Tag Archives: student athlete

Athlete of the Month: Nate Fangio

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By Steve Svetovich

Dunmore senior Nate Fangio has excelled at three sports for four years and right now is busy honing his skills on the hardwood.

Son of Cory and Rebekah Fangio, Dunmore, the senior small forward is averaging 12.0 points per game for a Bucks team off to a 9-6 start at press time.

He scored 14 points, including two 3-pointers, in Dunmore’s recent 57-33 win over Old Forge to start the second half of season play. Dunmore senior Richie Grippi led the Bucks with 15 points. Daniel Walsh added 13 points.

Fangio, Grippi and Walsh are serving as a potent 1-2-3 punch for Dunmore this season.

As good as Nate is in basketball, his best sport is football.

bucksA four-year member of the Dunmore Bucks football team as a wide receiver-cornerback, he was named to the All-League teams both offensively and defensively.

He will become a four-year member of Dunmore’s track and field team where he earned all-star status in his junior year for the triple jump. He is the school record holder for the 4 by 400 relay. He also performs the long jump.

Well versed and obviously talented in many areas, Nate has a 96 academic average and is a member of the National Honor Society. He is a member of the Spanish Club, French Club, Earth Club, Health Careers Club and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions). His favorite academic subject is history.

The senior stalwart said he will major in business at Penn Stats University next year.

“We have a pretty good basketball team that is coming along well so far,” he said. “We have a few younger guys playing key roles as well as a group of seniors who are leading the way and showing how to play together as a team.”

Nate, a four-year member of the Dunmore basketball team, said he has learned a lot from coach Tony Lacertoso. “Coach Lacertoso teaches us how to be a good guy not only on the basketball court, but off the court. He teaches us how to win and how to lose. You can be a good winner, but you should also be a good loser. He teaches us how to carry yourself on and off the court.”

The scholar-athlete said his parents are excellent role models. “They teach me to always work hard and be respectful. They teach me to always keep my goals in mind and work hard to achieve them.”

Nate talked about what it takes to be a good small forward in high school basketball. “You need to demonstrate very good athleticism and do a nice job guarding opposing forwards. And you have to be able to make a shot and score from anywhere on the court.”

Nate said he likes listening to hip hop music in his spare time. His favorite musical artist is Post Malone.

And while Nate excels at both basketball and track and field, he knows there is football in his blood. His uncle is Vic Fangio, the highest paid defensive coordinator in the NFL as part of the Chicago Bears coaching staff.

Nate said he wants to be a part of a championship basketball team this season. He was a key member of a 15-1 Dunmore Bucks football team that went to the state championship earlier this school year.

And then he wants to win districts and become an all-star in track and field.

Those are his immediate goals before he ventures off to Penn State.

“Dunmore High School has been great to me,” Nate said. “It’s been a great experience, the best four years of my life. I’ve made a lot of great friends. I’ve met a lot of great people at school.

“Dunmore is a very tight community and there is great support here.”

Dunmorean of the Month: Marina Pegula

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Marina Pegula photo

By Steve Svetovich

Dunmore graduate Marina Pegula is playing as much softball as she can while setting sights on a career in pharmacy.

Daughter of Mark and Diane Pegula, Dunmore, Marina is now in her sophomore year as a pre-Allied Health major at Lackawanna College.

She is a starting shortstop on the Lackawanna College softball team.

Marina, 19, played four years of softball at Dunmore a High School. She is a former all-star and started at shortstop for three years at Dunmore. She also played some third base under Dunmore softball coach Ryan Ferguson.

bucksThe scholar-athlete played basketball and volleyball and also was a football cheerleader at Dunmore.

Jeff Pittsman is her softball coach at Lackawanna. “Our team started to click last season,” Marina said. “I’m really looking forward to playing this season.”

She talked about what it takes to be a good shortstop.

“You need to be aware about what is going on during the game on the field at all times,” she said. “You can’t be overwhelmed. You have to stay calm and make the plays come to you. You can’t be psyched out by anything.”

Marina played travel softball from age nine through her sophomore year in high school. “It was a great experience,” she said. “It was great traveling state to state and even to Florida for the championships. I was away playing every weekend in the summer. It is a lot of fun and you learn a lot from the different teams and players.”

