Bill Beckner stories, Page 216

A running back who averaged nearly nine yards a carry last season has his first Division I football offer. Penn-Trafford junior Caleb Lisbon is expected to draw many more offers, but Navy will be the leader of the pack. Lisbon (6-foot, 195 pounds) rushed for 1,329 yards last season and...

Momentum is an intangible yet palpable thing in basketball. But it can go for miles. Need proof? Look no further than the Seton Hill women’s team. After leaving a trail of upsets on the end of their regular-season schedule, the Griffins carried their late-year surge into the PSAC Tournament. The...

Jayla Wehner called on a motivational quote to help erase a tough semifinal loss and fast-forward to what lies ahead for the Norwin girls basketball team. “We feel like we aren’t done yet, and we believe that we haven’t played our best basketball yet,” the Norwin junior guard said. “Coming...

Saint Vincent senior swimmer Jacob Davis again will compete on a national stage. Davis earned a spot in the NCAA Division III Championships set for March 20-23 in Greensboro, N.C. He qualified in three events: the 100- and 50-yard freestyles and the 100-yard breaststroke. His time of 44.16 seconds in...

At Shippensburg, happiness is Biss. Sophomore basketball player Jake Biss continues to assert himself into a viable go-to role for the Raiders (22-6, 16-4 PSAC East), and is developing into one of the PSAC’s top scorers. His scoring average has been on a steady incline, a result of his well-rounded...

From Penn-Trafford to Penn, Emma Nedley has not missed a beat. After just weekend of college softball, the freshman center fielder is off to a fast start, and with it, has collected some early-season accolades. Nedley was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week after going 8 for 17 at...

Monday’s games PIHL Penguins Cup Class AA First round Hempfield (12-7) vs. Pine-Richland (18-0-1) 7:30 p.m. Monday at Baierl Ice Complex, Warrendale Winner plays: Latrobe (14-4-1) or Hampton (10-7-2), March 13 at RMU Island Sports Center, Neville Island Goals for/against: Hempfield, 121/78; Pine-Richland, 112/32 About Hempfield: The Spartans advanced to...

MONDAY Hockey: Three area teams will be in action in the PIHL Class AA Penguin Cup playoffs. Latrobe takes on Hampton at 7:15 p.m. at Nevin Arena, and Franklin Regional plays Mars at 9:30 p.m. at Baierl Complex in Warrendale. A third first-round game has Hempfield taking on unbeaten Pine-Richland...

Former Seton Hill quarterback Christian Strong used to extend plays for the Griffins. Now, he is extending his playing career overseas. Strong has signed with the resurgent Dusseldorf Panther of the German Football League. The team returns to the league after a three-year absence. The Canadian-born Strong (6-foot-4, 214 pounds),...

While it would be hard-pressed to match the offseason drama of its NFL counterpart, the Pittsburgh Steelers Footballers basketball team is gearing up for another season — and looking for games. The team, consisting of current and former Steelers, plays games at high schools and colleges around western Pennsylvania as...

Saint Vincent senior swimmer Jacob Davis earned a spot in the NCAA Division III Championships set for March 20-23 in Greensboro, N.C. Davis qualified in three events: the 100- and 50-yard freestyles, and the 100-yard breaststroke. His time of 44.16 seconds in the 100 freestyle ranks sixth in Division III....

Catch Anna Shields if you can. The Point Park senior enthralled onlookers yet again with another record-breaking performance at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships Saturday in Brookings, S.D. Shields defended her titles in the mile and 1,000-meter runs — within two hours of each other — while...

High-scoring Peters Township was lulled into playing North Allegheny’s game in the WPIAL Class 6A championship, which meant a defense-first approach, and that the final score probably was going to resemble a men’s pants size or a recent high-low temperature on the local weather report. The Indians looked quite comfortable...

Monessen did not make the PIAA Class A boys basketball playoffs last season and had a coaching change in the offseason when longtime coach Joe Salvino left to take the Belle Vernon job. Dan Bosnic came aboard and didn’t need to do much homework on the program. He knew about...

With his team up by 17 late in the fourth quarter, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart’s Mike Rodriguez, still coaching up his players with the comfortable advantage, yelled at a reserve to “Take the charge.” The Chargers took charge, all right. And it led to WPIAL glory. Denied a...

The IUP men’s basketball team did not let a wardrobe malfunction deter it from victory. The Crimson Hawks forgot their road uniforms for a PSAC game at Edinboro, so the host team obliged, lending IUP their road jerseys at McComb Fieldhouse in Erie. Edinboro wore the awkward and probably itchy...

After placing fifth last year at the NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships, pole vaulter Courtney McQuaide will get another shot to raise the bar. A redshirt senior from Slippery Rock and a former outdoor national champion in her event, McQuaide is one of 16 athletes from the PSAC...

Another strong run in Presidents’ Athletic Conference men’s basketball earned Saint Vincent plenty of respect at postseason awards time. The Bearcats swept player and coach of the year awards after a 22-5 season and a conference regular-season title. Senior forward Tom Kromka was named player of the year after leading...

PIHL Penguins Cup playoff preview Class A first round Norwin (9-9) vs. Meadville (15-3) 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Meadville Area Recreation Complex, Meadville Winner plays: Winner of Thomas Jefferson/Freeport at 9:15 p.m. Monday at RMU Island Sports Center Goals for/against: Norwin, 100/94; Meadville, 137/41 About Norwin: The Knights, the sixth...

Justine Appolonia has plenty of goals — on and off the soccer field. Big goals. The Yough junior standout has known for quite some time she wanted to play at the Division I level in college. “Of course, it was always my dream growing up,” she said. “What kid who...

It was an all-Greensburg final in the 149-pound weight class Saturday night in Erie. Pitt-Johnstown junior Chris Eddins met Seton Hill redshirt junior Austin Shaw for the title at the NCAA Division I Super Region I Tournament at Mercyhurst. Both graduated from Greensburg Salem, where they were teammates. Eddins, a...

La Roche forward Jenna Cole had an exceptional junior season on the basketball court. The Redhawks could depend on her scoring and post play every game, without fail. Coaches in the conference had no qualms about voting for the former Norwin star as the conference’s best player. As a result,...

Another strong run in the Presidents Athletic Conference earned Saint Vincent men’s basketball plenty of respect at postseason awards time. The Bearcats swept player and coach of the year awards after a 22-5 season and a conference regular-season title. Senior forward Tom Kromka was named player of the year after...

Vincentian is going from Peters to the Pete. The top-seeded and defending WPIAL Class A champion Royals took care of business in the semifinals Monday night to punch their ticket to the title game with a 61-49 victory over No. 4 Monessen at Peters Township. Vincentian Academy (16-7), coached by...