BY: LINDSAY IRVIN

The Eagles are having a good year.

And, no, I’m not referring to the Philadelphia Eagles. They got what they deserved.

I’m talking most about:

- The Allen High School Eagles football team, who won the 5A Division I State Championship.

- The AHS Eagles wrestling team that won the Texas State Duals team title in Amarillo.

- The Allen gymnastics team, Eagle’s Wings Athletics, who are keeping the trophy-making industry going with consistent tournament victories (See Page 15).

(Even the Rowlett Youth Athletic AssociationEagles and Richardson High School Eagles were soaring. Rowlett won the Dallas Select Football League Super Bowl and RHS won their first game in nearly three seasons in September, breaking a 27-game losing streak then finishing the season 5-5.)

Closest to home, the AHS Eagles football team won the state championship game in Houston; and, on Jan. 18, the coaches and players reunited at Eagles Stadium for a celebration in their honor.

The football team received the championship trophy, cheers and congratulations from Congressman Sam Johnson, Mayor Terrell, Staff Sgt. Clint Gochnour, and more than 4,000 residents of the community.

Highlights from the event include football player Justin Esparza singing the national anthem, Mayor Terrell presenting the school with a special street sign and the Escadrilles releasing a bunch of balloons for the finale.

Better yet – Congressman Johnson presented Coach Tom Westerberg with a flag that flew over the state capital and read the speech he gave on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives congratulating the football team.

Turn to Page 13 for photos and more.

Now, the football players are not the only team at AHS celebrating a state title, the wrestling team just won the Texas State Dual Championship.

This was their first team state championship – defeating Canyon Randall 42-34 in the finals.

“Coach Best and his staff have transformed Allen's wrestling team into a state powerhouse,” said Kirk Cobb, former Allen Sports Association wrestling commissioner and current AHS wrestling dad. Next year, the wrestling team could be just as successful with “all but three of the varsity wrestlers coming back next season, and a strong middle school class, including some nationally ranked wrestlers, coming into the program,” Cobb said.

AHS wrestling coach’s wife, Kerry Best, posted the news on neighborsgo.com; turn to Page 12 for the whole story and photos.

Congratulations Eagles teams – keep soaring.

Lindsay Irvin can be reached by e-mail at lirvin@neighborsgo.com or call 469-330-5684.

Fresh Picks features the top stories posted by our contributors at neighborsgo.com for and about the Allen,Fairview and Lucas communities after the deadline for this Friday’s print edition.

• AHS Performing Arts presents 'Annie: The Musical' Feb. 5-7

• ALLen Reads Children’s event includes puppet show

• 'The Sound of Music' preview event a success at Lovejoy

• Volunteers are needed at Twin Creeks Hospital

• Allen Boy Scouts donate time for area orphans

• Bach to Books presents John Brown Symposium

 • Boon Environmental Club learns about recycling

 • Swimmer's effort pays off at JV Champs

 • Celebrity Reader Helen Logan visits Kerr Elementary

• Celebrity Reader Denise Webre reads to Vaughan students

The latest stories on neighborsgo.com for the Allen community - posted after the deadline for the Jan. 23 print edition deadline.

RJ Taylor named conservation director for Connemara Conservancy

Norton names Knights of the Week

Vaughan Viking Shipmates & Captains for Jan. 16 announced

Tony Pritchard reads to Anderson Elementary students

Cotton Inc. brings 'Confessions of a Shopaholic' to Stonebriar Centre

Lovejoy High Band student earns All-State designation

Reading Program at Caldwell Elementary a 'best seller'

EC Athletics All-Star Cheer are ACA National Champs

McKinney artist debuts photos at MPAC show

Oak Ridge Boys to be featured entertainers at Taste of Collin County

Suncreek UMC to offer 'Letters from Dad' program

Stonebridge UMC hosts spring session of Dave Ramsey's 'Financial Peace'

FUMC hosts financial planning seminar

When I first received the news that Allen Presbyterian, now known as TexasHealthPresbyterianHospital of Allen, was the first hospital in Texas to be named “Baby Friendly,” I ran brief news story about it and moved on.

Texas Health Allen (which I will continue to call Allen Presby for the remainder of this story) is only the 68th hospital in the nation to receive this special designation from the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund.

“The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is designed to encourage and acknowledge hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care,” according to Allen Presby’s Web site.

When the news arrived that my niece was to be born there in January, the connection of Allen Presby being a “Baby Friendly” hospital didn’t register.

It didn’t really register until I showed up at the hospital to see my niece for the first time. During the days before Harley was born, my family anxiously awaited her birth with calls, texts, e-mail updates and bated breath.

Finally, at 8:10 a.m. Jan. 15, my stepbrother Chris Mannes and his wife Ciaira welcomed their daughter Harley Jade into the world – 6 pounds, 11 ounces.

Dr. Heather Sloan, who was on call when it came time for Harley to come out via C-section early Thursday morning, safely delivered my niece to her exhausted (still exquisite) mother and proud, wide-eyed father.

Ciaira had attempted to give birth naturally, but after repeated attempts to induce labor through various methods, her doctor gave them the choice to go home and wait or to do a C-section.

“I was not going home,” Ciaira exclaimed. They opted for the C-section.

“It turns out there was a reason she wasn’t coming out,” Ciaira said. “The umbilical cord was around her neck.”

In response to this, I asked my usual blitz of questions, such as: Did the surgery hurt? Was she in pain? Did she cry when she saw the baby for the first time? Was she hungry now? Could I get her anything? Was the staff friendly? Ciaira obliged my reporter routine and answered my inquires thoroughly.

Neither the baby nor her were in any danger throughout the surgery, there was minimal pain, she didn’t cry, she wasn’t hungry…basically all was well.

“God was looking out for her,” Ciaira assured me as she lay peacefully in her hospital suite surrounded by family. “So were the doctors and nurses.”

And I believe her. You don’t get the “Baby Friendly” designation for nothing.

Lindsay Irvin can be reached at lirvin@dallasnews.com or 469-330-5684.

Editor meets, greets

neighbors at Starbucks

BY LINDSAY IRVIN

On Friday, Jan. 9, I was lucky enough to meet 11 contributors from Allen and Lucas – dedicated contributors like the beautiful and sweet Sherine George with Collin County Committee on Aging; Jane Bennett our dedicated ALLen Reads contributor and advocate; Lovejoy High School football’s biggest fan D’awn Carson; my Allen ISD e-mail buddy Kelly Coleman (who I’ve been begging to meet me for coffee for months now); my Curtis cover-story supplier; Becky Kennedy; and my can’t-live-without-them, elementary parent posters Jane Jergensen (Kerr Elementary)and Marcy Fluckiger (Vaughan Elementary).

There were others, too. I want to thank you all for coming out – it was wonderful meeting you all and discussing neighborsgo and the Allen community with you.

I want to invite those of you who would like to meet me, assistant editor Jacob Sloan and layout editor Gary Piña to attend our next Starbucks Meet & Greet event from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Friday, March 13.

The coffee’s on us – I hope to see you there!