Michael Love stories, Page 43

Dakoda Fickes is in his first season as the girls volleyball coach at Kiski Area, but not that long ago, he ran some memorable practices at the school’s gym. After the 2022 season, Fickes helped make the inaugural We Serve First All-Star Classic a success. Along with Kiski Area assistant...

When Riverview’s Lola Abraham committed to play soccer at Pitt last November, she said the decision was only the beginning and she couldn’t rest on past accomplishments. This summer has been crucial, Abraham said, as she not only works to stay sharp for her future with the Panthers but also...

The day before Rachel Satira graduated from Seton Hill in May 2019, she got a call from then-Plum girls volleyball coach Kelsey Bonk about coming on board as an assistant and also working with the middle school team. “I was more than happy to join,” said Satira, a standout four-year...

Tre Tipton had not picked up a pickleball paddle before Tuesday. In fact, the former Apollo-Ridge football standout who went on to play at Pitt said he didn’t even know pickleball existed before teaming up with Pittsburgh Steelers long snapper and Chartiers Valley grad Christian Kuntz and former Steeler Charlie...

Another Friday night with nearly perfect weather conditions greeted runners of all ages for the annual Fleet Feet Liberty Mile in Downtown Pittsburgh. “It was beautiful with a little breeze,” said Troy Schooley, the CEO of P3R, the local running organization charged with coordinating all aspects of the event. “It...

Sean Arnold graduated from Kiski Area in 1998 after a decorated varsity career with the Cavaliers that included nine varsity letters in soccer, football, basketball and track and field. The All-WPIAL performer continued to play in college, enjoying a four-year soccer career at Robert Morris. Arnold gave back to his...

Dayonne Nunley majored in sports studies at Miami (Ohio) while performing as a standout cornerback for four seasons with the RedHawks football team. A decade later, the Gateway graduate is incorporating much of what he learned in his collegiate course of study and also during his training to become a...

Amberson Bauer’s high school distance running career wasn’t entirely complete once he left Seth Grove Stadium at Shippensburg University as the PIAA Class 2A boys 800-meter champion May 27. The recent Riverview graduate’s season-best time in the 800-meter run — 1 minute, 53.22 seconds — qualified him to run the...

Eliza Miller will combine her love of distance running and swimming along with a newer venture in cycle racing on the newly formed women’s triathlon team at Duquesne University. She gave a verbal commitment to the school and to the program earlier this year and already is preparing for her...

One might see Reed Martin in and around Plum this summer working for a landscaping business. One also might see him on any one of several biking trails at Boyce Park. Still, he occasionally can be spotted on the football field at Plum High School booming kicks and punts. Directly...

Reese McGeary immersed herself in the sport of rowing six years ago, and the Point Breeze resident and rising junior at the Ellis School hasn’t left the water since. It is a comfort to her. It is, in a way, a home away from home. “My dad noticed that more...

It’s been three weeks since the Burrell softball team bowed out in the first round of the PIAA Class 3A playoffs with a 1-0 loss to eventual state runner-up Juniata. But the players and coaches, sophomore Braelyn Jones said, have been able to take a step back and appreciate their...

Eight months removed from a close loss to Upper St. Clair in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs and with just six weeks remaining until the start of heat acclimation workouts that usher in the start of the 2023 season, Gateway football team members are leaving no...

2023 Valley News Dispatch Softball All-Stars Player of the Year Katie Armstrong Burrell, Sr., P Katie Armstrong capped her high school career June 5 in the rolling hills of Central Pennsylvania. She and her Burrell softball teammates battled District 6 champion Juniata in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs....

Drew Karpen is in the final days of transition from his time as athletic director at Highlands to his new appointment as the athletic director and coordinator of student activities at Plum. He said it’s been a whirlwind of thoughts, planning and action since he was hired by the Plum...

Donovan Baxter is feeling a wave of redemption this summer as a manager and player for the Monroeville Red Pandas in the Pittsburgh North American Baseball Association. He and a number of his Gateway classmates were denied their senior seasons in 2020 when the covid pandemic shut down all spring...

The 2022-23 school year featured a number of standout moments for Gateway athletic programs. Individuals and teams produced top results and raised the level of pride for those who support the Gators in black and gold. Here is a look at a few of the notable moments that made this...

In a game full of heart-stopping moments, Saturday’s PIAA Class 5A championship contest between Shaler and District 3 champion Northern York at Penn State’s Beard Field at Nittany Lion Softball Park came down to a play at the plate. With the teams tied 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth...

The Plum Junior Legion baseball team picked up a key Westmoreland County league victory June 14 with a 10-9 triumph over Connellsville at Plum High School. It was the third win for Plum this season and one head coach Markus Cestra hoped would help the team build additional momentum towards...

Each year, Positive Athlete Western Pennsylvania seeks out those high school student-athletes who are making a difference in the arena of their chosen sport and also in the classroom and in their community. The Alle-Kiski Valley is home to many of those whose goal it is to make where they...

Madyson Kirsch familiarized herself with the new PIHL girls league last June when she and her father, Jim, attended the inaugural championship game at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Township. It helped spark her desire to be part of the league’s return this spring. “From there, I knew I...

In last Thursday’s PIAA Class 5A quarterfinal victory over WPIAL champion Trinity, Shaler scored all five of its runs on three home runs. The Titans again used the long ball Monday to produce six of their eight runs against Armstrong in a state semifinal contest at Gateway. Shaler scored six...

Monroeville Junior Legion coach Rich Otterman saw determination in the eyes of his returning players at the start of the season last month. It is a mission, he said, to go further and reach at least the Western Regional tournament after being eliminated in last year’s Westmoreland County Youth Legion...

Mike Rugh joined the Gateway boys soccer coaching staff as an assistant five years ago with the hopes of giving back to his alma mater while remembering all of the good memories he had when putting on the Gators uniform. He, along with head coach Bernie Stiles and fellow assistant...

Riverview baseball coach Bill Gras said during the season and in the postseason, he knew his team could play with anyone. “That comes from the history of the players,” he said. “Other than three players, these guys played in the WPIAL championship game two years ago. They had an off...