Tag Archives: Athlete of the Month

Athlete of the Month: Emma Coar

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Athlete of the Month - Emma CoarBy Steve Svetovich

Dunmore High School Homecoming Queen Emma Coar has many passions, but one stands out.

She is a kicker for the district champion Dunmore football team.

Daughter of Thomas and Jennifer Coar, the multi talented senior is also ranked second in her class with a 98.9 academic average.

Emma excels on the Dunmore soccer team where she is a captain and two-time All-Star. She is a member of the school band, member and treasurer of the honor society, vice president of the Spanish Club, treasurer of the Music Guild and writes for the school newspaper.

And it was Dunmore veteran football coach Jack Henzes, currently recuperating from a heart ailment, who asked Emma to join the football team.

“Coach Henzes asked me in gym class,” said Emma. “He saw me in kickball and liked how I kicked.

“I thought about it and looked at it as an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself. I looked at it as a great way to remember my senior year.

“My parents were very supportive. They had my back and were there for me. They always teach me to have a strong work ethic.”

Emma went on to excel as a kicker. She kicked over 40 extra points for the district champions.

“It was not a problem with the boys on the team. They looked at me as another athlete on the team. Just like anyone else. They never looked at me as different.

“The practices were not that hard for me. I pretty much was on my own with workouts during practice.

bucks“Coach Henzes continued to support me. He is always very supportive. Even though he was out, Kevin McHale and the other coaches were always in contact with him. Coach McHale was also very supportive.”

Emma, humble and hard working, said she is undecided about a college major but would like to attend the University of Scranton. Her favorite subject is history.

“I like all my classes though.”

Emma enjoys music and would love to see Khalid, an R and B rap artist, in concert.

She talked about another one of her passions, soccer.

“I love soccer,” she said. “You need to put in a lot of work and time to excel in it. You need to be passionate about it.”

Emma said her experience at Dunmore High School has been awesome.

“I learned a very good foundation for my future. The teachers and coaches have been great. I made a great group of friends who I will always be in contact with no matter where we all go to college or in life. 

We will be friends forever. It is really a great school.”

Athlete of the Month: Frankie Ruggiero

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Athlete of the Month - Frankie Ruggiero golf

A multi-talented athlete at Dunmore High School, sophomore Frankie Ruggiero excels on the golf course.

By Steve Svetovich

Dunmore High School sophomore Frankie Ruggiero is multi talented.

Son of Vito and Christine Ruggiero, Dunmore, Frankie is a three-sport athlete and sophomore class president.

He was a starting second baseman as a freshman for the Dunmore baseball team under coach Mike “Sid” Hallinan.

He was the backup point guard as a freshman on the varsity basketball team. And his best sport is golf where he was superb as a freshman and sophomore.

His coach for basketball and golf is Tony Lacertoso.

As a freshman golfer last year, he won the Jackman tournament in the freshman division and was team MVP.

He has 30 individual wins in match play in two years.

He is the seventh golfer in the last nine years to make it to the Regional Tournament.

The scholar-athlete, an honor student with a 90 academic average, qualified in districts (top six scores in District AA) and made the Regional Tournament this year. That took place at Golden Oak golf course in Fleetwood, PA. He missed the cut by one stroke to go to the states.

For this past season, he was named to the first team small school division all stars.

The talented sophomore talked about what it takes to excel in golf. “You need to practice a lot on your own,” he said. “You need the time to practice. It’s an individual sport.

Athlete of the Month - Frankie Ruggiero & Coach Lac

Frankie Ruggiero poses with his golf coach, Tony Lacertoso, during this past season.

“When I was a kid, I watched my dad and uncle playing golf. I thought it would be fun. So I took it up and practiced and practiced.”

Frankie said he has learned a lot from his golf coach at Dunmore, Tony Lacertoso.

“He is real good on the course. He gets me into a zone and calms everyone down. He is a very good coach.”

The three-sport star made sure to mention his baseball coach at Dunmore, Sid Hallinan.

“He makes it fun to be there every single day. We have a good time, but also work hard at it.”

Frankie, whose best academic subject is math, said his parents teach him “to always be respectful.”

