The summer of 2017 will be a special time for the Mid Penn Motion program, which will be helping youngsters in Central Pennsylvania for the 20th year. The club will field 14 girls teams and nine boys teams this year.
“I guess we must be doing something right if parents are still trusting us with their daughters and sons after 20 years,” said Mid Penn Motion Girls Commissioner John Studer, who is now in his 15th year with the organization.
Mid Penn Motion will be competing again at the 2017 Deep South Classic, which will be held in Raleigh, NC from April 20-23. The event, which will feature some of the finest travel teams in the nation, will be played at the Raleigh Convention Center. There will be 20 courts in the building, keeping the entire event under one roof in downtown Raleigh.
“The people with the All Star Girls Report do a first rate job with that event,” Studer said. “The hospitality is always great, and the competition is tremendous. Plus, we love going to that nice, warm weather in the spring.”
Among the 2018 standouts who will be competing for Mid Penn Motion in Raleigh will be Megan Baldassarre (6-1, F), Amber Schweiger (5-7, PG), Brooke Breinich (5-11, W), Megan Zimmerman (6-1, F) and Eleana Eckley (5-7, PG).
“Megan Baldassarre has great range with her three-point shot, but she is an inside-outside player,” Studer said. “She is a true multiple threat forward. Amber is lighting fast and cat quick — she’s just an absolute blur. She also see’s the court very well and she is a tremendous passer with great anticipation. Amber also gets to the rim well and she has a good pull up jumper.
“Brooke is a great perimeter shooter and a great mid-range shooter. She also has a strong body with Division I strength and size. Megan Zimmerman is just a gazelle. She is very athletic, and she has a beautiful, beautiful shot. She has a great mid-range shot now, and she is extending it out to the three-point line.
“Eleana is new to our program. She is averaging 20 points per game right now in a very, very tough high school conference. She has tremendous shooting range, and a very, very high basketball IQ.”