https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Guilderland-s-Morgan-Hardt-plays-for-spot-in-12942107.php
Guilderland's Morgan Hardt plays for spot in lacrosse final
James Madison in NCAA semifinals against North Carolina
Updated 9:41 pm, Thursday, May 24, 2018
Senior Morgan Hardt scored two goals to help the No. 3-ranked James Madison women's lacrosse team turn back No. 6-ranked Florida last Saturday in Harrisonburg, Va., to beat the Gators for the first time and earn the Dukes a trip to this weekend's Division I NCAA semifinals.
Hardt, from Guilderland Center (Guilderland High), has been solid, but she has really turned things up at the end of the season. She has 26 goals and three assists but scored 12 goals with two assists in the past six games. She had three goals in a 17-5 victory over Delaware on May 4 and two goals and an assist in a 16-10 triumph over Towson on May 5 to win the Colonial Athletic Conference Tournament to get to the NCAAs. She had a goal in a first-round 15-12 victory over Virginia on May 12.
The No. 3-seeded Dukes will take a 20-1 record into the semifinals against No. 4-ranked and second seed North Carolina in the semifinals Friday in Stony Brook. Sophomore Marisa DiVietro of Niskayuna (Niskayuna High) has 11 goals and six assists for the Tar Heels. No. 1 seed Maryland faces No. 4 seed Boston College in the other semifinal game with the final Sunday at noon, also in Stony Brook.
Rudy Winkler (Averill Park)
The Rutgers graduate student and Syracuse sophomore Aidan Tooker (Saratoga Springs) are seeded third in their events at the Division I NCAA Eastern Preliminary Round this weekend in Tampa, Fla. Winkler, an Averill Park High graduate, competes in the hammer throw (242 feet, 3 inches) and is the defending champion. Tooker, a Saratoga High graduate, is in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (8 minutes, 45.79 seconds). North Carolina freshman Jill Shippee of Clifton Park (Shenendehowa High) is seeded eighth in the women's hammer (207-4). Other area men competing are Syracuse senior Philo Germano of Albany (Albany High), 11th in the 5,000 (13:50.48), George Washington graduate student Matt Lange of Schenectady (Bishop Gibbons), 38th in the 3,000 steeplechase (9:00.11) and Princeton junior Jeremy Spiezio of Greenwich (Greenwich Central), 61st in the 1,500 (4:11.87). Binghamton graduate student Keishorea Armstrong of Chatham (Emma Willard) is 27th in the long jump (20-4¼) and Northeastern senior Brooke Wojeski of East Greenbush (Columbia High) is 42nd in the 3,000 steeplechase (10:26.37).
Kevin LaFleche (Ballston Lake)
The Williams sophomore is seeded eighth in the 800 at the Division III NCAA Outdoor Track Championships this weekend in La Crosse, Wis. The CBA graduate's time is 1:51.10, which he recorded when he finished second at the New England Small College Athletic Conference Championship April 28 in Hartford, Conn. Haverford junior Liam Lynch of Albany (Doane Stuart) is also competing in the 800. He stands 17th with a time of 1:51.50. The top eight finishers in each event earn All-America honors.
Abby Shields (Clifton Park)
The sophomore is hitting .333 (35-for-105) for the Ithaca softball team, which faces No. 1 seed Virginia Wesleyan in the double-elimination Division III NCAA Tournament in Oklahoma City, Okla. The Bombers (33-11) earned the trip by defeating St. John Fisher twice in the Super Regionals last weekend in Rochester. Shields hit a two-run homer in the first inning of the first victory, Ithaca winning 4-3. Her two-run homer in the seventh inning of the final game iced a 7-4 triumph.
John Barnes (Greenwich)
The senior is hitting .323 for the Oswego baseball team, the Lakers advancing to the Division III NCAA Tournament after turning back No. 1 seed UMass-Boston twice last weekend to capture the New England Regional title. The Greenwich High graduate is 50-for-155 with nine doubles, five triples, four home runs, 35 runs scored and 37 runs batted in. Senior Josh Hoagland of Whitehall (Whitehall Central) is hitting .294 (20-for-68) while junior right-hander Nick DeMarco of Latham (Shaker High) has a 4-0 record and a 2.96 earned-run average and junior Quinn MacDonald of Albany (Albany High) has a save.
Maddie Olson (Clifton Park)
The sophomore attack started all 17 games and finished with 72 points on 43 goals and 29 assists for the 9-8 Allegheny women's lacrosse team. The Shenendehowa High graduate also had 30 ground balls, a team-high 103 draw controls and a team-high 27 caused turnovers. She was named to the North Coast Athletic Conference second team. She had 32 goals and 20 assists for 52 points as a freshman.
