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Swaney, Campbell earn top 2A honors

Herrington, Maxwell, Smith first-teamers, too

From Mirror reports

The Bellwood-Antis High School girls basketball team won back-to-back PIAA Class 2A titles.

So, it was only fitting on Friday afternoon that — for the second year in a row — star player Alli Campbell and coach Jim Swaney won top player and coaching honors for being a part of that accomplishment.

The 2018-2019 Pennsylvania Sports Writers named their all-state teams for 1A through 6A with Campbell winning the 2A player of the year, again, and Swaney earning the 2A coach of the year, again.

“I am very humbled by it. Great players make good coaches, and that is a proven fact in Alli repeating as player of the year,” said Swaney, who said he found out about the honor when Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic boys basketball coach Chris Drenning texted him in the afternoon to congratulate him.

Campbell was in Virginia on Friday with family and friends when she found out on Twitter, just at the same time that Swaney texted her to offer up congratulations.

“This would not be possible without my teammates,” said Campbell, a junior. “My teammates have always put me in a great position to succeed throughout the year. This truly is a team award.”

Campbell is joined on the 2A first team by Everett’s Kaitlyn Maxwell and Juniata Valley’s Halee Smith. Both are, like Campbell, juniors.

The only other area first-teamer was Philipsburg-Osceola senior Halle Herrington in Class 3A.

“That just shows you Central PA has some ballers,” Campbell said. “We are putting ourselves on the map and proving what we have around here. It’s good to see so many girls getting recognized because they deserve it.”

Swaney was impressed that those three 2A first-teamers all hail from one place.

“Three from the ICC (Inter-County Conference) … I think that says something about our conference and our area,” he said.

The veteran coach also pointed out that his staff, Kyley Longo-McGarvey and Ryan McGarvey, have a lot to do with his success.

“No head coach does this on his or her own,” Swaney said. “Kyley has been with me forever, and her husband (Ryan) has been just as valuable as anyone. Between the two of them, they make me a good coach.”

Bellwood-Antis junior Sakeria Haralson was named to the 2A third team.

“I am very proud of our girls and the things they have done for our program,” Swaney said of his two players who were honored.

Other area players honored on the third-team list were Penn Cambria senior Makalyn Clapper and Central Cambria senior McKenna Hayward in Class 3A, Altoona senior Bridgid Fox in Class 6A and Bishop Carroll senior Anna Haigh in Class 1A.

(Please see complete lists on Page B5.)

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