He talked about his future goals. “I want to go to college and see where the road takes me. I would like to play golf or baseball in college if possible. But eventually, I want to become a doctor.”

He mentioned an interest in orthopedics.

Humble in nature, Frankie is well versed in school. Besides playing three varsity sports and being sophomore class president, he is a member of the Health Careers Club, the French Club and is a sophomore Class Officer.

Athlete of the Month - Frankie Ruggiero baseball

Frankie Ruggiero is second baseman for the Dunmore High School’s baseball team.

He plays Legion baseball in the summer and played several years of travel baseball with The Sandlot under Chris Davis and Frank Cwalinski.

As a golfer, he made Regionals last year and missed by a stroke to go to States.

“My goal as a golfer is to make it further and go as far as possible in States. I want to continue improving my golf game. And I want to continue having a good time playing.”

Frankie said he loves playing the three sports and his hobbies are fishing and hunting.

“I also like hanging out with my friends.”

He talked about what it is like going to Dunmore High School. “It’s a great school. I like it a lot. We get the job done with our work in the classroom. It’s a great school and the teachers are great to talk to.

“I would not want to go anywhere else.”

Athlete of the Month: Keelin Schimelfenig

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Keelin SchimelfenigBy Steve Svetovich

Keelin Schimelfenig loves the game of softball.

And the Holy Cross junior will tell you about her passion for the game.

Daughter of Joi Siebecker and Kerry Schimelfenig, Keelin, 16, was in her first year on the Holy Cross Lady Crusaders varsity softball team as a sophomore last season.

As a third baseman-DH, she did her best to become a strong contributor for the team. She had a clutch hit that tied the district championship game against Old Forge. The big hit sparked Holy Cross to the win over Old Forge and a district title.

Keelin, who is very genuine and sincere, reiterated how much she loves the game of softball. “I try to openly show my love for the game and improve. My love for the game rubs off on my teammates.”

holy crossKeelin, whose best subject is English, has a 3.2 grade point average at Holy Cross. She is a member of the Pro Life Club. She played one year of junior varsity baseball before making varsity last season.

Keelin tunes up her game in the summer by playing in two leagues, including a travel softball league.

“I just love to play,” she said.

Keelin, who has a very caring and humble personality, said she would like to become a registered nurse like her mom someday. She hopes to study nursing in college. Her top two college choices are Quinippiac College and Penn State.

“If there is an opportunity to play softball, then I will. I do want to incorporate softball into something when I get older.”

Keelin said she eventually wants to become a traveling R.N. “I would like to travel the country while working as a nurse.”

She talked about her immediate goals at Holy Cross. “I want to continue playing softball and help our team. I want to become more school oriented. I want to succeed in my studies and make my grades higher.

“I want to get into the medical field and become an R.N. like my mom. I want to take after my mom.”

Status-FastPitch-Game-Leather-Softball“I want to become better at my sport of softball. I dedicate all of my time to it. I want to help make my teammates as happy as I am playing. It is the only sport I play, so I need to be dedicated. I really enjoy it.”

Dan McGee, her junior varsity coach, is the softball coach for her summer recreational team and travel team.

“I play a lot of games in the summer. There have been a lot of rainouts lately though. Other than that, things are going very well.

“Coach McGee teaches me a lot. I learned how to improve my batting through him. He changed my batting stance completely. And he worked on my footing and throws to help me become a better fielder.”

Keelin’s mom was a standout track and field runner at Scranton Technical High School. Keelin said her parents taught her a lot. “My parents teach me about dedication. They teach me that being dedicated will only improve myself as a player. They tell me if I show dedication, it will also push everyone else to become better.”

Keelin, soft spoken yet enthusiastic, said she loves listening to all kinds of music and goes to a lot of concerts.

The student-athlete also has a love for animals and helping others.

She loves playing for Holy Cross veteran softball coach Joe Ross. “I have learned so much about the game of softball from him. But the main thing he teaches us is that we can be serious, but have fun at the same time.”

Keelin not only loves softball, but she loves her school.

“I absolutely love it here at Holy Cross. Everyone is so welcoming here. The teachers, staff and students make you feel so welcome. They help you no matter what. I remember the seniors all helping us out when we were freshmen. This is really a great place to go to school.”