Josh Rizzo stories, Page 18
Shaler grad Anthony Venezia building toward professional career in boxing
Anthony Venezia dreamed of being a professional athlete. Venezia’s initial hope was that he could carve out a path to Major League Baseball. While Venezia was a solid college player at Cal (Pa.), he found out baseball wasn’t going to take him there. Instead, Venezia picked up boxing in October...
Penn Hills Eagles track club looks forward to regional, national competitions
Penn Hills Eagles track and field coach Chuck Carter knows from experience that the young athletes in his program respond well to any weather conditions. Having to train and compete in the recent heat wave won’t dampen their spirits at all. “The kids just like summer, there’s something about it,”...
Shady Side Academy’s Chelsea Hartman, Fox Chapel’s Rowan Gwin test mettle at New Balance nationals
The strategy for the transition from high school to college track wasn’t going to be one that Shady Side Academy track coach Jeff Perlis wanted Chelsea Hartman to take lightly. Competing at the New Balances Outdoor Nationals was a good first step toward adjusting to Brown University. Hartman competed in...
64-year-old Penn Hills boxer ‘Papa Chainsaw’ scores easy win in Atlantic City
Paul VanDale was honored to have a fight night held in Oakmont for his celebrity boxing match. Vinnie’s Tavern, owned by VanDale’s sponsor, the John Keefe Restaurant Group, hung a banner outside and showed his match on its televisions. VanDale, a Penn Hills resident also known by his ring name...
Already honored for soccer, Fox Chapel grad makes conference all-decade team in lacrosse too
Fox Chapel graduate Jessie Thiessen was honored to be named to the North Coast Athletic Conference 40th anniversary all-decade team in two sports. Thiessen, who played lacrosse and soccer, starred for both teams during a busy four years at Allegheny. Thiessen, a 2017 graduate, was chosen for the award, which...
Shady Side Academy senior overcomes injuries to cap career with state track gold
Chelsea Hartman wanted to run more, but she wasn’t sure if her body would allow it. The Shady Side Academy senior was plagued by chronic pain during her freshman and sophomore seasons. First, Hartman battled shin splints. Then, she dealt with stress fractures in her feet. But Hartman persisted, winning...
Fox Chapel graduate Zoe Skirboll sets big goals at Olympic swimming trials
Zoe Skirboll feels fortunate to have the weight of the University of Virginia swim program behind her as she prepared for the U.S. Olympic team trials this weekend in Indianapolis. The Fox Chapel graduate and Cavaliers swimmer feels she will be more prepared for the competition than when she competed...
Swimming standouts named Penn Hills athletes of the year
Luke Hoolahan saw the academic and athletic part of being a student at Penn Hills High School go hand in hand. Hoolahan played soccer, swam and was a member of the boys volleyball team. Thanks to his all-around effort, Hoolahan was named school’s male athlete of the year. Hoolahan, who...
Girls soccer team’s WPIAL title run highlights year in Fox Chapel sports
The Fox Chapel girls soccer team never stopped pushing each other. The Foxes were blessed with a freshman class that featured many players who could immediately battle for spots. Despite finishing in third place in a competitive Section 1-4A race, Fox Chapel caught fire in the postseason to bring a...
Relay team’s scratch keeps Penn Hills hurdler from claiming state medal
Penn Hills senior hurdler Achan Green did what he needed to do. After attending the prom Thursday night, Green’s dad drove him to the PIAA Class 3A state track meet at Shippensburg University on the Friday before Memorial Day. While Green grabbed the last qualifying spot in the finals of...
Coach proud of Penn Hills fitness team’s 2nd-place finish at nationals
Bob Martini can’t properly condense the words needed to describe how he feels about the Penn Hills fitness team this year. The Indians set a goal of being national champions at the Marine Physical Fitness National Champions in Little Rock, Ark. Penn Hills didn’t quite reach the top, but Martini...
Fox Chapel’s Rowan Gwin part of WPIAL distance running dominance at state meet
Rowan Gwin learned from experience when planning his race strategy in the 1,600-meter run during the PIAA Class 3A Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University. Butler senior Drew Griffith is one of the greatest distance runners to ever come out of Western Pennsylvania. Gwin didn’t want to burn himself...
