WEST POINT, N.Y. – Wrestler Matt Kyler of Clearfield and diver Lindsey Adao of New York City received the Army’s highest athletic honor Friday.
They were presented with the Army Athletic Association Award during the Awards Convocation in Eisenhower Hall.
The prestigious Triple-A trophy is awarded annually just prior to graduation to the male and female cadets who display the “most valuable service to intercollegiate athletics during a career as a cadet.”
Several times in the last 20 years, more than one male has been a recipient of the AAA Award that was initiated in 1904. The only years no one was honored were 1919 and 1921.
Kyler, an All-American in 2008, was a two-time Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association champion, a two-time EIWA runner-up and a four-time national qualifier.
Adao was a two-time Patriot League Diver of the Year. She’s the first diver to be selected for the AAA Award.
Along with other special award recipients, the president of the Class of 2010, the first captain in charge of all cadets and all honor graduates, Kyler and Adao received their diplomas from President Barack Obama, the graduation speaker, and were commissioned Second Lieutenants during Saturday’s United States Military Academy commencement exercises in Michie Stadium.
President Obama also shook the hands of the other graduates in the 1,002-member Class of 2010 after they received their diplomas.
According to Kyler’s mother, Cecelia, President Obama exchanged brief remarks with Kyler while presenting the Civil Engineering major his diploma.
Kyler is the 10th wrestler, the first since Phillip Simpson, to be honored with the AAA Award.
A PIAA Class AAA champion for Clearfield Area High School, Kyler established new Academy records for wins in a season, 43 when he placed sixth in the NCAA Championships as a sophomore, and a career, 146. He broke Simpson’s record of 134.
Kyler won at least 31 matches in each of his four seasons and ended up with a 146-32 record, including 48-9 in dual meets.
He won or shared the Mike Natvig Award as the team’s most outstanding wrestler all four years.
The 2009-10 co-captain registered 48 falls, three technical falls and 30 major decisions during his career.
He won 12 tournament crowns, taking New York State Championships honors four times and being named the Outstanding Wrestler twice.
A decision by Army officials not to send the team to Baltimore, Md., because of the wintry weather in early February prevented Kyler from having a chance to become a four-time Service Academy Championships titleholder.
He also claimed Body Bar Invitational, Southern Scuffle and Shorty Hitchcock Classic titles his senior season.
Earlier this month, Kyler was presented with the Mike Krzyzewski Teaching Character Through Sport Award.
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BASEBALL
BRADFORD – Pitt-Bradford right fielder Bart McGary of Curwensville was recognized for his outstanding senior season by being named to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference First Team last week.
McGary ended the regular season at the top of the AMCC runs batted in list with 61, but the Panthers did not make the conference playoffs and was overtaken by Penn State-Behrend’s Dustin Dubensky. The former Punxsutawney standout passed him during the AMCC tourney and added two more in the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional for a total of 68.
McGary also ranked fifth in hits (59) and seventh in batting average (.434), tied for ninth in home runs (6) and 10th in total bases (90) in the AMCC. He tied for second in sacrifice flies (6).
In addition to leading the 19-20 Panthers in all those statistics, he was first in slugging average (.692) and official at-bats (136), second in doubles (11), third in walks (13) and tied for third in runs (30).
McGary committed only one error in 82 chances for a .988 fielding average.
NCAA Division III stats show McGary tied for No. 23 in RBIs.
Players also are ranked by RBIs per game, and McGary was one of three who were sixth in the nation at 1.61.
He was tied for 32nd in the sacrifice fly category.
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MARIETTA, Ohio – Freshman Michael Moyer of Clearfield was given the nod to start No. 7 seed Penn State-Behrend’s opener in the NCAA Division III Mideast Region Tournament May 19, and he departed after six innings with the Lions leading No. 2 seed The College of Wooster (Ohio) 8-4.
The right-hander wound up with a no-decision when Wooster rallied for three unearned runs in the bottom of the ninth, but the Lions came right back with a pair in the 10th for a 10-8 win in the twice rain-delayed game at Marietta’s Don Schaly Stadium.
Moyer gave up only five hits, walked five and hit three batters.
Junior first baseman Kyle Kline of Clearfield saw action in the late innings of Penn State-Behrend’s 7-6 squeaker over No. 6 seed Thomas More (Ky.). He singled and dropped down a sacrifice bunt in his two plate appearances.
The Lions’ surprising run ended Friday with losses to the top two Ohio Athletic Conference teams, 9-2 to Heidelberg and 2-1 in a 10-inning thriller with Marietta.
Kline was hitless in two at-bats against No. 1 seed Heidelberg, which defeated No. 3 seed Marietta 6-2 Saturday for the championship and a berth in the D-III nationals this week.
Penn State-Behrend finished the season at 31-17, their third consecutive season with at least 30 wins.
The Lions matched regular season champ Frostburg (Md.) State’s 15-5 record in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference and went on to cop the AMCC Tournament title for the third year in a row.
Kline played in 27 games, starting 14, and hit .231.
Five of his 12 safeties were doubles, and he drove in 12 runs. He walked eight times and was hit by a pitch once. He had three stolen bases in four attempts.
In the field, Kline’s average was .973 for 149 chances. He participated in 15 double plays.
Moyer was pulled up from the junior varsity at the first of April and pitched in eight games, starting six.
He was 4-2 with a 4.82 earned run average, third best on the team, for 37.1 innings, fourth highest on the staff.
Moyer allowed 38 hits and 22 runs, 20 earned. He was fourth on the team with 25 strikeouts, walked 19 and hit six.
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PITTSBURGH – Pitcher Corey Bookhamer of Clearfield ended his freshman season at Duquesne with a 0.00 earned run average for his two relief appearances.
The left-hander gave up two hits in 1-2/3 innings.