Halfway Done and More to Prove for MPM Boys’ 17U and 16U

July’s first evaluation period is now complete, with the 17U and 16U Mid-Penn Motion teams having a very successful first half of July.

Mid-Penn Motion's 17U team began their July in Indianapolis at the Adidas Invitational, where they finished 2nd in their pool and eventually fell in the 2nd round of the Gold Bracket to the bracket’s eventual silver medalist Illinois Wolverines.  The team was not finished, as they were selected to participate in the invite-only Hoop Group Summer Classic, a 32-team showcase held in King of Prussia, PA.  Playing in front of some of the most widely recognized coaches in the nation with some of the best competition around, the team performed remarkably in their 3-game set.  One day after returning from the Summer Classic, the team traveled to West Virginia for the Hoop Group’s annual Jamfest, one of the largest and best exposure tournaments in the nation.  Regularly playing in front of 25+ college coaches and scout, the MPM 17U team did not fail to perform.  After dropping a heartbreaking OT loss in game 2 of pool play, the team battled back and reeled off four consecutive wins until dropping the silver bracket championship.

Mid-Penn Motion's 16U team began their July in Baltimore at the Adidas East Coast Summer Slam.  The team did not hold anything back, winning its two pool play games in decisive fashion.  Day 2 of the tournament brought much of the same result, with a bracket play win until falling in the championship game in a nail biter.  The following weekend, the team joined the 17U MPM at West Virginia for the Hoop Group Jamfest.  After a sound game 1 victory, the team dropped a close one in game 2 of pool play to Maryland’s Finest and finished 2nd in the pool.  MPM 16U team quickly recovered and won two straight games in bracket play in Day 2, until falling by 3 points in an intense, down-to-the-wire game versus Pittsburgh’s Drill 4 Skill.

The MPM teams will continue their July schedule during session 2 of July’s evaluation period at the Big Shots DC tournament, held July 30th-31st at the Capital Sports Complex in District Heights, MD.  Good luck!

Ramping Up the Exposure for MPM 17U and 16U Boys

The month of July’s live period is here and the Mid-Penn Motion 17U and 16U boys’ teams will be out in full force.

Following on the heels of their very successful trip to North Carolina and Bob Gibbons’ Tournament of Champions, MPM 17U team will be attending some of the nation’s most prominent exposure tournaments.

·   July 6th-8th – Adidas Invitational (Indianapolis, Indiana)

·   July 11th-12th – Hoop Group Summer Classic (King of Prussia, PA)

·   July 14th-16th – Hoop Group West VA Jamfest (West VA Univ.)

·   July 23rd-27th – Super Showcase (Lake Buena Vista, Florida)

·   July 30th-31st – Big Shots DC (Washington D.C.)

After warming up with a tournament the weekend of July 8th in Baltimore, Maryland, MPM 16U team will be joining the 17U in attending the Hoop Group West Virginia Jamfest and the Big Shots DC tournaments.

Best of luck to both teams! Stay tuned to the Mid-Penn Motion website for updates on each team’s progress.

National Recognition for MPM 17U Devin Thomas & Mike Zangari

The 17U Mid-Penn Motion team participated in Memorial Day Weekend’s invite-only Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions.  Flush with national scouting services and mainstream media outlets, power forward Devin Thomas (Central Dauphin HS, Harrisburg, PA) and Mike Zangari (Red Land HS, Lewisberry, PA) caught the eye of ESPN’s Dave Telep, CBS Sports’ Jeff Borzello, and SLAM Magazine’s Rodger Bohn.

*Dave Telep:*  “In a year flush with big men, Thomas is managing to operate below the radar -- for now. The lefty keeps it simple. He's got post moves, runs the floor and he's long on energy. At 6-7, he owns a passion for rebounding.”

*Jeff Borzello:*  “Thomas’ exploits each day as the Tournament of Champions made their way around the various gyms in the Triangle.  From the opening Friday night, Thomas made a name for himself.  The lefty power forward is a very good rebounder and is also a tough matchup for many defenders.  Thomas has a repertoire of post moves and also crashes the offensive glass.  If he develops a face-up game, he could potentially reach high-major status.”

