By: MICHELLE REIFF Review Staff mreiff.eph@lnpnews.com, Staff Writer

Before the 265 Cocalico High School graduating seniors embarked on their highly anticipated walk to the stage at the June 6 commencement, they chose to pay tribute to a classmate who was no longer with them.

"Our class is special because we have a very special person watching over us. She’s here right now. Maybe not physically, but in all the happiness that fills this room. In our caps and tassels, in our parents’ tears of joy, in our final hugs good-bye and in the freedom and joy we are all about to experience. Her name is Lauren Elizabeth Trefny and she is very alive in all of us."

These were the words spoken by Leah Wallace and Emily Zimmerman, close friends of the fellow student and member of the cross country team who lost her life when struck by a car while jogging last summer. The touching sentiments were followed by a performance by the Choralaires titled "In Remembrance" by Eleanor Daley.

Principal Chris Irvine recognizes the class of 2012 as one which has shown a lot of growth, not only from this tragedy but as a whole. His own daughter, Haley Irvine, was one of this year’s graduating seniors.

Guests can experience all the traditional sights and sounds of an old fashioned "under the big tent" circus on June 21 when the Zerbini Family Circus comes to Stevens Fire Company. Each day will have two performances: 5:30 and 7 p.m., sponsored by the Reamstown Fire Company.

It’s a family show for children and adults of all ages which features all of the spell binding acts associated with a traditional Circus. The Zerbini Family Circus name has been known in Europe and America for over 200 years.

Visitors will experience the midway before and after the show which has camel and pony rides plus a moon bounce and giant slide. The smells of hot popcorn, cotton candy, hot-dogs and many other circus refreshments will be available on show day.

Adult tickets on show day are $12 and $7 for children. Free complimentary children’s tickets are available from many local area merchants.

The circus will move on to Brownstown on June 22, sponsored by the West Earl Lions Club.

On Monday night, the White Sox defeated the Indians in the Ephrata Little League’s AAA baseball championship, 15-5. Two other champions were crowned Saturday at Wolf Field as the Cubs captured the AA title while the Mariners claimed the single A crown.

Although the Indians dropped the final game, they forced the playoff tournament finale to Monday night by coming out of the losers’ bracket to beat the White Sox on Saturday, 10-5.

Nik Landis gave up only one run as the starting pitcher for the Indians in Saturday’s game, and Adam Smith had three extra-base hits, including a first inning three-run homer, to power the Indians past the Sox and force another game to decide the championship.

While the White Sox did manage to push across four runs over the last two innings with big hits from Michael Fedorshak and Daulton Dietrich, the Indians, with production from their whole lineup and key defensive plays from Jackson Conover and Parker Heinsey, were never really challenged in this one.

With the season now down to one game, Monday night’s contest pitted Isaiah Boyer for the White Sox and Tyler Weaver for the Indians in a rematch of last Wednesday’s pitchers’ duel won by Boyer in a nine-strikeout effort.

The 2012 Tim Bartholomew Memorial Basketball Shootout was held May 18 and 19 at Ephrata High School, Ephrata Middle School and the Ephrata Recreation Center.

This year’s tournament featured 44 boys and girls varsity basketball teams competing from the local L-L League as well as leagues such as the Mid-Penn, Berks, York-Adams, Ches-Mont and Philadelphia area.

This basketball tournament, in its fifth year, is played in honor of long time official Tim Bartholomew, who passed away in 2008. The tournament is the source of the funding for the L-L League Basketball Officials Scholar Athlete Award.

The Officials Scholar-Athlete Award is a $1,000 cash award presented annually to deserving young men and women who are graduating and plan on continuing their education.

These players, who need only to be an active participant on an L-L League varsity basketball team, qualify for this award by attaining a minimum of a 3.0 GPA, while exhibiting good conduct and sportsmanship on and off the court.

Players are nominated by their coach and proceed through a selection process (including a short essay), with the eventual award winners chosen by the committee.

The Pennsylvania Track & Field Coaches Association (PTFCA) announced its All-State boys and girls teams Monday, and two local athletes were selected.

Cocalico senior thrower Kyle Felpel, who is headed off to the University of Alabama, was named to the First Team in shot put, an event in which he won the state title with a throw of 59-1 1/4. He also was selected to the Third Team in both javelin and discus.

Joining Felpel is Ephrata junior Mary Witmer, who was selected to the Second Team in the 300 hurdles. Witmer won both league and District titles in that event this past season before capping her year with a silver medal performance at States.

The selections were made by a committee of the PTFCA and were based on honors won, quality and consistency of performance and head-to-head competition.

