web1_TTL102115robbery2crop.jpg

Luzerne police ID suspect arrested in armed robbery of Chuck’s Newsstand

web1_passan01.jpg

A gift to Wilkes University nursing students, and a ‘blessing’

<p>KINGSTON &#8212; A day that began so promising didn&#8217;t turn out like they&#8217;d planned.</p><p>But it still turned out pretty well for doubles teams from Hazleton Area and Wyoming Seminary.</p><p>Neither made it out of Kirby Park and into next week&#8217;s girls tennis state championships, as they&#8217;d hoped. But the girls who gave extra effort to reach the final rounds of the District 2 doubles tournament couldn&#8217;t be too displeased with taking their runs to the brink of states.</p><p>&#8220;We tried our best,&#8221; Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Jacqui Meuser said.</p><p>In the end, though, a strong start to the Class 2A semifinals Wednesday finally fizzled for Meuser and her Blue Knights partner Megan Obeid, who dropped a 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 match to Dallas resident Mira Patel and Tatiana Klacko of Scranton Prep one round before the district championship.</p><p>The Hazleton Area tandem of Stephanie Mazurek and Lily Nowak actually advanced to the finals of the District 2-4 Class 3A tournament, winning their semfinal match in straight sets.</p><p>But once there, the magic that the Cougars underclassmen created through the tourney disappeared during a 6-1, 6-1 loss to top-seeded Amanda Southard and Isabel Bauer of Williamsport.</p><p>&#8220;They were consistent and they placed the ball very well,&#8221; Mazurek, a sophomore, said. &#8220;We just have to get our momentum going and continue to practice for next season.&#8221;</p><p>Or, make that, next week.</p><p>Because Williamsport represents District 4, Mazurek and her freshman partner Nowak will be back at Kirby Park again Monday to play for the District 2 title at 3:30 p.m. They will take on the Wallenpaupack tandem of Brigid Washburn and Irene Gendelman, who fell to Williamsport&#8217;s District 2-4 champions in the semifinal round.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s great,&#8221; Hazleton Area coach Amber Corrado said. &#8220;I think we&#8217;ll definitely play our hardest against Wallenpaupack.&#8221;</p><p>Mazurek and Nowak played pretty hard in Wednesday&#8217;s semifinals, fighting back from an early 2-0 deficit in the first set to down the Abington Heights team of Sondra Lionetti and Lauren Carroll, 7-5, 6-0.</p><p>&#8220;We had a lot of fun playing (Wednesday). We&#8217;re only going to get better,&#8221; Mazurek said.</p><p>The fun stopped for Hazleton Area in the Class 3A finals, where Southard and Bauer controlled the pace and the action while never letting the Cougars duo in the match.</p><p>Using effortless ball placement and sharp-angled shots, Southard and Bauer piled up winners, bolted to big leads in both sets and closed out the championship match quickly.</p><p>&#8220;I think we beat ourselves,&#8221; Mazurek said. &#8220;In the beginning of both sets, we started off strong, we won the first game. What we have to do is continue playing that way, fighting for every point and staying optimistic.&#8221;</p><p>Call it a hard lesson learned.</p><p>&#8220;We have the next two, three years,&#8221; Nowak said. &#8220;I&#8217;m sure you&#8217;ll see us again.&#8221;</p><p>Wyoming Seminary saw a long, hard fight swing the other way in the Class 2A semis.</p><p>Meuser and Obeid began a match filled with momentum swings by wrestling a 7-5 victory from Patel and Klacko in the first set, only to watch the Prep duo storm back with a 6-1 victory in the second set.</p><p>&#8220;Prep usually does that,&#8221; Obeid said. &#8220;If they lose the first set, they usually come back strong the second and third.&#8221;</p><p>The final set was a battle to the finish and anyone&#8217;s match, until Patel and Klacko pulled out the final two games to win. They advanced to the district finals before falling to their top-seeded Scranton Prep teammates Mansi Malhotra and Gabi Jakubek.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m proud of how we&#8217;ve been playing all season,&#8221; Obeid said. &#8220;I just wish we got to the finals.&#8221;</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>District 2 Girls Tennis Tournament Results</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Semifinals</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Class 3A</strong></p><p>No. 1 Amanda Southard/Isabel Bauer (Williamsport) def. No. 5 Brigid Washburn/Irene Gendelman (Wallenpaupack) 6-1, 6-1</p><p>No. 2 Stephanie Mazurek/Lily Nowak (Hazleton Area) def. No. 3 Sondra Lionetti/Lauren Carroll (Abington Heights) 7-5, 6-0</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Class 2A</strong></p><p>No. 1 Mansi Malhotra/Gabi Jakubek (Scranton Prep) def. No. 4 Sarah Tofilska/Sarah Sposito (North Pocono) 6-4, 6-1</p><p>No. 2 Mira Patel/Tatiana Klacko (Scranton Prep) def. No. 3 Jacqui Meuser/Megan Obeid (Wyoming Seminary) 5-7, 6-1, 6-4</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Finals</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Class 3A</strong></p><p style="text-align: left;">No. 1 Amanda Southard/Isabelle Bauer (Williamsport) def. No. 2 Stephanie Mazurek/Lily Nowak (Hazleton Area) 6-1, 6-1</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Class 2A</strong></p><p style="text-align: left;">No. 1 Mansi Malhotra/Gabi Jakubek (Scranton Prep) def. No. 2 Mira Patel/Tatiana Klacko (Scranton Prep)</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_d2tennis01.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Megan Obeid, left, of Wyoming Seminary plays at the net as doubles partner Jacqui Meuser looks on during Wednesday&#8217;s District 2 doubles tournament at Kirby Park. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_d2tennis01.jpg</photo0><caption0>Megan Obeid, left, of Wyoming Seminary plays at the net as doubles partner Jacqui Meuser looks on during Wednesday&#8217;s District 2 doubles tournament at Kirby Park. </caption0><photoCredit0>Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_d2tennis02.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Lily Nowak of Hazleton Area plays at the net during Wednesday&#8217;s District 2 doubles tennis tournament at Kirby Park. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_d2tennis02.jpg</photo1><caption1>Lily Nowak of Hazleton Area plays at the net during Wednesday&#8217;s District 2 doubles tennis tournament at Kirby Park. </caption1><photoCredit1>Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Paul Sokoloski</p><p>psokoloski@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Hazleton Area, Wyoming Seminary doubles tennis teams fall short of states