*Rodger Bohn:*  “Going up against a number of guys who were headed to the ACC, Thomas had no problem outplaying his more acclaimed foes to somewhere around the tune of 30 points and 20 rebounds.  The crafty lefty put in work with a number of counter moves on the blocks and had no problems finishing with either hand around the cup.  Along with Mid-Penn Motion teammate Mike Zangari, he will definitely be a guy who college coaches are eager to take a glance at this summer.”

*Rodger Bohn:** * “Playing alongside Thomas, Mike Zangari helped form one of the more formidable frontcourts that you’ll see out of an AAU team.  Still rough around the edges, Zangari showed flashes of being able to put the ball on the deck with both hands and a really fluid jumper.  Though not a household name now, expect that to change once college coaches lay their eyes on this athletic big man from Lewisberry, PA in the open period.”

Dave’s full report can be read here:  Tournament of Champions Recap

Jeff’s full report can be read here:  Tournament of Champions: Top Performers 

Rodger’s full report can be read here:  Bob Gibbons TOC

MPM 17U Boy's Win Championship in Pittsburgh

Mid-Penn Motion 17U Boys team capture the Open Division Championship this weekend in the Pittsburgh Hoopgroup Jamfest.  The Motion did so by beating NY Elite 69-63 and NY Gael Force 67-61 on Saturday to win their pool.  On Sunday,  Mid-Penn defeated Fundamental Foundation 66-54 to move into the semis, where they defeated CT Flames 74-61 to move into the championship round. In the championship game, Mid-Penn Motion defeated CRONS AAU 65-48 to capture the open division gold medal.

MPM Devin Thomas Named to First Team AP All-State

MPM 17U player Devin Thomas was named to the PA Class AAAA all-state boys' basketball team. The 6-8 1/2 junior from Central Dauphin HS who averaged 21.4 ppg was selected by a panel of sports writers from across the state.  Thomas has played for Mid-Penn Motion since he was 10 years old and has received a lot of attention from major college programs following his successful scholastic season.

2011 Post-Season Honors for MPM Players

Patriot News Big 15 Boys' Team

Aaron Devan Bishop McDevitt (MPM 17U)
Matt Aikey East Pennsboro  (MPM 17U) 
Haisheen McIntyre Harrisburg  (MPM 17U) 
Nol Aru Cedar Cliff  (MPM 17U) 
Devin Thomas Central Dauphin  (MPM 17U) 
Nick Seefeldt Central Dauphin  (MPM 17U - 2nd team)

Patriot News Big 15 Girls' Team

Kendall Benovy, Hershey, Sr.       
Ashley Betz-White, Trinity, Sr. 
Anna Kuntz, Trinity,  Jr.  
Kisha Steele-Hook, Susquehanna Twp. Jr.     
Tianna Jackson, Susquehanna Twp., So. (2nd team)
Jenna Davis, Boiling Springs, Sr. (2nd team)
Victoria Seibecker, Annville-Cleona, Jr. (2nd team)

YAIAA Honors

Elijah Cooper - First Team All-county, Northeastern (MPM 17U)

Evening Sun (York) Basketball All-Star Team

Abbey Rhodes, Hanover, Jr. -2nd Team

Ben Kroll, Gettysburg, So. - 1st Team

2011 All-District Honors for MPM Boys

AAAA All-District Team: 

Nol Aru, Cedar Cliff (MPM 17U)
Devin Thomas, Central Dauphin (MPM 17U)

AAA:

Elijaah Cooper, Northeastern (MPM 17U)
Paishe Gaston, Bishop McDevitt (MPM 17U)

8 MPM Boys Named as Mid-Penn Division All-Stars

Devin Thomas, Central Dauphin - Commonwealth 1st Team (MPM 17U)
Aaron Devan, Bishop McDevitt - Commonwealth 1st Team (MPM 17U)
Nick Seefeldt, Central Dauphin - Commonwealth Honorable Mention (MPM 17U)
Nol Aru, Cedar Cliff - Keystone 1st Team (MPM 17U)
Logan Stovall, Palmyra - Keystone Honorable Mention (MPM 16U)
Matt Aikey, East Pennsboro - Capital 2nd Team (MPM 17U)
Dylan DeFrank, Trinity - Capital Honorable Mention (MPM 16U)
Ben Kroll, Gettysburg - Colonial 1st Team (MPM 17U)

