By: LAURIE KNOWLES CALLANAN Record Express Correspondent, Staff Writer

As the Lititz Historical Foundation’s annual antiques show nears its half century mark, it may be one of the oldest, continuous of its kind in the area.

"I’m pretty sure it is the oldest show that is still around," says Ken Martin of the Lititz Historical Foundation.

In recent years, many similar events have fallen by the wayside, but the Lititz Antiques Show will mark its 49th year on Friday and Saturday, June 24 and 25.

"Next year, we will be 50 and it will be a very important milestone for the show," adds Martin.

The Lititz Antiques Show opens on Friday, June 24, at 10 a.m. at John R. Bonfield Elementary School, running until 5 p.m. The show reopens on Saturday, June 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

As Martin notes, this annual show and sale is known as a not-to-be-missed event for antiques collectors, dealers and those who enjoy the keepsakes of the past.

A highlight will be a book signing by local author Cory Van Brookhoven, who recently wrote the 128-page book "Images of America: Warwick Township Lancaster County."

By: LAURIE KNOWLES CALLANAN Record Express Correspondent, Staff Writer

Photos by Laurie Knowles Callanan
Sunday's polo match in Rothsville between Lancaster and Delaware was cut short due to lightning. At the time, Lancaster was winning, 5-3.Photos by Laurie Knowles Callanan
Sunday's polo match in Rothsville between Lancaster and Delaware was cut short due to lightning. At the time, Lancaster was winning, 5-3.

A bolt of lightning put an end to the opening game of the 71st season of the Lancaster Polo Club on Saturday, June 12, but that didn’t end the festivities for the fans.

"Most of them took cover from the rain and stayed until nearly 7 p.m.," reported team manager Ken McSherry. "Despite the weather, we had a great opening day."

The Lancaster Polo Club had just scored 5 points to Delaware’s 3, when the previously sunny skies began to darken. The rain wouldn’t have stopped the game, noted McSherry. But when a big bolt of lightning hit at the empty end if the polo field, organizers took it as a sign from above and stopped play at half-time.

"We just couldn’t take the chance," said McSherry.

By: BRUCE MORGAN Record Express Sports Editor, Staff Writer

Warwick High School seniors Deron Thompson (left) and Bethany Ashworth (right) were named winners of the 2011 Dr. Joseph W. Grosh Scholarship Awards, which were presented Monday night.Warwick High School seniors Deron Thompson (left) and Bethany Ashworth (right) were named winners of the 2011 Dr. Joseph W. Grosh Scholarship Awards, which were presented Monday night.

Seniors Bethany Ashworth and Deron Thompson had one thing in common on the athletic fields at Warwick.

Both possessed an engine that never stopped.

Not surprisingly, that drive led each athlete in putting up some big numbers for their respective squads during the 2010-11 year.

Ashworth led the Lady Warriors’ field hockey team in scoring with 17 goals and seven assists.

Thompson, meanwhile, became just the second L-L League running back ever to rush for 2,000 yards in a single regular season. In the end, he finished with 2,135 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns as Warwick qualified for Districts for the fourth time in five seasons.

It wasn’t only between the white lines that Ashworth and Thompson excelled, however. Both were also strong students inside Warwick’s halls and they were role models for their younger teammates.

To think of how far the Manheim Central softball team has come this year is mind-boggling. At this stage, with only one win separating the girls from a State Triple-A championship, it’s easy to forget that they were just a 4-3 team in early April.

It’s hard to believe that anyone had them pegged as a State finalist at that point.

Shoot, the last time they advanced as far as the L-L League semi-finals, prior to doing so this spring against Warwick, was nearly a decade ago in 2002. I remember interviewing a couple of the Manheim Central players after they beat Elizabethtown 2-0 in the first round of Leagues and they talked about their goals of beating Warwick, of getting to the L-L’s Final Four and of accomplishing some feats that they hadn’t reached in several years.

Yes, the State tournament was still another step or two away, but I’m not sure that playing in the State finals was on anyone’s radar at that point.

By: BRUCE MORGAN Record Express Sports Editor, Staff Writer

Katie VanBlargan never saw the ball leave the bat of Alexa Campbell in the bottom of the sixth inning.

"I wasn’t really watching — I was praying the whole time," the junior catcher laughed.

Turns out her prayers were answered, as Campbell’s pop-up to shallow left field was dropped by Valley View shortstop Liz Aniska with the bases loaded and two outs.

And when the ball fell to the turf, courtesy runner Megan Ebersole scampered home from third base with what turned out to be the game’s only run, enabling the Manheim Central girls to defeat Valley View 1-0 in the PIAA State Triple-A semi-finals at Allentown’s Patriot’s Park on Monday.

"I’ve aged a lot this season so far, but it’s been worth it," Manheim Central skipper Steve Ginder said. "It’s exhilirating is all I can say. It’s going to take awhile to sink in for this one."

By: BRUCE MORGAN Record Express Sports Editor, Staff Writer

Photos by Preston Whitcraft
Pictured at left, Rachel Clippinger and Abigail Hahn celebrate Manheim Central's District title-clinching 3-1 win over Donegal last Thursday night as teammate Megan Ebersole (far left) and assistant coach Tim Proffitt (back) look on; (Above) team members display their gold medals and the Lady Barons' first-ever District Three Triple-A championship trophy.Photos by Preston Whitcraft
Pictured at left, Rachel Clippinger and Abigail Hahn celebrate Manheim Central's District title-clinching 3-1 win over Donegal last Thursday night as teammate Megan Ebersole (far left) and assistant coach Tim Proffitt (back) look on; (Above) team members display their gold medals and the Lady Barons' first-ever District Three Triple-A championship trophy.

