Josh Rizzo stories, Page 28
Shady Side Academy boys lacrosse overcomes challenges during successful season
The Shady Side Academy boys lacrosse team knew there was no way Ethan Salvia’s production could be completely replaced. The Bulldogs standout and Marquette recruit tore his ACL during basketball season and was forced to miss his senior season on the lacrosse field. However, Shady Side Academy coach Cam Thompson...
Fox Chapel freshman shows worlds of potential in discus, shot put
Making an appearance at the PIAA Class 3A track championships as a freshman didn’t make Fox Chapel’s Claire Conti want to take a break. During the first week of June, Conti went to compete unattached at a meet in Slippery Rock in the throwing events. “I’m trying to keep working,”...
Penn Hills Progress notebook: Redeemer Lutheran track team collects medals
The Redeemer Lutheran track team turned in a strong performance at the National Christian School Athletic Association track and field championships at Geneva College in May. Alexis Banash was the Rams’ top finisher on the girls side, winning two events. Banash won the long jump (14 feet, 11.75 inches) and...
Penn Hills relay team gets feet wet at PIAA track championships
Penn Hills track and field coach Lee Zelkwotiz was happy to be able to take another group of athletes to Shippensburg to compete in the PIAA Class 3A championships on Memorial Day weekend. Following a few years with lower numbers after the start of the pandemic, the Indians track team...
Fox Chapel athletes learn from 1st trip to PIAA track championships
Fox Chapel coach Thomas Moul knows from experience that making a first trip to the PIAA Class 3A track and field championships in Shippensburg isn’t a disappointment no matter the results. What was most important for the two Fox Chapel athletes who competed at the state meet was gaining experience...
Fox Chapel notebook: Senior wrestler Trevor Katz named Student Visionary of the Year
Fox Chapel senior wrestler Trevor Katz made a big splash on the mats during his final year at the school. Katz, who qualified for the WPIAL championships at 180 pounds this season after finishing fourth in the section, helped raise $250,000 dollars for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. That is...
Girls relay team headlines Penn Hills showing at WPIAL track meet
The girls 1,600-meter relay team saved what could have been a total loss for the Penn Hills track team at the WPIAL Class 3A championships at Slippery Rock. The Indians’ relay team — consisting of Maliah Powell, Janaya Coleman, Mylah Faulk and Milani Oliver — finished in third place to...
Riverview junior to play for Team USA at ball hockey World Juniors
Riverview junior Landon Johnson has been working on playing all the angles. When it comes to playmaking in ball hockey, being in the right position is a large part of the battle. “One thing I realized is that I need to know the angles,” Johnson said. “When I know the...
Unconventional coaching career leads former Fox Chapel soccer standout to hall of fame
Mike Babst made peace with being done with soccer more than once in his life. But circumstances kept the Davidson men’s soccer coach circling back to the game. When Babst took his first assistant coaching position at Washington & Lee in Lexington, Va., it was something he hardly scheduled. Babst,...
Penn Hills notebook: PH grad breaks school triple jump record
Penn Hills graduate Kemi Balogun was one of three Frostburg State athletes to earn all-region honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Balogun set the school record in the triple jump and went on to win the Mountain East Conference title. Balogun also had a...
Harry Jenkins, longtime Fox Chapel basketball coach, dies
Harry Jenkins’ time with Fox Chapel didn’t end when he stepped down as the boys varsity basketball coach in 2005. Jenkins wanted to find a way to keep the program moving forward and bring together players from different communities. Working with the school, Jenkins formed a four-team league for alumni...
Shaler notebook: Extreme sports athlete competes in Russian sky running event
Richard Burgunder III returned to competition this year and was one of the outsiders at the International Festival Red Fox Elbrus Race at Mount Elbrus, Russia. Burgunder, a 43-year-old Shaler native, was one of two Americans competing in the event. Following a seven-year layoff from competition, Burgunder placed 49th in...
Undefeated softball team highlights super spring at Shaler
Tom Sorce’s five-year plan is coming to fruition. The Shaler softball coach wanted to rebuild the program by starting from the youth program up. The Titans asked several former collegiate players to come and work with the middle school program. Not everyone was able to say yes — six or...