Thomas Awarded ACC Rookie of the Year

Freshman forward Alyssa Thomas of the No. 13 Maryland women's basketball team was named the 2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Basketball Rookie of the Year, announced today by ACC Commissioner John Swofford. Thomas was chosen by a vote of the Blue Ribbon Panel, a group that includes selected media as well as all 12 women's basketball coaches. 

Thomas makes All-ACC Team as a Freshman

The Atlantic Coast Conference announced March 1st, that Maryland's freshman Alyssa Thomas was named to the All-ACC team second team.  She is one of two freshmen to make an All-ACC team this year. In ACC play, Thomas was top-five in the league in scoring (15.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.4 rpg) and led the league in offensive rebounds (3.8 rpg). She finished the season tied for seventh in steals with 2.1 per contest.

Thomas led all ACC freshmen in scoring, rebounding and steals. She earned a school-record seven Rookie of the Week awards and notched five double-doubles in her first six conference games. Thomas scored in double figures in 13 of 14 ACC games and 25 of 28 games overall.

Devin Thomas Named Player of the Week in January

Devin Thomas, a MPM and Central Dauphin High School player was named Boys’ Player of the Week for his awesome performance for the week of January 17. Thomas had 43 points and 23 rebounds in CD’s triple overtime win over Bishop McDevitt. Playing the final 20 minutes of the game with four fouls, Thomas hit a shot with .2 seconds left in the first OT and had a key block in the second OT to lead his team to victory.

Mid-Penn Motion Standout Signs with D-I Old Dominion University

MPM is proud to announce that Ashley Betz-White, a senior at Trinity High School, has accepted an athletic scholarship to Old Dominion University, where she will play point guard at the Norfolk VA campus. In addition to leading her high school team to back-to-back District 3 AAA titles, Betz-White has been a standout for the MPM for several years.

Alyssa Thomas Named ACC Rookie of the Week...FOR 7th time this season!

Former Mid-Penn Motion standout Alyssa Thomas was named on February 28th to her 7th ACC Rookie of the Week honor. Scoring in double figures in 13 of 14 ACC games,Thomas registered a career-high six assists Thursday against Virginia Tech,  shooting 60 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free throw line. A few days later at Boston College, she dropped in 17 points to lead her team to victory. Thomas is  No. 5 in the league in scoring (15.7 ppg) and in rebounding (8.4 rpg) in conference games. She is also in the top ten in steals (2.1). She leads all ACC rookies in scoring, rebounding and steals.

MPM Alumnus Collects ACC Accolades

On January 24th, former Mid-Penn Motion standout and University of Maryland freshman Alyssa Thomas was named Atlantic Coast Conference’s Rookie of the Week for the fourth time this season. In her first five ACC games she has registered double-doubles and is tied for 5th place in the conference in scoring with an average of 16.8 points per game. In addition, she is leading the league in rebounds at 11.8 per game as well as offensive rebounds at 5.2.

On January 31st, Thomas was again selected as ACC Rookie of the Week, for the third straight week. To garner the repeat honor, Thomas shot 8/15 from the field, grabbed 11 boards and scored 19 points total. On Sunday, she continued her steady play by scoring 14 points in the first 13 minutes of the first half and was 10/12 free throws, a career high from the line.

Two Mid-Penn Motion Players Get Recognition for High School Performance

Two standout Mid-Penn Motion players who played for the club’s 10th and 11th grade teams during summer 2010, have received early season recognition for their performance for their school teams.

Devin Thomas, a 6’ 8” junior for Central Dauphin High School, was named Patriot-News Player of the Week on December 20th.  Thomas has averaged 26 points per game in the season’s first five games, with a high game of 37 points in a game against Bishop McDevitt.

