CHERRY TWP - Moniteau High School's first-ever league championship in girls track and field officially has been stamped.

The West Sunbury Post Office honored the 20-member squad Wednesday by presenting it with a plaque containing a sheet of 20 2004 Summer Olympic track and field stamps.

Vicki McFeaters, mother of Moniteau junior sprinter Haley McFeaters, has been a clerk at the post office for 20 years.

"The entire community is so proud of that team and what it achieved," said West Sunbury postmaster Becky Yough. "We wanted to honor them in some way.

"I thought of those Olympic stamps from last summer. It was the perfect way to recognize this team."

Yough contacted the post office in Erie and requested a sheet of those stamps.

"When I told them (Erie) the reason, they loved the idea," Yough said.

Moniteau finished 9-0 in the Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference, winning the girls track program's first-ever league title of any kind. The Warriors' first girls track season was 1974.

"It's been an exciting year and these girls deserve this," Moniteau girls track coach Sue Scialabba said. "With the numbers we had, I was hoping for a .500 season at the beginning of the year.

"Doing what they did, it was their will to compete, willingness to work hard - it was all heart."

Scialabba wasn't expecting the team to receive a commemorative plaque.

"Not at all," she said. "This is a complete surprise. This just shows, though, work hard, do good things and people are going to notice."

Michael Panza, superintendent of the Moniteau School District, was on hand for the presentation.

"It's absolutely wonderful," Panza said. "The way these young people banded together to do what they did. … They know what it means to be a team.

"The post office is showing it's about the community and how these girls have represented our community."

Every member of the Moniteau girls track team competed in some other varsity sport at the school in 2004-05.

"The talent of the girls and their willingness to do multi-events and fill in where needed was amazing," Scialabba said. "Our two new assistant coaches had a lot to do with it, too."

Karns City graduate Carrie Bullman joined the Warriors coaching staff after a successful collegiate career throwing the javelin at Clarion. She is the team's throwing coach.

Jeff Bruner, a Clarion High School graduate who attended Slippery Rock University, came on board as Moniteau's jumps and sprinting coach.

"Their presence has definitely been felt," Scialabba said.

Moniteau is sending 13 athletes - eight boys, five girls) - to the PIAA Track and Field Championships this weekend, the most in school history.

The Warrior baseball and girls softball teams both received first-round byes in the District 9 playoffs as well.

"This has been as strong a sports season at Moniteau as I can remember," Panza said.

Photo: Moniteau

JACK NEELY/SPECIAL TO THE EAGLE

West Sunbury postmaster Becky Yough, center, and postal clerk Vicki McFeaters, right present a plaque containing 2004 Summer Olympics stamps to Moniteau girls track and field coach Sue Scialabba to honor team's first-ever league championship.