Michael Love stories, Page 115
Senior Spotlight: Tennis success has led to teaching opportunities for City League singles champ
Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight WPIAL spring athletes whose senior years were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. Sachin Thiagarahan represented both Obama Academy and the City League three times at the PIAA Class AAA boys tennis championships. He got his first taste of competition at Hershey...
Veshio tabbed to lead perennially powerful Quaker Valley boys soccer program
As a member of the boys soccer team at Quaker Valley from 1999-2002, J.J. Veshio was a part of successful squads that won PIAA and WPIAL championships and added a state runner-up finish under the direction of revered coach Gene Klein. Veshio returned to the Quakers as an assistant coach...
Lernerville opening night again postponed
Lernerville racing officials hoped to start the 2020 season Friday, but despite Butler County preparing to move into the yellow phase of economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, they announced Wednesday that opening night at the speedway has again been postponed. The Tomson family, owners and managers of the speedway,...
Twi-Night Trap League officials cancel 2020 season
At a meeting involving its delegates Monday evening, the Twi-Night Trap League decided to cancel the 2020 competition season. The league said concerns over the health of all of its members during this time of the coronavirus pandemic was the main reason for the shutdown. Rowland Jones, secretary and treasurer...
Senior Spotlight: Beaver County Christian volleyball standout hoped to repay leadership debt
Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight WPIAL spring athletes whose senior years were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. As a freshman, Zac Barbato started on the right side for the Beaver County Christian boys volleyball team that won the WPIAL Class AA title and advanced to the...
Plum’s Montue excited about joining Oakland University women’s basketball program
Kennedie Montue established a quick connection with Oakland University during her college recruiting journey. The Plum junior basketball standout and 2019-20 Valley News Dispatch Player of the Year concluded that journey Monday morning with a verbal commitment to the suburban Detroit school. In a tweet, she thanked God, family, friends,...
Waynesburg University to host virtual version of annual distance running forum
The Waynesburg University track and field and cross country programs again will host its distance running forum this summer. However, because of social distance restrictions and regulations, the event will take place online as opposed to its traditional in-person format. The series of video presentations from distance experts of different...
Senior Spotlight: Allderdice tennis standout turns attention toward career at Lehigh
Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight WPIAL spring athletes whose senior years were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. David Missry dedicated time in the boys tennis offseason building strength for this spring as he hoped to make runs at singles titles at the WPIAL and PIAA levels....
Knoch grad Geist focused on future shot put events, including Olympic Trials
In the most recent world rankings for the men’s shot put, Jordan Geist checked in at No. 19, fifth among his American colleagues. Those rankings came out the last day of March, and in the weeks prior, Geist, who owns a personal record of 21.59 meters (70 feet, 10 inches),...
Fox Chapel grad Lacey Cohen’s tennis future up in air at Slippery Rock
Lacey Cohen begins an occupational therapy doctoral program June 1 at Slippery Rock. The Fox Chapel graduate and senior on The Rock tennis team said she will get a good look at her workload at that time to determine if she will be able to use the extra year of...
Franklin Regional seniors Huczko, Hudson in contention for excellence awards
Editor’s note: This is the fourth in an 18-part series profiling nominees for the Westmoreland County Scholar-Athlete Excellence Awards. Jo-Michelle Huczko joined the Franklin Regional track and field team shortly before the 2019 spring season. She certainly made the most of her one year. Huczko captured last year’s WPIAL Class...
Penn Hills graduate Shy Faulkner earns NJCAA All-American honors
Shy Faulkner finished his 2019-20 basketball season as one of the top scorers in National Junior College Athletic Association Division III, and the Penn Hills graduate was honored Wednesday for his on-court exploits. The Community College of Allegheny County sophomore guard was named third-team All-American after he finished the season...
