A wall of cards and other products at the Princeton store of Green Design.

by Sue Ann Rybak

Where can you find stainless steel baby bottles free from bpa, phthalates and other toxins, or a natural organic latex mattress?

This May area residents will be able to find a variety of environmentally-friendly products at Green Design, a new eco-friendly general store that will open at 8434 Germantown Ave., the former Byrne Fabric store, which later became Chestnut Hill Fabric store.

When Tim McNulty and his wife, Chi Park, decided to have kids, they began researching what products would be the healthiest for their children.

“We wanted to get the most natural and environmentally friendly items,” McNulty said. “We started to do research on what foods to eat, what clothes to wear and what toys to buy for our children.”

McNulty credits their motivation to live a more eco-friendly life from living in Germany and the Netherlands.

“In general, people in those societies are much more green in their way of thinking than in the United States,” McNulty said. “It helped to drive some of our earlier thinking to discover better ways of living.”

But after the birth of their two children, they decided to move east to be closer to family. And that’s where the inspiration for Green Design came from.

“After doing all this research we realized why not make use of it,” McNulty said. “One of the things we found from doing our research was that there were not a lot of brick and mortar stores that carry these items. While you still can buy them on the Internet, most people at the end of the day still want to see the items before they buy them.”

In 2008, McNulty opened his first store in Princeton, N.J. The store was a huge success. McNulty chose Chestnut Hill as the second location for his store because people in Chestnut Hill tend to be more “environmentally-conscious and want quality products for their family.”

Both stores feature a variety of products such as organic baby clothes, bamboo furniture, organic latex mattresses and pillows, stainless steal water bottles, organic and wooden toys and much more.

“Its not just that something is environmentally friendly,” McNulty said. “From the design aspect everything is beautifully designed. Someone put a great deal of thought into the design and practicality of the item. The side benefit is that it’s also environmentally friendly.”

Thanks to a partnership with Terracycle, a company that collects items that are not normally recycled and turns them into useable items such as tote bags, purses and coasters, the Chestnut Hill store will be a collection point for consumers to drop off items such as ziplock bags, chip bags, drink pouches, flip flops, cell phones, cookie and candy wrappers.

It’s just one more way McNulty is helping to make the world a better place for his kids.

Springside senior Libbie Maine receives the 2011-2012 Girls’ Inter-Ac Athletic Directors’ Award at a banquet at the Baldwin School

SCH Academy senior Libbie Maine has received the Girls’ Inter-Ac Athletic Directors’ Award for 2011-2012. This award is given to one outstanding female multi-sport student-athlete from each Inter-Ac school. The winners are outstanding multi-sport athletes that represent themselves, their team, their school, and the league with honor by exhibiting outstanding sportsmanship, leadership, and coachability.

“I am extremely honored to have received the Inter-Ac Athletic Directors’ Award and am proud to represent my fellow students and teammates,” said Maine, a Wyndmoor resident. “I feel very grateful to go to Springside because of the support my coaches, teachers, and the whole community have given me as a multi-sport athlete and student. This support has not only made my experience rewarding but also extremely fun!”

For four years, Maine has played varsity field hockey, squash, and lacrosse. She has been selected All-Inter-Ac in field hockey in 11th and 12th grade, squash in 10th, 11th, and 12th grade, and lacrosse in 10th and 11th, with this season yet to be determined.

Maine was honored at the Girls’ Inter-Ac AD Banquet on Wednesday, May 2nd at the Baldwin School.

Lying: Meredith Bohner- Plymouth Meeting

Sitting (L to R): Mason Rode –Wyndmoor ; Natalie Schwartz- Erdenheim ; Mckenzie Case – Chestnut Hill ; Lucy Keyser – Glenside

Standing (L to R): Coach Tricia Fleming – Wyndmoor ; Frankie Reitmeyer – Chestnut Hill ; Mikaela Watson – Rydal ; Remi Filippini – Chestnut Hill ; Morgan Steelman – Chestnut Hill ; Meredith Giordano – Flourtown ; Assist. Coach Frank Chernak – Wyndmoor ; Meredith Chernak –Wyndmoor ; Sarah Fleming – Wyndmoor ; Lexi Prochniak – Oreland ; Emily Binswanger – Ft Washington ; Meg Chandler – Oreland

(Missing: Hannah Fox, Sophia Smith )

The 7th/8th grade Chestnut Hill Girls Lacrosse team, pictured above, played seven grueling games at the Abington Plays Days and won.

