Ashley Kirkpatrick has done her fair share of traveling thus far during her young life, and she’s prepared to do a little more in the near future.
The Kennedy Catholic High senior announced she will matriculate at Washington & Jefferson College to continue her education and basketball careers. She will major in information technology with an emphasis on media technologies.
Due to transfers in her father’s professional career, Kirkpatrick and her family have resided in Ohio, Oregon, Louisiana and Pennsylvania. However, she found a home in Hermitage after relocating literally 3 days before her junior year commenced.
A multi-sport standout who also excels as a soccer goalkeeper and track & field thrower (she also competed in tennis while attending a Cleveland-area school), Kirkpatrick’s Kennedy Catholic cage career — through short-lived — was fruitful.
This past season the 5-foot-10 frontliner averaged 15.3 points (7th-best in Herald- area annals) and 13.5 rebounds per game in keying Kennedy to the District 10 Class A semifinals for 1st-year head coach Tom Burns. After commencing the campaign losing 9 of its 1st 10 games KC concluded with 9 wins in its last 16 games. Kirkpatrick collected 21 double-doubles and 3 triple-doubles, highlighted by a 33-point, 22-rebound, 10-assist, 6-blocked shots line in a 60-53 Jan. 8 win over Greenville.
A daughter of Lori and Robb Kirkpatrick (her sister Katie is a Duquense University freshman and played at Kennedy last season), she maintains a 3.5 grade-point-average and member of Kennedy’s National Honor Society chapter and earned 6 varsity letters during her 2-year tenure at Kennedy. Following the recent hardwood season she was named as well as last fall as KC’s keeper in soccer she was a 2nd-team D-10 All-Region selection. For the latter she also was chosen for the annual Mercer-Lawrence County all-star match. She also is a member of Students Against Drunk Driving and volunteers for Special Olympics and as a cage camp counselor.
Kirkpatrick, contacted by a dozen schools for basketball and a half-dozen for soccer, could conceivably contribute to an already powerful Presidents’ program. Under the direction of 4th-year head coach Jina DeRubba W&J; went 23-7 overall and 11-3 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference this past season, qualifying for the Eastern College Athletic Conference playoffs.
ä Tina Beggs, former Lakeview High standout, fared well in the recent Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference indoor track & field championships at East Stroudsburg University.
The Slippery Rock University sophomore speedster stood 7th in the 55-meter dash (7.53) and ended 8th in the 200-meter sprint (26.781). Slippery Rock and Shippensburg shared the women’s team title.
SRU’s cinder squad ventured to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas as well as San Diego State University for its season-opening outdoor meets.
Beggs, a 2006 Lakeview alumna, is a daughter of Bob and Sally Beggs.
Ed Farrell is assistant sports editor for The Herald
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KC's Kirkpatrick to W&J; Beggs shines at the PSAC Championships
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PIAA Track: Hickory's Bell, Lubarski, Regginello grab gold
SHIPPENSBURG — There’s a big difference between being seeded 1st and finishing 1st — Matt Bell can attest to that.
After settling for silver last year, the Hickory High senior put the shot 59 feet, 6 3/4 inches Friday afternoon to garner gold at the annual PIAA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University. -
WM to play for D-10 baseball title; GC, Sharon, Sharpsville lose
Four area baseball teams were in action on Friday in the District 10 semifinals as the squads battled to compete for District 10 championships on Monday.
West Middlesex rolled past error-prone Linesville, 8-0, in Class A action at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park.
In Class AA, both Sharon and Sharpsville suffered 2-1 losses. The Tigers fell to Saegertown at Ainsworth Field in Erie while the Blue Devils lost to Titusville at SRU.
In Class AAA, the Grove City Eagles were denied the chance to defend their D-10 crown after suffering a 6-3 loss to Warren at SRU. -
Farrell volleyball falls in D-10 semifinals
The Farrell High boys volleyball team suffered a 2-0 (25-15, 25-12) loss to Saegertown on Thursday night in the District 10 semifinals at Meadville Area High’s “House of Thrills.”
“This was the first year we made it out of the first day (pool play) of the playoffs,” said Steelers’ coach Dan Dragicevic. “I’d like to cite my seniors (Eric Demus, Anthony Perkins, Jaylen Chambers and Lawrence Hughes). -
Locals ready to go for gold at Shippensburg
Now that Mercer County is on the map, it’s incumbent upon the area aggregation to chart a course for the ultimate destination — Seth Grove Stadium’s medals stand — during this weekend’s PIAA Track & Field Championships.
Led by West Middlesex High sprinter Clay Allen, many Mercer Countians are seeded at or near the top of their respective events for the annual 2-day marathon at Shippensburg University, which commences 9 a.m. Friday. It will continue beginning 9 a.m. Saturday. -
D-10 Playoffs: Local teams go 6-for-6
ä Grove City 1, Harbor Creek 0 — At Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park, what the Grove City Eagles couldn’t accomplish themselves, the Harbor Creek Huskies unwittingly did for them.
Unable to plate runs themselves, Torin Smith scored the Eagles’ only run when teammate Tyler Devine’s seeming inning-ending pop-up to left field was dropped by Harbor Creek’s Chris Merritt in the bottom of the 7th inning of Tuesday’s tourney opener. -
Great year for WM track; local qualifiers listed
It’s been a big year for the Big Reds.
Though there’s no official documentation, the 2011-12 academic year may be the most successful in West Middlesex High’s athletic annals. -
SPORTVIEW: Local names Kroko, Lutz, Kareklas in news elsewhere
IT’S ALWAYS GOOD to hear of former area people who have gone on to athletic success in other areas, or the family of former area residents. Following are a few of those stories:
ä Bob and Betty Kroko of Sharon are avid followers of professional baseball. No, not necessarily the Pittsburgh Pirates or Cleveland Indians like many local fans.
The Krokos keep a close eye on the Austria Major League! -
Petty an all-around great athlete in track and gymnastics
When Mercer County’s contingent convenes at the annual PIAA Track & Field Championships this weekend, it will be well represented
Clay Allen, Matt Bell, John Yohman, Johnathan Jacoway, Jeremy Jansco, Nico Zahniser, DeShawn Coleman, Dan Jaskowak, et all, should haul home some hardware. But with all due respect, the aforementioned young men may or may not be best athletes in the area’s aggregation that will assemble this weekend at Shippensburg University. -
Lubarski, Richards, Petty, Allen shine at D-10 Track Championships; Hickory girls, WM boys team champs
Hickory High’s high-jump state champion Lauren Lubarski suffered a severe blow to open her competion at the annual District 10 Class AA Track & Field Championships Saturday at Hickory HIgh Stadium.
She failed to qualify for state in the event she had won the previous year. -
Baseball, softball D-10 playoff pairings
The District 10 pairings for the baseball and softball playoffs have been released. Five area baseball teams and four (possibly 5) softball squads have qualified.
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