Athletics
Athletics at an art school? Absolutely! But understanding why involves a little history.
Before there was Lincoln Park, there was Midland High School – a sports powerhouse whose Leopards basketball team captured five PIAA and nine WPIAL championships between 1965 and 1979, and boasted future NBA All-star Norm Van Lier and ABA great Simmie HIll among its alumni. In fact, many consider the 1965 Midland High squad, which was led by Van Lier and Hill and went undefeated on its way to a state championship, one of the greatest high school basketball teams ever.
So Lincoln Park's athletic program, which began in the school's second year, not only coexists seamlessly with the school's arts curriculum – it honors a proud tradition in the local community.
Lincoln Park offers basketball, volleyball and golf in its athletic department. The basketball and volleyball teams play in the old Midland High School gym, which has been completely renovated and now includes a weight room and community wellness center.
The 2009-2010 Leopards basketball team, coached by Mark Javens and led by junior Chaquille Pratt, a first-team All State pick, did its best to live up to the old Leopard tradition. A last-second loss to Sewickley Academy in the WPIAL title game took little away from an outstanding campaign that bodes well for the future of Lincoln Park athletics.
Courtesy of the Beaver County Times
