Elk Lake
The varsity golf team won three of its last four matches to finish the season 3-9 after a pair of 0-12 seasons. One of the senior members of the team is Curtis Spila, who has been a member of the team for three years.

“We’ve come a long way since I was a sophomore,” Spila said. “The program is starting to turn. We have some talented younger players.”

Spila said he took on a leadership role as a senior with this year’s team.

“I tried to help the underclassmen,” he said. “There were a few matches early on that we could have won. I just told them to keep their heads up and just go into the next one and try to win it.”

Spila is also a member of the baseball team, student council and FBLA.

Montrose
Now that the school year is under way, senior Nick Henry is working hard on the soccer field and on his senior project. Henry is redoing the baseball field with fellow classmate and friend Michael Vanness.

“The harsh winter we had last year made them unsafe,” Henry said. “I want my teammates to be proud of where they play when I’m gone.”

Henry and Vanness are working with janitorial staff to construct the dugouts.

“We’re working with the high school janitors to build wooden-framed dugouts with metal siding so they won’t weather as easy and hopefully will last a long time,” Henry said.

Henry is also a starting player on the varsity soccer team, and does well in school.

Mountain View
Junior softball and volleyball player Sam Krisa is probably used to having her picture taken during games.
But Krisa has found herself on the other side of the camera, and is enjoying the experience.

“My dad is dating a woman who owns a photography business and she asked me if I wanted to help,” Krisa said.

She picked it up quickly and recently shot her first wedding.

A member of the Junior Government Association and Student Council, Krisa is part of the group planning for the Oct. 4 Homecoming.

“It has a circus theme,” she said. “We’re creating a big top tent for when you go in.”

Looking ahead to college, Krisa is considering a business major and photography minor, and is looking at schools in the Philadelphia area, including Temple and West Chester.

Susquehanna
Senior runner Kayla Swartz spent 11 days during the summer traveling in Europe with the school’s French teacher, Mrs. Weiss. The trip included visits to Belgium, England, France and the Netherlands.

Swartz said she enjoyed going to the Eiffel Tower and various museums, especially The Louvre.

A member of the cross country team, Swartz ran her personal best Saturday at the 50th annual McQuaid Invitational in Rochester, New York. She placed 176th out of 265 runners in 24 minutes, 43.8 seconds.

She also is on the track team, competing in the long jump, 200 and relay events.

After graduation, Swartz said she would like to study social work at California University of Pennsylvania.

“I enjoy helping people,” Swartz said. “I’ve watched a lot of crime shows, so it’s given me a general idea of what it’s about. It looks like a neat thing to do.”

Forest City
Junior Lauren Hall is playing her season on the soccer team.

Hall plays center defense and right back and said the since the first day of practice, she has grown to love the game.

Soccer has taught her about teamwork, time management and responsibility. She said she wanted to play since the ninth grade, but couldn’t due to her work schedule. Hall juggles her time between waitressing, school work and soccer.

Blue Ridge
Eighth-grader Daniel Tierney is in his second year of running cross country. He enjoys the sport and the chance to run with his friends.

He also plays trumpet in the band, is in the chorus and the National Junior Honor Society. He has been in the Boy Scouts since first grade.

“Our troop does a lot of interesting stuff,” Tierney said. “We try to have a campout a month. It’s a lot of fun.”

Tierney spent much of the summer in Erie with his family in their motor home. He said while many people go to places like Florida on vacation, he enjoys Erie because of the lake, beaches and biking trails there. He also said there is an amusement park not far from the campground where his family stays.
Some day, Tierney said he might be interested in studying engineering or possibly becoming a lawyer.