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Always improving Penn-Trafford boys volleyball team earns spot in state playoffs

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Saturday, May 31, 2025 | 11:01 AM


The mark of a good team is how much it improves during the season.

Penn-Trafford boys volleyball finished third in Section 2-3A, but after an upset win against section champion Latrobe and a win against Pine-Richland in the WPIAL third-place game, the Warriors found themselves in the PIAA playoffs, scheduled to face the winner of the Erie McDowell/State College game on June 3.

“We kept improving,” Penn-Trafford legendary coach Jim Schall said. “I do not know if I expected this, but we kept getting better and better. We are playing really well.”

After Penn-Trafford defeated Latrobe, 3-2, in the WPIAL quarterfinals, the Warriors lost 3-2 against a tall and talented Seneca Valley squad. In that game, Warriors setter Nathaniel Rugh sustained an upper body injury that kept him from playing against Pine-Richland.

Schall said Rugh has been cleared to return to play.

Stepping in for Rugh was junior Billy Spena as Penn-Trafford defeated Pine-Richland, 3-1.

“I thought we would be competitive against Latrobe,” Schall said. “It was a huge win for the team. Latrobe had some talented players.

“We continued to play well against Seneca Valley and Pine-Richland. Billy stepped in and did a great job against Pine-Richland.”

Schall said Spena had not set much this season, but he was a setter for the junior varsity team and his club team.

“He ran the offense well,” Schall said. “He did an outstanding job.”

Other players stepping up for the Warriors were libero Nick Sandrock, middle hitter Owen Gisi and outside hitter Ethan McDonald.

“The team has continued to play well,” Schall said, who said he does not know much about State College or Erie McDowell. “We had not seen them this season. I am sure they are good.”

Athletic physicals set

Penn-Trafford will be offering physicals at the high school for all athletes from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m June 12. The cost is $15. (PayPal payments can be made during registration. No cash or checks at check-in.

Payment is required to complete physical registration. No walk-ins will be accepted.)

In addition to signing up for the physical, athletes must select the fall sport they are signing up for at registration.

Registration will close at 11:55 p.m. June 9.

Please see the ArbiterSports registration page for all information concerning the registration, CIPPE Athletic Physical and ImPACT Baseline Concussion Testing.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

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The unlikeliest journey to NCAA volleyball’s final four

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THE DAY KYNDAL STOWERS was told she couldn’t play volleyball anymore, she got in her car, silenced her phone, and drove aimlessly around town.

It was the spring of 2024, and she had endured four concussions over eight months on the volleyball court at Baylor, once in a collision with a teammate and three times from getting hit by the ball. “Why does this keep happening?” she asked herself. She figured she would redshirt her sophomore season and give her brain time to heal.

But near the end of the 2024 spring semester, a team doctor summoned Stowers. She thought it was just another checkup. When she arrived, the doctor, a trainer and a member of the university’s compliance department greeted her. They told her that she was being medically retired, and that her tuition would be paid for but her playing days — at Baylor at least — were finished.

She eventually went home to Denton, Texas, and watched the 2024 Final Four on her parents’ couch.

One year later, on Sunday, Stowers stood on the court at the Bob Devaney Center in Lincoln, Nebraska, celebrating her Texas A&M team’s five-set upset over the No. 1 — and previously undefeated — Cornhuskers in the regional finals. She had 25 kills and then found her mom in the crowd and cried. She rarely does that, Tina Stowers said.

But this is a story about the unlikeliest player on the unlikeliest semifinal team in the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament, and the moment commanded some emotion. It’s about a sports family supporting her decision to keep playing, and taking the steps necessary to ensure she’s as safe as she can be in an unpredictable arena of high-velocity swings, crashing bodies and flying elbows.

On Thursday, she’ll play for Texas A&M against Pittsburgh in the national semifinals.

“I knew that I wasn’t done,” Stowers said. “How can I be done with something I never got to start?”


