Paul Schofield stories, Page 26
Latrobe gets WPIAL finals rematch with Hopewell in Class 4A 1st round
It shouldn’t be hard for Latrobe baseball coach Matt Basciano to get his team up for its WPIAL Class 4A first-round playoff game. That’s because when the WPIAL released the pairings Friday, Latrobe found out its opponent is Hopewell, the team that defeated the Wildcats, 4-3, in the 2023 district...
‘Last Chance’ to qualify for WPIAL track and field championships
With the WPIAL track and field championships set for Wednesday at Slippery Rock University, athletes have one last opportunity to qualify. There are at least three “Last Chance meets” that will be held over the next two days. Norwin and Pine-Richland will host two events Thursday, and West Mifflin will...
Local golf notebook: Rachel Rohanna qualifies for U.S. Women’s Open
WPIAL Hall of Famer and two-time PIAA champion Rachel Rohanna of Waynesburg returns to the U.S. Women’s Open on May 28 at Lancaster Country Club after winning the sectional qualifier Tuesday at Shannopin Country Club. Rohanna, who played in the LPGA Tour and Epson Tour, shot a 2-under-par 140 during...
Top PIAA track & field performances as of May 8, 2024
Here are the top running times, throwing distance and jumping distances in Pennsylvania this season. Also included are the top three WPIAL and City League athletes and their rankings in the state. WPIAL/City League best Boys (Times and distance are what have been reported to PennTrackXC MileSplit by May 8.)...
Quaker Valley boys, girls sweep WPIAL 2A track championships
It was a day of redemption and fulfilling a dream for the Quaker Valley track and field teams Tuesday at the WPIAL Class 2A championships. The boys reclaimed the title after losing it in 2023 to Greensburg Central Catholic, and the girls fought off challenges from numerous teams to win...
Penn-Trafford notebook: Alex Turowski headed to NCAA regional
Penn-Trafford grad Alex Turowski, a junior at Fairmont State University, was selected to compete at the NCAA II Atlantic/East regional golf tournament on May 9-11. The event, hosted by West Liberty University, will be played at the Speidel Golf Club’s Jones Course in Wheeling, W.Va. The NCAA announced that 80...
Franklin Regional junior varsity hockey goes on amazing underdog run
The Franklin Regional junior varsity hockey team struggled during the regular season in the PIHL’s Tier 1. The Panthers, who were the Tier 2 champions in 2022-23, were moved up because of their success. “We were put in with the big boys,” Franklin Regional coach Dave Soltesz said. “We were...
Norwin’s Brandi Brozeski pulls off stunner at Baldwin Invitational
Norwin junior Brandi Brozeski pulled off a stunner in the 100-meter hurdles Friday at the 50th Baldwin Invitational. Brozeski not only broke her personal record, she upset the favorite, South Fayette’s Delaney Schumaker, to win the race. Brozeski finished in 15.01 seconds. She broke her PR (15.54) twice, running a...
Penn-Trafford boys track team advances to WPIAL finals after mistake corrected
Penn-Trafford track and field coach Eric Reger had just put his children to bed about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday when he got a text from team captain Matt Sarnowski. “I think they made a mistake,” it read. “I was going over the scoring, and I have us winning.” Reger quickly pulled...
WPIAL track notebook: Depth key in Norwin’s success
The Norwin boys and girls track and field teams are headed back to the WPIAL Class 3A team championship Tuesday at West Mifflin. The boys defeated Kiski Area (131-19), Connellsville (107-38) and Baldwin (119.5-30.50) in the semifinals Wednesday. Connellsville finished second by defeating Kiski Area (93-57) and Baldwin (76-74). The...
Top WPIAL track & field performances as of May 1, 2024
Here are the top running times, throwing distance and jumping distances in Pennsylvania this season. Also included are the top three WPIAL and City League athletes and their rankings in the state. WPIAL/City League best Boys (Times and distances are what have been reported to PennTrackXC MileSplit by May 1.)...
3-point takedown, rule changes to promote offense coming to high school wrestling
When the National Federation of State High School Associations announced rule changes in wrestling last week, official Tom Manns was thrilled. “It’s going to make things a lot simpler to call,” Manns said. “I’m all for it.” Beginning next season, wrestlers will be considered in bounds with only one point...
