High School category, Page 108
Penn-Trafford eager to compete with WPIAL track elite
When competing in a track and field section with Norwin and Hempfield, the chances of making the WPIAL Class 3A team playoffs are slim. The Penn-Trafford boys team has defied that logic that the past two seasons by qualifying for WPIALs and last year reached the finals. But if the...
Penn-Trafford notebook: Pair of seniors up for scholar/athlete award
Derek Carr and Kylie Anthony are this year’s candidates from Penn-Trafford for the Westmoreland County Scholar/Athlete Excellence Award. The duo are outstanding athletes and solid students. Carr played football and basketball for the Warriors. He ranked 47th of 303 in his class with a 4.2 cumulative GPA. Anthony played volleyball...
‘A long way to go’: Despite strong start, Gateway baseball focused on staying hot
The Gateway baseball team won its fifth game of the young season, 3-2 over McKeesport in its Section 4-5A opening series March 25. The Gators, who upped their record to 5-1 with the victory, won four games all of last season. First-year coach Andy Hoover said hard work in practice...
Sea Dragons youth swimmers celebrate successful season
The Sewickley Valley YMCA Sea Dragons recently completed the 2024-25 youth swim season with terrific results. “We had a fantastic season,” said Paula Kwalick, aquatic coordinator and head swim coach. “We were the overall winners of the Division III Champs, taking first place in seven age/gender groups and second in...
Valley’s Allen wins MVP, East boys win Cager Classic in overtime
Mikael Allen hammered in the slam dunk he was in search of with 48 seconds remaining in the 28th annual Alle-Kiski Cager Classic Saturday at Highlands High School. But the East team’s night was far from over. Allen’s dunk had stretched the East’s lead to three points, but it disappeared...
High school sports scores for April 5, 2025
High schools Baseball Saturday’s results Class 4A Section 1 Central Valley at Blackhawk, ppd. Nonsection Allderdice at Obama Academy, ppd. Chartiers-Houston at New Brighton, ppd. Lacrosse Girls Saturday’s result Nonsection Seton LaSalle 15, St. Hubert’s 1 Softball Saturday’s results Class 5A Section 4 Albert Gallatin at Peters Township, ppd. Nonsection...
West girls team rallies after slow start to win Cager Classic
Gia Richter hit the floor several times wrestling for loose balls during the 28th annual Alle-Kiski Cager Classic Saturday at Highlands High School. The St. Joseph’s senior guard wanted badly to lead the West team to a win. The muggy conditions also necessitated effort for anyone who desired to hold...
Westmoreland high school athletes of the week for April 6, 2025: Franklin Regional’s Toryn Fulton and Derry’s Jeremiah Gess
Toryn Fulton School: Franklin Regional Class: Senior Sport: Softball Claim to fame: Fulton led the Panthers (5-2) to a pair of wins in a variety of ways. She had a double, home run and three RBIs in a 6-4 win over McKeesport. Then, she stole a career-high six bases, doubled,...
Riverview’s Katerina Tsambis named Valley News Dispatch girls basketball player of the year
Katerina Tsambis 5-4, Sr., G, Riverview The Riverview girls basketball team won 14 games this past season and lost just five. Of those 14 games, a couple of them stand out for senior guard Katerina Tsambis. “I would have to say beating some of the bigger schools we played like...
Belle Vernon’s Zion Moore named TribLive Westmoreland boys basketball player of the year
Zion Moore Sr., G, Belle Vernon Asked to describe his senior basketball season in one word, TribLive Westmoreland Boys Basketball Player of the Year Zion Moore offered this: “History.” Belle Vernon’s high-volume scorer and his teammates produced the program’s first WPIAL championship since 1978 and did so as legendary coach...
Knoch’s Jackson Bauman headlines Valley News Dispatch boys basketball all-stars
Jackson Bauman 6-2, Jr., PG, Knoch When everything was on the line for the Knoch boys basketball team, Jackson Bauman shined. A heart-and-soul player for the Knights, Bauman came up big as his team faced elimination against section rival Deer Lakes in the WPIAL Class 4A fifth-place game with a...
Greensburg Central Catholic’s Erica Gribble headlines TribLive Westmoreland girls basketball all-stars
Erica Gribble Jr., G, Greensburg Central Catholic Even a second straight WPIAL championship doesn’t fully appease Erica Gribble. It doesn’t quite satisfy her appetite. Division I talents such as Gribble always seem to want more — from themselves, from their teammates, from their next goal. “I want to be more...