THE STOWERS FAMILY knows about the violence of sports. Don Stowers, Kyndal’s dad, played football for New Mexico State in the 1990s, and was invited to the NFL combine. He played in NFL Europe for a year, and before that was a priority undrafted free agent for the Cincinnati Bengals before becoming a preseason cut by the Bengals and Denver Broncos. But he said there’s video of him tackling Emmitt Smith in a preseason game.

He has coached high school football in Texas, and his son, Eli, is a tight end for Vanderbilt. Tina Stowers graduated from Baylor, played beach volleyball for more than a decade, and coached high school and junior college volleyball. She said she never had a concussion in 30-plus years of volleyball, but acknowledges that back then, there were no protocols, and assessments were generally concluded with the term “getting your bell rung.”

But concussions in volleyball aren’t as rare as they might seem. A 2023 study found that volleyball had the highest rate of concussions (4.93 per 10,000 athlete exposures) among limited-contact sports, including softball, swimming/diving and baseball, and a rate higher than men’s basketball, which is considered a high-contact sport. The NCAA has a concussion safety protocol that schools must follow that applies to all sports. It includes immediate removal from a game or practice if a concussion is suspected and continued evaluation by a team physician in the hours and days following the injury.

When Kyndal sustained her first concussion at Baylor during the summer of 2023, before her freshman season, she called her mom. She was annoyed, Tina Stowers said, but otherwise fine. Then came the September game when she dove for a ball and a teammate went airborne and kneed her in the head.

Baylor sat her for 10 days, Tina Stowers said, but about a week after she returned, she looked tired. After an early October game, Tina and Don spoke to the trainers.

“So they were like, ‘You know what? We’re just going to take you out of the gym for a little bit longer,'” Tina Stowers said. “And then she was shagging balls and she got hit by [a serve] probably going 70 mph. Hit her right in the back of the head.”

When Stowers played, she dominated. During her freshman season, she had double-digit kills in 12 of the 14 matches she played. She had 29 kills and 16 digs against SMU; she hit above .450 in three matches and was once named Big 12 offensive player of the week.

But she never played after that Oct. 6 game against Kansas State.

During a spring practice in February 2024, she got hit by a shanked ball. She was diagnosed with her fourth concussion.

Baylor coach Ryan McGuyre said the decision to medically retire her was difficult for him and the Stowers family to take.

“Both of us were frustrated about not being able to navigate forward or at least just wait longer and let it work itself out,” he said.


BACK HOME IN Denton, Stowers lifted weights and worked on her speed and explosiveness alongside football players. She served and swatted at volleyballs alone in her club gym. She did Fellowship of Christian Athletes camps, binge-watched some TV series and dog-sat to earn money. Her symptoms waned.

One of the biggest perks of being off for an entire autumn was that she was finally able to see her brother play football for Vanderbilt.

“On the weekends, I was going to all of his games,” she said, “which was really cool because I’ve never been able to do that ever because we’ve both been playing at the same time.”

Her mom lovingly called her “college dropout” during her stay back home.

During the 2024 NCAA volleyball tournament, she entered the transfer portal. She wasn’t sure what the market would hold for a 19-year-old outside hitter with an extensive concussion history. She was at church one day when an onslaught of calls and texts hit her phone. It was so intrusive that she had to activate the “Do Not Disturb” feature.

Texas A&M coach Jamie Morrison was among the many reaching out. The Aggies were coming off a 21-8 season that ended with a five-set loss to Wisconsin in the regional semifinals. They were returning a talented roster, but there was room for more. Soon, Stowers visited College Station. Her brother started his football career there before transferring to New Mexico State and then Vanderbilt, so she was familiar with some of the faces and the athletic department’s culture.

“But obviously meeting the volleyball staff and seeing what they were about in their program meant a lot to me,” she said. “So, yeah, fell in love with it and then committed two days later.”


MORRISON SAID HE had two priorities when Stowers arrived. He wanted to give her back the thing she loved — the ability to play volleyball. He said he was also committed to keeping her safe.

Stowers wasn’t just working out during her time away from volleyball. She underwent concussion rehabilitation at the Andrews Institute in Plano, Texas, and received VOMS (Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening), which is a clinical assessment tool.

