Mary Stoltz – Indoor Track
Q&A with Mary Stoltz
Q: What motivates you to perform at your best?
A: “My teammates. They are very supportive and I want to perform well for them.”
Q: How do you handle pressure in high-stakes situations?
A: “I use it as motivation and talk to my coach and teammates to calm me down.”
Q: How do you support and motivate your teammates?
A: “I cheer for them during every race. I’m there afterward to cheer them up or congratulate them, and I remind them of any lessons I’ve learned that they might be going through, encouraging them to keep pushing.”
Q: Give an overall summary of you and your team’s season.
A: “Overall, my season went well. I broke the 800-meter record, which I had set the previous year. It was a consistent 2:18, better than last indoor season. As for my team, we worked hard together at every practice, and that paid off for everyone during the season. Our Distance Medley Relay placed at states and broke the school record, and our 4×800-meter relay broke the record as well.”
Q: What specific goals did you set for yourself this season, and did you accomplish them?
A: “My specific goals were to improve, break the school record again and qualify for states. I did accomplish breaking the school record, improving, and making states.”
Q: What advice would you give to other athletes?
A: “My advice to my teammates is to just try your best. Not every race will be a personal record or consistent. There will always be bad races and setbacks. All you can do is try your best, and that is enough.”
Q: How do you handle setbacks or losses, and what have you learned from them?
A: “I handle setbacks by using them as motivation to try harder. When I don’t run as fast as I want, I’ll let myself dwell on it for a little while, then move past it and focus on my next event. After each race, I think about my next race, the competition and how I can excel there.”
Q: How have you grown as an athlete since the beginning of the season?
A: “I’ve grown because starting a season is always intimidating after months away from the track, and confidence is low. I’ve become more confident and have learned how to run smarter, understanding what I need to do during a race to compete well.”
Q&A with Coach Michael Adams
Q: What qualities make this athlete stand out among their peers?
A: “Some qualities that make Mary stand out are her work ethic and attitude. Mary comes to practice every day with a great attitude and always has a smile on her face. Her work ethic is second to none. Mary is one of the hardest-working athletes I’ve coached.”
Q: How have they contributed to the team’s success this season?
A: “Mary has been the leader of our distance program for the last few years. She has made the indoor state meet the last two seasons. She was part of the Distance Medley Relay that medaled at the Indoor State Championships this season. She will graduate with three school records: the 800 meters, Distance Medley Relay, and 4×800-meter relay. She has been outstanding for our team.”
Q: In what ways does this athlete embody the values or goals of your program?
A: “She has dedicated herself to being a great runner. She does all the little things that it takes to make an athlete great. Her leadership has been invaluable to our program.”
Q: What was your first impression of this athlete, and how have they grown since then?
A: “When I first started coaching Mary in ninth grade, she was very weak in terms of strength. However, through her hard work and dedication in our strength program, she has gotten stronger and more explosive, which has correlated to her success. She is a great example of why all our athletes need to be in the strength program.”
Isabelle Wolford – Swim
Q&A with Isabelle Wolford
Q: What motivates you to perform at your best?
A: “Having the goal to try my best and drop time motivates me. My coaches and teammates cheering me on pushes me. Also, having my family and friends come watch me at swim meets helps me push myself to do my absolute best.”
Q: How do you handle pressure in high-stakes situations?
A: “I would say I handle the pressure pretty well. As nerve-racking as it can be sometimes, I perform well under pressure because it helps me push myself and give 100% effort.”
Q: How do you support and motivate your teammates?
A: “I support and motivate my teammates by always cheering them on and giving them words of encouragement before each race—even when they feel like they won’t do their best that day.”
Q: Give an overall summary of you and your team’s season.
A: “Overall, I’m really proud of myself for stepping out and trying something new. Looking back from the beginning of the season to the end, there’s been a big change. I pushed myself to drop time, and with the support of my team and coaches, I was able to do that. Having coaches who are supportive and encouraging and always pushing me to do my best made the season the best it could be. Everyone on the team is so welcoming, and I’ve never been on a sports team that’s as supportive and encouraging as the Altoona swim team. We had a great season, and whether we won or lost, we had the best time as a team. Many amazing memories were made that I will never forget, and I’m so grateful for them.”
Q: What specific goals did you set for yourself this season, and did you accomplish them?
A: “I didn’t have any specific goals besides actually joining the team—it was something new I’d never done. As the season went on, my goal was to drop time every time I swam the 100 breaststroke. My first 100 breaststroke was 1:36, and by the end of the season, it was 1:31.”
Q: What advice would you give to other athletes?
A: “Have fun, look at your failures as a stepping stone to improve—not as a setback. Step out of your comfort zone, no matter how scared you are. Make friends and give 100% effort, no matter what.”
Q: How do you handle setbacks or losses, and what have you learned from them?
A: “Setbacks are tough, but I’ve learned that keeping the reminder that they don’t define me as an athlete helps me stay confident and not give up. Setbacks help you grow as an athlete.”
Q: How have you grown as an athlete since the beginning of the season?
