Josh Rizzo stories, Page 19
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...
Fox Chapel distance runner makes big strides in 3,200-meter run
Nicky Clump wasn’t intimidated by sliding his way through the pack at the start of races when he started with distance running. Ever since Clump can remember, he would go out running with his dad, David “Andy” Clump. Andy ran while attending high school in Doddridge County, W.Va., and continued...
Fox Chapel softball adjusts to speed of game to earn playoff berth
Fox Chapel’s young softball team passed the first major test of the season by qualifying for the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. The Foxes were then fortunate to have several nonsection tests against quality opposition to end the regular season. Fox Chapel (7-9 overall, 4-6 Section 1-5A) won two of three...
Penn Hills graduate sets example for this year’s softball team
Yasmine Logan was one of the more comfortable visiting players at Varabedian Field in Oakland when Ohio University came to town to take on Pitt softball. Logan, a Penn Hills graduate, was supported by a large contingent of Indians softball players who made the short trek down to the stadium....
3-sport path leads Fox Chapel senior to college lacrosse
Isaac Jacobs’ plan was to become a three-sport athlete. Lacrosse was going to be just one of those three for the Fox Chapel senior. When Jacobs committed to John Carroll University to play men’s lacrosse, he knew he was going to have to keep working to be able to get...
After navigating section grind, Fox Chapel baseball heads into playoffs with experience
Coach James Hastings knows that every game the Fox Chapel baseball team plays is going to be a grind in Section 1-5A. The fact that WPIAL baseball changed its scheduling a few years back to make those games back-to-back like a series added to the challenge. It now isn’t possible...
Penn Hills baseball looking to string hits together
Purchasing new equipment has helped the Penn Hills baseball team raise its collective batting average. If the Indians want to build on that success and win games, they will have to string those hits together. Penn Hills has only produced 23 runs in its first 11 games. “We have quite...
Penn Hills junior finds unexpected success in long jump
Ronald Porter didn’t think much about the long jump at first. Entering his first track and field season at Penn Hills, the junior wanted to help get his time in the 100 dash down to earn bragging rights with his football teammates. But Indians coach Lee Zelkowiz and his staff...
Plum girls lacrosse picks up pace, improves playoff positioning
The Plum girls lacrosse team has made adjustments as the season has progressed. When the Mustangs’ young attacks needed time to grow into their roles, Plum counted on its upperclassmen to help carry the fight in the midfield. The Mustangs have been scoring at an impressive clip this season. While...