“When I moved home, I saw a ton of doctors in Dallas,” Stowers said, “a lot of very well-known neuropsychologists. Neurologists. Even some, like, general people, across every board that I could think of because I didn’t want to put myself at risk.

“I mean, my dad played football … my brother is about to go into the NFL. The world of concussions is not foreign to me, and I know obviously what that can lead to. So I didn’t want to put myself at risk by any means. Part of it was like, I want to get all of this evidence that I’m fine to continue playing, but I also want to make sure I’m good.”

She said that eventually, the lingering concussion symptoms she’d experienced at Baylor were gone, and she was cleared to continue playing volleyball by her personal doctors.

“I would never have put my daughter back out on a court if I thought it was not safe for her,” Tina Stowers said. “We definitely got plenty of clearance from a lot of people that know better than I do. And then it just kind of worked out.”

Morrison said A&M’s medical staff pored through all of her medical records, which accounted for about 60 hours of work. One of the conditions he set for Stowers to play was that she wore a Q-Collar, a horseshoe-shaped safety device that is worn around the neck and has been cleared by the FDA.

Dr. Julian Bailes, a renowned neurosurgeon and concussions expert who was part of the research and development of the Q-Collar, said the device has a spring inside that compresses the jugular.

“And what that does,” he said, “it puts a little more blood in the cranium, which reduces the ability of the brain to move or slosh around. …

“If you get hit on the head by any mechanism, if the brain doesn’t move, it doesn’t get injured. It’s the movement of the brain that creates brain injury, whether it’s concussion or, you know, major injury in a car accident or a fall, something like that.”

Though the device, which has become common in the NFL, has its skeptics, most everyone agrees that more research on concussion prevention needs to be done.

Stowers said she has worn the Q-Collar all season, and has been hit in the head occasionally. That’s going to happen to everyone, she said. But she hasn’t sustained another concussion, and doesn’t worry about getting hit in the head.

“I’ve been perfectly fine,” she said.


IT HAS BEEN a busy December for the Stowers family. Eli won the John Mackey Award, which is given to the nation’s top tight end, and the William V. Campbell Trophy, which honors the top scholar-athlete.

The family has jet-setted to New York and Las Vegas for Eli’s awards, then watched Kyndal play in the postseason in between. Sometimes it’s hard to remember what time zone they’re in — or where they are.

Texas A&M came back from two games down last weekend to knock off No. 2-seeded Louisville, then had the gumption to cancel the plans of thousands of Nebraskans who were supposed to flock three hours south to see their undefeated team hoist the trophy.

“Zero surprise to me what she’s doing,” said Baylor’s McGuyre, who has known Stowers since she was in junior high. “I’m really excited for her. My wife was the first to tell her, ‘Hey, if you don’t feel like you’re done playing, go play. You’ll flourish.’

“We were cheering super, super loud in that Nebraska match. Seeing her do what she did just kind of is another sucker punch to the gut a little bit, like, ‘Oh, what if?’ But I think both families still believe there’s a purpose and plan in this life. … I believe in over-comers. I wouldn’t be [talking] if I didn’t believe she’s something special.”

The Stowers family will be there Thursday to watch Kyndal try to do what seemed impossible 12 months ago. And if the Aggies beat Pitt, Eli hopes to make it to Sunday’s championship game.

On Tuesday, Kyndal, who was scrambling to pack for Kansas City, paused for a moment to reflect on the Aggies’ postseason run. She felt as if she fit in seamlessly when she arrived in College Station, that she was around like-minded teammates with the perfect measure of confidence and goofiness.

Nobody has time to worry about the heaviness of the moment.

“[Last year] I was sitting at home on my couch watching all these games being played,” she said.

“I believe that that’s where the Lord had me. And I was like, ‘This is a really cool story. God, if you want me to come out of this, how dope would that be?’ I mean, being medically retired, and now we’re here? It’s surreal.”



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Who will win the volleyball national championship with Nebraska out?