Hats off to Tricia Fleming, who has been an incredible coach for these girls for the last three years; this was a spectacular and well-deserved medal for all their seasons of hard work.

The property owner of Greene Street Consignment (center building) want to build an addition over what is currently two parking spaces. (Photo by Pete Mazzaccaro)

by Wesley Ratko

Sanjiv Jain, the owner of 8524 Germantown Ave., asked the Chestnut Hill Community Association’s Development Review Committee to support a zoning variance that would allow him to build an extension onto the rear of that building to accommodate the growing success of Greene Street Consignment, the building’s current tenant.

The building now covers 75 percent of the property . Jain is proposing to build an extension that would cover the remainder of the lot. According to Jain, all but four buildings on the block cover 100 percent of their parcels.

Committee co-chair Greg Woodring asked Jain about the hardship he faced that would justify granting a variance. He told the committee that the retail space on the first floor was too small to allow either the current tenant or any future tenant to be successful.

“They can’t function as a retail store with so little space,” Jain said.

Jain is proposing to construct a one-story addition onto the back of the store. He does not intend to add a basement. The addition will be constructed on ground that is currently used for parking. Committee member Cynthia Brey asked Jain where the drivers who park in those parking spaces would be accommodated. Jain told her he would make arrangements with the Parking Foundation to buy permits for use in one of their nearby lots.

CHCA board member Mike Chomentowski, a near neighbor, told the committee that his neighbors on the 8500 block of Shawnee Street, were not informed about the project and that it would disrupt their access to parking in the center lot. Chomentowski said that the parking behind the building was difficult to access and that any construction, even without the construction of a basement, would limit access.

An alley behind the property provides access and parking to several adjacent property owners with easement rights to use the drive. Ownership of the alley, however, was unclear. Jain told the DRC that the Chestnut Hill Parking Foundation pays the tax bill and, as a result, he suspected that they owned it. Chomentowski disputed that.

“They’ve never maintained it,” Chomentowski said.

Committee co-chair Greg Woodring asked Jain about storm water and the impact of building out to the edge of the property would have on flooding. Jain told him that the portion of the lot not covered by the building is paved and, therefore, impervious to water. He said his engineer (who was not present) was looking at the possibility of creating a green roof and installing a storm water retention tank, but he offered no details.

The DRC took no formal action beyond asking Jain to present his proposal to the Land Use Planning and Zoning Committee and the Historic District Advisory Committee. HDAC Board member and Chestnut Hill Historical Society president Frank Niepold said the building was listed as “contributing” to the Chestnut Hill Historic District and that even though no changes are planned for the front of the building, it still warranted examination by the HDAC.

Magarity Ford Property

No one was present to report on the Magarity Ford/Fresh Market project at 8200 Germantown Avenue. Cynthia Brey told the committee that a meeting between the LUPZ’s negotiating subcommittee and Bowman Properties at the Historical Society has been tentatively scheduled for next week and that a request for term sheets, drawings, and the massing model has been conveyed.

Committee co-chair Greg Woodring was dismayed by the lack of information Bowman has provided.

“There is a lot of technical data that is to be provided has not been provided,” Woodring said. He added that this information is necessary to determine whether the project complies with zoning and to assess the actual size of the finished building would be. Several of those present expressed concern that the plans for the building were too large for the Avenue.

Mrs. Flannery had started work at the Local as a receptionist and was classified advertising manager when she retired in 2007.

Earlier she had worked as a pre-school teacher in the nursery school at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill.

A longtime community volunteer, Mrs. Flannery had for many years assisted contestants in the Montgomery County Special Olympics in the swimming, golf and bowling competitions.