Kiski Area’s Eliza Miller, Hempfield’s Peyton Murray win scholar-athlete Excellence Award
Kiski Area’s Eliza Miller and Hempfield Area’s Peyton Murray have set numerous records during their high school careers. Now they can add being the best student-athletes in Westmoreland County. Two of the top athletes in track and field won the Excellence Award on Tuesday at the 68th annual Westmoreland County...
A closer look at 2024 Westmoreland County Scholar-Athlete honorees
Winners of the annual Westmoreland County Scholar-Athlete Excellence Award, sponsored by Judge Michael Stewart, will be announced at a banquet Tuesday, at Ferrante’s Lakeview. Athletic directors or representatives from the 18 county high schools selected 12 finalists for the award and one male and one female winner. Here are the...
Penn-Trafford notebook: Patton Graziano, MacKenzie Keenan named Scholar-Athlete Award nominees
Penn-Trafford seniors Patton Graziano and MacKenzie Keenan were the school’s nominees for the Westmoreland County Scholar-Athlete Excellence Award and awere among 12 finalists. Graziano was a two-time PIAA medalist in swimming and a WPIAL Class 3A 100-yard freestyle champion. Keenan was an outstanding softball and field hockey player. Penn-Trafford boys...
Penn-Trafford junior aims high in javelin
Talk about making a huge leap. Penn-Trafford junior Logan Kerstetter wasn’t his team’s best javelin thrower coming into the season. That honor was held by senior Matt Sarnowski. But things have changed dramatically, and Kerstetter has taken his game to another level. Heading into May, he has the top throw...
Longtime teacher, athletic director Tom Evans named 2024 Ferrante Award winner
Tom Evans retired as a teacher and athletic director from the Yough School District in 2020. But he really hasn’t stepped away completely from the high school sports scene. Evans has been an event coordinator at Hempfield and remains on the WPIAL board of directors, most recently as the junior...
Norwin’s Melani Schmidt shines at WCCA track & field championship
Norwin junior Melani Schmidt had a great day at the Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association track and field championship Thursday at Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium. It was almost a fantastic day. She was .003 of second from winning four gold medals at the annual event. She won the 200- and 400-meter runs...
Throwers in spotlight for Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association Track and Field Championship
While throwers headline the 2024 Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association Track and Field Championship on Thursday, there are numerous athletes entered who could be at Shippensburg in more than a month vying for PIAA medals. Heading into this week’s meet at Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium, the top two Class 3A discus throwers,...
State and WPIAL track and field leaders as of April 23
Following are the top running times, throwing distance jumping distances in Pennsylvania. Also listed are the top three WPIAL and City League athletes with their state rankings in parenthesis.) WPIALs/City League’s best Boys Individuals (Times and distance are what have been recorded to PennTrackXC MileSplit by April 23) 100: Jesse...
Burrell baseball keeps pace in section with victory over Derry
Only three games separate first-place Shady Side Academy and last-place Freeport in Section 3-3A. All seven baseball teams are still in the running for a WPIAL playoff berth and the section title. Burrell first-year coach Jay Miller pushed the right buttons Monday in the Bucs’ 8-2 victory against Derry. Junior...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Football rivalry games put on hold this season
High school football season isn’t scheduled to begin until Aug. 23, but fans might be disappointed to know two long-time neighborhood clashes are being put on hold. The annual battles — Greensburg Salem/Hempfield and Latrobe/Derry — will not be renewed this season, whereas one in the Mon Valley is being...
Penn-Trafford notebook: Warriors boys track looks to build off Wildcat Invitational win
Penn-Trafford’s boys track and field team hopes winning the Wildcat Invitational on April 13 propels the Warriors to a second consecutive trip to the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs. The Warriors edged Hempfield, 81-77, at the meet earlier this month at Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium. The boys clinched their second-consecutive playoff trip...
Penn-Trafford boys lacrosse coming together
It took the Penn-Trafford boys lacrosse team a month to find its groove. But after a three-game losing streak in late March, the Warriors won five of their last six games. The lone loss was to Class 3A Butler in a nonsection match. Penn-Trafford (4-1, 7-4) finds itself a game...
Franklin Regional’s Spencer Lee makes U.S. Olympic wrestling team
Franklin Regional graduate Spencer Lee clinched a spot on the U.S. Olympic wrestling team Saturday by winning the 57-kilogram weight class at the Olympic Trials at Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center. But if the Murrysville native wants to wrestle in his mother’s homeland of France and earn a trip to...
