3 Baldwin girls basketball seniors to take games to next level

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, March 28, 2021 | 10:01 AM

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Anna Lucarelli proved to be a rarity in the Baldwin girls basketball program.

Lucarelli was a four-year captain for the Highlanders, an uncommon role at any level and one she genuinely embraced.

“I am really grateful. I have had some great coaches to help me on and off the court,” Lucarelli said.

“Kyle DeGregorio helped me with game techniques, preparation and understanding that good players need to put in the time to be better. Jamal Woodson has helped me see that there can be fun and excitement in the process. His enthusiasm is genuine. And finally, I talk to Paul Hindes once a week and spend a lot of time working on leadership skills.

“Coach Hindes is a mentor. He helps me with techniques on leadership, staying calm during times of high intensity, holding each other accountable and so many other skills that I can apply on and off the court.”

Lucarelli, a 5-foot-8 backcourt player with an Energizer-bunny motor, is a West Liberty recruit. She plans to major in education.

“I was looking for a school with a good education program, a good competitive basketball program and is somewhat close to home,” she said. “West Liberty checked all of those boxes.

“When I took my visit, I fell in love with the campus, and the coaching staff was amazing. It all just felt right.”

Lucarelli has a 4.1 GPA and is a National Honor Society member. She also participates in the Special Olympics club, math league and mini-thon club.

“I am fortunate to have played four years of WPIAL 6A basketball,” she said. “The talent I played was amazing when you stop and think about it.

“And I feel very fortunate to have played with both of my sisters at Baldwin. As a freshman, I was able to play with my older sister Mia for a short period of time, and as a senior, I (was) able to play with my sister Katie. Of all the experiences, those will be the ones I will remember most.”

The 2020-21 season was delayed in December because of covid-19 concerns. After more postponements in January, Baldwin won four of its final five regular season games and advanced to the WPIAL quarterfinals.

A four-year letter winner, Lucarelli hit for a career-high 22 points Jan. 9 against Thomas Jefferson.

“The season had many challenges,” she said. “Individually, I learned a lot about who I am as a player and person. I realize the importance of working hard, being prepared and being a good teammate because it ends too fast.

“From a team perspective, it took us a while to jell, but we had a few good games at the end of the season that had us ready for the playoffs. I believe we will all remember this season for the challenges we experienced, how we handled them, and hopefully, we will all learn and grow from them.”

Another senior who plans to continue her career at the next level is Kayla Radomsky, an aggressive 5-10 forward.

A four-year letter winner with a 3.9 GPA, Radomsky will attend Chatham to study nursing. At Baldwin, she is a member of the Special Olympics and mini-thon clubs and the math league.

“I chose Chatham for many reasons,” Radomsky said. “The campus is beautiful, everyone is so welcoming, and they have a great nursing school. Coaches (David) Saur and (Jody) Powell are amazing, which is the main reason I chose Chatham. It is also very close to home, which I was looking for in a college.

“I think I can really help the team next year, and the years following. Coming in as a freshman, I obviously do not plan to start and get as many minutes as my high school career, but I will work up to earn the time.”

Radomsky scored a career-high 24 points Feb. 20 to lead Baldwin to a 62-53 nonsection win at Fox Chapel.

“I went through three head coaches (in her high school career) which was very difficult,” Radomsky said, “especially this year being my final one. That being said, I have nothing but positive things to say about this season, and my high school career. I had the best teammates, and loved playing for Baldwin.

“Playing in high school has taught me many things not just about life on the court but off the court, too.”

Yet another Baldwin hoopster with college aspirations is Meghan Dryburgh, a dynamic 5-11 senior forward.

Dryburgh has a 4.5 GPA and will study biology in college. At press time, she still was weighing her college options.

She was a four-year letter winner at Baldwin and a NHS treasurer. She also is a member of the Special Olympics and mini-thon clubs, math league and activities council.

Dryburgh attended Seton LaSalle as a freshman, then missed most of her sophomore season at Baldwin because of an ankle injury. Her best all-around career performance came against Penn-Trafford in the first round of this year’s WPIAL Class 6A playoffs.

Dryburgh peppered in 18 points and grabbed 20 rebounds against the Warriors, sparking her team to a 46-43 victory.

“I’m upset that my basketball career is ending at Baldwin because I have made so many great memories with my coaches and teammates,” Dryburgh said, “but I’m excited to move on to college and play in a brand-new environment.

“I feel like we did really well this season. We fought hard in every game. We put so much time and effort into this season, and although it was different because of covid, we worked through all the adversities.”

Baldwin first-year coach Jamal Woodson believes all three girls will step in and make an impact as freshmen in 2021-22.

“Anna is a natural leader,” Woodson said. “At halftimes when our team was down, she constantly tried to build our team up. In practices when we were struggling, she would stop practice and encourage everyone to do better.

“Anna is a player that will run through a brick wall for you. If she was hurt or in pain, she hated telling anyone and would play through it if she could.”

Woodson is also impressed by Radomsky.

“Kayla is a girl that we always needed out on the court,” he said. “She got in foul trouble a lot, but it was because she was so aggressive. Every team needs a really aggressive player, and she was it for us.

“She was always on the floor scrapping for loose balls, always guarded the other team’s toughest player, and she took more charges for this team (than anyone) in Baldwin history. She had the biggest game-winning charge against Penn-Trafford that essentially sealed the victory.”

Woodson said Dryburgh is evaluating her options and is close to making a college decision.

“She has about five colleges she is deciding between,” he said. “Meghan got better every single game this season. When we needed a rebound or a bucket, Meghan got it for us. Our first playoff game, she had one of the best performances of her career and was a big reason why we won.”

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