Manheim Central townlively.com
JUNE 25, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXVI • NO 22
Sharp Shooter: Middle-Schooler Takes Home Medals BY CAT SHANNON
Seniors (from left) Landon Mattiace, Dylan Musser, Reagan Miller and Colin Rohrer celebrate with the PIAA Class 2A boys’ volleyball championship trophy. Photo by Cheri Sine
Barons Spike the Past, Win State Title
W
hen the members of Man he im Cent ra l ’s boys’ volleyball team stepped onto the court for the state championship in University Park on June 14, they were staring down a familiar foe - Meadville, the same team that dashed their title hopes just a year ago. This time, though, the Barons were back with a score to settle. Fueled by redemption and relentless determination, they flipped the script, defeating Meadville 3-1 (21-25, 25-23, 25-15, 27-25) and capturing the first PIAA title in program history. “It was a real heartbreaker to go out the way we did last year,”
said coach Craig Dietrich, who recalled his team’s 27-25 loss in the fourth set against Meadville. “We knew we were on a collision course to play them again this year in the finals, and we were ready.” Meadville took an early lead in the championship match, winning the first set, but the Barons came back strong to take the next three. “ We felt pretty confident coming into the game,” Dietrich said. “We knew if we played the way we are capable of playing, there was a strong chance we’d win the match.” When his team was down a significant number of points, however, Dietrich knew he had to rally the troops.
Jaxon McCauley with his medals
he traveled to Hillsdale, Mich., for the USA Shooting Shotgun Junior Olympic Championship for International Trap. “ Winning the medals felt great ,” said Jaxon, who is the son of Tyler and Shauna McCauley of Manheim. “I’ve See Sharp Shooter pg 5
During a timeout, he reminded the Barons of their greatest strength. “ We weren’t ser ving ver y aggressively, and I knew we needed to do that,” Dietrich remarked. “The team responded, and that benefited us.” The team’s win puts the players in rare air. It’s the first time Manheim Central volleyball has won the state championship, and it makes the team only the third Barons sports team to win any state competition in the district’s history; the others were field hockey and football. Dietrich credits the leadership of the senior players with the team’s success. “The team has a really strong
Preserving History and Shaping Tomorrow
See Barons pg 3
See History pg 2
BY CAT SHANNON
At Elizabethtown College, students in the Public Heritage Studies Program have the opportunity to explore and preserve the rich local history of Lancaster County and beyond, while gaining hands-on experience that will prepare them for careers in museums, archives and history preservation. While the program is open to college students, its benefits to the community extend well
beyond the campus. The roots of the Public Heritage Studies Program run deep. Director Jean-Paul Benowitz, who has taught history at Elizabethtown for 33 years, began developing local history courses after publishing books on the history of the college and the borough in 2014 and 2015. What began as a certificate program has grown into a fullfledged minor, supported by the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, which highlights
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BY CAT SHANNON
Jaxon McCauley is a straight shooter - literally. And now the 12-year-old Manheim Central Middle School student has the medals to prove it. Jaxon competed at the 2025 Palmyra Spring Open & Henry Ar ms Pennsylvania Junior Grand Championship in May, where he earned two gold medals and three bronze medals for his performance over the two-day event. He placed first in the USA S hooting Pennsylvani a J3 category (15 & Under - Men) and the SCTP Pennsylvania Intermediate Category. Jaxon’s third-place finishes were in the Henr y Junior Grand Championship Final, USA Shooting Pennsylvania Overall and Open Category. Earlier this month,
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