Marina said she learned a lot from her travel team coaches and Dunmore coach Ryan Ferguson. “Coach Ferguson taught us to be focused and put forth your best effort out there. The travel team coaches also taught me a lot about the game.”

The 2016 Dunmore graduate said she became interested in pharmacy after shadowing Tom DePietro at DePietro Family Pharmacy in Dunmore.

“He is a friend of my cousin, Jim Dartt. I really enjoyed the experience shadowing him and I was very good in chemistry in high school. So I decided on a pre-pharmacy major with a goal of going to pharmacy school.”

lccMarina had successful first year at Lackawanna doing well academically and hitting .334 while starting every game at shortstop on the softball team.

She hopes to continue her softball career after the coming season. “It will depend on where I go to school in my junior year. If the opportunity presents itself, I definitely want to continue playing.”

Marina talked about her future goals. “Well, my number one goal is to become a pharmacist. I would like to someday open my own pharmacy. I would like to play softball as long as I can in college. I like being a part of the team.”

Marina enjoys listening to music in her spare time. If she could see anyone in concert, she said, it would be the late Michael Jackson.

Her biggest supporters are her parents.

“My parents always tell me to do my best. They tell me to perform up to my capabilities both in academics and softball. They are very supportive, go to all of my softball games and that gives me a very comfortable feeling.”

Athlete of the Month: Jordan White

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jordan whiteBy Steve Svetovich

It’s not easy to be a scholar-athlete at a high level.

Scranton Prep senior right handed pitcher Jordan White has no problem showing how it’s done.

Son of Don and Judy White, Dunmore, Jordan, 18, has a highly impressive 3.8 academic average while fashioning a 4-3 record and sparkling 1.25 ERA on the mound for the Scranton Prep baseball team.

Jordan will be attending a Penn State University Worthington campus in Dunmore in the fall where he may study education and pre law in hopes of entering the field of law as a state policeman or attorney.

He helped his team to a 6-6 record this season under coach Mark Seitzinger.

Prep lost in the opening round of the playoffs to Berwick, 7-3.

Jordan, who played four years of baseball at Prep, finished the season with 40 innings pitched, 38 strikeouts and only 22 hits and eight walks allowed. He pitched a one-hit complete game shutout against Valley View, striking out 10. He fired a four- hit complete game shutout against Abington Heights, striking out six.

Well rounded as a student-athlete, he is a member of student council, the Scranton Prep players group, the mock trial group, the national honor society and director of the annual student retreats.

“I love it at Scranton Prep,” he said. “I love the whole concept of a Jesuit education and existing for other people. That has led me towards law. The service to others aspect gave me a whole new point of view.”

Well spoken and polite, Jordan said he learned three major things about pitching from Joe Ross, his former Scranton Prep varsity coach. “He coached me for two seasons,” said Jordan. “He taught me three things I will never forget. Work fast, throw strikes and change speeds. Those three things I will take with me for the rest of my life.”

Jordan also had high praise for Tony Cimino, his junior varsity baseball coach at Scranton Prep. “He told me to never give up and that you always have to be a team player. He said it’s not about you. You can control only what you can control. He was great as a coach.”

Jordan said his team had a lot of chemistry this season. “This team had a lot of talent and we grew a lot as a team. The defense is the best in the league and is one of the big reasons I had a good year pitching.

“There is an awful lot of character on this team at Prep.”

Jordan played Teener League baseball at West Scranton and American Legion baseball for Dickson City. “I had great experiences,” he said.

Jordan said he likes listening to music in his spare time and particularly enjoys Mumford and Sons.

He talked about his future goals. “I want to go into the field of law and become a state policeman or attorney. I would like to coach baseball someday. I am a huge baseball fan.”

And he has much gratitude for his parents.

“My parents always told me everyone is good at something. You just have to find out what you are good at. They tell me to take advantage of what comes your way in life every single day. And always try to help people. Help them anyway you can.

“My parents helped me a lot after I had my knee surgery in my junior year. I only pitched two games that year prior to the injury, but was able to come back full strength this year. I have to thank my parents a lot for that. They gave me a lot of strength and support.”

Ron and Marilyn Carlonas, Green Ridge, are two of his biggest boosters. “He is just a great kid,” Marilyn Carlonas said.