John Porter Luksic has been a standout performer on the men’s swimming team ever since he stepped onto the Widener University campus, and this season is no exception.
Luksic is not only the top breaststroke performer for the Pride, he’s one of the top swimmers in that event in the Middle Atlantic Conference.
The Dallas graduate earned third-team honors in the MAC in the 200 breaststroke the past two seasons after being an honorable mention in that event as a freshman. He was also a member of the team’s 400 medley relay team that earned second-team MAC honors last season.
And, according to coach Mark Yankovich, Luksic is a key for the team in another area.
“Porter is and continues to be a strong leader for our program,” the coach said. “Over this season, I have watched him take teammates aside and help them improve their technique and training.”
The coach said that Luksic leads by example as well.
“Porter plans out his strategy prior to a race and never backs down to his opponents,” Yankovich said. “The team’s success stems from Porter and his ability to work with others.”
WRESTLING
Steve Newell is off to a solid start as a true freshman at Division I Davidson.
The Dallas graduate opened the season by finishing fourth at 174 pounds at the Southeast Open on Nov. 3 in Roanoke, Va. Newell posted a pin (3:31) and a major decision (11-2) before dropping the third-place match.
Newell is 3-3 in dual meets and posted a pin in 2:29 in a 24-18 victory over Long Island University in a non-league home match last Saturday.
Ryan Monk has moved into the starting lineup at 285 for North Carolina-Pembroke, which is ranked 12th among National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II teams.
Monk, a redshirt junior from Dallas, won decisions in his first two matches. He is in his first season with the Braves after starting his college athletic career as a defensive lineman on the Penn State football team.
Kade Kravits, a sophomore 165-pounder from Dallas, went 5-2 for King’s at the Roger Williams Invitational, then 4-3 at the Messiah Invitational.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Sukhmail Mathon from Shavertown hit career-highs for points and rebounds Dec. 7 when Boston University lost, 84-79, at Binghamton University.
Mathon, who transferred from Dallas to Holderness School in New Hampshire during high school, had 15 points, 12 rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes. He was 6-for-11 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the line along with making his only 3-point attempt.
The 6-foot-10 junior center is averaging 4.7 points and 5.3 rebounds while hitting 53.3 percent from the floor for Boston (3-7).
Last season, Mathon averaged 3.2 points and 3.6 games while playing in all 33 games. He made 25 starts.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Maddie Kelley was selected as the latest Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom Defensive Player of the Week Monday.
Kelley, a junior from Dallas, had 13 points and four rebounds, coming off the bench for Wilkes against Gwynedd Mercy. She then registered a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds against Pratt in her third start of the season.
Wilkes defeated Gwynedd Mercy, 73-71, and Pratt, 65-49, to improve to 5-3.
Those outings were Kelley’s two highest-scoring of the season, back-to-back, pushing her season averages to 5.9 points and 4.6 rebounds.