A-K HOF inductee Ondako excelled as an athlete, coach and still enjoys competition
Receiving the news that he had been selected to the Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame left Larry Ondako pondering his place among local athletic legends. “It presented kind of a conundrum for me,” said the 81-year-old Ondako. “The hall is for greatness. I think I played well and was...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Apollo-Ridge’s Mikaila Ditty, Knoch’s Zane Pacek
Mikaila Ditty School: Apollo-Ridge Class: Freshman Sport: Softball Claim to fame: On the mound, Ditty threw a five-inning no-hitter, walking none and striking out 11, as the Vikings (5-1) beat Leechburg, 11-0, in a nonsection matchup. Helping her own cause, she went 2 for 3 with a grand slam, a...
Westmoreland high school notebook: County players, coaches set to take part in Roundball all-star games
The 21st Roundball Classic all-star basketball games are set for May 24-25 at North Allegheny. There will be seven all-senior games over two days, four boys and three girls. The schedule is as follows: Saturday, May 24 — Boys – Class 5A (South) vs. District 10, 3 p.m.; Girls –...
WPIAL softball rankings, week ending April 6, 2025
Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Seneca Valley, 5-0, 1 2. Hempfield, 7-0, 2 3. Pine-Richland, 3-1, 3 4. North Allegheny, 3-4, 4 5. Norwin, 2-5, 5 Out: none Class 5A 1. Penn-Trafford, 4-1, NR 2. North Hills, 6-1, NR 3. West Allegheny, 4-3, 2 4. Shaler, 4-2, 4...
WPIAL baseball rankings, week ending April 6, 2025
Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 2-2, 1 2. Canon-McMillan, 7-1, 4 3. Butler, 6-0, NR 4. Seneca Valley, 4-3, NR 5. Central Catholic, 4-2, 2 Out: Hempfield (4-4, 3), Mt. Lebanon (1-6, 5) Class 5A 1. Pine-Richland, 6-1, 1 2. Shaler, 5-3, 2 3. Bethel Park,...
Murrysville Star notebook: Franklin Regional baseball scoring runs in bunches
Through six games, Franklin Regional had scored more runs than any baseball team in the WPIAL. The Panthers (5-1) had 68 runs and had reached double digits four times, including back-to-back 18-run games. They outscored Penn Hills 36-3 in a two-game Section 1-5A sweep. In the second game, Jonah Willochell...
In season’s early days, Shady Side Academy girls lacrosse already making strides
The Shady Side Academy girls lacrosse team hasn’t played as many games as most of the other WPIAL teams. But when the Bulldogs kicked off the season with two section matches, they showed off their potential. The Bulldogs opened with wins over Shaler and Seneca Valley and scored a combined...
Fox Chapel alumni notebook: Wrestling ref Patrick Frank works national title match
Patrick Frank, who graduated from Fox Chapel in 1998, refereed the 141-pound title match during the NCAA Division I championships in March in Phialdelphia. Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez, who was the No. 3 seed, upset top-seeded Brock Hardy of Nebraska by winning a 12-9 decision. Frank, who was inducted into...
Penn Hills grad hopes to add to list of successful transfers
Defensive back Dontae Pollard wants to be a part of the group of Penn Hills alumni that found success at a higher level in college football. Corey Thomas Jr. found success at the University of Virginia after starting in Akron. Raion Strader landed with Auburn after excelling at Miami (Ohio)...
Young Penn Hills softball roster adjusting to intensity of varsity action
The Penn Hills softball team has many new faces looking to fill key roles. The Indians know that, with such a significant personnel transition, some growing pains should be expected. First-year Penn Hills coach Michelle Stiller would like to see their long-term plan pay dividends by the end of the...
Riverview track teams quick off the starting blocks this season
Riverview boys and girls track coach Dave Ilnicki has seen quite a bit of running, throwing and jumping over the decades. Ilnicki, a teacher in the district, is in his 33rd year of guiding kids in the track program. It’s his 29th season in charge. “I was hired in 1992...
Plum athletes hit early marks at Altoona Igloo Invitational
The Plum boys and girls track and field teams are well into their 2025 spring season, and early invitational and dual-meet results have put a smile on the face of head coach Matt Proskin. He struck a positive tone last Wednesday after a competitive section dual meet with Franklin Regional...
Norwin track teams have depth to contend for WPIAL titles
Norwin has taken the upper hand in many section track and field matches in recent years and has the winning streaks to prove it. The program has the talent to add to those streaks — and maybe the trophy case, too. The girls have won 33 straight section meets and...