Fox Chapel team savors trip to national rowing finals
A rowing machine was always located in Fox Chapel sophomore Niko Vavpetic’s basement. But he didn’t know much about his dad’s time competing while he was attended Harvard. When Vavpetic showed an interest, his dad worked with him to help keep him on track for success in competition. So far,...
Perseverant Penn Hills sends contingent of runners to state meet
Paris Bey, Tymere Alston, Tindah Mofor and Achan Green came together as a strong 1,600-meter relay team during the South Fayette Invitational in late April. When they put up a time of 4 minutes, 28 seconds during their first race together, Indians coach Lee Zelkowitz was excited to see what...
Penn Hills notebook: Fitness competitor wins back-to-back national titles
Jadyn Wright continues to build on the legacy he has created on the Penn Hills fitness team. When Wright went to the Marine Corps Youth Physical Fitness National Championship in Little Rock, Ark., he once again brought home top honors. Wright finished slightly short of a perfect score while capturing...
Fox Chapel track goes above and beyond at WPIAL meet
Anna Troutman could have made a few more attempts to extend her winning height at the WPIAL Class 3A championships. But with Troutman as the only competitor left and the rough conditions that day in Slippery Rock, she was halted at 5 feet, 5 inches, which gave the Fox Chapel...
Fox Chapel rowers develop chemistry, qualify for nationals
There are a lot of things that Lucas Gravina enjoys about rowing. When the Fox Chapel senior competes for the club team, he feels a sense of belonging with the people who share the boat. This year, Gravina qualified for the Scholastic Rowing Association of America National Championships in Pennsauken,...
Shaler grad travels difficult path to success with Westminster women’s lacrosse
Jade Hromanik held her hand out so her friend’s family’s dog would feel comfortable. But the dog didn’t stay cool. The chaotic seconds that followed left everyone scrambling. The dog leaped forward, biting Hromanik on the arms and legs. Hromanik needed assistance to pull the dog off her. The Westminster...
Penn Hills boys volleyball team sees wins on horizon
Junior setter Anthony Collins is encouraged about the future of the Penn Hills volleyball team. The Indians didn’t get the results they wanted this season, but Collins is encouraged about the potential growth for the next crop of kids coming up through the program. “They are promising. A few did...
Penn Hills notebook: Hurdler gets redemption with WPIAL gold
Achan Green’s redemption story happened right at Slippery Rock University on May 15. Green missed out on qualifying for states last year due to an injury he suffered at the WPIAL Class 3A track championships. But Green was healthy this year and took advantage while competing at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Green...
Shaler athletes find their niche on track team
Hannah Sahr and Liam Kelley started track and field with an idea of what events they thought they may like. But the Shaler juniors both adjusted once they got some hands-on experience. Hannah Sahr wanted to be a distance runner like her cousin, Cheyenne. Kelley wasn’t sure what events he...
Fox Chapel thrower fights through finger injury to get his hands on PIAA berth
Mason Miles never stopped looking for ways to be more comfortable. The Fox Chapel senior was injured during the first track meet of the season, hyperextending his finger when throwing the shot put. “My pointer finger hyperextended, and I decided to push through the meet,” Miles said. “I kept doing...
Defense helps Fox Chapel boys lacrosse to playoff win
The Fox Chapel boys lacrosse team didn’t stray from what allowed it to advance to the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs. During the first round against Norwin, the Foxes leaned on their defense to collect a 10-7 victory and move on to the quarterfinals. Fox Chapel only allowed 54 goals during...
Top performers for Penn Hills track team aim to peak at right time
Strategy was at the forefront of the last-chance meet for Penn Hills track and field. Entering the race, coach Lee Zelkowitz said the Indians were not only hoping to qualify more athletes. Zelkowitz said he wanted to see his top performers improve their seed time to get into faster heats...
Penn Hills notebook: Basketball alumnus Daemar Kelly heads to St. Francis
Daemar Kelly was a 1,000- point scorer and catalyst for the Penn Hills boys basketball team that won the Class 5A WPIAL championship. After a year at Quinnipiac, Kelly announced he would be transferring. Kelly recently announced he will be playing for St. Francis (Pa.) in the Northeast Conference. The...