Aaron DeVan of Bishop McDevitt also recognized for his outstanding effort was honored as honorable mention during this same time frame.

Mid-Penn Motion Boys 16U Hitting Their Stride In Perfect Time

The boys 16U Motion team is clicking on all cylinders leading into July's all-important evaluation period in the NCAA's recruiting calendar.  During the weekend of May 15th and 16th, the Motion won the Charm City National Invitational in decisive fashion.  They followed up their performance by sweeping the competition at the US Junior Nationals Showcase in Hershey June 29th and 30th.  The team's July tournament schedule will be headlined by one of the top exposure events in the nation:  The Big Shots Philadelphia Slam on July 30th and 31st (http://www.bigshots1.tv/).  Good luck MPM!

Alyssa Thomas Invited to USA Basketball U18 Tryouts

Mid-Penn Motion graduate Alyssa Thomas was invted to participate in the 2010 USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team Trials, June 8-11 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. With 12 roster spots on the 2010 USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team, Thomas will be one of 26 basketball standouts vying for a chance to join the team that will compete in the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women June 23-27 being held this year in the US, at the USOTC in Colorado Springs. To read more about the tryouts, visit http://www.usabasketball.com/news.php?news_page=10_wU18_trials_invitees.

MPM Girls Represented on PA All-State Teams

AAAA - Alyssa Thomas First Team and Player of the Year; Megan Phillips  Third Team ALL State

AAA - Ashley Betz -White Third Team ALL State; Paige Elliot  Third Team All  State

AA -Kady Schrann  First Team All State; Erin LaVenice Second Team All State

A - Hailey Carangelo  First Team ALL State

Alyssa Thomas gains Parade All-America First team honors. See http://www.parade.com/news/all-america/2010/meet-parades-all-america-high-school-girls-basketball-team.html.

2010  Mid-Penn Conference Allstar team was announced in March by The Patriot-News.   

Those MPM Boy players honored include:

COMMONWEALTH DIVISION - Honorable mention: Nol Aru, Cedar Cliff; Aaron Devan, CD East; Devin Thomas, Central Dauphin

KEYSTONE DIVISION - Honorable mention: Ben Kroll, Gettysburg

Those MPM Girl players honored include:

COMMONWEALTH DIVISION -First team: Alyssa Thomas, Central Dauphin; Ashley Betz-White, Trinity. Honorable mention: Caitlyn Bassett, Central Dauphin; Precious Martin, Bishop McDevitt; Karyn Purcell, Central Dauphin.

KEYSTONE DIVISION - First team: Taylor Miller, Mechanicsburg; Second team: Kendal Benovy, Hershey; Caroline Suminski, Hershey; Honorable mention: Jenna Cavrich, Red Land

COLONIAL DIVISION - Second team: Jenna Davis, Boiling Springs;

Three MPM girls--Haley Carangelo, Caitlin Bassett and Alyssa Thomas--were named to the

2010 McDonalds All American PA Nominees 

Nol Aru and Devin Thomas gained Patriot-News honorable mention selection as Players of the Week in the Mid Penn Conference in January.

Mid-Penn Motion’s Alyssa Thomas Named Among the Best

Kelvin Powell , editor of the Roundball Journal, a national scouting service publication and a national evaluator for ESPN HoopGurlz.com, recently shared his thoughts of the 2009 summer season and the players who stood out in his mind. In his evaluation of the University of Maryland’s 2010 recruiting class, Powell praised MPM Alyssa Thomas,calling her the “prize” of UM Coach Brenda Frese’s recruiting class, whom he’s certain will make the biggest impact of any of the recruits on the program. Calling Thomas a complete, versatile player, Powell said, “At 6?1, she can pretty much play five positions; she can defend all five positions. She has a strong build and is just a complete basketball player.” Read more of the interview at http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/recruiting/2009/08/qa_on_terps_womens_basketball.html