A: “At the beginning, I wasn’t very confident and worried that I wasn’t good enough. But throughout the season, with the help of my coaches, teammates, and gym teachers, and their encouraging words and confidence in me, I’ve grown in my own confidence. I now believe in myself and the things I can do.”
Q&A with Coach Brian Kephart
Q: What qualities make this athlete stand out among their peers?
A: “Izzy is a team player. She gets along with everyone, cheers for everyone, and is mature. She’s a hard worker. She worked a job during the season but always made sure she was at practice, even when it meant coming straight from work to our later practices.”
Q: How have they contributed to the team’s success this season?
A: “The harder Izzy worked to make herself better, the harder her peers worked alongside her. Not only did she improve and win more races as the season went on, but she also motivated and pushed her fellow swimmers to do the same.”
Q: In what ways does this athlete embody the values or goals of your program?
A: “One of our goals this year was to foster a ‘team atmosphere’ that would help increase the number of athletes on the team, develop bonds with each other, and promote friendly competition among our athletes. Izzy bought into what we were trying to establish and was a major part of the team. Another goal was to find mature, young men and women who wanted to be part of something great and exciting. Izzy was exactly the type of athlete we were looking for, especially as a senior swimmer.”
Q: What was your first impression of this athlete, and how have they grown since then?
A: “I wasn’t sure of Izzy’s abilities when she first came to practice. I thought we could easily make her a backstroker, which would be a good way for her to contribute. But she quickly proved to the coaching staff that she could be a good breaststroker. She evolved into our top swimmer in that discipline. I also thought Izzy would be quiet and a little shy, but that was not the case. As I mentioned, she was always cheering, dancing, and singing for and with her teammates.”
Parker White – Boys Basketball
Q&A with Parker White
Q: What motivates you to perform at your best?
A: “I’m a very competitive person, so I’m always trying to perform at my highest.”
Q: How do you handle pressure in high-stakes situations?
A: “Staying calm.”
Q: How do you support and motivate your teammates?
A: “I try to be helpful and supportive.”
Q: Give an overall summary of you and your team’s season.
A: “It wasn’t the outcome we were hoping for.”
Q: What specific goals did you set for yourself this season, and did you accomplish them?
A: “I didn’t really set goals as this was my first year with the team.”
Q: What advice would you give to other athletes?
A: “Play to your fullest every play because even if you feel like no one notices, many people do.”
Q: How do you handle setbacks or losses, and what have you learned from them?
A: “Just build off what we did wrong.”
Q: How have you grown as an athlete since the beginning of the season?
A: “I think just playing my game and being more calm.”
Q&A with Coach Doug Pfeffer
Q: What qualities make this athlete stand out among their peers?
A: “He is a talented multi-sport athlete. Parker is a tireless worker who gives 100% effort every time he steps on the basketball court.”
Q: How have they contributed to the team’s success this season?
A: “Parker has constant energy and works hard.”
Q: In what ways does this athlete embody the values or goals of your program?
A: “He made his teammates play harder. Parker isn’t the biggest or tallest player out on the floor, but he will not back down from any opponent or challenge. That is what we are looking for as we start to build this program back up.”
Q: What was your first impression of this athlete, and how have they grown since then?
A: “I knew of Parker before he transferred in. I always knew that he was a hard worker, but I was amazed at the effort he gave in his very first practice. He was diving on the floor for loose balls, taking charges on defense, rebounding, and constantly encouraging his teammates. We will be counting on Parker to be a leader this offseason and next season for sure.”
Melana Eyer – Girls Basketball
Q&A with Melana Eyer
Q: What motivates you to perform at your best?
A: “What motivates me to perform my best is winning. I’m very competitive and hate to lose.”
Q: How do you handle pressure in high-stakes situations?
A: “I handle pressure in high-stakes situations because I am confident in what I do. I put enough work in that I trust myself in these situations.”
Q: How do you support and motivate your teammates?
A: “I support and motivate my teammates by leading by example. Hard work is contagious, but if they need encouragement, I will speak up.”
Q: Give an overall summary of you and your team’s season.
A: “This season has been very memorable. We had an overall record of 24-3, won the District 6 championship, won the Mid-Penn championship (which has never been done at Altoona), made it to the Sweet 16 in the state playoffs, got the 1,000th win for the Lady Lions, and personally reached 1,100 points. I also set the record for most three-pointers made by any Lady Lion and achieved Mid-Penn Player of the Year.”
Q: What specific goals did you set for yourself this season, and did you accomplish them?
A: “My goal was to make it past the first round of state playoffs because the past two years we got upset in the first round. We ended up achieving this goal but got cut short by losing in the second round.”
Q: What advice would you give to other athletes?
A: “I would tell other athletes to work hard to become the best version of themselves and not to compare themselves to anyone else.”
Q: How do you handle setbacks or losses, and what have you learned from them?
A: “When I encounter any setbacks or losses, I use that to work even harder. At the beginning of the school year, I got into an accident and thought I wasn’t going to be back for the season, but I used it to motivate myself and ended up having one of the best seasons I’ve had.”
Q: How have you grown as an athlete since the beginning of the season?
