A look back at sports in 2022

The Penn State football team kicked off 2022 on New Year's Day. It wasn't the start to the year that Nittany Nation wanted – a loss to Arkansas in the Outback Bowl.

History was made in the squared circle in February. Lake-Lehman's Lexi Schechterly became the first girl ever to win a District II wrestling title.

In March, a record seven area wrestlers won state championships. District IV dominated in Class 2A. Athens' Gavin Bradley, Muncy's Scott Johnson, Montgomery's Connor Harer, and Montoursville's Isaac Cory all won gold.  

Speaking of wrestling, Penn State was able to climb the mountain again in 2022, claiming their 9th national championship in 11 years.

On the basketball court, Davion Hill led St. John Neumann to their first state title game appearance since 1972, while Scranton claimed our top spot in the Super 16 Countdown. 

In girls' hoops, Southern Columbia also made it all the way to Hershey just two years after joining the PIAA. Northumberland Christian won it all, capturing the Class A state title.

Meanwhile, Dunmore star Ciera Toomey tore her ACL in the district championship game. The Lady Bucks would hold off Scranton Prep for a district title, but they fell to Jim Thorpe in the state playoffs. The biggest girls' basketball recruit the area has seen in years, Toomey would later commit to North Carolina, and the Lady Bucks claimed the Super 16 trophy.

In April, we passed the torch to our new sports director, Ron Snyder, who took the reins just as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders began their new season.

In May, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins made their Calder Cup Playoff push. Once they made the postseason, the Pens beat the rival Bears in dramatic fashion, as Alexander Nylander's overtime game-winner was the golden goal in the opening-round series. 

The Pens ultimately lost to the Thunderbirds. 

Meanwhile, the East Stroudsburg University women's lacrosse team made it all the way to the NCAA Division II national championship game, falling in a heartbreaker to the University of Indianapolis in the title.

At the same time, area athletes shipped off to Shippensburg. Southern Columbia's Jake Rose won two gold medals, as did Susquehanna's Tatum Norris. She led the Sabres to the team title – the school's first state championship in any sport. 

Speaking of PIAA state championships, two area softball teams won it all in June. Pittston Area claimed the Class 5A title, while Faith Persing led Montgomery to the single-A crown. 

In July, Scranton Prep's London Montgomery made a major announcement. 

The star running back committed to play for the Nittany Lions, but like Toomey in the spring, an ACL injury was the story in the fall for Montgomery. His senior season ended before it ever began.

On the diamond, in just their second year in the league, the Williamsport Crosscutters made it all the way to the inaugural MLB Draft League Championship Game, falling to West Virginia.

All the while, the RailRiders were riding a roller coaster of a season, ultimately coming up just short to the Durham Bulls in the race for the division title. 

In the fall, area athletes continued to dominate the PIAA competition. Warrior Run's Hannah Rabb won a state golf championship, while the Lake-Lehman boys' captured the team title.

Danville's Rory Lieberman won the PIAA Class 2A boys cross country championship, while Wyoming Seminary's Ilana Rosenthal won the same classification on the girls' tennis court. 

The Central Columbia girls' soccer teams wrapped up an undefeated season by winning the school's first-ever state championship. Their neighbors to the south – Southern Columbia – also won the state title. The Tigers completed the three-peat and won their 4th title in five years. 

Speaking of dynasties at Southern Columbia, despite a three-loss regular season, the Tigers did it again. They won their 30th district title in 32 years and then won the PIAA Class 2A state championship – their 6th straight, 7th in 8 years, and 13th overall.

And just seven months after the women's lacrosse team went to the national title game, the East Stroudsburg University, field hockey team did the same. Nicole Krozser's goal in the final minute gave the Warriors the 1-0 win over PSAC rival Shippensburg. East Stroudsburg won the NCAA Division II national championship. It's their first win since 2015.

And it all comes full circle – with a Penn State bowl game. The Nittany Lions are all set to play Utah in the Rose Bowl – their 5th appearance in the "Granddaddy of Them All" and the first since the 2016 season. 

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