The perennially strong Warren Hills bowling program had another season of distinction this winter, finishing with a 19-2 win/loss record and earning the number five spot in the statewide rankings recently published by The Star Ledger.

Senior bowler Brady Weilamann of the Blue Streaks was honored with an All-State selection, making the second team.

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In basketball, former Blair Academy hoops star Jordan Dingle is now involved in March Madness, playing for the Red Storm of St.John’s University, who had a 20-12 record after a 91-72 win over Seton Hall in the Big East quarterfinal at New York’s Madison Square Garden. He had an amazing career with St.John’s, rising to the elite level, being chosen Player of the Year by the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference for the 2022-23 season.

At Blair in 2018 and 19, playing for veteran coach Joe Mantegna, he guided the Blair Buccaneers to a two-year mark of 45-8 and back to back Middle Atlantic Prep League championships. He was a two-time All-MAPL and All-State honoree.

Seeing a Blair player coached by Mantegna succeed with a top tier team is not new. During Mantegna’s two decades in the Blairstown based program, several Blair grads have made a name for themselves in “The Big Dance” which captures American fans’ fancy in March. Back in 2004, with Luol Deng playing for Duke and Charlie Villanueva with Connecticut, Mantegna saw two of his former players compete against each other in “The Final Four.” Both players went on to professional NBA careers.

In this year’s 2023-24 season, Blair won the New Jersey Prep A tournament championship with a 53-51 struggle over St. Benedict’s. Blair’s scoring leader was Deron Rippey and the leading rebounder was Jack Bailey. Mantegna continues to develop success.

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K.C. Wanamaker, a Lehigh University graduate, coaches the Warren Hills Blue Streaks in wrestling. He recently wrote and shared a post on LinkedIn about his passion for coaching.

He has a professionally challenging management role with BASF. He wrote that professional people ask each other about their favorite pastimes, how they get away for a break from all the pressure. For K,C., that is coaching.

“Yes,” he shared, “that means further sacrifice, oftentimes away from friends and family.”

Also, more pressure. 

He explained that he gets satisfaction from helping student athletes develop positive work habits that make their goals into reality and carry over into whatever direction their adult lives lead.

He wrote there is a need for good coaches today, somebody who cares about developing today’s young people into tomorrow’s leaders, someone who checks the boxes for “the three C’s, Competent, Committed, and Caring.”

I would add that the sports world at the high school level needs more referees, umpires, and officials, including people like clock and scoreboard operators. The folks doing that kind of work are getting grayer and there will soon be a critical shortage.

Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.