She also was an active volunteer for the Chestnut Hill Community Association at its annual dinner, at Pastorius Park concerts and other events. She collected surplus food from area supermarkets for the dining room at St. Vincent’s Church in Germantown, worked at the annual clothing drive at Our Mother of Consolation Church in Chestnut Hill and served as an overnight host for homeless families at area churches participating in the Northwest Interfaith Hospitality Network.

She also volunteered at St. Joseph’s Villa in Flourtown, a nursing home, transporting residents from their rooms to hairdresser appointments.

Mrs. Flannery is survived by a daughter, Maureen Hervada; sons Michael, John, Matthew, Martin and Brian, and 12 grandchildren. Her husband of 41 years, John Flannery, died in 2002.

A funeral Mass was celebrated May 4 at Our Mother of Consolation Church in Chestnut Hill, with interment at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Cheltenham. Memorial donations may be made to the Special Olympics Montgomery County, 980 Harvest Drive, Suite 203, Blue Bell, PA 19422.

Mr. O’Brien was a founding member of Conrad O’Brien and chairman emeritus of the firm where he had practiced for more than 30 years.

He began his legal career at what is now Pepper Hamilton, where he became a partner before leaving to start the Conrad O’Brien firm. As a lawyer he represented a wide range of clients that included Fortune 500 companies, law firms, hospitals and individuals.

Among his most notable cases was his defense of John DuPont, the chemical fortune heir, in a civil lawsuit for wrongful death brought by the wife of David Schultz, an Olympic wrestler who had been shot by DuPont. In his last jury trial, he obtained a defense verdict on behalf of a major law firm in a legal malpractice action claiming over $20 million in damages.

Jim Rohn, chairman of Conrad O’Brien who had worked with Mr. O’Brien for more than 23 years, said Mr. O’Brien’s trial skills were “legendary.”

“It was his ability to connect with people that made him so effective and unique,” Rohn said.

He was a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He was a past President of the Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel and a recipient of its Distinguished Service Award.

He lectured extensively on trial advocacy, including serving as an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at Temple University’s School of Law.

He was a graduate of LaSalle University and Villanova University’s School of Law.

Mr. O’Brien is survived by his wife, Lillian; a daughter, Nancy O’Brien Weidner; a son, William, Jr.; brothers James and Joseph; sisters Mary DiCondina, Susan Zimmerman, Kathleen Ferguson, Mildred O’Brien, and Fran O’Brien, and two grandchildren.

Memorial donations may be made to Villanova University School of Law, Class of ’62, or to Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law, Trial Advocacy.

Funeral services for Mr. O’Brien were held May 10 at Our Mother of Consolation Church in Chestnut Hill.

Louis Heilprin Pollak, 89, a U.S. District Judge who, as a young lawyer, played a key role in litigation leading to school desegregation, died May 8 of congestive heart failure at his home in Mt. Airy.

Judge Pollak, who also had been dean of the law schools at Yale and the University of Pennsylvania, was widely known for his fairness and humanity on the bench. Judge Guido Calabresi, a former student who succeeded him as dean of Yale’s Law School, said Judge Pollak had “that quality of nuance and subtlety that sees everything from every point of view.”

Judge Pollak graduated from Harvard College and, after serving in the Army during World War II, received his law degree from Yale University, where he was editor of the law review.

He began his legal career as a clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Wiley Rutledge from 1949 to 1951. Here he became close friends with William Coleman, the former U.S. Transportation Secretary, who was also serving a clerkship at the court.

The friendship continued when the two men joined the New York law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison. Practicing commercial law during the day, they spent their evenings in Harlem developing legal strategies at the offices of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

They assisted civil rights lawyer Thurgood Marshall, who would become the first African-American U.S. Supreme Court justice, in writing briefs and preparing oral arguments for the Brown v. Board of Education school desegregation case.

Judge Pollak later would become a board member and vice president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Before becoming a judge, he was well known for civil-rights and civil-liberties law, which became a focus of his teaching and scholarly interests.

He served as dean of Yale Law School from 1965 to 1970, and as dean of Penn’s law school from 1975 until he was appointed to the federal bench in Philadelphia in 1978 by President Jimmy Carter. He was named a senior judge in 1991. During his time on the bench, he presided over a wide variety of cases and issues.

