Westmoreland County campus clippings: Franklin Regional's Michael Kemerer joins Brown coaching staff

Five-time All-American wrestler Michael Kemerer, a former standout at Franklin Regional and Iowa, is joining the coaching staff at Brown.

Kemerer was an NCAA finalist in 2021 at 174 pounds.

In December, he posted on “X,” formerly known as Twitter, that he planned to return from competitive wrestling “after some reflection.”

“Pumped to transition 100% into coaching and incorporate everything I’ve learned over the years,” he posted. “Onward.”

“I am excited to join the Brown wrestling family,” Kemerer said in a Brown news release. “The trajectory of the program continues to grow, and I look forward to contributing.”

Recently, Kemerer served as resident athlete at Spartan Combat RTC, a world-class training facility in Ithaca, N.Y., where he also worked as an assistant coach.

“He is the final piece to what is now one of the more impressive staffs in the county,” Brown coach Jordan Leen said. “He is an elite wrestling mind and the perfect fit for our program.”

Men’s basketball

Pitt-Greensburg: Sophomore Matthew Marinchak (Ligonier Valley) had 19 points and seven rebounds, fifth-year player Micah Jones scored 18 and pulled down seven rebounds and freshman Trent Rozich scored 16 as the Bobcats (11-13, 10-6) defeated visiting Hilbert, 75-70, on senior day.

Senior Michael Gaffney (Hempfield) returned from an injury and hit a 3-pointer.

Saint Vincent: On senior day, the Bearcats moved to 20-3 overall and 15-3 in the PAC by holding off Washington & Jefferson, 87-84, at a packed Carey Center.

Junior Mike Iuzzolino scored 21 points to lead five SVC players in double figures. He was joined by seniors Taylor McNeal (18) and Osyon Jones (16), and sophomores Jaden Gales (15) and Dev Ostrowski (11). Gales also grabbed 12 rebounds.

The Bearcats secured, at worst, the No. 2 seed, a bye and a home game in the semifinals of the PAC Tournament.

W&J had a chance to tie it but missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

SVC made 14 of 20 free throws in the second half.

Iuzzolino was named the PAC Player of the Week.

Seton Hill: The Griffins built a double-digit lead by halftime and held off Clarion, 76-70, in late-season PSAC West action. Senior Ryan Meis scored 15, grad student Drew Green added 14 and freshman Dimitrios Sklavenitis and sophomore James Rice chipped in 12 each for Seton Hill (13-10, 8-9).

Women’s basketball

Bethany: Freshman forward Kate Botti (Norwin) scored 16 points and pulled down 14 rebounds as the Bison took down Geneva, 97-88, to move to 12-11 overall and 10-8 in PAC. She was named the PAC Newcomer of the Week.

Edinboro: Sophomore guard Maura Suman (Penn-Trafford) has started 16 of the 19 games she has played this season, averaging 6.4 points and 2.7 rebounds for the Fighting Scots (12-9, 10-6).

Gannon: Freshman reserve guard Olivia Cernuto (Southmoreland), back on track after an ACL injury, has played in 22 games, averaging 13.6 minutes for the Knights (24-1, 16-0). She is third on the team with 46 assists and is averaging 3.6 points.

Marietta: Senior guard Olivia Gribble (Norwin) scored 11 points on senior day as the Pioneers (18-5, 13-3 OAC) defeated John Carroll, 87-69.

Pitt-Greensburg: Melina Maietta (Greensburg Central Catholic) had 17 points, sophomore Tiana Moracco (Derry) added 16 points and 14 rebounds, and Anna Durbin chipped in 12 points in a 65-58 win over Hilbert. Maietta was named the AMCC Player of the Week.

UPG honored its 2002-03 team Saturday. The team, which finished 23-7, won the program’s first AMCC title, won an NCAA Division III Tournament game and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame.

Pitt-Johnstown: Freshman Camille Dominick (Latrobe) registered career highs in points (14) and rebounds (10) as the Mountain Cats (14-8, 9-7 PSAC West) defeated Clarion, 67-56.

Dominick was 4 for 4 from the field, making all three of her 3-point attempts. Nine of her rebounds were defensive.

Seton Hill: Senior guard Christiane Frye scored a game-high 20 points as the Griffins (13-10, 10-7) rallied to defeat Clarion on senior day, 82-72.

Senior Sakeria Haralson contributed a double-double with 13 points and 17 rebounds, and sophomore Abby Mankins (Greensburg Salem) had 11 points.

Haralson was named the PSAC West Defensive Player of the Year.

Wrestling

Bucknell: Senior Kurt Phipps (Norwin), ranked No. 14 at 133 pounds, picked up his 20th win of the season with 1-0 decision as the Bison fell to Leeman-Turner, 31-11.

Pitt-Johnstown: Third-ranked junior 285-pounder Isaiah Vance (Hempfield) won by decision as the No. 11 Mountain Cats edged past Gannon, 17-15, in a PSAC match.

