Michael Love stories, Page 96

Hallie Findlan was a woman of steel against Steel Valley on Jan. 25 as she swam the top WPIAL Class AA girls 100-yard freestyle time this season. The time of 53.84 seconds put the Thomas Jefferson senior and defending WPIAL 100 free champ at the top of the list. But...

David Bocci played second fiddle in the 100-yard butterfly and 500 freestyle at last year’s WPIAL Class AAA championships at Pitt’s Trees Pool. This year, the Butler senior hopes to lead the band as he goes for gold in his events. “With being off so much in December and into...

Optimism surrounded the Kiski Area hockey team as it entered the 2020-21 season. A youthful group last year made a run to the semifinals of the PIHL Penguin Cup Class A playoffs. The Cavaliers battled Indiana for a spot in the finals but were dealt a 4-2 season-ending loss. That...

In response to covid-19 guidelines and protocols for gathering numbers, the Western Regional high school bowling championships this year will be split up over two weekends, the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Bowling League announced Monday. Regionals will start with the boys singles tournament March 5 and the boys team event March...

The WPIAL on Monday morning released its latest swimming and diving performance lists. They are for times and point totals recorded at meets through Saturday (Jan. 30). Seneca Valley junior Daniel Simoes, North Hills senior Joshua Bogniard, North Allegheny sophomore Alexa Sundgren, Neshannock senior Conner McBeth, Quaker Valley junior Isabel...

The WPIAL swimming steering committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday, and the group could finalize a plan for the championships and provide answers amid the uncertainty with covid-19 gathering restrictions. Among the decisions WPIAL swimmers, coaches and others hope to find out is where the championships, slated for the week...

During her soccer career at Gateway and then for four years at Westminster College, Kayla Trozzi used her speed and scoring touch to make an impact and earn numerous accolades. Her efforts for the Titans recently were honored with selection to Westminster’s All-Decade Women’s Soccer Team as a first team...

The Gateway girls basketball team started its season with losses in its first six games, including its first four in Section 2-5A play. The six teams — section foes Latrobe, Woodland Hills, Penn Hills and McKeesport, along with Chartiers Valley and Bethel Park — were a combined 22-3 through Jan....

Two years ago, then-eighth grader Sophie Shao witnessed Fox Chapel freshman Zoe Skirbol make history with a WPIAL swimming championship in the 100-yard breaststroke and a state title in the 200 individual medley. Last year, it was Shao’s turn to shine in her varsity debut as she won WPIAL gold...

The Plum girls basketball team couldn’t have asked for a better start to its Section 2-5A home matchup against Fox Chapel at Plum High School. The Mustangs scored the first 13 points, and pressure defense confounded the Foxes into six turnovers. But Fox Chapel responded to the early adversity, rallied...

Kennedie Montue averaged 22.1 points a game last year and helped the Plum girls basketball team to a 14-7 record and to within a game of the program’s first section championship. Last year’s Valley News Dispatch Player of the Year and multi-year all-conference performer has picked up where she left...

In Saturday’s 33-31 buzzer-beating win over Greensburg Salem, Kiski Area’s players saw first-hand how much every second counts in close games. The early seconds, and minutes, didn’t add up to much for the Cavaliers, who missed their first nine shots. They trailed the Golden Lions for a total of 31...

The Knoch girls basketball team hadn’t played in a week before hosting Section 1-4A rival Burrell on Monday. But the Knights showed little rust as they overwhelmed the Bucs early, led by 34 at the break and cruised to a 65-22 victory. “I told the girls that I am very...

Last season, Mark Livingston punched his ticket to the state bowling championships with an 11th-place finish in the qualifying round at the Western Regional singles event. The Freeport senior collected 1,000 pins over five games and finished with a high of 243. He went on to make the semifinals of...

Both battle-tested veterans and newcomers ready to burst onto the scene highlight the latest WPIAL Class AAA and AA swimming and diving performance lists released Monday. The lists started to take shape with top performances from several meets Dec. 11, one day before Gov. Tom Wolf’s covid-related shutdown orders went...

The Penn State men’s basketball team’s game with Ohio State, postponed from Jan. 5 because of covid-related issues, has been rescheduled for this Wednesday at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network. It takes the place of the Nittany Lions’ originally scheduled game with Michigan...

Andrew Holmes was among the top swimmers in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle events at last year’s WPIAL Class 3A championship meet at Pitt’s Trees Pool. The Gateway junior earned top-eight medals and punched his ticket to the PIAA championships in both events. He also helped the 200 free relay...

Over the past three winters, Madison Herrick enjoyed traveling to different schools for rifle matches with her Plum teammates. The Mustangs senior captain, a veteran of the WPIAL individual championship meet, said though WPIAL’s move to virtual matches for regular-season competition with no travel is out of the norm, it...

Plum girls basketball coach Steve Elsier said his team has played well as it gets into the meat of its truncated season but knows there are a lot of challenging matchups ahead as the Mustangs hope to claim their first section championship and set themselves up for a WPIAL playoff...

Gideon Deasy experienced pain in his left ankle through much of his fall cross country season. The Riverview senior multi-sport athlete missed several races but was able to run at the WPIAL championships. He said despite not running his best time, it was a decent performance. Deasy, an all-section performer...

Olivia Watts is back on the road to recovery after a second ACL tear in her left knee put her on the sidelines for her entire junior season. The Burrell guard, who had surgery last Friday to repair the injury, is looking on the bright side of her situation with...

It’s been nearly 50 years since a Knoch girls basketball team has won a section championship. This year’s group hopes to change that. So far, so good with a 3-0 start, both overall and in Section 1-4A play. But the Knights aren’t resting on their laurels. “We’re trying to get...

The Knoch girls basketball team scored the first eight points in Monday’s Section 1-4A contest with rival Freeport at Freeport Middle School. The Knights, No. 3 in the latest Triblive HSSN Class 4A rankings, quickly developed a double-digit advantage in the opening stanza and didn’t let up en route to...

The West Virginia men’s basketball team received some good news from the Big 12 Conference on Monday as a game postponed because of covid issues has been rescheduled. The Mountaineers’ matchup with Baylor, originally scheduled for Jan. 12, now will be at 5 p.m. Feb. 18, in Waco, Texas. The...

Being away from the basketball court for any length of time normally is a foreign concept for Alvis Rogers. The third-year Gateway boys head coach enjoys keeping his mind and body sharp in the game he loves. But a medical issue and subsequent surgery late last month now has the...