Judge Legrome Davis, of Mt. Airy, a friend and a colleague of Judge Pollak on the Eastern District bench, called the judge “one of the most special people I’ve been fortunate to meet.”

“He had extraordinary human compassion and was always looking for the good and the positive,” Davis said. “I never heard him utter a cross word.”

Davis said Judge Pollak saw the law “as a tool to affect the larger good,” adding that his friend “was so unassuming that you’d never suspect he was the legal giant that, in fact, he was.”

John E. Savoth, chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, said Judge Pollak “had a tremendous influence on the quality of justice in the Eastern District.”

“He distinguished himself in several legal careers – as a judge, a lawyer, a law-school professor and dean,” Savoth said, “but most of all, he was beloved by lawyers and judges alike for his brilliance, independence and fairness, as well as his graciousness.”

Raised in Manhattan, Judge Pollak was the son of Walter Pollak, a prominent civil rights lawyer who had helped to defend nine black men charged with rape in the notorious Scottsboro Boys case.

Fond of poetry, Judge Pollak will be remembered locally at Project Learn School in Mt. Airy where he read “Casey at the Bat” to assembled students, staff and grandparents during a Grandparents’ Day program at the school attended by three of his grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, the former Katherine Weiss; daughters Nancy, Elizabeth, Susan, Sally and Deborah, and several grandchildren.

City and Chestnut Hill Friends Officials crowded under a tent in the pouring rain Tuesday morning for a groundbreaking photo op. The officials (from left) included city Councilman Bill Green, Chief Cultural Officer Gary Steur, City Councilperson Cindy Bass, President of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Gail Harrity, Congressman Chaka Fattah, Executive Director of the Friends Council on Education Irene McHenry, Chestnut Hill Friends New Meetinghouse Campaign Committee co-chair Jon Laudau, and Friends of the Wissahickon Executive Director Maura McCarthy. Meeting member children (from left) John and Isabella Mazzaccaro and Skye and Ani Peterson.

by Barbara Sherf

On Tuesday morning, more than 150 Quakers, area art leaders, city officials and Congressman Chaka Fattah gathered in the 80-year-old Chestnut Hill Friends Meetinghouse to listen to speakers before venturing out into the pouring rain to break ground for a new Friends meetinghouse to open in early 2013.

Jon Laudau, co-chair of the New Meetinghouse Campaign Committee, opened the program by pointing out the need for more space.

“Welcome – I guess you can all see why we need a new meetinghouse,” Landau quipped before turning to the numbers the committee has reached after four years of fundraising. “We are nearly at our goal for this $6.3 million project, and it should be noted that two thirds of the funding came from within the Quaker meeting.

“But what is really amazing and extraordinary is that $2 million came from outside of the meeting. Because of that support we are within $100,000 of completing the project. Funding for solar and landscaping is still being sought, but we are able to forge ahead.”

The meetinghouse will be comprised of a simple, two-story L-shaped building featuring a Skyspace by light artist James Turrell that will be open to the public year-round.

Gary Steur, Philadelphia’s chief cultural officer, spoke about the significance of the donated art installation by Turrell, a Quaker and world-renowned artist.

“Having a James Turrell in Philadelphia is a very big deal,” Steur said. “The creation of this Skyspace is part of a larger arts and culture story – the story of Philadelphia taking its rightful place on the world stage. It’s not a coincidence that we are breaking ground this week with the Barnes Museum opening. It is a tipping point, and these things become an opportunity for citizens to recognize what they have here in Northwest Philadelphia and the city as a whole.”

Chestnut Hill resident Gail Harrity, president of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, noted that Turrell is a recipient of the Guggenheim and MacArthur “Genius” fellowships, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters – the highest formal recognition of artistic merit in the United States.

Harrity spoke of her moving experience visiting Turrell’s “Minamidera” or “Backside of the Moon” work in Naoshima, a small island located in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan.

“With arms outstretched, I reached blindly in the void to find a rail, a wall, something solid to give ballast,” she recalled. “Very slowly, over a period of several minutes, which felt like several hours, a soft blue light began to emerge. And then slowly, the dim blue light began to brighten and eventually transformed the space with its azure blue glow. The experience is quiet, but powerful. It calls for reflection and can be transformative, changing with the times of day and year. Turrell’s work here will be a stunningly beautiful, meditative place and work of art that will speak to the souls of people of all faiths and backgrounds.”