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Dec. 18, 2025, 6:07 a.m. ET



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Panthers’ Streich to join USD track and field program | Select

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Dickinson Announces Hall of Fame Class for 2026

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CARLISLE, Pa. – Dickinson Director of Athletics Celine Cunningham has announced that six former Red Devil student-athletes, two distinguished contributors, two campus contributors and one team will join the Dickinson Athletics Hall of Fame during Red-White Weekend from April 24 to 26.

Let’s get to know the inductees a little more:

Ross Anstaett ’11 – Men’s Tennis

Anstaett was a three-time team captain and two-time team Most Valuable Player for the Red Devil men’s tennis program from 2007 to 2011. The four-time All-Centennial Conference First Team selection and three-time Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll honoree finished his time at Dickinson with an record of 56-24. In singles competition he posted double-digit wins in three seasons playing as the Red Devils number one, with a career-high 17 victories coming as a senior in 2011. He was also a major threat in doubles action as well racking up 12 or more wins in three of four seasons. 

Taylor Ferry ’12 – Men’s Soccer

Ferry, was a stalwart defender for the Red and White from 2008 to 2012, helping the team to claim the school’s first Centennial Conference Championship in 2011 and make two appearances in the NCAA Tournament (2008, 2011). The two-time team captain was named to the All-Centennial Conference First Team for both the 2010 and 2011 seasons. His senior campaign would prove to be quite memorable as he not only landed on the All-Conference First Team, but was also a First Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region selection in addition to being named a NSCAA Third Team All-American. He served as the anchor of the Red Devils backline during their magical 2011 season helping the side to record eight clean sheets, which included a 2-0 win in the Centennial Conference Semifinal against Muhlenberg. Then, in the final with score tied 1-1 thru 90 minutes and overtime, he stepped up in the penalty shootout and converted the match-winning penalty to make Dickinson history. 

Genevieve Olson Desmond ’12 – Women’s Soccer

Olson, was a member of the Dickinson soccer program from 2008 to 2012 and was key cog in the Red Devils run to three consecutive Centennial Conference Championship Games in 2008, 2009 and 2010.  In 2010, she was a vital part of the team’s run to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament backstopping Dickinson to wins over Centenary University (N.J.) and Stevens Institute of Technology, before getting tripped up by Messiah University. The two-time First Team All-Centennial Conference selection and First Team All-Mid Atlantic Region honoree paced the side during the 2010 campaign in goals (7), assists (4), shots (65) and shots on goal (31). 

Sarah Rutkowski ’15 – Cross Country/Track & Field

Rutkowski, participated in both cross country and track & field for the Red and White during her time in Carlisle. On the cross country course, she was a member of four Little Three Championships, four Top-3 Centennial Conference Championship team finishes and four Top-25 team results in the NCAA Championships, including a 15th-place result in the 2013 race. As an individual she was a two-time All-Region and two-time All-Centennial Conference honoree. In indoor track, she earned All-American status for the 10,000m by taking fourth at the national championship. She also garnered All-Conference recognition for the 3000m and 5000m. Outdoors, she helped the Red Devils to a trio of second-place finishes as a team, while as an individual she nabbed a second-place finish for the 10,000m in 2015.

Gerry Wixted ’15 – Men’s Basketball

Wixted left Carlisle as one of the most decorated players in Dickinson basketball history earning three First Team All-Centennial Conference honors, one Second Team All-Conference selection and being named the 2015 Centennial Conference Player of the Year. That same season he was tabbed the D3Hoops.com National Player of the Year and NABC Mid-Atlantic Region Player of the Year, in addition to be selected a First Team All-American by both organizations. He left the school holding the Centennial Conference record for career defensive rebounds (689), career free throws made (597) and career free throws attempted (706). In addition, he graduated with the Dickinson record for career points (1,903), career rebounds (872), career free throws made (597), career free throws attempted (706), career blocked shots (172), career games played (113), career games started (110), single-season points (539), single-season blocked shots (46) and season-season free throws made (157). Not only did he have tremendous individual success, but he was a part of great team success as well, winning two Centennial Conference Championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a pair of Sweet 16 appearances and one trip to the Elite 8.

Specialty Categories

Veterans – inductees who are listed as Veterans are at least 30 years removed from their date of graduation, and their accomplishments have stood the test of time.

