District College category, Page 20
Deer Lakes grad Reese Hasley improves on the basketball court, with a little help from lacrosse
Deer Lakes grad Reese Hasley went to Grove City to play basketball, but a funny thing happened on the way to Grove City College Arena: She was recruited to the women’s lacrosse team. On one hand, Hasley’s athletic ability would make her a nice fit for any number of sports....
Former Jeannette standout Johnson commits to Illinois
High-energy defensive lineman Anthony Johnson, who played briefly at Jeannette where he spearheaded a championship defense, committed to Illinois. He is a transfer from Youngstown State. Johnson (6-3, 300) entered the transfer portal after a strong junior season at YSU where he had 25 tackles, 6.5 for loss, and five...
Iuzzolinos collide in unique father-son college basketball matchup
Mike Iuzzolino remembers using the floor of coach D.P. Harris’ office as a pretend highway. “When I was 8, I used to play with my toy trucks under his desk,” the Saint Vincent junior guard said. “I grew up here.” Iuzzolino spent four years as a curious tag-a-long with a...
Greece-born Dimitrios Sklavenitis adapts quickly to college basketball with Seton Hill men
The Seton Hill men’s basketball team made a quantum leap in coach Ben Wilkins’ first season. After winning only three games during the 2021-22 season, the Griffins went 16-13 (11-11 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) in 2022-23. If Wilkins wanted to keep his team on that trajectory, he knew one of...
Knoch grad Ryan Lang improves all-around game as Allegheny men’s basketball adjusts to new coach
For most athletes, the first year of college is a big adjustment period. The schedule demands, the faster pace of play, juggling academics, etc. Knoch grad Ryan Lang seemed to handle both with aplomb last year. As a freshman on the Allegheny men’s basketball team, Lang averaged 14.8 points while...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Former Jeannette standout Anthony Johnson draws offers in portal
Remember Anthony Johnson? He was only at Jeannette for a short time after transferring from Allderdice and left for Cleveland Heights (Ohio) before his senior season. Johnson, enticed by friends to play football when he came to Jeannette after not playing since middle school, ended up playing at Youngstown State....
Norwin’s Gianni Rizzo enjoys breakout season with Duquesne
Gianni Rizzo has been playing college football since 2019 and still has a year to go. But the Duquesne junior linebacker out of Norwin will be hard pressed to top this season. Saving his best for late in the year when the Dukes made a push into the NCAA FCS...
Gateway grad Will Kromka steps into starting lineup for Pitt-Johnstown
Will Kromka was somewhat behind the 8-ball when he began his collegiate basketball career in the fall of 2022. The Pitt-Johnstown sophomore guard and Gateway graduate suffered an ankle injury in the spring that required significant surgery. That put him on the shelf for several months and slowed his growth....
Entertaining Saint Vincent men’s basketball team off to scorching start
A quick glance at the Presidents’ Athletic Conference men’s basketball statistics shows Saint Vincent is tops in assists per game (16.1) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.52). That makes sense for a team that shares the ball, plays at a breakneck pace and throws alley-oops in transition. Social media videos tell the...
College coordinators Marion, Gasparato earn postseason honors
A pair of coaches with local ties are taking home awards after impressive seasons with their respective teams. Brennan Marion, a Greensburg Salem alum and the offensive coordinator at UNLV, and Troy defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato, who has family in Jeannette, were selected as Light on College Sports assistant coaches...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Pitt-Greensburg announces Hall of Fame class
Pitt-Greensburg announced its 2024 Athletics Hall of Fame class. It includes a team, an administrator and a pair of athletes. The inductees are the 2002-03 women’s basketball team, Dr. Frank Cassell, men’s soccer star Adam DiCarlo (Class of 2006) and cross country runner Zach Kocian (‘08). • The women’s team...
Young Pitt-Greensburg men’s basketball team already seeing signs of growthVideo
At 4:45 a.m., most people are still fast asleep and likely will be for another couple of hours before the alarm beckons them to start their day. Not Matthew Marinchak. In the wee hours of many mornings during the basketball offseason, the Ligonier Valley grad was up and ready to...
Latrobe grad Trent Holler enters NCAA transfer portal after 2 years at Marshall
Redshirt junior lineman Trent Holler, a Latrobe native, is entering the NCAA transfer portal. The 6-foot-2, 306-pound center played the last two seasons at Marshall and will be a graduate transfer. Boston College offered him a spot soon after his announcement Saturday. He played in 11 games this season and...
