Other Local category, Page 24
Ohio toxic train derailment upends school baseball, track
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — On the surface, everything looks normal. There’s the East Palestine High School baseball team learning the finer points of baserunning at one edge of Reid Memorial Stadium. At the other, a handful of sprinters dart through the mild March air, the blue parachutes attached to their...
Allegheny Valley YMCA sets records at district championships
The Allegheny Valley YMCA wasn’t just well-represented at the district championship. The team made waves in the meet with record-breaking performances. Brody Petrak, 12, headlined the Allegheny Valley YMCA as he captured the 200-yard breaststroke title in the 11- and 12-year old division March 10-12 at the Pennsylvania YMCA West...
Valley grad Tyler Santucci settling in as new defensive coordinator at DukeVideo
Tyler Santucci was going to play in the NFL. He was sure of it. His standout career at Valley segued into AP All-American status as a linebacker at Stony Brook, and that, naturally, would lead to a regular gig on Sunday afternoons in the fall. But somewhere along the way,...
Iowa’s Spencer Lee sees quest for 4th NCAA wrestling title end in semifinal shocker
Spencer Lee’s bid for a fourth NCAA championship ended in one of the biggest upsets in college wrestling history Friday night. The Iowa senior and Franklin Regional grad was pinned by Purdue redshirt sophomore Matt Ramos, the fourth seed, with 1 second left in the 125-pound semifinals. The loss ended...
Pitt associate athletic director Chris LaSala to speak at Westmoreland Sports Club
The next featured speaker for the Westmoreland Sports Club will be Chris LaSala, the associate athletic director for football administration at Pitt. LaSala, who will tackle the ever-changing college landscape that now allows athletes to make money and transfer freely with the use of a portal, will talk March 21...
West Mifflin native Logan Cooley named finalist for Hobey Baker Memorial Award
University of Minnesota forward Logan Cooley, a native of West Mifflin, has been named as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, an honor that recognizes the top men’s player in college hockey. A total of 10 finalists were announced by the award’s committee on Wednesday. All 61 NCAA...
Lower Burrell’s Austin Aikins casting off to professional fishing career
Fresh off competing in the collegiate national championships, Lower Burrell’s Austin Aikins is taking the next step in his fishing career. “I’m going to try to pursue it on a professional level right now,” said Aikins, who represented Bethel University in the Major League Fishing (MLF) College National Championships, Feb....
Norwin grad hits ground running with Chatham women’s basketball team
Aside from simply knowing where she was going to college, Alyssa Laukus was surrounded by unknowns when she arrived at Chatham. How would she adapt to her class schedule and student life? She was even more inquisitive as far as basketball went. “I didn’t quite know what to expect coming...
Greensburg’s Mark Goetz finishes second at PGA Tour Canada Q-school event
He used to have long hair that curled out from beneath his hat and covered the back of his neck. But Mark Goetz has been wearing his hair shorter since he turned professional. While his barber will await his return for another trim, Goetz’s livelihood will soon be about cuts...
A-K Valley campus clippings: Freeport grad swinging hot bat at Mercyhurst
Ally DeJidas is enjoying a strong start to her softball season with Mercyhurst. The Freeport graduate and Lakers senior pitcher/outfielder led the team in batting with a .528 (19 of 36) average through her team’s first 10 games. She collected four doubles, two home runs and eight RBIs as Mercyhurst...
Norwin grad Hailee Culbertson hoping to build on breakout year with Alderson Broaddus softballVideo
To say Hailee Culbertson’s first two seasons of college softball were difficult would be an understatement. During her freshman year at Alderson Broaddus, the pandemic trimmed the Battlers’ schedule to a mere 10 games. In 2021, the effects of the pandemic were less prevalent, but, the Norwin grad said, issues...
Pine-Richland grad Dan Petcash shares secret to his success at Binghamton
Baking soda, salt, magnesium and water. Those are the ingredients for what Dan Petcash calls his “secret stuff.” The name is a nod to the movie Space Jam and it’s also a formula Petcash, a Pine-Richland grad, credits for his breakout year at Binghamton. “It sounds kind of funny, but...
