Bartholow has strong senior year
It might be an understatement to say that Erica Bartholow has had a good senior year at Connellsville Area High School. In her third year as starting pitcher on the softball team, Bartholow helped lead the Lady Falcons to a co-championship with Latrobe in Section 1-AAAA. Her 4.0 GPA placed her second in a class of 347 seniors and earned her the honor of being the salutatorian for the school’s June 4 commencement. The daughter of Joan and Rocky Bartholow of Connellsville, Erica’s achievements in academics and athletics have also secured the honor of being selected as this year’s female scholar/athlete at CAHS. She also has an older sister, Elizabeth. Bartholow and her fellow scholar/athletes will be honored at the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame banquet, to be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 18, at Anthony’s Lakeside Party Center. The banquet is open to the public. For information about purchasing tickets, call 724-430-4100, extension 4886.
In addition to her successes as a four-year member of the softball team, Bartholow was a member of the Lady Falcon basketball team for her freshman and sophomore years. On the academic side, Bartholow has been president of the National Honor Society, a member of the Student Council, a participant in the Gifted and Talented program and has served as an after school tutor for Big Brothers and Big Sisters. She also enjoys working with students between the ages of seven and 12 at area recreation softball clinics and camps, and volunteering at St. Rita’s Parish, where she attends weekly Masses.
Because of her age, she said that it’s easy to relate to the youngsters at the softball camps, and she enjoys helping influence the careers of future Lady Falcon softball players.
Bartholow’s biggest influences have been her parents, who “always support me and take me to practice,” and independent pitching coach Jana Hudson who helped her to become a successful pitcher as well as “the best person I can be.”
Hudson is a former coach from Westmoreland County’s successful West Point recreation program. “Since I was little, she helped me with my physical tools and taught me how to have confidence and be smart in how I go about pitching to certain batters,” Bartholow said.
Foremost in Bartholow’s high school memories will be Connellsville’s 11-inning victory at Latrobe this season that was crucial in the Lady Falcon’s rise to the section championship for the first time in a number of years.
Next fall, Bartholow will attend Gannon University on an academic and athletic scholarship to continue her softball career. She will major in secondary mathematics education.
“I have mixed feelings (about graduation), but I’m excited to move on for the changes to come,” Bartholow said.
Her advice to fellow students would be, “Keep working hard and use good time management skills. Keep your goals and dreams in focus and work hard toward them every day.” Matthew Jaynes and Erica Bartholow are Connellsville Area High School?s Scholar Athletes for 2009. John F. Brothers/Herald-Standard