Slippery Rock can’t get past Kutztown in NCAA Division II regional finals
The final statistics don’t tell the story. No. 15 Slippery Rock ran roughshod over Kutztown, outgaining the Golden Bears, 502-203. Kutztown finished with just 11 first downs, two in the second half, when it held the ball for only about 8 minutes. And it ran zero plays from scrimmage inside...
West Virginia falls short vs. St. John’s in Big East-Big 12 Battle
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Joel Soriano scored a career-high 24 points to lead St. John’s to a 79-73 victory over West Virginia on Friday night in the Big East-Big 12 Battle. Chris Ledlum added a season-high 17 points and Nahiem Alleyne had 12 of his 14 points in the second half...
Slippery Rock eyes revenge against Kutztown in Division II quarterfinals
Kam Kruzelyak represents the WPIAL football brand. An uncompromising kid from Coraopolis, Kruzelyak was on the radar of Division I schools while at West Allegheny. Turns out, he chose to play in Division II, much like many other former WPIAL players, past and present. This season, he became a star...
Norwin grad Jack Salopek leaving Western Michigan
Feeling undervalued and underused, Jack Salopek decided the time was right to leave Western Michigan. A growing disconnect led the redshirt sophomore quarterback to go the transfer portal route. Salopek, a Norwin graduate, announced Tuesday he will seek to play for another program. This season was a see-saw for the...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Saint Vincent men’s basketball off to red-hot start
It has been two decades since the Saint Vincent men’s basketball team started 5-0. With a fast-paced style and skilled lineup, SVC is becoming a must-see attraction in Latrobe. The Bearcats were averaging 90 points and winning by a margin of 21 with their 5-0 mark heading into the Thanksgiving...
Young Pitt-Greensburg women’s basketball team hopes to grow as season progressesVideo
At 22 years old, Melina Maietta is hardly a candidate for an AARP membership. But on a youthful Pitt-Greensburg women’s basketball roster, the Greensburg Central Catholic grad has become the de facto team mom. Aside from her “advanced” age, Maietta, a junior guard, has a wealth of experience. Of a...
Knoch grad Nina Shaw assumes starting role at point guard for Cal (Pa.) women as freshman
Even before she enrolled at Cal (Pa.), Knoch alumnae Nina Shaw had plenty of familiarity with the school. She often played in a summer league there, even staying in the dorms. And Vulcans women’s basketball coach Jess Strom started recruiting Shaw when the point guard was a freshman in high...
District college football roundup: Slippery Rock knocks off Tiffin to set up rematch with Kutztown
Chris D’Or rushed for 89 yards and two scores, including an 8-yard TD run late in the second quarter that gave Slippery Rock the lead for good in a 45-35 victory over Tiffin in the NCAA Division II playoffs Saturday. The Rock (12-1) advances to the regional final next weekend,...
Cast in bronze: Community College of Allegheny County’s Bill Shay honored by former players, basketball community
Hero. Mentor. Teacher. “If you can go through life and have someone say those three words about you, then you are a miracle, and you, are a miracle,” said Tim Grgurich, of Bill Shay, who dedicated his career to the basketball program at Community College of Allegheny County on Pittsburgh’s...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Norwin grad Kurtis Phipps wins at Navy Classic
Bucknell senior wrestler Kurtis Phipps (Norwin) went 4-0 and won an individual title at the Navy Classic. Phipps defeated No. 31 Jake Va Dee of Nebraska in the 133-pound finals. He also had a technical fall and a major decision on the way to the championship. Army: Sophomore 125-pounder Ethan...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Greensburg Salem grad up for national college football award
Greensburg Salem alum Brennan Marion, the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UNLV, is one of 57 finalists for the Broyles Award, which recognizes the top assistant coach in college football. A journeyman who has found success at most of his coaching stops, including Pitt and Texas, Marion joined the...
Former Franklin Regional teammates Justin LeDonne, Blake Cooper made formidable duo for Penn State Behrend men’s soccer
Justin LeDonne and Blake Cooper played soccer at the same high school (Franklin Regional). They have continued to play together at the same college (Penn State Behrend). But as far as what they do on the field, their paths diverge. LeDonne, a fifth-year senior, anchors the Lions defense. In fact,...