At one time, the thought of rooting against Donegal wouldn’t have even crossed Steve Ginder’s mind.

Manheim Central’s softball coach bled green growing up prior to graduating from Donegal.

Ditto for his father, Clair Ginder, an assistant coach for the Lady Barons.

Last Friday, however, their loyalties were definitely with the maroon and silver as Manheim Central and Donegal squared off for the fourth time this season.

OK, I’m not making excuses. I’m really not.

Covering sports for a living is a pretty good gig. It’s actually been a fairly long time since I’ve paid to watch a high school game.

That being said, it gets hectic at the height of certain sports seasons, particularly during the spring and fall when there are so many sports that deserve ink. I share the same philosophy as my colleague at the Ephrata Review, Todd Ruth, to just try to be as fair as we can.

As the regular season comes to a close and as the non-playoff teams hang up their equipment for the year, it affords me more time to cover the last couple of local squads that are still competing in the playoffs.

This year, the Manheim Central softball team has fallen into that category and it’s been fun getting to know them a little bit better in the last few weeks. They are hoping to play — and win — three more games this year, starting with the State quarterfinals against Lansdale Catholic tonight (Thursday).

By: BRUCE MORGAN Record Express Sports Editor, Staff Writer

Alexa Campbell never lost faith.

After Manheim Central stranded 10 runners on base through the first six innings and fallen behind 1-0 going into their final at-bat, the Lady Barons’ ace pitcher/leadoff batter might have had good reason to do just that.

But Campbell and her teammates were rewarded for their perseverence, as they scored two runs off of Pottsgrove pitcher Marisa Kinneer in the bottom of the seventh inning and earned a walk-off 2-1 victory in a PIAA State Triple-A first-round playoff game at Millersville University on Monday.

"I’m glad it wasn’t a six-inning game," Central coach Steve Ginder quipped. "They’ve had a few comeback wins in that seventh inning and I thought they could do it again. It was just a matter of getting hits together."

Playing in their first State tournament since 1981, the Lady Barons (24-4) will now prepare for District 12 champ Lansdale Catholic, a 3-1 winner over Bethlehem Catholic, in the State quarterfinals today (Thursday).

Even after the emotional high of winning the District Three crown last Thursday, Ginder felt like his girls were focused heading into States, and he believes that will continue as they take the next step.

By: BRUCE MORGAN Record Express Sports Editor, Staff Writer

Joshua Buitrago, draped in the American flag, accepts his gold medal in second-degree patterns on top of the podium at the ITF World Championships in New Zealand in early April.Joshua Buitrago, draped in the American flag, accepts his gold medal in second-degree patterns on top of the podium at the ITF World Championships in New Zealand in early April.

For Ephrata High School senior Joshua Buitrago and his mentor Luis Mejia, the head instructor at Lititz’s Advantage Taekwondo, the dream started about two years ago.

In 2009 at the ITF World Championships in Argentina, Buitrago took fifth place and the seed was planted.

"When I went to Argentina, I saw all these world champions (and) everyone knew who they were," Buitrago said. "I dreamed to be just like them on top of that podium hearing their national anthem and there was nothing more in the world that I wanted at that time. I was going to do whatever it took to get there."

In early April, Buitrago did, in fact, get to the top of the podium. His hard work paid off when he captured the title in second-degree patterns at the ITF World Championships in New Zealand.

Members of the Wertsch Vision Associates-sponsored Bears who defeated the Lititz Insurance Company's Lititz Lightning to win the Major Divsion's Memorial Day Tournament championship included (front row, left to right) Ryan Esbenshade, Nate Hess, Connor Cowher, Jake McCracken and Ryan Aukamp; (middle row, l-r) Wilson Bushong, Michael Alfano, Zach Weidner, Patrick Quinn, Damian Ferreri, Stephen Poliski and manager Chris Aukamp; (back row, l-r) coach Daryl Hess, coach Dennis Quinn, coach Gordy Cowher, coach Mark Poliski. Missing from photo are Evan Popalis, Brady Dissinger.
Members of the Wertsch Vision Associates-sponsored Bears who defeated the Lititz Insurance Company's Lititz Lightning to win the Major Divsion's Memorial Day Tournament championship included (front row, left to right) Ryan Esbenshade, Nate Hess, Connor Cowher, Jake McCracken and Ryan Aukamp; (middle row, l-r) Wilson Bushong, Michael Alfano, Zach Weidner, Patrick Quinn, Damian Ferreri, Stephen Poliski and manager Chris Aukamp; (back row, l-r) coach Daryl Hess, coach Dennis Quinn, coach Gordy Cowher, coach Mark Poliski. Missing from photo are Evan Popalis, Brady Dissinger.

The Wertsch Vision Associates-sponsored Bears jumped out to a big 9-0 lead and then withstood a late rally by Barolo’s Lititz Mutual Insurance Company’s Lititz Lightning to capture the Majors Division’s Memorial Day Tournament championship with a 9-4 victory on Monday, May 30 in Warwick Little League action at the Wilbur Field complex.