Michael Love stories, Page 114
Waynesburg’s Miller, a Bethel Park grad, to continue baseball pursuits at Division I Gardner-Webb
When the NCAA announced that collegiate athletes affected by the cancellation of spring seasons because of the coronavirus pandemic would receive an extra year of eligibility, it created an opportunity for Bethel Park graduate Mason Miller, a senior on the Waynesburg University baseball team. After three-plus successful seasons for the...
Longtime Carnegie Mellon ‘D’ coordinator Terry Bodnar seeks solace in retirement
For years, Terry Bodnar coached a Carnegie Mellon defense that put toughness on display and made life difficult for opposing offenses. These days, the gameplan for the recently retired longtime Tartans defensive coordinator is spending relaxing days with his son, Jon, and his family in Texas and chasing down his...
Plum grad Gino Marra relishes experience during 1st season at UNC Asheville
Gino Marra is set to spend a majority of his summer on the gulf coast of Florida. The Plum graduate and left-handed pitcher for Division I UNC Asheville hopes several weeks of work during his first foray into collegiate summer baseball will help him take the next step in his...
Senior Spotlight: Tennis phenom hoped to make impact in lone season at Greensburg Salem
Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight WPIAL spring athletes whose senior years were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. Loren Byers hopes to get on the court for a couple of high-profile tennis tournaments this summer before beginning his studies and joining the men’s team at Penn State....
Senior Spotlight: All-state honors were a highlight for Shaler volleyball teammates
Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight WPIAL spring athletes whose senior years were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. Steven Hoffman and Billy Dadowski were selected to the All-WPIAL Class AAA first team and Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association all-state squad last spring after helping Shaler reach the WPIAL...
Keystone State Games joins list of canceled summer sporting events
For more than three decades, athletes of all ages from the Pittsburgh region have tested themselves against the best in the state at the Keystone State Games Festival of Sports and PA Senior Games. However, those events will not take place this summer as both have been canceled by organization...
Valley seniors planning for careers in service of others
Editor’s note: This is the 17th in an 18-part series profiling nominees for the Westmoreland County Scholar-Athlete Excellence Awards. Madison Gatto’s goal of making a collegiate tennis roster is on hold. The Valley senior and her sister Casey, two-thirds of the Gatto triplets, were accepted into a nursing program at...
New South Park girls soccer coach excited for opportunity at alma mater
For T.J. O’Brien, there’s no place like home. No, he didn’t have to click red glass slippers like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. He simply had to say yes when offered the girls soccer head coaching position at South Park. O’Brien, a 2006 South Park graduate and former Eagles...
In the midst of challenges, Don Holl settling in as Gateway’s athletic director
Don Holl’s first official day as Gateway’s new athletic director was March 13. It also was the day Gov. Tom Wolf announced all schools in the state would close temporarily and all school-related activities suspended as part of the early response to the coronavirus pandemic. The state made that ruling...
PIHL cancels remaining playoff games from 2019-20 season
In a move it hoped to avoid, the PIHL on Sunday afternoon canceled the remainder of the unplayed playoff games from the 2019-20 season. The PIHL expressed its regret in a statement on Twitter and went on to thank the players, coaches, managers, administrators and game staff for their contributions...
Norwin’s Crosby, Phipps finished high school athletic careers in style
Editor’s note: This is the 14th in an 18-part series profiling nominees for the Westmoreland County Scholar-Athlete Excellence Awards. When Juliana Crosby made her decision to attend Florida State last month, the move, she said, was not only closure for her high school career but also a bit of good...
GCC grad Karabin recognized with NCAA Elite-90 Award
Greensburg Central Catholic graduate Michelle Karabin, a senior at Carnegie Mellon University and a member of the women’s indoor and outdoor track and field teams, is a recipient of the NCAA Elite-90 Award, the school announced Friday. The award each year recognizes select Division I, II and III student-athletes who...
