Josh Rizzo stories, Page 26
Penn Hills grad enjoying time on Saint Vincent golf team
When Lucy Brayton is out on the golf course, there aren’t too many other things that bother the Saint Vincent freshman. With all of the things that can make the transition from high school to college difficult, handling all of the school-life balance hasn’t troubled Brayton much. “I’ve always been...
Fox Chapel graduate takes pride in qualifying for U.S. Olympic marathon trials
Colin Martin has all the gizmos and gadgets to properly track his pace, but the Fox Chapel graduate also utilized his intelligence to know if he was on the right track to qualify for the U.S. Olympic marathon trials. Running in Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minn., Martin had an idea...
Slippery Rock commitment ‘felt right’ to Penn Hills basketball standout Hannah Pugliese
Ryenn Micaletti left a lasting impression with Penn Hills senior Hannah Pugliese. While on a trip to Slippery Rock University, Pugliese had an opportunity to watch Micaletti, who is in her first year as coach of The Rock, run practice. “I think she is going to turn things around,” Pugliese...
Penn Hills responds well to dose of adversity
Penn Hills football coach Charles Morris prepared the team to face major adversity from the first day of training camp. Morris got an idea of how the Indians would handle it when things didn’t go right after Penn Hills lost Sept. 15 to Moon. The Indians, who were ranked No....
Fox Chapel grad takes reins of U.S. rowing training center as Olympics approach
Jesse Foglia was named the head coach at the USRowing Training Center at Princeton at the right time to help American athletes pursue a chance to compete at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. The 2000 Fox Chapel graduate was hired to coach the team in January after a long career...
Selfless style has Fox Chapel girls back on path to playoff berth
Emily McKee has spent her freshman season keeping her eyes out for her teammates. When the Fox Chapel girls soccer team goes on the attack, players are always looking to find different ways to create strong scoring opportunities. “We have been working on playing as a team, not being selfish...
Shaler football builds chemistry during red-hot start to season
Ryan Barnhart wasn’t sure if he wanted to play guard. The Shaler senior had spent most of his career as a middle linebacker. But coming into the season, he knew the Titans also needed help up front. “At the beginning, I wasn’t sure I wanted to play on the offensive...
Penn Hills notebook: Raion Strader comes up big in Miami (Ohio) win
Penn Hills graduate Raion Strader helped Miami (Ohio) end a long-time losing streak to Cincinnati. Just a week after the Bearcats beat Pitt at Acrisure Stadium, Cincinnati got tripped up 31-24 by the Redhawks in overtime Sept. 16. Strader, a freshman, finished with a career-high six tackles and three pass...
Penn Hills lineman taking wrestler’s mentality to Richmond
Kelsey Hundley’s mentality lends itself well to wrestling. The Penn Hills senior offensive lineman is determined to never fold. When attempting to survive a heavyweight wrestling match, conceding ground isn’t a wise maneuver. Picking up wrestling before his junior year helped Hundley look at things differently. “It’s a competition about...
Shaler golf team in midst of historic season
Everyone on the Shaler boys golf team found a different path to the varsity roster. Titans junior Jacob Crissman’s interest in golf came out of idle boredom. “During covid, I had appendicitis,” Crissman said. “I would just chip and putt in my backyard.” Crismman has become one of the Shaler’s...
Works pays off when Fox Chapel runner shatters personal best time
Fox Chapel junior cross country runner Ethan Vaughan wanted to get below 17 minutes this season. Last season, Vaughan plateaued with a best time of 17 minutes, 2 seconds. During the Kiski Invitational on Sept. 15 at Northmoreland Park, Vaughan showed what a summer of increased mileage and cross training...
Fox Chapel notebook: Golfers make cut at sectional tournaments
The Fox Chapel boys golf team has found plenty of success at the individual level and is still in the race for the section team title. During the section qualifier Sept. 19, Fox Chapel had four golfers punch their tickets to the WPIAL Class 3A individual championships. Davey Fuhrer led...
Penn Hills runners making strides under returning coach
Being a longtime member of the cross country community made putting a schedule together late not too bad for Penn Hills coach Lee Zelkowitz. Zelkowitz, who planned to step down after last season, came back to the job after Ryan Donnelly had to step down for personal reasons in early...