Harrity went on to talk about the Roden Crater, a dormant volcano at the end of the Painted Desert in Arizona that, she said, “Turrell has shaped into a monumental experience of light and celestial phenomena.”

“People go all over the world to see his work, and they will come right here to do the same,” she added.

Congressman Chaka Fattah spoke of the impact Quakers have had on him and his family.

“Going back to 1972 and the “No Gang War” campaign at 4th and Arch Streets, Quakers helped my family and other young people to find ways to resolve conflict other than by using violence,” Fattah noted. “For those around the world looking for a moral compass, Quakers have been the standard bearers throughout history.

“There will be art lovers who will come to see the Skyspace and that is appropriate. But there are others who will see the remarkable and inspiring work you’ve done over the years for causes that never get headlines but are in fact critical issues that face our country.”

Irene McHenry, executive director of the Friends Council on Education, noted that the Friends Council, Mt. Airy Learning Tree, Northwest Interfaith Hospitality Network and a host of community organizations use the current location at 20 E. Mermaid Lane.

“This new Meetinghouse will do much more in and for the community in terms of carrying William Penn’s vision forward,” McHenry said. “I am so happy to finally see this deliberate and intentional move in breaking ground. We know it will be a beacon of light for Quakerism in the City of Philadelphia.”

Maura McCarthy, executive director of Friends of the Wissahickon, talked about the land and the respect that the Quakers have had for it.

“When I think about this project, I see how the moral leadership has permeated every aspect of it right down to the landscaping that will draw people into an underutilized portion of the park,” McCarthy noted. “This group has shown great sensitivity to the watershed and the impact of the landscape on the watershed.”

Erdenheim resident Zeta Cross said she was drawn to the groundbreaking by the Turrell Skyspace installation.

“I saw an exhibit of his in Los Angeles in the ‘80s, and I’ve never been the same,” Cross said. “It’s about spirituality and light. It was truly an amazing experience.”

After the remarks, Congressman Fattah and four children from the Quaker meeting symbolically launched the building project by putting shovels in the ground on a wooded 1.8 acre-lot below the current meetinghouse.

For more information visit:http://www.chfmnewmeetinghouse.org/. 

Freshman Bridget Lipp is one of the talented young runners that helped Springside Chestnut Hill Academy finish third behind much larger teams at the Girls Inter-Ac track championships last weekend. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

by Tom Utescher

 Freshman Bridget Lipp is one of the talented young runners that helped Springside Chestnut Hill Academy finish third behind much larger teams at the Girls Inter-Ac track championships last weekend. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

The battle for the 2012 Girls Inter-Ac League track and field championship came down to a pair of Main Line schools last Saturday, with the Academy of Notre Dame successfully defending its 2011 team title by outscoring Episcopal Academy, 125-115.

With only 15 girls on its roster, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy stayed in the hunt most of the day, as its young sprinters and jumpers, along with a rising distance star, piled up 97 points for the third-place Lions. Field events were the forte of meet host Germantown Academy, which finished fourth with 71 points, while Penn Charter, rebuilding after winning the meet in 2010 and coming in second last year, wound up fifth with 31 points.

Agnes Irwin was sixth with 26 points and Baldwin School, represented by just six athletes, did not score.

Sophomore speedster Katelyn Jackson of Springside Chestnut Hill won the 100 and 200 meter dash and was third in the 100 high hurdles, netting 26 points in those three events while also anchoring the Lions’ victorious 4 x 100 meter relay team. Freshman Jamie Costarino came in second in both the 1600 and 3200 meters, and the Lions drew upon the middle school ranks to receive a great effort from eighth-grader Julia Reeves, who won the triple jump, placed third in the long jump, and participated in the 4 x 400 relay.

“The whole thing with our team is that it’s a group of real young kids who are learning the ropes,” noted SCH coach Bob Shoudt. “There’s one senior on the team, a few juniors and sophomores, and a bunch of freshmen.

