When one door closes, another door opens.

In December of 2000, Panther Valley senior Kristin Black tore her ACL.

Just two months later, knowing her high school basketball, swimming, track and field, and softball playing careers were finished - and five months before her high school graduation - Black passed the test to become a PIAA track and field official.

Black was a trendsetter then - and continues to be one now.

In July, Black will become the first female elected from the Schuylkill League to hold the position of PIAA District 11 Officials Representative.

“The two-year term title has been previously held by women from the Lehigh Valley,” said Black. “It’s an elected position and only female officials can vote. I thought it would be difficult for me to win because most of the officials I know as the Panther Valley Athletic Director are men, and they couldn’t vote for me.”

Black won by exactly one vote.

A graduate of Misericordia University, she holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in sports and organizational management. She took a job for one year as a mental health worker for the Carbon Lehigh Unit 21 - a coordinating agency for area schools - before she became the athletic director at Panther Valley in 2005.

Besides her daily task of scheduling officials for athletic events at PV, she continues to officiate track and field meets, and is currently the Membership Chair of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Directors Association.

Black is excited to begin her new position this summer.

“I want to be a voice for our District 11 officials. In my evaluations, I want to help them in any way I can to do their jobs better,” she said.

Black is fully aware of the concerning issue of the rapid decline in the numbers of PIAA officials across the state. In her role as Panther Valley AD, she has had to juggle her sports schedules to ensure that all her events are covered by at least one official.

“It’s certainly a challenge to keep and recruit officials. Those we have need support, and that’s what I want to do for them,” she explained. “I’d also like to see the minimum age of PIAA officials lowered from 18 to 17. There are a lot of high school athletes who might be interested in officiating sports at the youth levels. Our numbers in the 18-40 age group are very low, and many of the ones we have are getting up in age. What’s going to happen in five to 10 years? Will our kids have officials for their sports?”

Another issue Black intends to address is that Lehigh Valley officials have been assigned to cover local district and league playoffs, when she contends that officials from the Schuylkill League should be selected for these events.

Black is looking forward to sitting on the various committees in her newly elected role on July 1 with Jim Toomey, who is the male counterpart from District 11.

“I’m also looking forward to learning more about officiating sports like field hockey and lacrosse, which we do not have at PV,” said Black.

Other duties Black will incur as a District 11 Officials Representative include resolving disputes officials may have with the PIAA, and suggesting rules interpretations for all high school sports. She will also be asked to attend the annual PIAA Officials Convention.

Adding all of these career responsibilities to her role as wife and mother are not overwhelming to Black.

When asked if she has any further ambitions, she had this to say.

“I’m always looking to improve at everything I do.”

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DOMINANT PITCHING

… Panther Valley’s Tyler Black tossed a five inning no-hitter against Lincoln Leadership Academy on Saturday. Black allowed no walks and struck out 11 in a 17-1 non-league win over the weekend. Zachary Chamberlain’s dominant pitching performance lifted Northern Lehigh to a 3-1 Colonial League win over Moravian Academy Monday. Chamberlain struck out 16 and allowed just three hits and one earned run without surrendering a walk to earn the win.

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OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION

… A number of area baseball and softball teams have been lighting up the scoreboard recently. Lehighton pounded out 24 hits Saturday against Saucon Valley. Mikayla Scott led the way, as she finished with four singles, while Maggie Pagotto, Madyson Bergdahl, Abbie Miller and Addison Chavanic all had three hits for the Tribe in a 21-4 win on the road. The Tamaqua softball also had a huge game Saturday, as the Blue Raiders went off for 19 hits in a 15-0 win over Mahanoy Area. An 11-run second inning powered Panther Valley to its first win of the season, defeating non-league foe Lincoln Leadership Academy by a 21-2 score over the weekend. Brenna Beshock was solid in the circle and at the plate to lead the Panthers. Beshock allowed just three hits and no walks while striking out 11. She also collected three hits and knocked in two runs at the plate. PV’s Mikayla Yuricheck contributed to the offensive output with three hits - one a triple - and four RBIs. Morgan O’Brien added three hits, including a double, and three RBIs, with Kaidence Krapf adding a pair of hits and an RBI.

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K-ZONE

... Weatherly’s Madisyn vonFrisch recorded 11 strikeouts in a 13-0 win over Executive Education Academy Charter School on Thursday, while Tamaqua’s Bryn Clifford had 12 strikeouts in a 7-0 win over Lehighton on Friday. Clifford is the Times News/Lehigh Valley Health Network Female Athlete of the Week. Clifford had a tremendous week for the Blue Raiders. The senior went 4-1, allowing a total of five runs in the five games. In 32 innings, she surrendered just 15 hits and one walk, while striking out 54.

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MORE MILESTONES

… With each game she plays, Alexandra Bush writes another chapter in the Pleasant Valley girls’ lacrosse record books. Bush recorded her 200th-career goal, and 300th-career point last Friday on Senior Night, as the Bears posted a 16-7 win over Northwestern. The reigning Times News/Lehigh Valley Health Network Lacrosse Player of the Year posted seven goals in the victory, with four coming in the first half.

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TWICE AS NICE

… The Pleasant Valley softball team doubled up East Stroudsburg North for two victories in a doubleheader on Tuesday. The final scores of each game were the same, as the Bears won both contests 19-4 over the Timberwolves. Pleasant Valley recorded 17 hits in Game 1, and then only had seven in the second game. But two of those hits in the second contest were long balls by Sam Ratti and Emilee Roberti.

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WALK-OFF WINNERS

… Several area baseball and softball teams have recently delivered walk-off victories. Lydia Borger’s RBI single led Pleasant Valley to a 3-2 EPC win over Pocono Mountain West on April 21. Four days later, both the Marian and Panther Valley baseball teams did the same. Marian’s Michael Gelatko connected for a game-winning two-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Colts a 3-2 Schuylkill League win over Schuylkill Haven. Tyler Black completed Panther Valley’s walk-off 3-2 victory over Williams Valley, after crossing home plate on Michael Pascoe’s game-winning RBI single down the third base line.

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SHINING STARS

… The Jim Thorpe boys and girls track teams had impressive showings at the Zephyr Invite at Whitehall High School on Saturday. The Olympians brought home seven first-place finishes. David Richards and Laura Clarke led the way for the Olympians, as both finished with multiple firsts. Marian also took part at the Leonard Stephen Invite at Wilson West Lawn High School over the weekend. Fatikha Tikhtova earned her squad’s only gold medal at the 23-school event. Tikhtova cleared 5-3 in the high jump to win the event. The Weatherly boys captured three first-place finishes, and the Tamaqua girls picked up one at the Pine Grove Invitational last Friday. Ricky Ray and Jacob Parker had individual firsts for the Wreckers. Ray turned in a time of 2:07.16 to take the 800, while Parker’s winning time in the 3200 was 10:37.4. Ray and Parker then teamed up with Michael Berger and Frankie Willis to win the 3200 meter relay. The other area first place finish was turned in by Tamaqua’s Shyann Weighknecht in the discus (93-1).

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RECORD-SETTER

... After a sophomore season that produced Colonial League gold in the 100 and 300 hurdles, Faith Yost is enjoying another fantastic spring for Northwestern. Yost posted wins in three events, taking the 100 and 300 hurdles, as well as the high jump as Tiger girls routed both Salisbury, 137-12, and Bangor, 120 1/2-29 1/2, to improve to 7-2. Yost’s time of 15.10 in the 100 hurdles broke the school record of 15.54, set in 2015 by Alexis Gawelko. In addition to her individual events, she also ran the second leg on the winning 400 relay team.