Ed Ward ’83 – Men’s Basketball

Ward was a two-time All-Middle Atlantic Conference selection in 1982 and 1983, serving as a team captain during his final season with the Red Devils. When he left Dickinson, he held the school record for career blocked shots with 76, while ranking second in career rebounds (696), career field-goal percentage (.541) and single-season blocked shots (32). He contributed to three MAC South Division Championships, two NCAA Tournament appearances and one MAC Southern Conference Championship. 

Distinguished Contributors – Recipients of the Distinguished Contributor Award have demonstrated leadership, inspiration, talent, sustained support for Dickinson Athletics or achieved outstanding recognition in their athletic field, and/or measurable, sustainable philanthropic support of Dickinson Athletics by their efforts.

Tom ’78 and Judianne Hare P’22, P’25

As parents of two Red Devil student athletes, Tom and Judianne Hare deeply appreciate the value of the student-athlete experience at Dickinson—especially since Tom, himself, was an All-American athlete as a Red Devil. Accordingly, they have long been staunch supporters of Dickinson athletics through their transformational philanthropy. Their generosity has funded the new Hare Family Sports Performance & Training Center and provided professional-grade playing surfaces for men’s and women’s soccer. Motivated by their years of cheering on their children, Cole ’22 (baseball) and Charlotte ’25 (soccer), their gifts also include endowed funds for the long-term maintenance of the fields and support for baseball, softball and soccer. Their leadership-level giving has inspired significant support for Red Devil athletics across the parent and alumni community, securing a lasting impact for current and future Dickinson student-athletes.

Contributor – Recipients of the Contributor Award must have served Dickinson College as a coach, administrator, manager, trainer or any other capacity that served to make significant contributions to the athletic program and/or the advancement of our athletes

Charlie Hambrook and Bob Penner – Equipment Managers

Hambrook and Penner were two of the most dedicated employees during their time at Dickinson. Both were concerned about the well-being of the student athletes, which showed each and every day. They put in many hours to ensure athletes were provided with everything needed to compete on a daily basis. Their positions at Dickinson enabled them to get to know the athletes from all the teams, which they valued greatly. Both served the athletic department as members of one big family, and they will always be remembered for their selflessness and dedication. 

Team Award – Teams who are recognized for the team award have made outstanding contributions to Dickinson College Athletics, and have helped to bring recognition, honor, distinction and excellence to Dickinson College and its intercollegiate athletic programs.

2011 Men’s Soccer


The 2011 Dickinson men’s soccer program is a very special one in Red Devil history as they posted an 11-5-5 overall record with a 6-2-1 mark inside the Centennial Conference. After opening up the season with a pair of ties, the Red and White picked up wins in four of their next five matches knocking off Washington & Jefferson (6-1), Skidmore (4-0), Gwynedd-Mercy (5-0) and Washington (Md.) (4-1). Following a non-conference slip against No. 2 Messiah, the Red Devils nabbed conference victories over Swarthmore (2-1), McDaniel (4-1), Johns Hopkins (3-0), Ursinus (3-0) and Muhlenberg (1-0), which earned them a spot in the Centennial Conference tournament. Dickinson would knock off Muhlenberg by a 2-0 scoreline in the semifinals, earning them a place in the title match with Haverford. The Red Devils and Fords would go the full 110 minutes locked at 1-1 to setup a penalty shootout. It was there were Hall of Fame inductee Taylor Ferry drilled the match-winning kick to send Dickinson to the NCAA Tournament. The Red and White began their tournament journey with a 2-1 triumph over Vassar, before the host Montclair State posted a 2-1 win in the Second Round. The team was led offensively by Javier Mena, who had eight goals and nine assists, followed by Bryan Gilmartin and Nicolas Tierno who netted five goals each while the duo of Derek Kachadurian and Chris Shultz added four. Seven other players recorded at least two goals to contribute to a very well-balanced attack. Cody Hickok led the way between the sticks for head coach Brian Redding, posting a .908 save percentage thanks to 92 stops.