“And of course our eighth-grader [Reeves] had a real good day today,” he continued. “The girls came ready to compete and they competed well. They kept their composure, which is good, and I think that the future looks very bright for them.”

One of the most impressive performances of the day occurred early in the program of events, as GA sophomore Megan McCloskey set a personal record (PR) of 5’9” to defend her league title in the high jump. Her closest competitor, with a leap of five feet even, was her sister Kiernan, a junior best known for her basketball talents.

Since she came to GA as a freshman, there’s really been no one in the area to challenge the younger McCloskey in the high jump pit.

“I don’t think about who the competition is; I know personally what I need to do and I set goals for myself for the meet,” she explained. “Today the weather was perfect to go for my top mark and it worked out.”

She won the event at the 2011 Inter-Ac meet with a leap of 5’8”, and this past winter she soared 5’8.25” in indoors competition.

Training with her mother, Mimi, and occasionally with former U.S. National Team member Mike Pascuzzo, McCloskey said, “The focus has mostly been on my approach this year, not so much on the over-the-bar aspect. I’ve been working to make my last three steps really fast. Today I got my steps down and it all came together.”

With McCloskey placing second in the long jump and sister Kiernan second in the triple jump, the Patriots emerged from the field events with 45 points, more than half of their day’s total and more than Notre Dame (29) or Episcopal (28).

SCH freshman Olivia Byron came in right behind the McCloskey sisters to finish third in the high jump, and with the young Reeves making her mark the Lions came away from the jumping and throwing sectors with 25 points. Penn Charter senior Saagarika Thanvi placed second in the shot put to lead three Quaker scorers in that event, and her classmate Marisa Shepard won the pole vault. At the end of the field events, PC had accumulated 25 of its total of 31 points for the day.

Notre Dame had not scored in the pole vault, but that was the only event at the meet where the Irish came up empty. Their top distance runner, Maria Seykora, defended her three 2011 Inter-Ac championships in the 800, 1600, and 3200 meters, setting new meet records in the 1600 (4:57.30) and the 3200 (11:34.48). Also part of Notre Dame’s winning 4 x 400 relay combo, the Princeton-bound harrier was named the outstanding athlete of the meet by a vote of the league coaches.

While Seykora quickly built unassailable leads in the 1600 and 3200, SCH’s Costarino ran most of both races with a small group of rivals that included PC junior Catie Skinner and a pair of seniors, Episcopal’s Kristen Greenwood and Notre Dame’s Caroline Powers. In the late stages of each contest the young Lion took over sole control of second place, winning the 1600 by three seconds and the 3200 by six. Skinner was fifth in both events.

The Penn Charter program is not used to being in rebuilding mode, but that’s where the Quakers have been this spring.

“We graduated a lot from last year, so I was looking to come in here today and just get experience for our young team,” commented PC mentor Liz Flemming. “Our shot-putters have been good all year and they did well today, and we had some new girls in the triple jump who scored. Our 4 x 400 relay didn’t place high but they took three seconds off their time.”

Nevertheless, the coach remarked, “It’s been a hard year. Penn Charter’s been first or second in the league for a long time, so fighting for fifth is a new position for us. It’s been a learning experience for both me and the girls.”

In the 100 and the 200, SCH’s Jackson won out over another speedy sophomore, Notre Dame’s Moira Putsch, while Lions freshman Bridget Lipp finished third in each race. In the 4 x 100, Jackson was preceded by Reeves, senior Jamie McGinn, and her younger sister Kyra Jackson, a freshman. The elder sibling had to make up some ground on her concluding leg to eke out a win over Putsch, who was the Notre Dame anchor.

Going into the 4 x 400 relay that wrapped up the meet, the point totals were such that neither third-place SCH nor number four GA could move up or down in the final rankings. Below them, Penn Charter and Agnes Irwin were still close, but neither of them really had the horses in the four-by-four to alter their respective fates.

The EA Churchwomen could have captured the championship only if they won the relay and Notre Dame finished last out of the six entries. That didn’t happen, but after Seykora gave the Irish a strong lead-off leg, Episcopal climbed back in it and contributed to an exciting finish. Notre Dame won in 4:05.55, with Episcopal a fraction of a second behind in 4:05.76.

