Solanco townlively.com
MARCH 5, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXI • NO 46
New Providence seventh-grader already a top tennis recruit BY GEORGE DEIBEL
Solanco High School’s Quiz Bowl team members, (front, from left) Mia Daniel-Morales, Lucy Costigan, Amitai Kauffman, Brianna Harvey, (back) Lexi Groff, Rhiannon Groff, and Aidan Rice, along with coach Caley Roark
Solanco Quiz Bowl team wins trophy in first season downing L ancaster Catholic 290-105. Lancaster Catholic had olanco High School’s Quiz defeated Solanco twice during the Bowl team knows how to regular season. make a debut. The Solanco team was made Competing in the Lancaster-Lebanon Quiz Bowl League for the first time, Solanco brought “Overall, it was a home the Division II championreally good experience ship trophy following the league playoffs at War wick Middle in teamwork School on Feb. 3. and leadership.” As one of the top four Division II teams during the regular season, Solanco was invited to the Division I playoffs. After up of Mia Daniel-Morales, Lucy the first round of the Division I Costigan, Amitai K auffman, playoffs, the top two Division II Brianna Har vey, Lexi Groff, teams squared off in a separate Rhiannon Groff, and Aidan Rice. championship with Solanco “I think we had more experience,
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knowing some of the questions, and the students really practiced some questions we were deficient on the first time out,” said coach Caley Roark, who is a gifted education teacher at Solanco. “And a lot of it is situational depending on the questions that are asked.” Roark noted he was not surprised by the team’s success. “Pretty good season,” he said. “I thought we would do well considering we were in the new division (for new teams and smaller schools than Division I). I thought we would be competitive because especially Tai Kauffman and Lexi Groff are very knowledgeable about specific areas.”
Anthony Kirchner is rated as the top college recruit in the nation in the high school Class of 2030.
Anthony is already attracting attention from many colleges, including NC AA Division I schools Duke, Virginia, Cornell, George Mason, the University of See Tennis pg 8
The Bible with a twist BY GEORGE DEIBEL
Wife-and-husband duo Dorothy and Phil Smith of Salunga will have the first show they’ve written performed by an official theater organization for the first time when the Promise Players perform its spring musical in March. The Smiths and their son, C.J., teamed to pen “Muddled Memories: A Bible Journey,” a family-friendly, staged musical with a lighthearted look at Bible memories with something seriously muddled in the middle, including a monkey, an
emu, and a super man. Dorothy, the show’s director, wrote the dialogue and contributed some of the lyrics. Phil, the musical director, and C.J., a professional musician who now lives in Allentown, wrote the music and the majority of the lyrics. “Probably my favorite thing musically is directing and/or hearing something I’ve composed being performed. That is a big joy,” said Phil, who is also the director of the Bainbridge Band and writes some arrangements for that group. The Promise Players is a
See Quiz Bowl pg 3
See Musical pg 2
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BY GEORGE DEIBEL
Anthony Kirchner has reclaimed the top spot. Anthony, a 14-year-old tennis player from New Providence, is still 18 months away from entering high school, but he is regarded as the top college recruit in the nation for the Class of 2030. A seventh-grader who is homeschooled by his mother, Julie Kirchner, Anthony was ranked No. 1 on the latest Head Recruiting List. Head is the brand name of a company that manufactures tennis rackets. Anthony had been ranked first for a year and a half before dropping down to fifth. On the heels of an appearance at a tournament in France, he is now back on top. “Hopefully I can sustain it for a long period of time,” he said.