Giustino Racchini stories, Page 2
Upper St. Clair’s Nico D’Orazio commits to Brown
Nico D’Orazio announced his commitment to play football at Brown on Monday. D’Orazio (5-10, 180), a rising senior at Upper St. Clair, is coming off an impressive junior season playing both wide receiver and free safety. He had 15 catches for 302 yards and four touchdowns on offense, adding 42...
Penn State women’s volleyball coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley to receive Jimmy V award
Penn State women’s volleyball coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley is the recipient of the 2025 Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, ESPN and the Jimmy V Foundation announced Monday. Schumacher-Cawley revealed in October that she had breast cancer, but the diagnosis did not stop her from reaching the pinnacle of college sports. She...
‘I just wanted to come back and show love:’ Skyy Moore hosts Before Your Eyes Summer Jam
Sunday marked the fourth time Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Skyy Moore gave back to his hometown of New Kensington. He returns each time for the kids, hoping to inspire the younger generation. “It’s all about the kids that look up to me,” Moore said. “For everybody that had a...
Leechburg’s Jake Cummings earns Valley News Dispatch boys athlete of the year honors
Jake Cummings has no shortage of fans around Leechburg, most notably the coaches who know him best. “He is the best human being I have ever worked with in my 52 years of coaching football,” Leechburg football coach Randy Walters said. Added Blue Devils baseball coach Heath Shimer: “As a...
Plum’s Owen Proskin ‘shoots for the stars,’ takes 2nd in decathlon at national meet
Most athletes are excited to compete at the national level for just one track event, but Plum rising senior Owen Proskin has taken it to the next level. “My dad is always saying let’s shoot for the stars,” Owen said of his coach and father, Matt Proskin. “Anywhere we are...
3-star defensive lineman Logan Nagle commits to Pitt
Pitt football continues to add players to its 2026 recruiting class, and on Wednesday the Panthers picked up another piece in the trenches. Three-star defensive lineman Logan Nagle made a verbal commitment to Pitt on Instagram. The Wayne, N.J. native is entering his senior year at DePaul Catholic. Nagle chose...
Pittsburgh Riveters defender, Upper St. Clair senior Natalia DiSora to join U-18 national team camp
Pittsburgh Riveters defender Natalia DiSora has been added to the United States’ U-18 women’s national team training camp, which will run through Tuesday. The camp, being held in Fayetteville, Ga. and running concurrently with the U-19 team, will gather a large pool of players for the 2026 FIFA U-20 World...
Central Catholic’s Angelo Pugliano commits to Western Michigan
Central Catholic rising senior Angelo Pugliano made a verbal commitment to play football at Western Michigan on Monday afternoon. #AGTGCommitted! #EAT@WMU_Football @PCC_FOOTBALL @CoachLehmeier @DL_Coach_Mazur @CoachJayBell @CoachLT39 @CoachPayneWMU @Coach_OLeary @wpialsportsnews @PghSportsNow @theking1 @BrianDohn247 @RivalsFriedman @DAWGHZERECRUITS pic.twitter.com/FGhZpTtb7s— Angelo Pugliano (@AngeloDpugliano) June 23, 2025 Pugliano (6-foot-2, 280 pounds), a defensive tackle, wrapped up...
Lithuanian guard joins Pitt basketball with chip on shoulder after transfer from Iowa State
For Nojus Indrusaitis, it’s a chance to become a star player on a team that desperately needs some. For Pitt basketball and coach Jeff Capel, it is the hope that the players who have been brought in can change the narrative. “I get a vibe of everyone having a chip...
Kiski Area bowler Veronica Flanagan wraps up high school career with medal at nationals
After finishing third in the U.S. High School Bowling National Championships in Fort Wayne, Ind., Veronica Flanagan is leaving behind a lasting impact as a Kiski Area bowler. “My teammates past and present have become my best friends,” Flanagan said. “We always said an individual win is a win for...
Latrobe’s new-look American Legion squad out to repeat as district champs
Coach Jason Bush understands he isn’t rolling out the same lineup 30 games in a row this summer. He has to pivot. After winning the American Legion baseball District 31 title last summer, the second act is often harder than the first. Latrobe has started the season 7-5 (4-2) with...
New coach plans to bring positivity to North Hills girls volleyball
New North Hills girls volleyball coach AnnaLise Shank has been down this road before. North Hills finished without a win last season in section play (0-10) and did not have much sense of positivity in the locker room. Now in comes Shank, who previously took over the volleyball program at...
