Karen Kadilak stories

Penn-Trafford graduate Paige Kalik recently earned an impressive honor as a member of the Akron swimming and diving team. Kalik, a freshman diver, was named a first-team Division I Scholar All-American by the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America. The award recognizes students who recorded a GPA of...

Greensburg Central Catholic graduate Mikayla Bisignani continues to shine in and out of the pool for the Johns Hopkins women’s swimming team. Bisignani, 20, a junior out of Latrobe, was named recently to the Academic All-America Division III Women’s At-Large first team by the College Sports Information Directors of America...

After being named a Division I All-American for the third consecutive year, Highlands graduate Bailey Bonnett is looking forward to her final season on the Kentucky women’s swimming team. “My goals are to be the best captain I can be,” said Bonnett, 21, a rising senior. “I want to help...

For the second consecutive season, North Allegheny graduate Max Gonzalez earned a top honor as a member of the Carnegie Mellon men’s swimming and diving team. Gonzalez, a junior, was recently named a first-team College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America Division III Scholar All-American. The award recognizes students...

Franklin Park junior tennis standout Ava Catanzarite has committed to compete for one of the top college women’s teams in the country. Catanzarite, 17, plans to join UCLA for the 2021-22 season. A rising senior at PA Cyber who trains full-time in Florida, Catanzarite is listed 171st in the International...

Thanks to the pandemic, Bradford Woods product Michael Grady improved his chances of making next year’s U.S. Olympic rowing team. USRowing men’s coach Mike Teti said Grady, 23, will have more time to work on his mechanics after the Tokyo Games were postponed. “He was a candidate anyway,” Teti said....

Wanting to be part of something bigger, Belle Vernon rising senior Ian Shahan committed to join the Army men’s swimming team for the 2021-22 season. “I’ve always been interested in the service academies,” said Shahan, who turned 18 in June. “I had a great visit at West Point and really...

Upper St. Clair graduate Abby Matheny earned her first honor as a member of the Williams women’s swimming team, and it was a big one. Matheny, 20, a sophomore, was named a Division III All-American in the 500-yard freestyle by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America. Matheny...

North Allegheny alum Jack Wright earned an impressive honor as a freshman on the Virginia men’s swimming team. Wright, 19, was selected as a Division I All-American in the 800-yard freestyle relay by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America. The relay achieved a NCAA A cut of...

After turning down an offer to play soccer, Quaker Valley graduate Sophie Besterman will join her sister Amelia on the Bloomsburg women’s swimming team. Besterman, 18, committed to compete for the Division II school next season. Besterman was part of the 200-yard freestyle relay team that placed third in this...

After producing one of this year’s fastest swimming times in the world, Oakland Catholic graduate Leah Smith looked forward to making her second Olympic Games. But her momentum came to a halt after the rest of the season was called off because of the coronavirus. “It was definitely difficult to...

Latrobe graduate Taylor Miller did not get to qualify for this season’s NCAA Division I women’s diving championship meet but earned a top honor by coming close. Miller, an Ohio University sophomore, was selected as an All-American on the 3-meter board by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of...

It has been four years since Summer Thorpe left Sewickley Academy, but she feels like she is coming out of high school again after signing with the Texas A&M women’s track and field team as a graduate transfer. Thorpe, 21, of Ohio Township, said the recruiting process was the same....

Playing a new position, North Allegheny graduate Alex Mesaros looked forward to a fruitful junior season on the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy baseball team. He was disappointed when it was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. “At first, I didn’t know how to feel, it was so unprecedented,” said Mesaros,...

After completing his studies at West Point, Pine-Richland graduate Connor Slomka has put his military obligation on hold to play in the NFL. Slomka, 22, signed as an undrafted free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars in April. Slomka, a 6-foot, 240-pound fullback, finished second for Army last season with 658...

His diving career did not end as he hoped, but North Allegheny graduate Stephen Savchik earned an impressive honor as a senior on the Rochester men’s swimming and diving team. Savchik, 21, of Franklin Park, was the recipient of the university’s Louis Alexander Alumni Award for 2020. The award is...

Penn-Trafford alum and University of Chicago freshman diver Logan Sherwin looked on the bright side after this month’s NCAA Division III championship meet was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. “I’m just thankful I am not a senior,” he said. “I still have three more years to try and compete.”...

North Allegheny graduates Taylor Lake and Brynn Serbin earned top honors in women’s college basketball conferences. Lake, a Chicago senior, was named University Athletic Association Player of the Year and first-team all-UAA. Lake, a 5-foot-10 forward, finished the season averaging 14.1 points and 5.8 rebounds a game. She led the...

Derry alum and Saint Vincent junior swimmer Zach Baum worked hard all season to make the NCAA Division III championship, only to see it canceled because of the coronavirus scare. “It was pretty disappointing for both of us,” Bearcat coach Josh Gurekovich said. “I was only able to talk with...

Members of the Sewickley Valley YMCA swimming team like to go for treats at the Penn State Berkey Creamery after competing in the Pennsylvania YMCA championship. When this year’s meet was called off because of concerns over the possible spread of the coronavirus, Sea Dragon coach Paula Kwalick planned a...

North Allegheny grad Ann Juneau and Oakland Catholic alum Courtney Coghill were instrumental in George Washington women’s swimming and diving earning its first Atlantic 10 title. Juneau, a sophomore, posted personal-best times in the 200-yard breaststroke (2 minutes, 21.64 seconds), 200 individual medley (2:04.76) and 400 individual medley (4:31.36) in...

North Allegheny junior diver Maya Ennis shared the spotlight with freshmen Christina Shi and Zoe Ky for much of the season, but it was her turn to shine at the PIAA Class AAA championship meet March 14 at Bucknell. Ennis earned a bronze medal on the girls 1-meter board with...

After setting two district records, Greensburg YMCA swimmer Patton Graziano looked forward to competing in the Pennsylvania YMCA State Swimming Championship at Penn State. But the meet was canceled because of concerns over the possible spread of the coronavirus. “I am very disappointed I don’t have a chance to swim,”...

Steel City Squash, a Pittsburgh nonprofit that provides a free, after-school academic and squash program to low-income students, is holding a racquet tournament to raise money. The Steel City Cup will be May 16 at the Pittsburgh Golf Club in Squirrel Hill. High school program coordinator Josh Wetmore said it...

Penn Hills graduate Kimani Gregory happily took on a new event as a freshman on the nationally ranked North Carolina State men’s swimming team. Gregory competed in the 100-yard breaststroke, as well as the 50 and 100 freestyles, in the ACC championship meet Feb. 26-29 in Greensboro, N.C. He ranks...