TOP STORIES COUNTDOWN (6-4): HISTORY IN THE MAKING ALONG WITH SOME STATE HARDWARE (2025-07-14)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
Getting down towards the end with just six headlines left. These next three involve history being made, along with a few athletes picking up some state hardware.

6. NEB’s Creed Dewing becomes 4-time state medalist in cross-country: It was a history making running season for the senior Panther as Dewing became the first 4-time male state medalist from the NTL.

He took ninth overall this year at the Class A, PIAA Championships, his third straight top 10 performance.

“I couldn’t have done it without the support from family,” Dewing said. “They’ve encouraged me through this whole journey.”

Dewing went out conservatively, sitting 33rd 800 meters in, and 18th at the mile. By the halfway point, though, he was in the top 10, getting as high as eighth with 1,000 meters to go.

His arrival on the scene marked a turnaround for NEB boys’ cross-country, as they won three district titles during his four years, and got as high as sixth at states this past year.

As he says good-bye to NEB Dewing has certainly etched his name in their rich running history.

5. Quite the medal haul for locals at the PIAA Track & Field Championships: There were some big performances from area athletes in particular, and the NTL at large at the Track and Field PIAA Championships.

Leading the way was Towanda’s Brynn Woodruff taking second in the javelin. After taking the District IV title she earned silver on the first day of the competition, battling a tough headwind to do it.

Her best throw on the day was 126-feet, 11-inches, and hopes to do better next year.

“It definitely motivates me to do a lot better,” Woodruff said.

Troy’s Ben Warburton got his elusive medal, taking fourth in the long jump at 22-feet, 2 3/4-inches during a rain soaked morning session. He hit his best mark on the third jump of the day.

“It means everything,” he said about making the podium.

Wyalusing’s Dylan Johns also came up short of the medals the year before, but found the podium in the high jump this past season with a 6-feet, 3-inch finish.

“It feels awesome,” he said. “I’ve been dreaming for two years now.”

He got 6-2 on his final try, then cleared 6-3 right off the bat to earn his spot.

After running a career best on the opening day to reach the finals, Troy’s Alyssa Parks took sixth in the 300 hurdles in 47.47.

“It feels amazing,” the senior said about getting the medal.

She can into states seeded 12th, and into the finals seeded seventh, so Parks certainly had her best over the two days.

In a very talented field NEB’s Gracelyn Laudermilch took seventh in the 3200 to get on the podium after two near misses.

She ran 11:00.43, sitting in 10th after lap one before working her way up as high as sixth.

“To come here today, and just to be able to battle through a lot of memories, and a lot of brokenness was really huge,” Laudermilch said. “It just says how much I’ve grown over the past year.”

Canton’s Kendall Kitchen thought she’d came up short of the podium in the pole vault, but once her coach told her to look at the final results she felt relieved to take eighth.

“It just feels amazing,” she said. “It’s been a gold of mine for a really long time. It’s just a really good ending for my high school career.”

Kitchen finished at 10-feet, 6-inches, and, after a rough start, was clean the rest of the way, which got her on the podium.

Also from the NTL Wellsboro’s Piper Hoprich took home medals in the 100 and 200, while teammate Lauren Kosek got on the podium in the 3200.

Athens’ Abby Burgess brought home a Class AAA medal in the 100.

4. Girls’ wrestling takes the area by storm: After getting a taste of it in 2023-2024 the NTL got even more in 2024-2025. Towanda joined Athens, NEB, and Wellsboro in forming their own girls’ team, incorporating a few Canton girls along the way.

Girls from Towanda, NEB, and Wyalusing all made regionals, with NEB’s Anaiah Kolesar earning her second straight PIAA fourth place finish on the year.

Kolesar claimed a regional title to qualify for states, then battled through the wrestlebacks at states to get back on the podium.

“She showed heart,” her coach Tyler Wheaton said. “Her hard work has proven that it paid off.”

NEB had two other qualifiers at regionals in Ava Lambert and Cora Franklin, and went 4-0 in dual meets this year, including wins over Wellsboro and Sayre.

Towanda opened their program to high numbers, fielding a full line-up, which powered them to an 8-2 initial season.

They also hosted a quad meet, going 2-1. Against NTL foes they fell to Athens, but beat Wellsboro.

Individually, they had their first state qualifier in Lillie Maynard, who took home silver at regionals. The only thing that kept JC Allis from making it to Hershey was an injury.

Also making regionals were Shaylynn Morris, Elizabeth Naughton, and Lylah Bride.

For coach Brock Nichols, it couldn’t have been a better first year.

“I’m so proud of them,” he said. “A lot of them were new to the sport, to come out, and battle every day in practice, and put their hard work on showed at every event.”

Wyalusing only had one female wrestler, but she made it all the way to regionals for the Rams.

Else where in the NTL Athens had several state qualifiers, while Wellsboro got a regional qualifier, showing the sport has nowhere to go but up.

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