Senior Spotlight: Tennis success has led to teaching opportunities for City League singles champ
Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight WPIAL spring athletes whose senior years were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. Sachin Thiagarahan represented both Obama Academy and the City League three times at the PIAA Class AAA boys tennis championships. He got his first taste of competition at Hershey...
Veshio tabbed to lead perennially powerful Quaker Valley boys soccer program
As a member of the boys soccer team at Quaker Valley from 1999-2002, J.J. Veshio was a part of successful squads that won PIAA and WPIAL championships and added a state runner-up finish under the direction of revered coach Gene Klein. Veshio returned to the Quakers as an assistant coach...
Lernerville opening night again postponed
Lernerville racing officials hoped to start the 2020 season Friday, but despite Butler County preparing to move into the yellow phase of economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, they announced Wednesday that opening night at the speedway has again been postponed. The Tomson family, owners and managers of the speedway,...
Twi-Night Trap League officials cancel 2020 season
At a meeting involving its delegates Monday evening, the Twi-Night Trap League decided to cancel the 2020 competition season. The league said concerns over the health of all of its members during this time of the coronavirus pandemic was the main reason for the shutdown. Rowland Jones, secretary and treasurer...
Senior Spotlight: Beaver County Christian volleyball standout hoped to repay leadership debt
Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight WPIAL spring athletes whose senior years were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. As a freshman, Zac Barbato started on the right side for the Beaver County Christian boys volleyball team that won the WPIAL Class AA title and advanced to the...
Plum’s Montue excited about joining Oakland University women’s basketball program
Kennedie Montue established a quick connection with Oakland University during her college recruiting journey. The Plum junior basketball standout and 2019-20 Valley News Dispatch Player of the Year concluded that journey Monday morning with a verbal commitment to the suburban Detroit school. In a tweet, she thanked God, family, friends,...
Waynesburg University to host virtual version of annual distance running forum
The Waynesburg University track and field and cross country programs again will host its distance running forum this summer. However, because of social distance restrictions and regulations, the event will take place online as opposed to its traditional in-person format. The series of video presentations from distance experts of different...
Senior Spotlight: Allderdice tennis standout turns attention toward career at Lehigh
Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight WPIAL spring athletes whose senior years were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. David Missry dedicated time in the boys tennis offseason building strength for this spring as he hoped to make runs at singles titles at the WPIAL and PIAA levels....
Knoch grad Geist focused on future shot put events, including Olympic Trials
In the most recent world rankings for the men’s shot put, Jordan Geist checked in at No. 19, fifth among his American colleagues. Those rankings came out the last day of March, and in the weeks prior, Geist, who owns a personal record of 21.59 meters (70 feet, 10 inches),...
Fox Chapel grad Lacey Cohen’s tennis future up in air at Slippery Rock
Lacey Cohen begins an occupational therapy doctoral program June 1 at Slippery Rock. The Fox Chapel graduate and senior on The Rock tennis team said she will get a good look at her workload at that time to determine if she will be able to use the extra year of...
Franklin Regional seniors Huczko, Hudson in contention for excellence awards
Editor’s note: This is the fourth in an 18-part series profiling nominees for the Westmoreland County Scholar-Athlete Excellence Awards. Jo-Michelle Huczko joined the Franklin Regional track and field team shortly before the 2019 spring season. She certainly made the most of her one year. Huczko captured last year’s WPIAL Class...
Penn Hills graduate Shy Faulkner earns NJCAA All-American honors
Shy Faulkner finished his 2019-20 basketball season as one of the top scorers in National Junior College Athletic Association Division III, and the Penn Hills graduate was honored Wednesday for his on-court exploits. The Community College of Allegheny County sophomore guard was named third-team All-American after he finished the season...
Senior Spotlight: Hempfield outside hitter turns focus to Penn State career
Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight WPIAL spring athletes whose senior years were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. Will Kuhns had big plans this spring for himself and the entire Hempfield boys volleyball team. “With a team that has been together since seventh grade, and all the...
