By Lynn Saternow
Herald Sports Editor
LEN CLARKE was a long-time golf and basketball coach at Grove City High School. His grandson Lucas Clarke apparently doesn’t need much of his proud grandpa’s coaching on the links.
Lucas, who was one of the top scorers on the basketball team at Mercer last season, is a junior at Heidelberg (Germany) High School where he is expected to start on the hoops team this coming season. But he is already making a mark on the golf courses.
Lucas this fall won the DODDS-Europe Golf Tournament in Wiesbaden, Ger. It was a two-day tourney using modified Stableford scoring.
But while he has obviously acquired some of grandpa’s golf skills, he is following in the footsteps of his dad Tom, a lieutenant colonel stationed in strategic command in Germany. Tom held the hoops scoring records at Grove City High for 13 years before it was broken by Mike Johnson.
Tom, who is married to the former Julie Erb of Mercer (also a standout athlete) graduated from West Point in 1985 and has continued a brilliant career in the military. He performs highly classified work in Germany.
Lucas’s sister MacKenzie, a sophomore who played basketball at Mercer last year, will compete on the girls team as well in Germany. Younger brother Logan is a top football player in middle school.
They are the grandchildren of local residents Len and Joyce Clarke and Jim and Jan Erb.
ä Oak Tree Country Club pro Tom Roskos had another great year in long-drive competitions.
Roskos, former Sharpsville High athletic standout, competed in his 8th Re/Max World Long Drive Finals recently. He placed 9th out of 144 competitors from 30 countries.
His longest drive was 396 yards in Round 11. His 9th- place finish left him one place out of the final 8 for the ESPN telecast on Dec. 20. However, Tom did several interviews and he was filmed competing, so he may get some air time on the telecast.
Last year Tom also did a 45-second commercial for the new driver produced by Adams, his sponsor.
The 9th-place finish earned Tom an exemption for the 2010 world finals.
“My wife Leah and my parents have been huge supporters the past few years as well as Denny Dolci,” said Tom. ”I have received great support from Oak Tree Country Club, Dr. Mike Namey, Kurt Gramley, Harry Toscano and Chris Carfangia.”
He competed in about 30 power golf shows this past year as well as two other competitions. He finished 3rd in the RE/MAX of Texas Shootout in June, hitting the longest drive in tournament history, 450 yards. He also tied for 5th in August at the Duel in the Desert at Mesquite, Nev., with a long drive of 421.
Those finishes helped Tom move into 6th on the all-time money list in Long Drivers of America history. He continued a streak of placing in the top 8 for 15 tournaments in a row in the LDA Tour events.
Tom took over as head golf pro at Oak Tree in April and gave Oak Tree General Manager Bob Collins credit for working with him and allowing him to compete at a high level. “My staff did a great job helping me out while I was traveling some 80 days this past year,” said Tom. “I’d like to thank them as well — Mike Zaborowski, Mike Waechter, Eli Deflin, Duncan Wingard, Ronnie Gaines, Jared Daley, Diane Pressnar, Jim Dunkerly, Lou Mastrian, Rob Curry, Ryan Spear, Josh Vass, Kyle Gregorich, Hanna Gaines, Ryan Shugarts and John Dyll.”
ä The annual Penn-New York Cup event was played at the Greens of Greenville this year. It is a competition that involves scramble, best-ball and singles competitions.
The Triple Creek Golf Club of Nunda, N.Y., edged the local team this year, 9-7.
The Greens jumped to a 3-1 lead in scramble matches, with the duos of Scot Wells-Steve Surano, Bo Artman-Bob Uber and Fred Graham-Josh Castiglione grabbing victories.
In best-ball, Wells-Surano notched a win, while Graham-Castiglione earned a tie.
Local singles winners were Kirt Gasaway and Artman, while Surano earned a tie. Club pros Dan McMillen of Greenville and Brian Tolnar of Turtle Creek also competed.
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FAIRWAY SHOTS: Lucas Clarke wins tourney in Germany; Roskos has banner year
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WM baseball, Sharpsville and Wilmington softball playing for D-10 titles
Sharpsville and Wilmington softball teams and the West Middlesex baseball squad return to the diamond today to compete for District 10 championships.
SOFTBALL
Class A Championship
Coach Bob Zikovich's Sharpsville Blue Darlings (15-2) battle a tough Saegertown (18-2) squad at 2 p.m. today at Penn State-Behrend in Erie. -
PIAA Track Notebook: KC's Wareham made round trips to "The Ship"
The most impressive race during this weekend’s PIAA Track & Field Championships did not take place at Shippensburg University, nor will you read its results in any newspaper on or any web site.
To be sure, it was a race against time, but not in the sense of being defined by a coach’s hand-held device, nor Seth Grove Stadium’s scoreboard clock. -
Hickory girls grab PIAA Class AA Track team title
SHIPPENSBURG — This news bulletin just in: Mercer County athletes dominated during this weekend’s PIAA Track & Field Championships.
Nothing new there, you say? Well, perhaps you’re correct, considering how well the area aggregation annually accounts itself on Memorial Day Weekend at Shippensburg University. Therefore it was not surprising how much hardware was hauled home — once again. -
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! - More Sports Headlines
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