Winners & Area Scorers

* = meet record

100 meters

1. SCH Katelyn Jackson 12.22

3. SCH Bridget Lipp 13.23

200 meters

1. SCH Katelyn Jackson 25.04

3. SCH Bridget Lipp 26.71

5. GA Kiernan McCloskey 27.08

400 meters

1. EA Keri Boyce 1:00.22

4. SCH Drew Davis 1:00.64

5. GA Anna Hallahan 1:01.56

800 meters

1. ND Maria Seykora 2:17.62

2. GA Kerry Lawlor 2:21.24

1600 meters

1. ND Maria Seykora 4:57.30 *

2. SCH Jamie Costarino 5:12.44

4. GA Madeline Stambaugh 5:16.88

5. PC Catie Skinner 5:21.50

3200 meters

1. ND Maria Seykora 11:34.48 *

2. SCH Jamie Costarino 11:44.36

5. PC Catie Skinner 11:55.59

100 high hurdles

1. ND Katie Nappi 16.47

3. SCH Katelyn Jackson 16.95

5. GA Fran Sweeney 17.60

300 intermediate hurdles

1. ND Katie Nappi 45.19 *

High jump

1. GA Megan McCloskey 5’9” *

2. GA Kiernan McCloskey 5’0”

3. SCH Olivia Byron 4’10”

Long jump

1. ND Moira Putsch 17’2.5”

2. GA Megan McCloskey 16’9.75”

3. SCH Julia Reeves 16’8.5”

4. GA Kiernan McCloskey 16’2.5”

Pole vault

1. PC Marisa Shepard 7’9”

3. GA Riley Yankowich 7’6”

6. GA Sarah Armato 7’0”

Shot put

1. EA Gianna Pileggi 30’8.75”

2. PC Saagarika Thanvi 28’5”

4. PC Caroline Jones 27’0.25”

6. PC Ashleigh Brown 24’4.25”

Triple jump

1. SCH Julia Reeves 33’6”

2. GA Kiernan McCloskey 33’5.5”

5. PC Holly Webb 32’4”

6. SCH Jamie McGinn 31’6.75”

SCH sophomore Sean Delaney (dark uniform) encounters Dean Roseman of Penn Charter, also a 10th grader. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

by Tom Utescher

In each of its last two lacrosse games against Inter-Ac League rivals, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy trailed 2-3 at one point during the second quarter.

Two Fridays ago in the first of those matches, a costly penalty helped lead to the collapse of the SCH Blue Devils, who saw Germantown Academy score seven straight goals and go on to win, 14-6. Last Tuesday’s tilt at Penn Charter would also end in defeat for SCH, but the Devils would play much better and would stay in contention a lot longer.

From their 2-3 shortfall at PC, the visitors bounced back to take a 4-3 lead before Charter rallied for a 6-4 halftime advantage. Early in the fourth quarter, the Devils were just one point back at 6-7, then the Quakers finished with a flourish, sinking five of the last six goals in the game for a 13-8 win.

Senior Shane Carr, who’s heading to Yale, peppered the stat sheet with seven goals and an assist, and sophomore Drew Murray had five goals and an assist for the winners, while junior Kevin Murphy rounded out the goal-scoring. Senior Tyler Earley set up two of the Quakers’ goals, and single assists were credited to sophomores Nick Bambino and Dean Roseman and senior John Moderski.

Moderski has committed to Villanova and classmate Tom Monzo, who handled face-off duties for PC, signed with Stony Brook University last fall. Jackson Tamasitis, credited with nine saves in goal last Tuesday, will attend the U.S. Military Academy.

Talented Charter attackman Ray Vandegrift has missed his junior season due to injury, and his loss definitely affected the Quakers.

“We’re not a very deep team,” explained PC coach Pat McDonough after the SCH game. “We had [junior] Eric Berger out sick today, and we lose that one midfielder and it makes a difference; we’re a fragile team like that. Other guys stepped up, but there are still too many mistakes that we have to fix.”

