Ray Fisher stories, Page 19

Bethel Park junior Jenna Lang has had her thought process firmly entrenched on her running abilities. Lang is a three-year letter winner in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track, and was named a captain on the girls outdoor track team in 2022 and ‘23. “For her career, Jenna is...

There is a new award on the high school tennis scene. It was created last fall and is called the Western Pennsylvania Boys Tennis Sportsmanship Award. Opposing players, opposing coaches or WPIAL officials offer nominations. The award recognizes high school students who “are consistently friendly and fair and display the...

Quaker Valley’s girls lacrosse team is playoff bound. The fast and athletic Quakers secured a WPIAL Class 2A playoff berth by winning nine of their first 11 games this season. After starting 1-1, QV racked up seven straight victories and hit double digits seven times. The impressive and nearly season-long...

There is a new award on the high school tennis scene. It was created last fall and is called the Western Pennsylvania Boys Tennis Sportsmanship Award. Players, coaches and WPIAL officials can offer nominations. The award recognizes students who “are consistently friendly and fair and display the characteristics of outstanding...

The Quaker Valley track and field program hit the daily double against section opponents this season. Both QV teams captured first place in Section 3-2A, beating out Aquinas Academy, Carlynton, Cornell, Eden Christian, Sewickley Academy, Shady Side Academy, Sto-Rox and Riverview. The QV girls are the defending WPIAL Class 2A...

Libby Eannarino has made quite the impact in her first year at Sewickley Academy. Eannarino, a three-sport athlete, netted her 100th career goal in girls lacrosse April 13 against Peters Township. “I’m so proud to be scoring my 100th goal while wearing a Sewickley jersey and representing the academy,” Eannarino...

Hampton’s girls track and field team qualified for the WPIAL playoffs out of Section 4-3A. “I think the track athletes this year have been working really hard to continuously improve upon their times, distances and marks,” coach Heather Dietz said. “This group has a mix of veteran track athletes and...

Hampton hoped to wrap up a WPIAL playoff berth in the final days of high school baseball regular season. The Talbots were stymied by inclement weather May 1-2, postponing a two-game series with Knoch to maintain a two-game edge over the Knights in Section 4-4A. “We just need to win...

Nora Johns’ high school resume is exemplary. Many have acknowledged that fact, and the WPIAL agrees. A senior three-sport star at Quaker Valley, Johns recently was named as a recipient of the WPIAL’s James Collins Scholar-Athlete Award and the $1,000 scholarship that goes with it. The selection committee chose 10...

Opening-week action in the PIHL’s second season sponsoring a girls division took place April 18-20. The defending champion East team split decisions, starting off with a 4-1 loss to Northeast and rebounding with a 3-2 win against West two days later. Moon’s Lillian Relyea, a sophomore forward, peppered in the...

Hampton has proven to be one of the elite boys lacrosse teams in Section 2-2A of the WPIAL. The Talbots opened the week of April 24 riding a six-game winning streak and with 6-1 section record, and were looking to establish a high seed for the upcoming playoffs. “We’re just...

Thomas Jefferson’s baseball team rebounded nicely from a slow start to the 2023 season. TJ went into its Easter break riding a five-game winning streak and with a 5-2 record. “I think we are doing well, but there’s a lot of season left to play,” coach Tim Vickers said earlier...

Nick Caponi has worn an assortment of hats in his coaching career. He actually started out as a high school baseball coach. “My first coaching job was as an assistant baseball coach at Brentwood,” he said. “I then became the assistant varsity coach at Baldwin; my uncle Dan was head...

He may be a bit small in stature, but he was a big-time player for the Thomas Jefferson football team. Senior WR/DB Ryan Lawry had 32 receptions for 371 yards and three touchdowns in 2022 to rank as the second-leading receiver on the team. Defensively, he was credited with 21...

A budding WPIAL tennis rivalry took place April 12 at the Class 2A singles tournament held at Bethel Park. Winchester Thurston’s Austin He, the top-seeded 2A singles player as a freshman, defeated Sewickley Academy sophomore and second seed Severin Harmon in the championship match by scores of 6-2, 6-4. The...

Quaker Valley was in a three-way battle for second place in Section 1-3A when the season’s second half commenced. But after winning four consecutive section games, the young, hard-hitting Quakers were aiming for a higher spot than second place; they planned to contend for the section championship. “Our goals start...

Bethel Park coach Mark Jacobs had high hopes for junior Artemis Conaboy in the outdoor track and field season. “I have to say my expectations for this season have been blown out of the water because Artemis sprinted right past them,” Jacobs said. “I knew she had the ability to...

It’s been tough sledding for the Bethel Park girls lacrosse team. “We graduated about 75% of our varsity team last year, so this is a major rebuilding year for us,” coach Becky Luzier said. “The good news is we return some great now-upperclassmen and we have an abundance of freshmen...

Luke Lewis moved from defensive coordinator into the leadership position of head coach this year in the Bethel Park boys lacrosse program. He said the team’s expectations remain the same. “Bethel Park lacrosse has always been a highly competitive top-tier WPIAL team,” Lewis said, “and despite graduating several starters from...

The players on the Bethel Park baseball team have had big shoes to fill this season. The Black Hawks are two-time defending state champions and are coming off back-to-back 20-win campaigns. “Our goals are the same as every year,” coach Pat Zehnder said, “to win section, WPIAL and state championships....

Small steps. “The program is building up again as our roster has increased from nine to 13 players this year,” said Win Palmer, who is coaching the Sewickley Academy softball team this season. “Bob Sirko, a familiar name to Beaver County softball and who coached at Carlow College, has joined...

Quaker Valley’s girls volleyball program is receiving national attention. Four members of the girls varsity team — Annica Kagle, Molly MacDonald, Vanessa Pickett and Nora Hammond — will be competing in the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships this summer. The tournament will take place June 28 to July 6...

Three members of the Sewickley Valley YMCA Sea Dragons swim team advanced to the state meet this season after qualifying at the district championships. All three swimmers — Amelia Suhayda, Logan Monyok and Luke Monyok — are 12 years old. “All three had amazing swims at districts and cut a...

Sewickley Academy’s baseball home opener could not have gone any smoother. The Panthers socked visiting Bishop Canevin, 10-1, on junior Jordan Smith’s two-hit, complete-game performance. It proved to be a close game until Sewickley erupted for four runs in the fourth and five in the fifth. “The varsity team is...

Quaker Valley Wrestling Association was well-represented at the Keystone State youth championships this past season. In fact, three QV girls — Dublin Parnell, Ireland Parnell and Abby Hillman — finished as medalists in the statewide competition. “Dublin, Ireland and Abby’s performances were truly outstanding as all three wrestled the top...