Penn Hills youth team wins street hockey national championship
Bradley Mazza’s trip to New Jersey provided some extra nerves. The Penn Hills Arsenal Penguins A team found itself in an unfamiliar position during the National Street Hockey Association tournament hosted by the Gloucester Township Hockey Alliance. Penn Hills was in overtime, fighting for a championship against the Marlton Chiefs....
Penn Hills notebook: Drew Schifino plans basketball camp
Drew Schifino enjoys that his family’s name has deep ties within the Penn Hills community. Schifino, who is the Indians’ all-time leading scorer with 2,320 points, went on to play at West Virginia collegiately and overseas professionally. Now, Schifino is prepping to watch his nephew, Indiana product Jalen Hood-Schifino, prep...
Fox Chapel notebook: Girls lacrosse, baseball teams open playoffs with win
The eighth-seeded Fox Chapel baseball team opened the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs on a winning note. The Foxes were able to take down Mars, 6-4, in a first-round game May 17. Fox Chapel pitcher Jeremy Haigh threw a complete game, striking out four batters to grab the win. Dom Cassol...
Fox Chapel girls soccer star learned life lessons during Hall of Fame career
Lily Feldman was eager to plot her own course after graduating from Fox Chapel High School in 2009. Instead of sticking with a program closer to home, Feldman ventured to Vermont to try her hand at living on her own and playing for the Catamounts’ women’s soccer program. “I think...
Penn Hills rugby team takes big step forward
Following several years of building the program from the ground up following the start of the pandemic, Big Red rugby coach Matt Rosemeyer got to see the fruits of his labor in 2023. The rugby team, which is a club sport, was able to get 23 players out for the...
Penn Hills notebook: Fitness team’s Jadyn Wright on winning streak
Jadyn Wright is providing new entries in the Penn Hills fitness team’s history book. Even longtime coach Bob Martini doesn’t recall having another athlete find this much success at meets. Wright recently won the BethPage Invitational on Long Island, N.Y. It was his third victory in as many meets this...
Hall of Famer’s running career took her from Fox Chapel to Franklin Field
Rachel Humphrey’s affection for distance running started thanks to her dad’s interest in the sport. The 2008 Fox Chapel graduate used her abilities in the sport to take her sporting career to the University of Pennsylvania. “My dad ran track and cross country in college,” Humphrey said. “I looked up...
Former Fox Chapel, Pitt distance runner Eric Burnett honored to join Foxes’ Sports Hall of Fame
Eric Burnett wasn’t an athlete who was highly coveted by the Pitt track program. Once Burnett found his way to Pitt, he attempted to walk on to the program twice before earning a spot on the cross country team as a senior. What kept Burnett, who was chosen as a...
Fox Chapel notebook: Hall of Fame class announced
Seven individuals and one team are being honored as part of the Class of 2023 for the Fox Chapel Area Schools Sports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony and banquet are scheduled for June 3 at the Harmar House in Cheswick. The team being honored is the 1995-96 Fox Chapel...
Penn Hills notebook: Daemar Kelly earns all-state honors
Penn Hills guard Daemar Kelly was determined to finish his senior season with a WPIAL Class 5A championship in boys basketball. Kelly, who led Penn Hills in scoring, was able to help deliver that. As a result of the Indians’ success and Kelly’s achievement, the Indians were able to finish...
College coaches sing praises of Penn Hills junior lineman Kelsey Hundley
Being on stage doesn’t change much for Kelsey Hundley. The Penn Hills junior feels about as comfortable there as he does in football pads. After getting wrapped up in sports, Hundley had stepped away from the performing arts for a few years. He was convinced to get back into them...
Running a lifelong passion for Fox Chapel Hall of Famer
John Carroll University ended up being the perfect landing spot for Heather (Peltier) Melzer. The 1987 Fox Chapel graduate developed a love for distance running, which started with cross country and outdoor track in high school, that has stuck with her throughout her life. Melzer didn’t always feel like she...
