The 2022-23 Gretchen Wolf Swartz Sportsmanship Team Awards are going to a first-time winner and a team that’s breaking a long drought.
Today, Northeastern High School’s boys’ and Littlestown High School’s girls’ basketball teams were named winners of this season’s prestigious team honors. Northeastern’s boys earned their first Gretchen Wolf Swartz Sportsmanship Team Award, while Littlestown’s girls won for the third time, but the first since 2004.
In May, members of the Gretchen Wolf Swartz Scholarship Foundation Board will award scholarships to some senior basketball players from each team.
The winning programs are determined by a vote of members of the York Chapter of PIAA Basketball Officials.
Last year, the Gretchen Wolf Swartz Scholarship Foundation Board awarded more than $150,000 in scholarships to members of the Delone Catholic High School girls’ and Susquehannock High School boys’ programs. With over $900,000 in scholarships awarded thus since 2001, the Fund will likely exceed $1 million in awarded scholarships after this season’s individual presentations.
Gretchen Wolf Swartz was a York County basketball official from 1981 to 1995. Following her untimely death from leukemia in 1997, her fellow officials created the memorial team awards and scholarship fund to promote and honor the sportsmanship she so effectively displayed.
At the conclusion of each regular season, the officials vote to recognize a boys’ and girls’ program after observing the season-long conduct of YAIAA players, fans, faculty, students, managers, coaches and cheerleaders from junior high to varsity. Both winning programs receive a traveling trophy in recognition of their accomplishments.
Northeastern’s boys are coached by Jon Eyster, while Littlestown’s girls are under the guidance of first-year coach Larry Colbert, a former basketball official.
Contact: Mike Heisler, President,
York ChapterPIAA Basketball Officials, and
GWSSF BoardMember, 717-324-4933