Golden Gloves tournament kicks off Saturday with bouts at Monroeville Mall
The road to the Golden Gloves state and national finals begins Saturday with a loaded card at Gloria’s Gym in the Monroeville Mall. Both eliminations and championships will be a part of the 14-bout card and will feature Golden Gloves veterans and others new to the amateur tournament. Eleven of...
Westmoreland Sports Club welcomes Pittsburgh Warriors hockey team to next meeting
The Westmoreland Sports Club will meet again 7 p.m. Thursday for its latest social event. This time, Sam Johnson and Dave Jackel of the Pittsburgh Warriors hockey team will speak to members and guests at Ferrante’s Lakeview in Greensburg. The Warriors are a team of disabled veterans. Johnson is a...
Change in weight class has been boost for Kiski Area grad Darren Miller at Bucknell
Two years ago, as a sophomore at Bucknell, wrestler Darren Miller qualified for the NCAA Tournament at 133 pounds. Though he lost his first two matches to exit early, Miller relished his milestone moment and learned some important lessons. “What I learned most is that it’s a tough tournament,” the...
Norwin grad McDowell joins Phillies Double-A affiliate
Norwin graduate Max McDowell will be with a new team this baseball season. The journeyman catcher, who will begin his eighth season in the minor leagues, will play for the Reading Fightin Phils, the Double-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. After spending most of last season with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRaiders,...
Professional rugby franchises to begin play in Pittsburgh in 2023
Premier Rugby Sevens, a top-tier women’s and men’s rugby organization in North America, has announced that the Pittsburgh Steeltoes Rugby Club will begin operation in 2023. The expansion franchise will host the PR7s 2023 Eastern Conference Finals at Highmark Stadium on July 23. The Steeltoes also will host an open...
2 Penn State athletes, 1 from Pitt land NIL deal with WWE
Two Penn State University athletes have landed Name-Image-Likeness deals with WWE through its “Next In Line” program. WWE said this is its third class of 15 college athletes to join the program. This class includes Penn State athletes, two-time NCAA All-American wrestler Greg Kerkvliet and Nick Dawkins, a lineman for...
Pittsburgh Passion releases 2023 schedule
The Pittsburgh Passion women’s semi-pro football team on Monday released its 2023 season schedule. The Passion will play six games — three at home and three on the road — in the Women’s Football Alliance Pro National Division. They will open their season April 22 at longtime rival D.C. Divas....
Westmoreland County’s top 10 sports stories of 2022
There were thrilling wins. There were gut-wrenching losses. Records were set and broken. The 2022 local sports year had breakthrough moments and dominating performances, first-time champions, veteran leaders and next-level talent. Teams and individuals left their mark in a tapestry of memories. Here are the top 10 local sports stories...
Springdale grad Rachel Halapchuk provides versatility, leadership for John Carroll swimming
Coaches often talk about leadership qualities in certain athletes. That might entail demonstrating a strong work ethic in practice. It might mean sacrificing individual glory for the good of the team. Or it could mean offering words of wisdom. John Carroll senior swimmer Rachel Halapchuk checks all of those boxes....
Oakmont’s Sean Knapp wins PAGA senior golfer of year
The Pennsylvania Golf Association Senior Player of the Year needs no introduction. Oakmont’s Sean Knapp has been winning local, state and national championships for decades, so his sixth straight award should come as no surprise. The Hannastown Golf Club member always finds a way to contend, and if he doesn’t...
Fox Chapel grad Pilarski catches on with Dodgers
Not only did Fox Chapel graduate Jake Pilarski agree to sign with an MLB team, he will join one of the sport’s premier franchises. Pilarski will sign a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and will report to the team’s minor-league training facility in February. Pilarski played for the Washington...
After successful run in Japan, Plum native Scott McGough making return to MLB
Scott McGough is coming home. The 33-year-old Plum native who got his start in professional baseball in 2015 after being drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers will return to Major League Baseball for the 2023 season. McGough, a reliever who helped the Yakult Swallows of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League...
Fox Chapel grad catches on with Dodgers
Not only has Fox Chapel graduate Jake Pilarski agreed to sign on with a Major League Baseball team, but he’ll also be joining one of the sport’s premier franchises. Pilarski will be inking a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and will report to the team’s minor league training facility...
