Bill Beckner stories, Page 110
Westmoreland campus clippings: Saint Vincent women’s soccer adds Greensburg Salem grad to staff
Saint Vincent added some local soccer expertise to its women’s team. Greensburg native Hope Creamer, who played at Greensburg Salem and coached the Greensburg Central Catholic girls, was named an assistant coach with the Bearcats and head coach Bryan Butler. “Hope was a tremendous player and understands what it takes...
Norwin’s Max McDowell maturing in Yankees system
Sure, Max McDowell wanted to be there in person when the New York Yankees played the Pittsburgh Pirates in a recent two-game series at PNC Park. The minor-league catcher would have given just about anything to get a call-up to join New York’s big club on the North Shore, 20...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Norwin senior wowed by Donald at workout
Noah Vogel went to Pitt for what initially looked like an unremarkable football workout. Another day in the blazing summer heat. But his day ended up becoming quite remarkable. Vogel, a senior tight end and defensive end at Norwin, received one-on-one instruction from Pitt great and Super Bowl champion Aaron...
Westmoreland Sports Club to bring in feature speakers, promote camaraderie
When Bob Colbert started a pair of sports social clubs in Virginia, a few common traits held the concept together and allowed membership to grow: an interest in telling stories, inquisitiveness to learn more about the people telling them and the simple enjoyment of talking sports in a laid-back setting...
2022 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Belle Vernon’s Quinton Martin
Editor’s note: The Tribune-Review and the TribLive High School Sports Network are profiling each member of the 25-player Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star team. The players will be recognized July 15 during HSSN Media Day at Kennywood Park. An athlete of Quinton Martin’s ilk could line up just about anywhere...
Franklin Regional announces 1st Athletic Hall of Fame class
A venture that athletic director Zach Kessler said was long overdue, Franklin Regional finally has an athletics hall of fame in place to honor the legacy of its finest athletes. Now, it has its inaugural class. The Franklin Regional Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2022 was unveiled Wednesday. It...
Carlow athletics moving from NAIA to Division III
Reduced travel, less expenses and fewer missed classes were among the reasons Carlow University decided to make the move to NCAA Division III. The private Catholic school in Oakland is leaving the NAIA and is headed for the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference starting in 2022-23. Carlow, an NAIA member since...
Latrobe grad Zach Kokoska riding hot streak for Single-A Grizzlies
June did not start the way Zach Kokoska had hoped. After seeing his batting average rise to .231 in early May, the Fresno Grizzlies outfielder and designated hitter went 4 for 26 in his first eight games of June and saw his average dip to .192. But the minor leaguer...
Next Jeannette Jayhawk Athletic Hall of Fame class a family affair
This year’s Jeannette Jayhawk Athletic Hall of Fame class will be a family affair. A father and daughter, and a pair of sisters, will be inducted. The 2022 class was announced Tuesday and it includes 1974 graduate Terry Gregory, a football and basketball standout, who will join his daughter, Ciara,...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Greensburg’s Loren Byers caps freshman year at PSU
Loren Byers took his place among the starting lineup on the Penn State tennis team and put together a strong freshman season. Byers, who is from Greensburg and attended Greensburg Salem for one year before attending 21st Century Cyber Charter School, finished 17-10 in singles, and 6-8 playing doubles for...
Norwin notebook: Former volleyball coach honored for remarkable record
Last spring, MaxPreps scoured the country looking for the best female high school coaches of all time in every state. The online prep sports outlet recognized one of the most successful girls volleyball coaches in the WPIAL, naming legendary Norwin leader Sheron Watson as its top coach in Pennsylvania. Watson’s...
3-sport star Caden Smith of Franklin Regional named Tribune-Review Westmoreland Boys Athlete of the Year
Franklin Regional started an athletics hall of fame this year. A future inductee might have just graduated. Caden Smith made the best of his time at Franklin Regional, excelling in three sports for the better part of four years. His senior season was his best as he made first-team all-conference...
Westmoreland notebook: Belle Vernon slugger Maren Metikosh class of 4A softball
Maren Metikosh has a name that rolls off the tongue. It is pure alliteration for broadcasters and announcers at Belle Vernon softball games. Her swing is even smoother. The rising senior had a memorable season for the Leopards as she launched home runs off the Dairy Queen sign in left...
