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Weekend College Top 10: Grove City, La Roche men, women punch NCAA tickets | TribLIVE.com
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Weekend College Top 10: Grove City, La Roche men, women punch NCAA tickets

Jeff Vella
Jeff Vella
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Photo by Brett Heckathorn | Grove City College
Grove City senior guard Nate Peters puts up a shot over Geneva’s Lyle Tipton in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship game Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. Peters scored 28 points and was named the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award.
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Julie Watkins | Saint Vincent College
Grove City’s Lindsey Stanforth drives past W&J’s Aleena McDaniel during the Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship game Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, at Saint Vincent.

Every Monday, the Tribune-Review will highlight 10 top area college performances from the weekend:

1. Grove City men punch NCAA ticket

Tournament MVP Nate Peters scored a season-best 28 points on 12-for-18 shooting as top-seeded Grove City downed fifth-seeded Geneva, 86-70, in the PAC title game Saturday.

James Wells contributed 18 points for the Wolverines (20-8), who won their first conference title since 2010. They earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Ethan Moose (Neshannock) had 20 points and six rebounds for Geneva (14-14), which was playing in its first PAC championship game.

2. Grove City women claim 1st PAC title since 1987

Tournament MVP Jordan McConnell recorded 12 points as the second-seeded Wolverines edged fourth-seeded Washington & Jefferson, 54-52, in the conference championship Saturday.

Grove City (25-2) earned the second PAC title in school history and an automatic bid to the NCAA D-III Tournament.

Kate Balcom and Jess Bowen (North Hills) scored 10 points apiece for the Wolverines.

Alie Seto finished with 25 points and 15 rebounds for the Presidents (18-10).

3. La Roche women return to top of AMCC

Jenna Cole (Norwin) had 23 points and nine rebounds as the Redhawks dispatched Hilbert, 88-69, in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference championship Saturday.

La Roche (20-6), which won five straight titles from 2013-17, earned an automatic bid to the NCAA D-III Tournament.

Ayanna Mazyck contributed 18 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks, and Danajah Sanders scored 14 points for the Redhawks. La Roche shot 50.8% (30 of 59) from the field.

4. Clutch free throws propel La Roche men to title

Darius Lawrence converted two free throws with 35 seconds left, and the Redhawks edged Penn State Behrend, 62-61, in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference championship Saturday.

It was the second conference title in three years for the Redhawks (21-6), who have met Penn State Behrend in the past three league championships.

Lawrence finished with 15 points, and Kennedy Smith (Steel Valley) added 14 points and six rebounds.

La Roche earned an automatic bid to the NCAA D-III Tournament.

5. Pitt baseball off to 10-1 start

Nico Popa and Kyle Hess had three RBIs apiece as the Panthers routed Central Connecticut State, 14-2, on Sunday in Sanford, Fla.

Matt Gilbertson (2-0) struck out seven in five scoreless innings.

Pitt tied its second-best start through 11 games in program history. The 2002 team opened 10-0-1.

6. Pitt-Johnstown wrestling repeats as regional champion

Four Mountain Cats wrestlers earned titles, and four others qualified for the NCAA D-II championship Saturday at Mercyhurst.

Pitt-Johnstown’s 147.5 points topped the 11-team field, with Gannon (130.5) placing second.

Jefferson-Morgan graduate Brendan Howard (125 pounds), Hopewell graduate Jacob Ealy (141), Greensburg Salem graduate Chris Eddins (149) and Brock Biddle (174) won their weight classes for the Mountain Cats.

Tyler Warner (second, 133), Connor Craig (second, 184), Devin Austin (third, 165) and Allan Beattie (third, 285) also qualified for nationals, which are March 13-14 in Sioux Falls, S.D.

For Seton Hill, Moon graduate Frank Bonura (third, 125) and Carmichaels graduate Billy Bowlen (third, 197) advanced to NCAAs.

7. W&J wrestling duo, Waynesburg freshman advance to nationals

Presidents seniors Michael Heinl (Shaler Area) and Hunter Neely qualified for the NCAA D-III championships for the second straight season, each finishing in the top two in their weight classes at the NCAA Southeast Regional at Messiah.

Heinl placed second at 149, going 3-1 at the event and upping his career win total to 123, which is one away from Sonnieboy Blanco’s school record.

Neely won the title at 174, helping Washington & Jefferson place fourth among 20 teams.

Waynesburg’s Rocky McGeary (West Allegheny) won the 285-pound title.

8. Slippery Rock wins PSAC indoor track crown

Cecily Gregg’s first-place finish in the high jump Sunday helped The Rock to their sixth team title in program history, with the last coming in 2016.

Slippery Rock’s 3,200 relay team of Lexie Firment, Bri Witherel, Jill Norris, Kacey Raible also placed first.

Cal (Pa.)’s Divonne Franklin was named Outstanding Track Athlete after setting meet records in the 60-meter dash (7.55 seconds) and 200-meter dash (24.66). She also helped the 1,600 relay team to victory.

9. Holmberg wins pentathlon at Big Ten championships

Penn State senior Maddie Holmberg (Hempfield) earned the first Big Ten title of her career Friday, placing first in the pentathlon with a personal-best 4,274 points.

Holmberg also took fourth in the long jump.

Teammate Danae Rivers became the first woman to win four straight 800-meter titles at the Big Ten indoor championships.

Penn State finished third as a team.

10. Penn State baseball opens season 9-2

The Nittany Lions defeated Princeton, 4-3, on Sunday to complete a four-game sweep and equal their best start since 1980.

Penn State scored three runs in the fourth inning to erase a 1-0 deficit, with Mac Hippenhammer and Ryan Ford recording RBI singles.

Curtis Robison and Jacob Padilla had two hits apiece for the Nittany Lions.

Jeff Vella is a Tribune-Review copy editor. You can contact Jeff at jvella@triblive.com.

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