Heading into February, Vance was leading NCAA Division II in pins with 10.

Seton Hill: Grad 133-pounder William Burgess (11-0), sophomore 141-pounder Jake Gardner (11-0), freshman 157-pounder Collin Hearn (157), and senior Brendan Finnerty (197) all won by major decision, but the Griffins fell to Frostburg State, 22-16.

Men’s volleyball

Penn State: Senior outside hitter Will Kuhns (Hempfield) delivered a career-high 12 kills as No. 9 Penn State defeated Farleigh Dickinson, 3-1.

Saint Vincent: Sophomore outside hitter Zabadiah Wyant had 15 kills and 11 digs to power the Bearcats (7-6) to a 3-0 win over Mt. Aloysius.

Men’s indoor track and field

Grove City: Senior Gabe Dunlap (Penn-Trafford) finished 20th in the triple jump (38 feet, 6.25 inches) at the SPIRE Collegiate Invitational.

Women’s indoor track and field

Carlow: Senior Jaquelyn Heflin (Norwin) took first place in the 800-meter run at the Baldwin Wallace Mid-February Meet with a time of 2 minutes, 52.43 seconds.

Duquesne: Senior Hannah Setizinger (Belle Vernon) won the 400-meter run and anchored the winning 1,600-meter relay team at the SPIRE Collegiate Indoor Games in Geneva, Ohio.

Her 400 time of 55.80 seconds was a personal indoor best and ranks third in program history.

Senior Sadie Wetzel (Latrobe) finished fifth in the high jump by clearing 1.68 meters.

Edinboro: Sophomore Bernadette Zukina (Norwin) set a school record in the 400-meter run at the SPIRE Invitational with a time of 57 seconds. The mark is an NCAA provisional qualifying time.

Zukina was an All-PSAC Third Team member last season (58.66).

Slippery Rock: Aleks Brozeski (Norwin) posted a season-best long jump of 5.30 meters to earn a spot at the SPITE Collegiate Indoor Games to qualify for the PSAC Championships next week. She finished 16th in the event.

Freshman Savannah Schneck (Norwin) placed 15th in the shot put (12.25 meters), also a PSAC-qualifying mark.

Softball

Ohio: Junior catcher Emma Hoffner (Hempfield) had a hit, a walk and an RBI as the Bobcats won their opening game, 9-0, over Michigan State.

Penn State: Junior outfielder Haylie Brunson (Mt. Pleasant) went 2 for 3 with an RBI as the Nittany Lions edged No. 16 Arkansas for their first win over a nationally ranked opponent since 2021. Brunson, a Pitt transfer, added her first home run as a Nittany Lion against Ohio.

Robert Morris: Redshirt senior right fielder Courtney Poulich (Mt. Pleasant) and senior left fielder Faith Miller (Southmoreland) each had a hit in a 4-3 win over George Mason the season opener.

St. Francis (Pa.): Senior second baseman Ashley Orischak (Hempfield) had a double and an RBI as the Red Flash defeated Siena, 4-1, in Charleston, S.C.

Freshman pitcher Olivia Kolowitz (Belle Vernon) made her career debut against Bellarmine.

Men’s lacrosse

Seton Hill: Grad student Peyton Gensler netted two goals inside the final minute, including the game-winner with 10 seconds left, to lift the Griffins to an 11-10, season-opening win over Molloy.

Gensler and sophomore Kaden Granberg each had three goals, and sophomore Nate Herbster had two goals and three assists.

Junior Mark Strunk was named the GMAC Defensive Player of the Week after he won 15 of 24 face-offs and scored the go-ahead goal against Molloy.

Women’s bowling

Saint Vincent: The Bearcats, who recently clinched the No. 1 seed in the AMCC Championship, are ranked No. 9 in the National Tenpin Coaches Association Division II/III poll.

SVC (50-10), which was ranked No. 13 in the last poll, has won four tournaments this season, including the Penn State Behrend Grapevine Classic, the Pitt-Greensburg Bobcat Baker Classic and two AMCC round-robin tournaments. Freshman Skyy Nicholls was named the AMCC Bowler of the Week. She led the team with a 190.2 average at the AMCC Round Robin in New Jersey, rolling strikes on 39% of her throws.

Hockey

Saint Vincent: Zach Ridilla (Latrobe) and Logan Connelly (Norwin) each scored three goals, and Nate Loughner (Penn-Trafford) added two as the Bearcats defeated Duquesne, 11-5.

Connelly recently became the 14th player in program history to reach 100 career points.

Honors

IUP: Late IUP Hall of Fame men’s basketball coach Carl Davis, a former Jeannette boys coach, was honored last weekend along with the 1973-74 team that won the PSAC championship and finished 21-8.

The Crimson Hawks won two games in the NAIA Tournament and also produced four Hall of Fame players.

Davis, who died in 2019 at age 85, became Jeannette’s coach when he was 23.