Thomas Named One of Top 5 Players in USA

Glenn Nelson, a senior writer at ESPN.com and the founder of HoopGurlz.com teamed with 5 other respected evaluators of national talent as the Summer 2009 basketball season draws to a close. Published August 14, 2009, Nelson released the committee’s Top Players of the Summer based only on their play during the just concluded summer at such high?level events as USA Basketball trials and Nike Skills Academy, which pit the best players in the country against one another. For those of you who may have missed the announcement, MPM U16 Alyssa Thomas was selected as one of the top 5 players in the nation, receiving praise for her versatility and basketball skill. Playing for a state championship team at Harrisburg’s Holy Name of Jesus, Thomas was described as a great kid, humble and very talented, probably the most talented player to come out of Central PA, not to mention MPM.  For the full story, visit http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/womens/news/story?id=4399053

Former MPM Player Join Professional Ranks in Europe

Nottingham (England) Wildcats guard Jill Glessner has been selected as the Player of the Year for Division One Women for the 2008-09 season, after her second season with the club. A former player with the Mid-Penn Motion, Jill was amongst the top ten in points, rebounds, and assists in Division One this year and was instrumental in the Wildcats’ winning run in the second half of the season.

Stats Summary for Jill Glessner, Player of the Year from Division One  

MPM Players Honored by 2009 AP Girls’ All-State Basketball Team Selection

The MPM once again represents the greater Harrisburg area AAU basketball clubs with post-season honors for two standout players.

Alyssa Thomas, 6’ 1” junior guard (Central Dauphin HS and U17 MPM) took top honors with her selection to the Class AAAA First Team for the second year in a row. A Maryland recruit, Thomas avered 19.5 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals per game, ending her junior season with 1,512 career points.

Another MPM player, Lebanon Catholic’s Hailey Carangelo was a second-team selection in Class A.

 MPM Well Represented on District 3 Girls' All-Tournament Team

The MPM elite players continue to rack up recognition as the 2008-09 high school basketball season winds down. Many of MPM’s best were recently honored by selection to The Patriot-News District 3 Girls’ All-Tournament Team.

In Class AAAA, it is not a surprise to see Alyssa Thomas (Central Dauphin HS and U16 MPM) as the MVP. The 6-1 junior, who will continue her basketball career after next year at the University of Maryland, is joined on the team by fellow MPM player Gabby Singer (Central Dauphin HS and U17 MPM in 2008). 

In Class AAA, MPM player Ashley Betz-White (Trinity HS and U16 MPM) was honored.

Class AA features Brittany Hicks (York Catholic HS and U17 MPM) as the class MVP, joined by Erin LaVenice (Lancaster Mennonite and U16 MPM), Kady Schrann (York Catholic HS and MPM U16) and Katelyn Vanderhoff (Lancaster Mennonite HS and U17 MPM), meaning four of the six players selected in this class are MPM players.

Rounding out the all-tournament team in Class A schools is Hailey Carangelo (Lebanon Catholic HS and U16 MPM) who was named MVP.

MPM is proud to salute these fine athletes on their accomplishments this year on the scholastic level.

MPM Players Headline Patriot-News Big 15 Girls’ Selections

February 8, 2009—The annual Big 15 announcement reflects the quality of players that represent the Mid-Penn Motion AAU Basketball Club. Appearing as returning players to the elite Big 15 squad are MPM representatives Gabby Singer, Alyssa Thomas, Alexa Barbush, and Taylor Miller.   

The MPM club congratulates the following selections:

Big 15

Alexa Barbush (U91; Trinity  HS, sr.)

Caitlyn Bassett (U92; Central Dauphin HS, jr.)

Hailey Carangelo (U92; Lebanon Catholic HS; jr.)

Danielle Everson (CD East HS, sr.)

Taylor Miller (U91; Mechanicsburg HS; jr.)

Meghan Phillips (U92;Cedar Crest, jr.)

Gabby Singer (U91; Central Dauphin HS, sr.)

Alyssa Thomas (U92; Central Dauphin HS, jr.)

Little 6 (the elite underclassmen)

Ashley Betz-White (U92; Trinity HS, so.), voted Top Underclassman

Kendall Benovy (U93; Hershey HS, so.)

Honorable Mention

Taylor Alwine (Lower Dauphin, so)

Jenna Davis (Boiling Springs, so.)

