USCAA skills competition once again a success at Penn State Fayette
Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus' Kaitlyn Riley takes a jumper in the hot-shot contest on Saturday in the USCAA skills competition inside the Main Arena at the Community Center. Riley, a freshman, is a Charleroi graduate.
Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus' Lyndsey Huhn, a California graduate, takes part in the hot-shot contest on Saturday in the USCAA skills competition inside the Main Arena at the Community Center.
Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus' Kaitlyn Riley takes part in the hot-shot contest on Saturday in the USCAA skills competition inside the Main Arena at the Community Center. Riley, a freshman, is a Charleroi graduate.
California graduate Lyndsey Huhn takes a jump shot for Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, on Saturday in the hot-shot contest at the USCAA skills competition held inside the Main Arena at the Community Center.
The United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) is back for another year at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, and the athletes that will be competing this week for a national championship had an opportunity to showcase their individual talent in the skills competition on Saturday at the Main Arena inside the Community Center.
The Lady Roaring Lions had three players participate in the skills competitions, as Lyndsey Huhn (California) and Kaitlyn Riley (Charleroi) took part in the hot-shot competition. Huhn, a junior, and Riley, a freshman, enjoyed their time in the competition. The duo advanced to the second round. They had 13 points in each round, but didn’t qualify for the finals.
“I thought the experience today was really nice,” Huhn said. “I enjoyed going out with my teammates and having the support from my teammates and family. It was just memorable to go out with my team because this is my last year.”
“I was a little bit nervous in the first round, but felt better after we qualified for the second,” Riley said. “It was nice getting to compete with Lyndsey (Huhn).”
The USCAA changed its format this season and required that qualifying teams must have at least a winning record to compete. Huhn and Riley were glad to be able to play their way into the national tournament.
“At the beginning of the season, we came up with a lot of injuries,” Huhn said. “Kaitlyn (Riley) went out with her hamstring and Bailey (Vig) going out with her ankle and I dislocated my finger, so it was a bumpy start, but I’m glad we started clicking at the end of the season, and I can’t wait to see how we do here at the tournament.”
“It is nice knowing that I am able to play along with other freshmen and we are going to be together for a number of years,” Riley said.
Connellsville graduate Dae-lin Burnsworth competed in the three-point competition. The freshman wasn’t able to qualify past the opening round but enjoyed the contest.
“It was pretty cool to compete in the competition, but I’m a little mad at myself for not doing as good as I know I can do,” Burnsworth said. “I think I definitely would have shot better if I made it to the second round. I just had to get the jitters out. If I am hot in games, I will shoot threes, but if I am not, I don’t force them. I would rather I make my threes in the games. That’s my plan. I am saving them for the tournament.”
Burnsworth, like many of her Lady Roaring Lions teammates, has enjoyed her freshman season and hopes it is a sign of things to come at Penn State Fayette.
“It feels really good to earn a berth into the tournament,” Burnsworth said. “It is nice to accomplish something. I am excited for us to compete in the national tournament.”
The Lady Roaring Lions opened the first round of the USCAA Women’s Division II National Championship against Southern Maine CC.
Penn State Wilkes-Barre’s Levaughn Soules won the slam dunk contest.
Johnson & Wales Charlotte’s Shannon Martin won the women’s three-point contest with 11 points in the finals.
Villa Maria’s Dan Thompson won the men’s three-point contest with 21 points in the finals.
Penn State Lehigh Valley’s Ally Quinn and Gia Erie won the hot-shot competition with 20 points in the finals.