimed an individual silver in the men’s compound, while Buriak took bronze in the men’s compound and Keiter captured bronze in the men’s fixed pins.
That set the stage for this week’s nationals in Lansing, Michigan.
“They are in great shape going into nationals. We have work to do to prepare for teams from outside our region. This group’s chemistry, willingness to work and commitment to success will pay off,” coach Bartron said.
In addition to Buriak, Keiter, Hinojos, Gunsallus, Dell and Steigerwalt, also competing at nationals will be Eli Bartron of South Williamsport in men’s compound, Devin Albright of Philipsburg, Wyatt Kennedy of Jackson, New Jersey, Travis Lilly of Newport, Ben Malehorn of Selinsgrove, and Anthony Olenchak of Valhalla, New Jersey in men’s fixed pins, and Liz Gruodis of Milford in women’s recurve.
According to the coach, teams will consist of the top three qualifiers during individual qualifications.
One Wildcat missing from the lineup will be senior Matthew Byrnes of Manahawkin, New Jersey, who was named to the All-East Team the past three seasons but is graduating and starting his professional career, according to coach Bartron.
Official practice is scheduled for Thursday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., with opening ceremonies at the Hope Sports Complex from 3:15-4 p.m.
On Friday, men’s and women’s 72-arrow qualifying in 70-meter recurve and 50-meter compound, fixed pins, and barebow will be held.
Individual single elimination rounds through third place (bronze medal) will be staged starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday, with team rounds beginning at 2:30 p.m. that afternoon.
On Sunday, recurve, compound, fixed pins and barebow gold medal finals are scheduled from 8-10:40 a.m.
From 1997 through 2018, 43 Penn College archers earned All-American status 88 times.
“I expect individual podiums in men’s compound and fixed pins. I believe our men’s compound and men’s fixed pins teams can also medal. We are looking forward to getting a couple of our archers named on the 2025 All-American team as well,” coach Bartron said.
Schedule
Thursday-Sunday, May 15-18 — USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals at Lansing, Michigan
Softball
Opening the UE Final Four double elimination tournament on Saturday morning, the fourth-seeded Wildcats handed top-seeded Penn State Berks its first conference loss of the season after 18 wins, 6-3. With the score knotted at 3-all through five innings, Penn College opened the sixth with back-to-back singles, and Mackenzie Weaver of Montoursville followed with a three-run home run that proved to be the difference and made a winner in the circle of freshman Mackenzi Tice of Mansfield, who struck out eight with no walks.
Facing second-seed Penn State Brandywine Saturday afternoon, Brandywine grabbed a 3-0 first-inning lead and led 4-1 entering the sixth when the Wildcats scored four times, with Ryleigh Rinker of Poway, California, doubling in two runs, to go ahead 5-4. Brandywine tied the score in its half of the sixth on a two-out Penn College error, and won 6-5 in the seventh with a single, sacrifice and walk-off RBI single off Weaver.
In a Sunday morning must-win elimination game against third-seeded Penn State Harrisburg, with a trip to the NCAA Division III Regionals awaiting the winner because Brandywine, as a provisional D-III member, is ineligible to advance, the teams played through seven scoreless innings before each scored once in the eighth. Then Penn College secured a 3-1 win with a two-run ninth as Lexi Snyder of Hegins singled in the tying run and Payton Crawford of Bloomsburg cracked a two-out double to left, scoring the second. Tice, with a three-hit, 10-strikeout pitching performance in the game, held Harrisburg in check in the bottom of the inning for her 13th win.
The victory also earned the Wildcats a Sunday afternoon rematch against second-seeded Penn State Brandywine for the UE championship, and they built a 6-1 lead through 4.5 innings before surrendering four runs in the bottom of the fifth and three runs in the sixth in an 8-7 loss. Fayth Anderson of Lykens had two hits and plated three runs. Tice took the pitching loss in relief of Weaver as Brandywine (35-8 overall, including going 3-1 against Penn College) completed a 5-0 playoff title-clinching run.
Schedule/Record/Series History
(Home games at Elm Park)
Overall: 28-15
UE: 14-8 (10-6 regular season)
United East Championship Final Four
At Penn State Berks
(Double elimination)
Saturday, May 10 — (Game 1) No. 4 Penn College vs. No. 1 Penn State Berks, Penn College W, 6-3
Saturday, May 10 — (Game 2) No. 2 Penn State Brandywine vs. No. 3 Penn State Harrisburg, Brandywine W, 6-2
Saturday, May 10 — (Game 3) No. 4 Penn College vs. No. 2 Penn State Brandywine, Brandywine W, 6-5
Saturday, May 10 — (Game 4) No. 1 Penn State Berks vs. No. 3 Penn State Harrisburg, Harrisburg W, 9-2
Sunday, May 11 — (Game 5) No. 4 Penn College vs. No. 3 Penn State Harrisburg, Penn College W, 3-1 in 9 innings
Sunday, May 11 — (Game 6) No. 2 Penn State Brandywine vs. No. 4 Penn College, Brandywine W, 8-7
NCAA Division III Regionals
Thursday-Saturday, May 15-17 — TBA 11 a.m. Monday at ncaa.com
NCAA Division III Super Regionals
Thursday-Friday, May 22-23 — TBA
NCAA Division III Championship
Friday, May 29-Thursday, June 4 — at Inspiration Field, Bloomington, Illinois
Men’s Lacrosse
A conference-high 12 Wildcats were recognized by the United East when postseason honors were handed out this past week, including freshman Elliot Dotson of Wilmington, Delaware, who was named both the Offensive Player and Rookie of the Year, along with being on the all-conference first team.
Joining Dotson on the UE first team are Owen Kupsey of Chadds Ford, Aidan McFalls of Gilbertsville, Walt Heiser of Milford, New Jersey, Austin Callahan of Beaver Dams, New York, and Ryan Twist of Great Meadows, New Jersey.
Rounding out the honorees were UE second-team members AJ Dotson, of Wilmington, Delaware, Owen’s brother, Will Ehret of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, Jake Small of Bloomsbury, New Jersey, Mason Nestor of Schwenksville, Ian Stambaugh of Red Lion, and Levi Borkowski of Norristown.
Penn College completed a program-best 14-5 record and finished second in the conference.
Women’s Tennis
Sophomore Faith Murray of Dillsburg was named to the United East All-Conference third team, it was announced on Tuesday. Murray topped the Wildcats this season with a 4-2 conference singles record and 3-3 doubles mark.
Golf
Schedule
Tuesday-Friday, May 20-23 — NCAA Division III Championship at Midvale Country Club in Penfield, New York
For additional information, visit the Wildcats Athletics website.
For more about the United East, visit the conference website.
The NCAA website is also a source of information.