Local Sports

Penn College winter coaches, players wanted to play

The writing was on the wall for Penn College's winter sports teams the last few weeks. Women's basketball coach Britni Mohney, men's basketball coach Geoff Hensley and wrestling coach Jamie Miller all were hopeful there could be some sort of a winter sports season.

They wanted a season -- and the players definitely wanted a season -- but with COVID-19 numbers continuing to surge week after week, the three Penn College coaches were realistic regarding a season.

Late Friday morning, the news was official. Penn College announced it was canceling all its winter sports competitions in coordination with a unanimous decision by the North Eastern Athletic Conference.

While the coaches and players were realistic throughout fall workouts heading into the winter, the news was still disappointing to hear.

"I think deep down, they knew that the news was coming. As a coach, I try to keep it as real with them as possible. So I think they knew, with fall sports being canceled, that it wasn't looking great for our future with winter sports," Mohni said. "But I think actually hearing it and knowing its real does take a toll, especially on our seniors. They're missing out for that opportunity to have closure."

Mohney, Hensley and Miller all had the opportunity to break the news to their players prior to the official announcement, something all three were glad they were able to do.

Miller took aside his three senior wrestlers -- Daniel Bergeron, Dylan Gettys and Jared Mooney -- and talked to them privately before informing the rest of his wrestlers about the decision.

"That was certainly the hardest group. … Again, I think they're realisistic enough, so I don't think it was totally unexpected. But there was part of them holding out hope for one last push. For them, there's more options for them. I'm hopeful we can find more things for them to do from a coaching angle," Miller said. "They're going to be in a difficult spot for spring semester, last academic term. You want them to do well academically. They're preparing for next step in their career. Where does wrestling fall if there is no competition in their world? That's going to be the interesting part working with them over course of next month or so and how do we get most out of them and them wrestling."

All three programs at Penn College were hoping in the prior weeks some sort of modified shortened season could still take place with COVID-19 protocols and guidelines in place.

Just last week the Middle Atlantic Conference -- in which Lycoming plays -- announced a 5-to-6 week schedule for men's and women's basketball. The NEAC originally had a spring semester schedule planned which was seven or eight games and included a conference tournament. Ultimately, it was canceled with Friday's announcement.

The Wildcats have opponents scattered all over throughout the Northeast. There are teams as far South as Washington D.C. and as far North into New York. Travel restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic were part of the reason the NEAC canceled winter sports.

"We had some sort of hope, but we're also realistic about the current situation," Hensley said. "It is heartbreaking. My heart goes out to seniors. The NCAA did give them an option to come back for another year, but this is Division III and they aren't on any sort of athletic scholarship, so they have bigger goals."

The senior basketball players and wrestlers were the ones holding out hope the most. They wanted that last season to get closure and put on the Penn College uniform one final time.

"Senior year is always special one. You get senior day, your last time being part of college program and team," Hensley said. "We had three seniors that are meeting and they definitely took it the hardest, but they're very mature and they're smart. They're great young men who will go out in world and do great things."

For Mohney, she didn't get the chance to see senior Cassi Kuhns, a Loyalsock graduate and Penn College standout, compete one last time and possibly reach 1,000 career points. Kuhns was within striking distance of it, needing just over 300 points.

But Kuhns made an impact her last three seasons with Penn College and became a leader on the court. Mohney made sure that she knew what she helped accomplish with the Wildcats and what she meant to the program.

"Her and I have had this conversation. I told her the number, yes they're nice to say you reached it, but the legacy she's leaving at Penn College and history and growth, that's what's going to make Cassi Kuhns' name stay as a prominent name at Penn College," Mohney said. "As a coach, you're going to reiterate her work ethic to the incoming players and how she bought into me last year and bought into this program."

What Miller was most impressed by was how poised his wrestlers -- and also the basketball players -- have been since the fall regarding practicing and putting in work never knowing if their season would even happen.

"I have been so impressed with how they've taken the news in stride every step of the way. Whether it's here's our restrictions in practice or here's competition schedule, they've taken everything in stride. I'm so grateful they come to practice every day and work hard with a positive attitude," Miller said. "It's such a huge testament to our students that they're able to do that and show up and compete in practice not knowing what season's going to look like."