Mars receiver Gabe Hein commits to Sacred Heart
Mars rising senior Gabe Hein announced a verbal commitment to Sacred Heart on Wednesday morning via his X account. The 6-foot, 170-pound wide receiver played alongside his older brother, Liam Hein, at wideout last season. Liam graduated and will be wrestling at Point Park for the upcoming school year. Hein...
Atlantic 10 announces Duquesne’s 2025-26 conference opponents
The Atlantic 10 announced on Tuesday the conference pairings for the 2025-26 basketball season. Duquesne will face conference foes Dayton, Davidson, Saint Louis, St. Bonaventure and Rhode Island twice during the season in a home-and-home series. As for teams Duquesne will face just once in conference play, home games are...
16 WPIAL girls lacrosse players honored as All-Americans, academic all-Americans
Seventeen WPIAL girls lacrosse players and one coach were recognized by USA Lacrosse this week with postseason honors. Eight were named all-American, eight were academic all-Americans and Hempfield senior Heather Harshman was named the Jackie Pitts award winner, which recognizes players who go above and beyond in service to their...
Steelers rookies visit Oakmont for 2nd round of U.S. Open
Mandatory minicamp for the Pittsburgh Steelers wrapped up Thursday, but a few Steelers rookies stuck around the city to take in the sights and sounds of the U.S. Open on Friday afternoon. Fourth-round selection Jack Sawyer (Ohio State), fifth-round pick Will Howard (Ohio State) and seventh-round draftee Carson Bruener (Washington)...
Victor Perez’s historic ace gives him fighting chance heading into weekend at U.S. OpenVideo
Scott Simpson has some company. At the 1983 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, Simpson aced the 16th hole during the first round. It stood as the only hole-in-one in the history of the U.S. Open at Oakmont. Until Friday. “I mean obviously a hole-in-one takes a lot of luck,”...
Pitt’s Jeff Capel to work with USA Basketball to pick team for U19 world cup
Pitt basketball coach Jeff Capel will serve on the USA Basketball Junior National Team Committee. Capel will help select participants who have concluded their freshman year of college or represent the high school classes of 2025 and 2026 to be on the U19 team. Training camp for the 33 athletes...
Tiger Woods: ‘There’s no faking it at Oakmont’Video
Tiger Woods, three-time U.S. Open champion, took to social media Wednesday afternoon and offered his thoughts on what makes Oakmont Country Club such a challenge. “You just have to hit the golf ball well there,” Woods said in a video posted to his Instagram page. “There’s no faking it at...
‘You want to beat them’: Chase Johnson hoping to leave his mark in 1st major appearance
Chase Johnson is competing in his first major tournament this week, but that doesn’t mean he lacks confidence heading into Thursday’s opening round at the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. The Akron native was the final qualifier added to the field Monday, after Bud Cauley became fully exempt,...
Justin Thomas hoping to close the gap for No. 1 in the world this week at Oakmont
Justin Thomas has seen the highs and lows of what playing on the PGA Tour can do to a golfer. Over the past few years, a new beast has risen the top of the golf world, and he’s front and center on the mind of the tour’s top contenders. Scottie...
‘I’m a Pittsburgh boy through and through’: Despite falling short in qualifying, Neal Shipley takes in sights at Oakmont
Neal Shipley won’t be competing at the U.S. Open this week after falling short in the final qualifying round, but he was back on the grounds at Oakmont Country Club on Monday, taking in the special scene at his former workplace. “I’m a Pittsburgh boy through and through,” Shipley said....
Perrin Barnes, Robbie Mertz show perfect chemistry in Riverhounds win over Detroit
Perrin Barnes and Robbie Mertz came into Saturday night’s game with only one goal between them on the season. They left with a goal and assist each. Barnes scored in the 37th minute and Mertz in the 66th minute off terrific passes from each other to help the Pittsbugh Riverhounds...
Pitt adds 4-star 2026 recruit Reston Lehman from Peters Township
The Pitt football 2026 class continues to build as the offseason recruiting heats up for coach Pat Narduzzi. Reston Lehman, a four-star prospect, announced via X earlier today his intentions to sign with Pitt for the 2026 class. Lehman (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) out of Peters Township, chose the Panthers over...
Lower Burrell American Legion baseball excited to improve in 2nd season in District 31
Now in its second season, the Lower Burrell American Legion baseball team is ready to hit the ground running, kicking off the schedule last week. Coach Steve Scheftic recognizes how much the team can grow and learn in its second go-round in the league. “We believe we are a contender...