By: TODD RUTH Review Sports Editor truth.eph@lnpnews.com, Staff Writer

The Ephrata Legion baseball team has gotten off to a so-so 2-2 start to the season. However, that doesn’t mean it’s time for the alarm bells to sound.

In fact, a year ago Ephrata went 1-4 through its first five games before catching fire down the stretch and riding the momentum all the way to its first District 10 League championship since 1995 and a berth in the Region Four Tournament where they reached the semifinals before finally bowing out.

The Ephrata team and Head Coach Derek Sipe would like to follow a similar path this season, which is entirely possible since the team not only returns its entire pitching staff from a year ago, but also many of the same faces in the lineup are back in 2012.

While he certainly wasn’t looking for a slow start, Sipe said it certainly isn’t unexpected considering players are just getting through the end of the school year and graduation.

Syracuse University field hockey player Jordan Page, a 2011 graduate of Cocalico High School, was recently selected to play at the Women’s National Championships held June 1-8 at the University of Maryland.

Page was a member of the North team at the championships, which are comprised of the top field hockey players in the country. She was selected to play through a tryout and four weeks of training at the North Region High Performance Center.

Page scored one goal in the tournament and it came against the Mid-Atlantic region, as her North team went on to finish fourth among eight teams.

Joining Page on the team were Syracuse teammates Lauren Brooks (Hempfield) and Stephanie Hussey, as well as Orange alum Shannon Taylor, who was recently named a 2012 Olympian.

The eight-team showcase featured the most talented field hockey players in the country, including collegiate all-stars, current National Team members and members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team.

Leisa K. Weaver, 53, of Ephrata, died Thursday, June 7, 2012 at the Essa Flory Hospice Center, Lancaster, after a brief illness.

Born in Lancaster, she was the daughter of the late Raymond E. and E. Blanche (Houck) Summers. She would have been married four years on July 19 to Terry L. Weaver Sr.

Leisa was a homemaker and enjoyed spending time at the family cabin in Sullivan County antiquing, cooking, reading and being with her dogs.

Surviving, in addition to her husband, are two sons: Jeff Greineder, of York; and Dane Greineder, of Akron; two grandchildren, McKenzie and Madison Greineder; a stepson: Terry Jr., husband of Paula Weaver, of Lancaster; a step-grandson: Lane R. Weaver; a sister: Sandra Lee, wife of Raymond McComsey, of Newport; and several nieces and nephews.

Preceding her in death is a brother: Glenn Ray Summers.

Private services will be held at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to Hospice of Lancaster County, P.O. Box 4125, Lancaster, PA 17604-4125.

To send the family online condolences, visit groffeckenroth.com. Arrangements are being made by Groff-High Funeral Home, New Holland.

Paul E. Sweigart, 64, of Lititz, passed away unexpectedly at home Monday, June 4, 2012.

Born in Ephrata, Paul was the son of the late Eli and Ruth (Grumbling) Sweigart and was a lifelong resident of the Ephrata area.

Paul was a member of Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church of Rothsville. He worked as a mixer for the former Warner Lambert Company in Lititz.

Surviving are two children: Paul E. Sweigart Jr., of Lititz; and Lisa Jo, wife of Steven Salzman, of Lititz; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, Paul was preceded in death by a son: Anthony Sweigart.

Funeral services were held on June 9 at at Paul L. Gravenor Home For Funerals, Ephrata, with the Rev. David A. Rike officiating. Place of interment was Rothsville Lutheran Cemetery.

To offer condolences, visit gravenorhomeforfunerals.com.

Edward C. Pierce, 78, of Ephrata, died Friday, June 8, 2012 at Hospice of Lancaster County.

He was the husband of Charlotte "Betty" (Hare) Pierce to whom he was married on May 2, 1981.

Edward was born on Oct. 25, 1933 in Ephrata, a son of the late Edward D. and Marion Cole Pierce.

He retired after 26 years of employment as an electrical foreman for Edwin L. Heim in Harrisburg. He was a charter member of New Hope "Fissel’s" United Church of Christ and their Happy New Hope Seniors Group. He was a member of the I.B.E.W. Union, the Ephrata War Memorial Association, the Carnival Glass Club and the Friendly Circle Senior Group of Akron and was a former member and president of the Ephrata Football Booster Club where he also coached midget football for many years. He also enjoyed traveling.

Besides his wife Betty, he leaves two sons, Jeff E., husband of Kim Pierce, of Lititz; Bruce E., husband of Christine Pierce, of Manheim; two daughters: Bonnie, wife of Ed Ritzman, of New York; Barb, wife of Brian Camp, of Minneola, Fla.; seven grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren; and two brothers,: Frank, husband of Joanna Pierce, of Herndon; and Thomas, husband of Dottye Pierce. of Huntsville, Ala.