Tuesday’s victory raised the Quakers’ overall record to 11-11, and they remained at 2-6 in the Inter-Ac League since SCH is not officially a championship contender. PC split its home/away series against GA and Episcopal, and lost one-goal games to Malvern Prep and league champion Haverford School. The Friars and Fords enjoyed larger margins in their other wins over the Quakers.

Springside Chestnut Hill played the regulation home-away set against GA and Episcopal while facing the other league teams once. The youngest of the Inter-Ac lacrosse programs, the Blue Devils went 0-7 against league teams, but strong showings against non-league opponents allowed them to come away from Tuesday’s loss with an overall mark of 9-9.

Most of SCH’s impact players are still underclassmen. Sophomore Tasso Karras had a scoring hat trick at Penn Charter along with one assist, and juniors Forrest Rall and Clint Sanders deposited two goals apiece. The Devils received one goal from Justin Bender and one assist from Evan Fireman, both juniors.

Yet another 11th-grader, Ian Caplan, played the first half in goal and made four saves. Following the intermission, freshman Matt Eckles stepped into the cage, finishing the game with six stops.

After Murray’s opening strike for Penn Charter was matched by a transition goal by SCH’s Rall, the Quakers had possession in the late minutes of the first quarter, but the Devils’ defense held firm. Murray’s second marker moved the hosts ahead again early in the second round, then a PC penalty helped set up a tying goal by Karras of Springside Chestnut Hill.

Charter’s Carr responded in the same minute, and the Quakers would’ve gone up 4-2 on a point-blank shot if not for a tough save by Caplan. Instead, the Devils’ Karras and Sanders scored back-to-back goals in a 25-second span to make it 4-3, SCH, with 7:31 remaining in the first half. This would prove to be the only time that the Devils held the lead in the encounter. After the visitors captured the following face-off, Charter called time-out at the next opportunity.

“They were fighting hard, and we were turning the ball over too much,” McDonough said.

PC’s turnaround began literally by accident. Light rain had been falling on Charter’s artificial turf field, and while handling the ball, an SCH player slipped down and lost possession. The Quakers recovered the nugget and dashed right down the field for a tying goal by Carr. The senior struck again off of a feed from behind the cage by Earley, then 13 seconds before halftime Murray found the net from a difficult angle out on the left, making it 6-4.

Seizing the second-half draw, SCH’s Rall went all the way in to stick a shot in the upper right corner, and soon after that the Devils successfully killed off a 30-second penalty.

With the visitors back at full strength, Eckles, the newly-entered SCH goalie marched up field field with ball on a clear. Finding little resistance, he stepped right through the midfield and then took a shot at the Charter goal. The ball missed, PC recovered the rebound, and before Eckles could get back down into his own cage, the Quakers pushed the ball ahead to Murray for an open-net goal that made it 7-5.

The teams traded goals to make it 8-6 at the three-quarter mark, then Sanders stuck an outside shot from the left in the opening minute of the fourth round. Two minutes later Charter was back up by a pair when a pass from the top of the offense set up a short shot by Carr in front of the cage. The Blue Devils went up on the attack, but a careless pass was picked off by the Quakers’ Moderski. He transported the ball through the midfield and delivered it to Carr, who gave the hosts a 10-7 lead.

SCH grabbed the next face-off and scored quickly, with Karras assisting a marker by Bender that got the Devils back within two with 7:59 remaining in the game. The visitors would not be able to score again, though.

After SCH killed a 30-second penalty, Karras came around the goal on the right and tried to stuff the ball in on the near side, but he was denied by Tamasitis. Later, the Quakers gave themselves some breathing room with back-to-back strikes in a 14-second span. Murray fed from behind to Murphy for the first score, then Monzo got the face-off and charged down to fire at the SCH cage. His shot was blocked, but Carr scooped up the rebound and scored for a 12-8 tally with 3:36 to go.

Frustrated SCH committed two penalties simultaneously with 0:33 on the clock, and with 11 seconds left PC’s Bambino assisted on a Murray shot that clanged in off the inside of the top right corner of the goal frame.

Charter finished with a comfortable lead, but the Quakers had to work for it against the improving Blue Devils.

“They played well,” said PC’s McDonough, “and hopefully they’ll be playing a full schedule next year in the league.”