Dori Gyori (Mechanicsburg HS, sr.)

Kate Kroll (Camp Hill HS, sr.)

Mikelyn Mackavage (East Pennsobro, so)

Taylor Seiber (West Perry HS, so.)

Kirstin Selvey (CD East, sr.)

Caroline Suminiski, Hershey HS, jr.)

Former MPM Player Hones Skills to Take Her Game to the Next Level

February 2, 2009—Gabby Singer, a senior point guard at Central Dauphin HS, played for the MPM in 2008, Singer, who has seen a lot of success during her high school career, committed to Monmouth University in August 2008. Singer reached her goal of a Division I scholarship and could have just sat back and enjoyed her upcoming senior season. However last spring, after leading her high school team to the Class AAAA state basketball championship, Singer did a self-evaluation and came to the conclusion that she had some weaknesses in her game that she had to address if she was going to make it at the college level. On the college stage, no longer can athleticism cover weaknesses in skills. Singer’s summer of 2008 consisted of long hours in the gym, working with a trainer, playing in summer leagues and joining the MPM. By the start of her senior year, Singer had improved her shooting, strength, conditioning and ball handling, which has paid off this year with fewer turnovers, higher shooting percentage and better ball handling as she leads her CD Rams into post-season play.

MPM Guard To Appear in a Basketball Movie

January 31, 2009--Karyn Purcell (Central Dauphin HS), who plays for the high school MPM team, appears in  “The Winning Season”, a movie about an alcoholic former high school basketball star who becomes coach of a high school girl’s team. Purcell’s point shooting expertise won her the part of an extra shooting her favorite 3-point shots in a game. Filmed in New York City, Purcell spent several days during October being filmed taking numerous shots in gymnasiums. Starring in the film is Emma Roberts, niece of movie star Julia Roberts. When not filling her free time playing basketball, Purcell is also active in modeling.

Player of the Week Honor Goes to Thomas: Carangelo Also Receives Notice

January  19, 2009—Alyssa Thomas (Central Dauphin HS) was named Patriot-News Player of the Week for her performance in leading her team in wins against Cedar Cliff, Trinity and Altoona while averaging 22.7 points. Honorable mention during this same period was Hailey Carangelo (Lebanon Catholic HS).

Mid-Penn Motion Player Selected for Adidas Camp

Jenny Horvatinovic, a player on the 1993 Mid-Penn Motion team recently attended the girls 4 annual Adidas Junior Phenom camp in San Diego, CA.   The camp was held at Alliant International University from July 31 through August 3, 2008 and was open to the top 100 Jr. High School players in each class (6th, 7th and 8th grades).  Jenny is an 8th grader at Dallastown Area Middle School.  She played on the Dallastown 9th grade team last year. In order to attend this camp, players start at the regional level and play in tournaments sponsored by regional hosts.   Players are selected to attend the Adidas camp by invitation by regional representatives at these tournaments.   

Camp started early each day with breakfast at 7:00 AM.  Girls in each class were divided into 6 or 8 teams and provided with two sets of Adidas uniforms and the latest Adidas basketball sneakers.   Each day was packed with a very competitive game schedule mixed with shooting demonstrations, shooting drills, and lecture sessions designed to stress the importance of developing and maintaining a balance between academics and athletics.  College and high school coaches spoke to the girls regarding the importance of academics to anyone dreaming of playing basketball in college.   Tim Sullivan, a shooting coach who played high school, college and professional basketball provided amazing demonstrations of his shooting ability while he moved around the 3 point line, making an incredible number of shots in a row (he once made 163 out of 168 NBA 3 pointers while moving around the arc!).  

Each day, the camp activities ended at about 10:00 PM and the exhausted players left the gym to get some much needed rest.  Campers had the opportunity to stay in the university dorms and eat in the university cafeteria.  “On the first day, I was told that we could expect three grueling days of basketball.  But I really had no idea that the camp would be so hard.  The games were very fast and competitive.  Overall, it was a great experience,” said Jenny. Jenny met girls from all around the country (including a girl on her team from Alaska!) and had a great time.  Her team played hard and had only one loss.   The camp coaching staff selected two teams of girls from each age group to play in the All-Star games on the last day of camp.  Jenny was proud to be selected to play in the 7th grade All-star game and was very happy that her team won 42-41! 