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Monument Mountain Seniors Sign Commitments to College Teams / iBerkshires.com

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. – Four Monument Mountain student-athletes this week committed to compete in intercollegiate athletics next year.


 


Cross country and track and field standouts Amelia Desilets, Autumn Higa and Everett Pacheco were joined on the Monument Mountain stage on Tuesday by softball star Lexi Carpenter to sign commitment letters to the schools of their choice.


 


Desilets is bound for Orono, Maine, to run cross country and track and field for the University of Maine.


 


Higa and Pacheco committed to run cross country at Vassar College and Williams College, respectively.


 


Carpenter committed to Rhode Island’s Roger Williams University to compete for the Hawks on the softball diamond.


 


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Virginia Track & Field Names Distance Carnival After Mark & Cynthia Lorenzoni

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.  –  The University of Virginia track and field program will name the prestigious distance carnival at the Virginia Challenge on Friday, April 17th, the Mark & Cynthia Lorenzoni Distance Night at the Virginia Challenge.

Virginia is set to host the annual Virginia Challenge outdoor track & field meet on Friday and Saturday, April 17-18 at Lannigan Field. The meet is known to feature high level competition across all event areas, but especially in the distance events. The distance carnival is set to be named in honor of long time Virginia Track & Field/Cross Country supporters, Mark and Cynthia Lorenzoni. The Lorenzonis have served the Charlottesville community for over 40 years as the couple co-owns The Ragged Mountain Running and Walking Shop with their two eldest children, Alec and Audrey.

“When I think about volunteerism and commitment to the community, it would be difficult to imagine any family doing more than Mark & Cynthia Lorenzoni,” said Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Vin Lananna. “For decades, Mark & Cynthia have positively impacted thousands of running enthusiasts. We are honored to recognize them with the Mark & Cynthia Lorenzoni Distance Night at the Virginia Challenge.”

“What an honor to be recognized in such a public arena and to be closely affiliated with an iconic program that has not only given our family so much to cheer for, but even more importantly, has enriched our lives through the hundreds of special friendships we’ve had the pleasure of sharing with our wonderful UVA Track & Field coaches and athletes over the past 45 years,” said Mark Lorenzoni.

A running family, Mark Lorenzoni began his running career back in high school. A recreational runner throughout college, Mark Lorenzoni took up road racing and even began his amateur coaching career by coaching his wife, Cynthia. Since then, he has coached runners at all levels while also continuing to run himself.

“What a wonderful surprise and great honor to have our family name affiliated with this magnificent program in such a thoughtful way,” said Mark Lorenzoni.

Also beginning her career back in high school, Cynthia Lorenzoni was undefeated in cross country and track & field before going on to compete in college at Michigan State. As a Spartan, Cynthia Lorenzoni finished runner-up at the Big 10 Cross Country Championships during her freshman season and finished 16th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships the same year. After college, she continued to train and compete post collegiately winning the Marine Corps Marathon twice, recorded a 13th place finish at the Boston Marathon and posted a personal best time of 2:38 in the marathon.

“We are humbled by this genuinely thoughtful gesture and we’re very grateful to Coach Vin, his hardworking and caring staff, to [Virginia Director of Athletics] Carla Williams and especially to all of our wonderful “kids” (what we fondly call our UVA Track & Field athletes) for this incredible honor,”  said Mark Lorenzoni.

Mark and Cynthia, who have four children that all ran cross country in high school, have served the community for over 45 years. Not only as the founders of The Ragged Mountain Running and Walking Shop but between the two of them have also served on nearly 30 not-for-profit community boards and having directed, on a volunteer basis, close to 900 local races that have raised over $8 million for area organizations.

“Giving back to a sport that has given so much to our family, in so many meaningful ways, has truly been both one of the easiest and most rewarding things in our life together,” said Mark Lorenzoni.

The Lorenzonis commitment to the sport of cross country and track & field is evident not only in their personal pursuits and community endeavors but also in their continued support of the Virginia Track & Field/Cross Country program. The first annual Mark & Cynthia Lorenzoni Distance Night at the Virginia Challenge is set to take place on Friday, April 17th at Lannigan Field.



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