September 21, 2005

Salvia sisters run for the cure

By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist


There is a lot of fund-raising going on in sports right now.

The NFL devoted its first Monday Night Football doubleheader to a telethon to raise money for those displaced by Hurricane Katrina. And the Ocean City High School sports community, as described elsewhere in this week’s Gazette, is joining in the same cause.

At the same time, a pair of former Ocean City High School running stars, sisters Danielle and Nicole Salvia, are preparing for the Nike Women’s Marathon in California next month and helping to raise funds for cancer research.

Danielle was a member of the OCHS all-century teams in both cross country and track. She then went on to St. Joseph's University, majored in Marketing and ran cross country and track. Danielle currently works in a sales division of Nestlé and will graduate from LaSalle University in May with an MBA.

Nicole also had success in both cross country and track at Ocean City High School. She went on to The College of New Jersey and graduated with a degree in Elementary Education and Spanish. Nicole currently teaches in Ventnor and will graduate from Richard Stockton College in May with a Masters in Special Education.

In May, the two started running with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team in Training for the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco on October 23. As a part of Team in Training, each will raise $4000.00 that will support Leukemia and Lymphoma research and run 26.2 miles in support of individuals and families that have been affected by blood cancers.

“We have been putting in most of our miles on the boardwalk,” Danielle said, “along with our training partner, Kathy Pileggi, also a Team in Training member, who is running with us in San Francisco. She resides in Somers Point.”

Fundraising has taken up a lot of their summer. “We have had a great response from friends and family,” said Danielle. “Family in York, PA held a yard sale for our cause and we will be having a local yard sale on Saturday. A benefit will be held at DiOrio's in Somers Point on Oct. 1 from 6:30-9:00 p.m. Tickets are a $20.00 donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and include beer, wine, food and a DJ.”

Anyone interested in finding out more information or purchasing tickets for the benefit can contact Nicole at 609-390-2377.

And don’t forget to watch for the result of the run in San Francisco next month.

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Though the fall season is just a few weeks old, rule changes have already been announced for the winter.

In basketball, there will no longer be free throws awarded when the offensive team commits a foul. That is not a change for the player control foul, the famous “charging” foul. But, starting this year, if a player throws an illegal screen or pushes off when they don’t have the ball, the other team just gets possession. Even if the offensive team was in the double bonus.

In addition, when a double foul is called, the game will be continued with the same team in possession, not by the alternate-possession arrow. And it will be a technical foul starting this season for a player to remove his or her shirt within the visual confines of the playing area. Presumably, this will not include a player getting emergency treatment from the trainer.

The biggest change in wrestling increases the penalty for flagrant misconduct from two team points to three. In swimming, a competitor who is entered in an event and does not compete is disqualified from that event only. And when any competitor is wearing illegal attire or jewelry, he/she will not be permitted to participate in any event until the illegal attire or jewelry is replaced or removed.



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