A: “I have grown since the beginning of the season by realizing how grateful I should be that I am able to play basketball. After being in an accident and getting injured, I realized that nothing is promised and not to take anything for granted.”
Q&A with Coach Chris Fleegle
Q: What qualities make this athlete stand out among their peers?
A: “Melana’s work ethic makes her stand out among her peers. If she is not practicing with us as a team, she is working behind the scenes with one of her many trainers.”
Q: How have they contributed to the team’s success this season?
A: “Melana is a leader by example. Her ability to score at all three levels provided us with a consistent scoring option every night out.”
Q: In what ways does this athlete embody the values or goals of your program?
A: “First and foremost, Melana is a good, genuine person. She cares about her teammates and wants them to enjoy being part of the team. She is also a team-first player and cares about the success of the team over individual accomplishments. Her hard work, great attitude, coachability, and willingness to compete no matter who we were up against are characteristics we want for kids in the basketball program.”
Q: What was your first impression of this athlete, and how have they grown since then?
A: “I met Melana the summer between her fifth and sixth grade years. She was attending the first summer basketball camp we held at Logan. If I’m not mistaken, I think she took part in both age groups. From that point forward, I knew she was a kid who was going to do anything in her power to be successful. She has improved her game every year, adding new parts to her game and becoming more efficient with things she already excelled at.”
Lucas Sipes – Wrestling
Q&A with Lucas Sipes
Q: What motivates you to perform at your best?
A: “My motivation comes intrinsically, meaning it all comes from within. I think the drive of just wanting to be the best athlete and person I can be and really reach my full potential is what pushes me the most.”
Q: How do you handle pressure in high-stakes situations?
A: “I handle pressure a few ways. First, I take deep breaths to slow down my heart rate. It has a physiological response on your body that scientifically can calm you down. Next, I just try to remind myself to have fun while competing and not focus on the outcome.”
Q: How do you support and motivate your teammates?
A: “I love to help my teammates anytime I can. If my teammates need help with a technique, I stay after practice and show them. During practice, we all motivate and push each other to go a little harder, and it’s a really healthy environment. If my teammates need something after practice hours, I’m always open to texting them about whatever they need.”
Q: Give an overall summary of you and your team’s season.
A: “My team and I had a wonderful season. Our team won our first district title since the 1980s, and we finished with eight wrestlers moving on to regionals and four at the state tournament with three state placers. I finished second in the state. Although it wasn’t exactly where I wanted to end up, I worked very hard this year and grew as a wrestler and a person.”
Q: What specific goals did you set for yourself this season, and did you accomplish them?
A: “My goal this year was to get a little better at something every match and score points. I did accomplish this goal by being offensive-minded and scoring the most points I ever have compared to previous seasons. A written goal for me was to become a state champion, and I didn’t achieve that, but I still grew more than I ever have in my career. The lessons I learned through pushing through adversity and discipline/commitment will help carry me in my future obstacles.”
Q: What advice would you give to other athletes?
A: “I would tell other athletes to believe in themselves. If you really have put the work in — and I mean you’ve done all the little things right. You take care of your schoolwork, your sleep schedule is on point, you’re recovering the right way, you’re eating a strict healthy diet, you’re working extra hard in practice and doing extra workouts — then you have no reason not to believe in yourself. The work is put in, and it’s time for you to reap the benefits. If you haven’t done all the little things right, then that could be why you’re lacking belief. I’d say you should go all in and see how good you can get.”
Q: How do you handle setbacks or losses, and what have you learned from them?
A: “Setbacks make you work even harder than before. My first major setback in my career was having shoulder surgery after my freshman season. It was super hard to come back the next year without an offseason of work, but it taught me to get tough. Not every scenario or match is going to go perfect. I might not win every match either. Knowing that when things aren’t going my way is when it’s time for me to focus, lock in, and calm down is a major step I’ve learned through setbacks.”
Q: How have you grown as an athlete since the beginning of the season?
A: “At the beginning of the season, my first few tournaments, I was hyper-focused on winning. My style was a bit too defensive since I was focused on winning, and I started to see it in my results. I flipped my mindset to become more focused on scoring points and getting into wrestling positions, figuring that the winning would take care of itself. I ended up scoring more points and technical falls than I ever had in my life, and also did a lot of winning.”
Interview with Coach Joel Gilbert
Luke Sipes (Sr.) is a four-time district champion, becoming only the fourth wrestler in Altoona history to achieve this feat. He was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament in District 6 in 2024. Sipes is also a four-time regional champion, making him the second wrestler in Altoona history to reach this accomplishment. Additionally, he is a four-time state place finisher, with finishes of second, fourth, fifth, and seventh. He is the only wrestler in Altoona history to achieve this feat and one of only three Blair County wrestlers (the others being Ronnie Garbinsky and A.J. Schopp of Tyrone) to place four times at the state tournament.
Sipes currently holds the school records for career wins (155) and single-season wins (42). Academically, he maintains a 4.0 GPA and is a three-time PWCA All-Academic First Team member. This season, he has 42 wins heading into the state tournament, 35 of which have been bonus-point victories. He is ranked 15th in the country in his weight class. Sipes will be attending North Carolina on a full wrestling scholarship next season.
