published Sunday, June 9, 1996, in The Herald, Sharon,
Pa.
THUMBS UP
Athletes, scholars make their communities proud
By James A. Raykie Jr.
Editor, The Herald
THE HERALD AND NEWSPAPERS across the
country are criticized by their readers for a lack of good news. Gleaned
from pages of The Herald, these are people deserving a round of applause.
- KRISTY SIRIANNI of Brookfield, who has earned first-team All-America
honors as a member of the Lynn University women's golf team in Boca Raton,
Fla. Her fourth-place finish in late May helped her team to the National
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics championship for women by 101 strokes.
She is a 1993 graduate of Brookfield High School and is a junior at Lynn
with sophomore athletic eligibility.
``We played really well,'' said Sirianni, home for the summer. She just
missed All-America honors last year _ by one stroke _ but recovered from
a fall hand injury this season to earn Lynn's ``Most Improved Award.''
You can find her working in the pro shop at Oak Tree Country Club this summer,
or on a golf course, or perhaps getting a few tips from her dad, one of
the very fine local golfers in his own right. She is a daughter of Pete
and Susan Sirianni of Brookfield.
- MELANIE GIORDANO and KRISTY DICKSON, a pair of junior track
stars from Mercer County, who won gold medals at the PIAA Track and Field
Championships at Shippensburg University two weeks ago.
Kristy, a student at Reynolds High School, captured her third straight high
jump state crown, clearing the bar at 5 feet 7 inches to win the event.
Melanie, who attends Kennedy Christian High School in Hermitage, won the
300-meter hurdles in a time of 45 seconds.
`It's kind of scary, winning it for a third time,'' Kristy told Herald sports
writer James Phillips. `` ... I'm so happy. I can't believe it.'' Melanie,
who got a few tips from a friend, Tom Wise, a former Grove City High School
state champion in the 300-meter hurdles, was thrilled. ``I wanted a good
start and a strong finish,, and I got that. It's like wow! Now I plan on
returning next year to win again.''
- JOHN McELHINNY of West Salem Township, who was one of the 10
finalists in the National Geography Bee after winning the Pennsylvania
Geography Bee in April. McElhinny, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from St.
Michael's School in Greenville, missed in the second day of the competition,
but his spirit and achievements made his community proud.
``They were asking all day long how he was doing,'' Mary Jo Lipani, principal
of St. Michael's, said of the students there. ``We prayed for him every
day.''
The bee was staged in Washington, D.C., and the final round was hosted by
``Jeopardy!'' personality Alex Trebek.
John is a son of John B. and Linda McElhinny. ``He's popular here. He's
a nice boy,'' Miss Lipani said.
- THOMAS BEATTY, MEGAN MINNICK, LAURA HAMELLY, KATHLEEN LANIER, EMILY
FINN and ALESHA LISTOPAD, who were named winners in the 38th annual
H.M. Willson Self-Reliance Awards program. Thomas, Megan and Emily attend
Sharon High School and Laura, Kathleen and Alesha attend Kennedy Christian
High School in Hermitage.
They were selected from 35 contestants. Funding of the awards is through
the H.M. Willson Trust Fund. Herbert M. Willson established the fund, which
became effective 25 years after his death. The awards were presented during
the annual dinner at Sharon Country Club.
- The memory of the late RON STITT of Jefferson Township, who
was the township's first volunteer fire chief and chosen to be the
community's Citizen of the Year. Township supevisers presented the award
to Doug, his son, who accepted on behalf of the Stitt family. Mr. Stitt,
62, died on Jan. 29. He was a major part of the township activities, belonging
to the Jefferson Township Civic Club and township parks board. He was custodian
for the community buildings, some of which he helped to build.
- CARL M. BLACK Jr. of Sharon, who has retired as coordinator
of the Mercer County Emergency Management Agency. Friday will be Black's
last day in the office he founded. His staff will hold a 2 p.m. open house
in his honor. ``I will be a has-been,'' the Navy veteran said. ``That's
better than a never-been.'' Local fire chiefs recently made him a lifetime
member of the county Fire Chiefs Association.
James A. Raykie Jr. is editor of The Herald. This column appears on page
A-2 each Sunday.
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