MPM's Gabby Singer Accepts Full Ride to Monmouth University

Gabby Singer, who played the 2008 AAU season on MPM U17 team, has verbally accepted a full athletic scholarship to Monmouth University in West Long Branch NJ.  She is very excited for the opportunity to play at the Division 1 level and is relieved to have the decision behind her and so she can just relax and play her senior year for the state champs, Central Dauphin High School.  Singer thanks her coaches, her teammates and the Mid-Penn Motion organization for welcoming her to the club this summer.
 

MPM Standouts Honored with All-State Recognition in 2008

Sophomore Alyssa Thomas (MPM U15; Central Dauphin HS) and freshman Kady Schrann (MPM U15; York Catholic HS)  were selected to the Associated Press Pennsylvania girls’ all-state basketball first Team for Class AAAA and Class AA respectively. Other MPM players honored were ); Alexa Barbush (junior, Trinity HS) Class AA-3rd team and Hailey Carangelo (sophomore, Lebanon Catholic HS)  in Class A-3rd team).

MPM Girls U17 head coach Tom Torchia was an assistant coach to Vince Rogers of Susquehanna Twp. High School boy’s varsity, that won the Mid-Penn Keystone Division title and the District 3 Class AAA championships before losing in the Class AAA state championship.

MPM Players Showcase Talent in District 3 Girls High School Playoffs

Once again, the Mid-Penn Motion showcased its elite players in the 2008 PIAA district playoffs. The MPM would like to congratulate those MPM players selected to the Patriot-News District 3 Girls’ All-Tournament Team:  Alyssa Thomas (Central Dauphin, sophomore); Ashley Betz-White (Trinity, freshman); Hailey Carangelo (Lebanon Catholic sophomore); Meghan Phillips (Cedar Crest sophomore); Kady Schrann (York Catholic, Selected as MVP of Class AA) and Erin LaVenice (Lancaster Mennonite, sophomore).

MPM Well Represented on Patriot-News Big 15 Team

The Mid-Penn Motion was well represented among mid-state girls basketball players with the December release of the Patriot-News Big 15. The all-star selections are a 30-year tradition that over the years has recognized the top performers in the Central PA. Current MPM players that were selected include: Alyssa Thomas (Central Dauphin HS sophomore) Taylor Miller (Mechanicsburg HS sophomore), and Alexa Barbush (Trinity HS junior). Also selected as Honorable Mention include Mary Butler (Cedar Cliff HS junior), Hailey Carangelo (Lebanon Catholic sophomore), Samantha Noss (Middletown HS sophomore) and Meghan Phillips (Cedar Crest HS sophomore).  Ashley Betz-White (Trinity HS freshman) was selected to the Little Six team, honoring underclassmen that are making an impact.

Zayd Issa Gains National Recognition

The GymRat Challenge, one of the largest AAU tournaments in the East, was played over Memorial Day weekend in New York. The tournament included close to 2,400 players, ages 15-17,  who play for top caliber basketball teams. Games ran from 8 in the morning to 11 at night Saturday and then 8 in the morning to 1 in the afternoon Sunday. They games were played at Siena, the University at Albany and Skidmore. Known as the single largest event of its kinds in the Eastern USA, its billed as a showcase where reputations are built, giving players visibility on the national stage. The MPM is proud to announce one of its own, Zayd Issa, from the MPM 15U team was named to the All-GymRat Challenge Honorable Mention Team. Congratulations Zayd on this great achievement.

Jenna Cavrich Named John Travers Award Finalist

The MPM's Jenna Cavrich was recently honored as a finalist for the 2010 M&T John Travers Award that recognizes the top male and female student athlete in the Central PA area. Cavrich, who has played for the Motion for many years, is a graduate of Redland High School where she ranked 7th in her class of 320 students. She will attend Johns Hopkins next fall, majoring in public health or behavioral biology.