Josh Rizzo stories, Page 25

Jadyn Wright is providing new entries in the Penn Hills fitness team’s history book. Even longtime coach Bob Martini doesn’t recall having another athlete find this much success at meets. Wright recently won the BethPage Invitational on Long Island, N.Y. It was his third victory in as many meets this...

Rachel Humphrey’s affection for distance running started thanks to her dad’s interest in the sport. The 2008 Fox Chapel graduate used her abilities in the sport to take her sporting career to the University of Pennsylvania. “My dad ran track and cross country in college,” Humphrey said. “I looked up...

Eric Burnett wasn’t an athlete who was highly coveted by the Pitt track program. Once Burnett found his way to Pitt, he attempted to walk on to the program twice before earning a spot on the cross country team as a senior. What kept Burnett, who was chosen as a...

Seven individuals and one team are being honored as part of the Class of 2023 for the Fox Chapel Area Schools Sports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony and banquet are scheduled for June 3 at the Harmar House in Cheswick. The team being honored is the 1995-96 Fox Chapel...

Penn Hills guard Daemar Kelly was determined to finish his senior season with a WPIAL Class 5A championship in boys basketball. Kelly, who led Penn Hills in scoring, was able to help deliver that. As a result of the Indians’ success and Kelly’s achievement, the Indians were able to finish...

Being on stage doesn’t change much for Kelsey Hundley. The Penn Hills junior feels about as comfortable there as he does in football pads. After getting wrapped up in sports, Hundley had stepped away from the performing arts for a few years. He was convinced to get back into them...

John Carroll University ended up being the perfect landing spot for Heather (Peltier) Melzer. The 1987 Fox Chapel graduate developed a love for distance running, which started with cross country and outdoor track in high school, that has stuck with her throughout her life. Melzer didn’t always feel like she...

Seven individuals and one team are being honored as part of the class of 2023 for the Fox Chapel Area Schools Sports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony and banquet at scheduled for June 3 at the Harmar House in Cheswick. The team being honored is the 1995-96 Fox Chapel...

Building relationships and the ability to maintain them is something Yasmine Logan came by honestly. The 2020 Penn Hills graduate learned through life communication is easier when things are direct. When Logan went to Ohio University to play softball, not much changed about her approach. When things need to be...

Josh Zambito ventured up to the University of Maine for a semester, but didn’t find the right fit, so the 2021 Penn Hills graduate decided to hit the transfer portal. Zambito’s journey took him to Motlow State Junior College in Tennessee. After a strong fall, Zambito committed to Mississippi Valley...

Leading up to the Fox Chapel softball team’s season, Hunter Taylor knew the Foxes had a young roster and would need someone to step into the circle and do a lot of pitching. Despite primarily playing her first three seasons at shortstop, Taylor was asked to step back into the...

Standing behind the goal provides Lindsay Scheffler with the right look at the field. The Fox Chapel senior girls lacrosse player is always looking for the best route to getting a shot on goal. Having developed the right vision has helped Scheffler knock down milestones. Scheffler recently topped the 100-goal...

Alexandra Valentina Navas started learning how to speak English from Google Translate. Over a year-long process, Valentina Navas had many teachers, including Axl Rose. The Shaler senior moved to Etna from Venezuela in the sixth grade and quickly started learning how to adapt. Valentina Navas learned a new language by...

Will Piccolino knows setting the standard for the Penn Hills boys volleyball program isn’t going to revolve around his players suddenly finishing highlight-reel kills. The Indians are in the process of laying the foundation for getting in position to make those types of plays possible. Penn Hills recently picked up...

Penn Hills senior pitcher/first baseman Kenny Boyle has a simple pitching philosophy. He’s a one-two-three guy: He throws a fastball, curveball and slider. When Boyle, who is committed to play at Penn State New Kensington, is on the field, he tries to pitch to contact. “It’s all about not walking...

Nolan Le knows he doesn’t have to wait for Shaler coach Brian Duermeyer to circle back to his doubles match for advice. Le can lean on partner Ethan Opiela to point him back in the right direction. “I always start slow and we drop a few games,” Le said. “Ethan...

Aidan Oehrle helped the Lehigh men’s golf team pick up a win at the ABARTA Coca-Cola Collegiate Invitational on April 17 in Easton. Oehrle shot a 4-under par 140 to lead the Mountain Hawks. During the final round, Oehrle made two birdies and also recorded an eagle to tie for...

Jack Resek didn’t believe the Fox Chapel baseball team welcomed a break in the Section 1-5A schedule. But the senior designated hitter didn’t believe having four nonsection games in late April would do much to change the Foxes’ approach. Fox Chapel, which was 6-5 overall and 6-2 in section as...

Lee Zelkowitz is excited to see the Penn Hills track season heat up. Where the Indians will really excel is with their relay teams. Penn Hills competed in a triangular meet with Gateway and Plum in early April and is gearing up for the invitational part of its schedule. The...

Ashley Banner would be the first to say that Penn Hills softball’s result against North Hills wasn’t what the team hoped to get out of the contest. For the second straight game, Penn Hills was on the wrong side of a lopsided loss. What the results have highlighted for Banner...

Will Siegel’s entrance to the season for the Fox Chapel tennis team first requires him to dig his racquet out of the closet. Due to Siegel’s commitment to the Foxes basketball team, which qualified for the PIAA Class 5A tournament and had the season extend into March, he usually doesn’t...

The Fox Chapel girls lacrosse team is searching for better ways to support each other. When it comes to trying to earn a spot in the WPIAL playoffs, the Foxes have been focused on making sure things run smoothly from top to bottom. Fox Chapel wanted to rebound quickly from...

Attempting to surge up the standings won’t be something the Penn Hills baseball team will be able to do by standing pat. Haunted by a lack of offensive production, the Indians have had a hard time getting out of the season’s starting blocks. Stuck with a .194 batting average as...

After trying track at a younger age, Penn Hills junior Asya Murray had fallen out of team sports as she got older. Recently, though, Murray found a sport that piqued her interest. “I’ve always been interested in football,” Murray said. “I go outside and play with my family.” Penn Hills...

Fox Chapel softball coach Chris Olbrich thought his team’s results in the first week of April reflected how things would be in Section 1-5A play all spring. Coming off a double-digit loss to first-place Shaler, the Foxes turned things around totally to hand a hot Penn Hills team its first...