With AD stepping in as coach, Penn Hills volleyball looking to learn
Stephanie Strauss doesn’t want coaching the Penn Hills girls volleyball program to be a long-term gig. But Strauss has enjoyed being back on the sidelines. Strauss, who is Penn Hills’ athletic director, took the job because no qualified candidates lined up to take over for long-time coach Jay Mitlo after...
Davey Fuhrer, Fox Chapel golf teammates set sights on postseason hardware
Davey Fuhrer has his eyes fixed on the future. The Fox Chapel senior golfer visited George Mason and has been in touch with the men’s golf coaches at Miami (Ohio) and High Point. But Fuhrer has some unfinished business he would like to clean up during his senior season. Fox...
Solid 1st half of season puts Fox Chapel boys soccer in good position
The Fox Chapel boys soccer team is closing in on the end of the first half of Section 1-4A play. What the Foxes have learned is that they are more than capable of playing at the pace of other top teams. Fox Chapel, which opened 4-2 overall and 3-2 in...
Penn Hills boys soccer ready to climb into playoff contention
The Penn Hills boys soccer program is used to having to dig out of holes. Two years ago, the Indians had to surge down the back half of the section schedule to break a 17-year postseason drought and make the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs. This year, Penn Hills jumped in...
Penn Hills notebook: Dante Cephas dons blue and white in season-opening win
Two Penn Hills graduates had different experiences for Penn State’s season-opening win over West Virginia at Beaver Stadium. Dante Cephas, who transferred in from Kent State, caught one pass for 22 yards during the Nittany Lions’ 38-15 win. Daequan Hardy, one of Penn State’s top reserve cornerbacks, missed the game...
Flexible lineup helps Fox Chapel girls tennis team succeed
Sophia Carvelli wasn’t disappointed to have to make an adjustment during her senior season. With some nagging shoulder pain slowing her down, Carvelli switched from playing No. 3 singles to doubles to ease some of the workload. Partnering with fellow senior Maria Marasco has been fun for Carvelli. Playing doubles...
Fox Chapel working hard, making adjustments to move past early season struggles
Building confidence was never going to be easy for first-year Fox Chapel football coach Dave Leasure. When the Foxes scrimmaged Hempfield, the program got a jolt. Fox Chapel scored three touchdowns and didn’t give up any. But when they started regular season play, the Foxes quickly had to make adjustments....
Receiver Martel Palmer brings big-play dimension to Penn Hills offense
Penn Hills junior Martel Palmer’s two timely touchdowns in Week Zero likely didn’t catch many of the spectators at Yuhas-McGinley off guard. At least one person standing on the sidelines certainly didn’t blink an eye at the development. Indians football coach Charles Morris, who is Palmer’s cousin, knows what is...
Longtime coach lends hand to players new to the sport on Penn Hills golf team
Paul Jack still feels a deep connection with Penn Hills. Growing up, Jack was constantly around the district in various ways with his mom, Elfrida, who taught physical education at Penn Hills for 25 years. “I grew up being dragged to Penn Hills football games,” Jack said. “My mom was...
Fox Chapel cross country standout working back into form
Rowan Gwin never discovered what the cause of his hip flexor injury was last spring. Trying to navigate through great pain, Gwin competed in the WPIAL Class 3A track and field championship at Slippery Rock University. That didn’t go great. Entering this cross country season, Gwin, who finished seventh at...
Fox Chapel notebook: Soccer teams tested early
Section play is grueling for all WPIAL soccer programs. The way the calendar falls necessitates playing tough games early in the schedule. Both the Fox Chapel boys and girls programs were tested by perennially WPIAL and PIAA Class 4A challengers Seneca Valley in the first week of the season. For...
Former Penn Hills cheerleader honored for academic achievement
Taylor Roach has a lot on her mind as she starts her freshman year at Pitt. The 2023 Penn Hills graduate is getting acclimated to college life but had the chance to enjoy some of the fruits of her labor this summer. Roach, who was Penn Hills’ valedictorian last season...