Senior Spotlight: Hempfield outside hitter turns focus to Penn State career
Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight WPIAL spring athletes whose senior years were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. Will Kuhns had big plans this spring for himself and the entire Hempfield boys volleyball team. “With a team that has been together since seventh grade, and all the...
Shady Side Academy earns national athletic trainers award
The National Athletic Trainers Association has recognized Shady Side Academy with its Safe Sports School 2nd Team Award for its athletic training program under the direction of head trainer Chris Rose and assistant Brynn Mahoney. The award honors secondary schools that have met the recommended standards to improve safety in...
FIBI organizers optimistic tournament will take place
Chuck Sarver’s voice rang out with optimism and hope. The president of the Freeport International Baseball Invitational said Monday that plans are going forward to host games this year, provided national or state regulations in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic give them the green light. “The bottom line and...
Burrell’s Feroce, Malits reflect on stellar careers
Editor’s note: This is the second in an 18-part series profiling nominees for the Westmoreland County Scholar-Athlete Excellence Awards. As a three-sport athlete, with a challenging class schedule and several other school activities, Ricky Feroce didn’t have much down time throughout the academic year. The Burrell senior, a standout in...
Senior Spotlight: Bedi hoped to lead Sewickley Academy tennis on one final title run
Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight WPIAL spring athletes whose senior years were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. After dominating WPIAL Class AA for years, the Sewickley Academy boys tennis team tested its mettle in Class AAA in 2019. Leading last year’s charge was Arjan Bedi, who...
Taliani, Tanilli helped turn Deer Lakes, Gannon softball into champions
Rachel Tanilli and Maria Taliani’s first experience as softball teammates came more than a decade ago in the Deer Lakes youth program. Combining their talents led to many memories made on and off the field and brought them to one final season together on the Gannon softball team. While this...
Senior Spotlight: Bethel Park’s Boff sought to expand on-court versatility
Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight WPIAL spring athletes whose senior years were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. Tony Boff had an expanded role in mind for his final season with the Bethel Park boys volleyball team. Before the PIAA shut down the spring sports season in...
Knoch senior upbeat despite disappointing ending to long rehab road
James Johnston was ready. The Knoch senior, a cornerstone of the Knights boys lacrosse team, did all he could to be 100% prepared for spring practices and games with several months of recovery from a severe lower left leg and ankle injury suffered during the football season. He was pleased...
AAABA cancels annual August tournament in Johnstown
The All-American Amateur Baseball Association will not hold its annual August tournament in Johnstown and at other locations in the region because of the ongoing uncertainty with the coronavirus pandemic. “As everybody is aware, the AAABA Tournament is a Johnstown and national tradition. So after 47 years with AAABA, it...
Lombardi voted to IUP men’s basketball all-decade team
Dante Lombardi, an Indiana native and 2015 Kiski School graduate, has earned inclusion on Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s men’s basketball 2010s All-Decade Team, the university announced Thursday. He is a member of the five-player second team. The 2019 Crimson Hawks graduate earned National Association of Basketball Coaches All-Atlantic District honors...
Little League World Series canceled for 1st time amid coronavirus impactVideo
For the first time since its inception in 1947, there will not be a Little League World Series in South Williamsport. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Little League International decided Thursday to cancel the annual regional and world-championship events, as well as its six other World Series tournaments. “After a...
Appleby leads WPIAL products on IUP women’s basketball all-decade team
During her four years with the Indiana University of Pennsylvania women’s basketball team through last season, Carolyn Appleby proved her worth as she helped the Crimson Hawks maximize their abilities in and out of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference play. The Greensburg Central Catholic graduate, second in program history with 1,723...
Pine-Richland grad picked for national rowing camp, still has goals to reach at Alabama
Gabrielle Krieger wrapped up her senior academic year at the University of Alabama on Tuesday morning with her online final in advanced exercise physiology. For the 2016 Pine-Richland graduate, a veteran member of the Crimson Tide women’s rowing team, it was a positive development in what has been a challenging...