Latrobe’s Bryce Butler tabbed MEC’s top athlete
Whether he was finishing a fast break with a thunderous slam dunk, putting back a missed shot or moving the ball with precision in the halfcourt for high-scoring West Liberty, Bryce Butler stood out on the hardwood. Opposing teams were watching the sophomore put in work.They saw his end-to-end talent,...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Latrobe’s Blair gets D-I offer
Emma Blair has her first NCAA Division I scholarship offer. The girls basketball standout from Latrobe was offered over the weekend by South Carolina-Upstate in Valley Falls, S.C. The 6-foot-1 throwback forward, who is known for her prowess to produce double-doubles, averaged 13.6 points and 12.5 rebounds and shot 56%...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Penn-Trafford grad Josh Spiegel earns all-conference honors
Josh Spiegel became a fixture in the Penn State baseball lineup this season and put together an all-conference junior year. A Penn-Trafford graduate, Spiegel was named to the All-Big Ten second team. He played in all 55 games for the Nittany Lions (26-29) and started 53 of them as either...
2022 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Penn-Trafford’s Joe Enick
Editor’s note: The Tribune-Review and the TribLive High School Sports Network are profiling each member of the 25-player Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star team. The players will be recognized July 15 during HSSN Media Day at Kennywood Park. Referred to as “the best finisher” Penn-Trafford has had in the John...
Murrysville Star notebook: Palmer Jackson earns All-American honors
Some might say Palmer Jackson’s golf game is a 9 out of 10. No golfer is perfect. The game won’t allow for it. But Jackson had nine top-10 finishes this past college season, which also points to excellence. The junior from Notre Dame is one of the top players in...
Penn-Trafford’s Mia Smith takes 2022 Tribune-Review Westmoreland Softball Player of the Year honors
The evolution of Mia Smith’s high school softball career began in 2019 when she was a freshman. A closer two seasons ago when Penn-Trafford won a PIAA championship, Smith took over the lead role in the circle this season and shined. She led the Warriors (20-4) to a runner-up finish...
Norwin grad Matijevic homers again in Astros’ no-hit win over Yankees
When the baseball finally landed in the second deck high above the field at historic Yankee Stadium, JJ Matijevic had his second big-league hit. Two hits. Two home runs. Matijevic, who started at first base, hit another solo homer as the Houston Astros no-hit the New York Yankees, 3-0, on...
Penn-Trafford’s Conlan Greene commits to Temple
Football prospects are often enthused by college visits and feel an instant connection to certain schools. Conlan Greene had that feeling when he visited Temple over the weekend but it was more than that for the Penn-Trafford rising senior. Having the opportunity to secure a spot on the Owls’ defense...
Franklin Regional grad Michael Krauza joins New York Mets organization
The New York Mets now own the contract of pitcher Michael Krauza, and, if all goes according to his plan, he will be climbing the minor-league ranks. This could be the big break the hard-throwing right-hander has been looking for. Krauza, a Franklin Regional graduate, will leave the Cleburne (Texas)...
Belle Vernon’s Viva Kreis playing high-level international handball with U.S. national team
Viva Kreis has been on a global barnstorming tour training with the U.S. junior and senior handball teams. The rising senior at Belle Vernon is sightseeing and bonding with her teammates, with her mother, Mary, by her side, as she continues to extend her budding playing career. The trip also...
Penn-Trafford grad Cleland made strong impact as freshman for Seton Hill softball
Playing college softball for the first time wasn’t like setting off into the wild for Brooke Cleland. The Penn-Trafford graduate brought her heavy bat and was prepared to make an impact from Day 1. Her vast experience playing youth, high school and travel ball had her ready for anything. She...
Latrobe grad Austin Butler selected to USA Basketball 3×3 team
After displaying a knack for making splash plays in 3-on-3 basketball in March at the 3x3U National Championship during the Final Four, Austin Butler was a favorite to make the USA Basketball 3x3 team. The Latrobe alum’s addition to the team became official Monday as he joined six other former...
